ã€ŠBack to the Past: Breaking the Love Spellã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    I used to be the infamous bootlicker of the entire school, but now I¡¯ve been reborn.

    In my previous life, glected my studies in pursuit of Sarah Gates¡¯ affection and failed my admission

    to college. I even jeopardized my health by excessive dieting after she said, ¡°I don¡¯t like people who are

    overweight.¡±

    As I looked at the disappointment in my father¡¯s eyes and my mother¡¯s tears, I harbored bitterness until

    my death. A wise person doesn¡¯t plunge into love.

    As I have been given a second chance at life, I vow to live for myself this time! Little did I expect the

    school belle to panic when she loses a loyal bootlicker like me.

    ¡°Carlisle, read this love letter aloud to the ss passionately!¡± Lucy Turner, the homeroom teacher of

    ss 3A shouted as she angrily threw a love letter in Carlisle Zahn¡¯s face.

    ¡°My dearest¡­ What is this!¡± She pounded the podium continuously while shouting with frustration.

    His ssmates burst intoughter. All eyes turned to Carlisle.

    ss 3A? Carlisle wondered if he had time-traveled back to 2004.

    He then slowly surveyed his surroundings. He saw the quote written on the heavy ckboard.

    ¡°There are no secrets to sess. Sesses from the result of preparation, hard work, and

    learning from failure.¡± This was their ss slogan before the SATS.

    An old fan hummed on the wall. The students around him wore ording to the dress code, while

    there were eyes filled with mockery or disdain.

    Carlisle lowered his head and looked at the love letter he had written to Sarah a month before SATS.

    Little did he expect Sarah Gates to hand this letter to the teacher, which turned him into a joke in the

    ss.

    In his previous life, he didn¡¯t know what spell had been cast upon him to be obsessed with Sarah,

    He had been her bootlicker from high school to college and till her graduation.

    Finally, he truly gave up when he watched her marry into a wealthy family.

    He looked up at Sarah, who was sitting in the first row. Sarah smiled, her eyes filled with a hint of

    disdain.

    Carlisle opened the love letter and looked at his own naive and sincere handwriting.

    ¡°My dearest Sarah, may I know which college you have applied to? I want to apply to the same college

    to study together with you, and be with you forever¡­¡±

    Chaixer 1

    ¡°Stop reading it,¡± Sean Woodsen, his deskmate, whispered. He then poked Carlisle¡¯s thigh with a

    ballpoint

    pen.

    Sean felt embarrassed even listening to him. Yet Carlisle could still recite it, which meant he had really

    thick skin.

    Carlisle chuckled. He never expected that he could write such cheesy stuff when he was young.

    ¡°You still have the nerve tough? Go stand outside in the corridor!¡± Lucy¡¯s eyes widened as she

    shouted while pointing at his nose.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Carlisle pursed his lips to refrain fromughing as he walked straight out of the ssroom.

    Lucy watched him leave and sighed. She had given up on Carlislepletely. The college entrance

    exam was approaching, yet all he could think about was romance.

    Could a student like him have any future? He really dragged down the ss¡¯ college admission rate.

    Carlisle stood in the corridor with his hands in his pockets. He began to reminisce about his past life.

    His family wasn¡¯t wealthy because his parents were both working-ss. Yet they had spent a lot of

    money to send him to a prestigious high school. In fact, they signed him up for tuition throughout high

    school.

    However, a scumbag like him had stopped attending extra tuition sses in his second year of high

    school. Instead, he had swindled the tutoring fees given by his parents to spend the money on gifts for

    Sarah.

    But he ended up not having her and failed his college admission.

    His parents couldn¡¯t even hold their heads up in front of rtives. In the end, they begged his

    grandparents to arrange a job for him. However, he had limited options as he only had a high school

    diploma.

    He ended up relying on connections to get into apany with a toxic work culture. He had to work

    from dawn to dusk. Yet almost all of his monthly sry went to gifts for Sarah.

    Because Sarah didn¡¯t like overweight people, Carlisle even started dieting when he weighed 200

    pounds. Yet, Sarah didn¡¯t evene to visit him till his death, which was quite pitiful to think about.

    But Carlisle didn¡¯t harbor too much hatred towards Sarah. After all, she was a girl he had once liked.

    But after he died in his past life, he had grown indifferent to many things. Even his obsession with

    Sarah had dissipated.

    His only regret was not being able to get into college. He didn¡¯t want to see his father¡¯s disappointed

    eyes and his mother¡¯s tearful eyes again.

    Carlisle stretchedzily and smiled in relief. He had sacrificed enough for Sarah in his past life. Now, he

    would live for himself.

    The school bell chimed during recess, and students started to walk out. They couldn¡¯t help but mock

    Carlisle when they passed by.

    Chopter

    304

    ¡°Carl, you can even write love letters?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, too bad the school belle didn¡¯t fancy you.¡±

    The monotony of senior high school life was enough to keep the students interested in mocking him for

    at month. Carlisle shrugged as he remained indifferent to their remarks.

    Just as he was about to return to the ssroom, Sarah stopped him and said, ¡°Carlisle.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Carlisle asked while looking up.

    Sarah had her bangs neatlybed and in a ponytail. She was fair, and her big, r o n d y s were paired

    with lustrous eyshes. She looked youthful because she hadn¡¯t learned to put on makeup yet. It

    made

    her look pure and innocent.

    With her hands behind her back, Sarah yed with the hem of her clothes. She lowered her head and

    said, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯m sorry about today. I identally left the love letter in the exam paper and forgot to

    take

    it out.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Carlisle nodded. How could she forget such a thing? But whether it was true or false didn¡¯t

    matter

    anymore. He didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯ve applied to Rivend University, Study hard, and I¡¯ll wait for you there,¡± Sarah said shyly

    as she tiptoed to whisper. After finishing, she blushed and ran back to the ssroom.

    Carlisle took a sharp breath. In that moment earlier, he almost fell for it again. Sarah was too good at

    this.

    He shook his head repeatedly and quickly recited to clear his mind, ¡°A wise person doesn¡¯t plunge into

    love¡­¡±

    Sarah¡¯s words reminded him that the SATS were just a month away. In his past life, he didn¡¯t get into

    college.

    Although Lucy was strict, she had a point when she said, ¡°The knowledge you acquire is yours. No one

    can steal it from you.¡± Carlisle resonated deeply with this statement upon entering society.

    With his second chance at life, Carlisle resolved to buckle down and study hard. Not only for the sake

    of his parents but for himself too.

    As Sarah returned to the ssroom, her friend, Sienna Thorn, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What if Carlisle

    gets ticked off that you handed his love letter to the teacher? Aren¡¯t we relying on him for our summer

    trip

    funds?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I only told him which college I intend to attend. Bet he¡¯s back to studying in a moment,¡±

    Sarah replied while confidently flipping her hair.

    Handing Carlisle¡¯s love letter to the homeroom teacher was mainly to inform other boys that she was

    still single. She won¡¯t miss a whole forest just because of one crooked tree.

    At that moment, Carlisle rushed back to the ssroom. Then, he became deeply engrossed in reading

    model essays.

    Sienna gave Sarah an approving nod andplimented, ¡°You¡¯re quite something.

    Just then, Sean returned from the restroom and said to Carlisle, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the inte caf¨¦. It¡¯s on

    me.¡± Sean wanted to treat him and help him unwind a bit since Carlisle had embarrassed himself today.

    ¡°What are we going there for? The SATs areing up soon. We have to study hard,¡± Carlisle said

    seriously.

    ¡°What the heck, have you lost your mind? Just because Sarah rejected you? Is it worth getting worked

    up over?¡± Sean asked in frustration.

    Then, he continued, ¡°Even if you end up in the same school as Sarah, she won¡¯t agree to date you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not studying for Sarah; I¡¯m studying for myself,¡± Carlisle stated.

    He then showed Sean the essay. ¡°Write an essay on the topic of ¡°Variety is the spice of life¡¯. This hasn¡¯t

    been out for the past two years, so it¡¯ll surelye out this year. Take a good look at how it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Stop your nonsense! How would you know that it¡¯ll definitely be on the exam?¡± Sean asked.

    ¡°How about we bet on a toaster?¡± Carlisle proposed with a sharp and serious gaze.

    Sear

    felt a chill from his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not betting with you.¡±

    Something about Carlisle¡¯s demeanor today felt off to Sean, but he couldn¡¯t tell why. As Carlisle didn¡¯t

    want to join him at the caf¨¦, he could only flip through the model essays in boredom.

    ¡°Hey

    Carlisle, Sienna and I are going out for a bit. Can you bring us lunch at noon? Thanks a bunch,

    Carlisle,¡± Sarahmanded before walking out of the ssroom with Sienna.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t even lift his head and continued to read earnestly, It was only then that he remembered

    he hadn¡¯t eaten lunch yet.

    Just as he was about to get up, Sean stopped him. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the cafeteria to grab some food,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°Are you an idiot? Are you really nning to bring her lunch? Did she pay you?¡±

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 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I just go to the cafeteria for lunch?¡± Carlisle shrugged.

    ¡°Oh,e on, you were going to get lunch for Sarah, weren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you get me one too?¡±

    Sean said as he rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get one for you when I return,¡± Carlisle replied. He then headed to the cafeteria with a book

    in his hand.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Sean was furious. Was this about not getting food for himself?

    At 1:30pm, Sarah and Sienna walked into the ssroom hand in hand while smiling. ¡°Sean, where¡¯s

    Carlisle?¡± Sarah asked.

    Sean took off his earphones and nced at Sarah impatiently. ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s sote now, yet Carlisle isn¡¯t back yet. Does he want us to starve?¡± Sienna frowned and

    grumbled.

    Meanwhile, Sarah smiled, ¡°Maybe Carlisle got held up on the way. He¡¯ll probably be back soon.¡±

    While they spoke, Carlisle entered the ssroom with a book in his left hand and two packed lunches

    in his right. The two quickly greeted him, ¡°Carlisle, thank you so much.¡±

    Sean sighed helplessly. His friend was beyond redemption. Yet, Carlisle was puzzled. ¡°Thank me for

    what?

    Sarah¡¯s eyes t l d captivatingly as she spoke, ¡°Of course, we thanked you for helping us with lunch.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you guys lunch!¡± Carlisle shrugged.

    ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯ve brought back the food, Why are you pretending now?¡± Sienna said impatiently.

    She then reached out to take the lunch boxes from Carlisle¡¯s hands.

    Carlisle stepped back swiftly to his seat. ¡°Sean, finish your lunch quickly. We have ss soon.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ I¡­ This¡­ Sean was stunned as he looked at the lunch box Carlisle had handed over. ¡°Did you

    really get this for me?¡±

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    ¡°Of course, didn¡¯t you ask me to bring you lunch earlier? Carlisle replied while munching on his food.

    ¡°Hehe, thanks.¡± Sean grinned. His mood lightened, so he started eating.

    Sarah and Sienna stood by with their mouths twitching. Their expressions were as if they were

    constipated. They couldn¡¯t believe their ears.

    Sarah clenched her fists and frowned. ¡°Carlisle, didn¡¯t you hear what I said about lunch?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± Carlisle nodded.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you bring us lunch?¡± Sarah was annoyed and asked.

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t pay me.¡± Carlisle shrugged.

    Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. She had never paid him whenever requesting him to bring her lunch. It was

    supposed to be his honor, yet he dared to ask her for money.

    ¡°Then¡­ Then, why did you bring lunch for Sean? Did he pay you?¡±

    Carlisle nodded seriously. ¡°Sean paid for me at the inte caf¨¦ yesterday. Thus, I ought to buy him

    lunch.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Sarah was speechless. She wanted to refute, then realized she had never given Carlisle

    anything.

    Sean almost choked on his food. He then put his arm around Carlisle¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Carl, let¡¯s

    go to the Inte caf¨¦ together tonight. It¡¯s on me.¡±

    Carlisle shook his head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have time. I have to study.¡±

    Sarah saw the two ignoring her and said furiously, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯m mad with you right now. Don¡¯t bother

    me in the future.¡± With that, she left in a huff.

    Sienna pointed at Carlisle and said, ¡°Carlisle, you better apologize to Sarah this afternoon, Hmph!

    Sarah, wait for me.¡±

    Sean warned Carlisle with a nce. ¡°Carlisle, you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere this afternoon. 1

    ¡°Where would I go? I have to study this afternoon,¡± Carlisle replied and took another bite of his lunch.

    Then, Carlisle continued, ¡°The baked eggnt in the cafeteria is good. Try some.¡±

    Sean directly grabbed some from the lunch box and said, ¡°My favorite.¡±

    The first ss after recess was math.

    Carlisle took out his math book and felt like he was looking at hieroglyphs with all those forms. His

    heart tightened.

    He could handlenguage subjects, but how would he tackle math, physics, and chemistry?

    He racked his brain to recall thest question that came out for math in his previous life¡¯s SATS. As

    soon

    as the ss ended, Carlisle walked to the front row with his math book.

    In the front row, Sienna had been adjusting her bangs while looking in the mirror. Seeing Carlisle¡¯s

    figure in the reflection, she nudged Sarah next to her and whispered, ¡°Sarah, Carlisle ising over.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Sarah turned her head with her arms crossed over her chest. Her chin was held high with

    pride as she said, ¡°So what? He won¡¯t be forgiven so easily. He must pay the price of agitating me.¡±

    Sienna agreed and nodded earnestly. ¡°Exactly.¡± Her stomach was rumbling as well, so she couldn¡¯t

    forgive him so easily.

    Carlisle arrived at Sarah¡¯s side with his math book. Yet, Sarah simply turned her head away, and said in

    a disdainful tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to bother me anymore?¡±

    Chapter 2

    373

    What is he being so pretentious for? He¡¯d still have to apologize to her obediently in the end. She

    waited for a while but didn¡¯t see Carlisle¡¯s reaction.

    She felt puzzled and turned back to see him with his back to her. Carlisle stood in the aisle, facing the

    ss monitor who sat in the first row with a smile, ¡°Wanda, I have a question I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±

    The ss monitor, Wanda Thompson, slowly raised her head as she pushed up her thick sses. She

    blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Which question?¡±

    As the ss monitor, site was very willing to help ssmates who were not good at studying. Not only.

    could she help her ssmates, but she could also enhance her own knowledge.

    ¡°It¡¯s this one.¡± Carlisle pointed with his pen. Wanda then looked at the question in the book seriously.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t dare to disturb her and stood quietly by her side.

    After so many years, he realized for the first time that he had never really observed Wanda. Although

    she wasn¡¯t at the level of a school belle, her facial features were delicate and without any ws. She

    also had

    short hair.

    In his previous life, he didn¡¯t interact much with Wanda because she focused solely on her studies,

    while he had his mind set on Sarah. He only knew that she came from a wealthy family, and was easily

    admitted into Rivend University.

    Wanda worked at her family¡¯spany shortly after graduation and had gotten marriedter. She was

    also considered a winner in life.

    Wanda pursed her lips and pondered for a long time. This question was quite difficult. She felt that she

    couldn¡¯t solve it in just ten minutes.

    She raised her head and said to Carlisle, ¡°Um¡­ Carlisle, why don¡¯t I exin it to you after school?

    ss is

    about to start soon.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks, Wanda.¡± Carlisle knew the difficulty of the question, but he believed Wanda could handle

    it. He turned and went back to his seat.

    Sienna was bewildered. She nced at Carlisle and then at Sarah. ¡°He¡­ he just left like that? Why

    hasn¡¯t hee to apologize yet?¡± she asked.

    Sarah clenched her teeth and spoke coldly,¡± He probably feels embarrassed to apologize in front of so

    many people.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Sienna was skeptical as she thought that something was off about Carlisle today.

    Sarah shrugged confidently and said, ¡°Of course. He must have heard that I¡¯m aiming for Rivend

    University, so he¡¯s starting to put in some effort now.¡±

 Chapter 3

    After school, Sarah and Sienna pushed their bikes out of the school gate. Sienna asked worriedly,

    ¡°Sarah, didn¡¯t Carlisle apologize to you all afternoon?¡±

    Sarah smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know him too well. He¡¯s like an adhesive ster that

    you can¡¯t shake off.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, see you tomorrow,¡± Sienna replied.

    ¡°See you,¡±

    After bidding goodbye to Sienna, Sarah rode away on her pink bike. She was eager to hurry home to

    watch the evening drama series called ¡°Autumn in My Heart.¡±

    With her slender waist and hair flowing in the breeze under the setting sun, she exuded the charm of a

    female lead from a movie. She drew the nces of many male ssmates.

    Sarah smiled as she enjoyed the attention. In her eyes, she was the female lead of a teenage drama

    series and deserved the spotlight.

    Unfortunately, her good mood didn¡¯tst long. Her bike chain suddenly fell off at an intersection,

    instantly dampening her spirits.

    She parked her bike by the roadside and frowned at the dirty chain. This dirty task was definitely not a

    task suited for her.

    Just then, Carlisle pedaled by on his bike while humming a tune.

    With a second chance at life, not only did he regain his youth, but he also found his parents young

    again.

    Now, all he wanted was to go home early and see his parents.

    Sarah looked at his slovenly appearance and couldn¡¯t help but feel disdain. And to think he was still

    stalking her!

    He spotted Sarah by the roadside and couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. ¡°Sarah? What are you doing

    here?¡± he

    asked.

    ¡°Carlisle, if you want to apologize to me, just do it. Do you have to use such low tactics?¡± Sarah rolled

    her eyes and said.

    Carlisle was baffled and scratched his head. ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°What did you do? Didn¡¯t you mess with my bike chain?¡± Sarah questioned him with her arms crossed,

    and her gaze was sharp as if she could see through his tricks.

    Sarah continued, ¡°You broke my bike chain deliberately to create a staged encounter. How immature.¡±

    Carlisle felt a chill at her words. Was she suffering from delusions?

    I

    ¡°You¡¯re overreacting! I take this route home every day and I was tasked to clean the ssroom in the

    evening. I don¡¯t have time to mess with your bike chain,¡± Carlisle answered.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Sarah sneered and continued, ¡°Then why are you waiting here for me? Don¡¯t you want me to

    ask for. your help?¡±

    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle shook his head and said, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m just waiting for the traffic light. I¡¯ll have to go now.¡±

    Infuriated, Sarahmanded coldly, ¡°Stay right here to fix my bike now!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time,¡± Carlisle answered without looking back while pedaling away

    ¡°You¡­¡± Sarah pointed at his receding figure while gritting her teeth. She was certain that Carlisle had

    broken her bike chain, but now he fled in shame as he had been caught.

    He was so despicable. She might have had a little respect for him if Carlisle had admitted it. Dream on

    if he thought he could still pursue her after this.

    Despite her curses, Sarah still had to fix the bike chain with a small stick.

    Carlisle rode his bike to the Franklin Complex and saw Wanda standing at the gate while carrying a

    pink school bag.

    ¡°Carlisle!¡± She greeted him and waved eagerly.

    ¡°Wanda, what are you doing here?¡± Carlisle asked, confused.

    She took t

    took her math book from her bag and said, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯ve solved that problem you asked about.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Wanda, you could have exined it to me tomorrow. There¡¯s no

    need toe all the way here just for that.¡±

    ¡°No, look¡­¡± Her gaze was determined as she grabbed a pen to exin it to him.

    The two sat on a stone pir near the gate and studied for a while. Even a passerby who had just

    returned from grocery shopping praised them, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see such hardworking kids nowadays. Well

    done.¡±

    Carlisle rolled his eyes at thement.

    With Wanda¡¯s exnation, Carlisle suddenly felt enlightened. Mathematics was like this¨Conce your

    understood the equation, you could solve all the other questions.

    Although this question wasn¡¯t from a past exam, mastering it meant he knew how to solve the final

    question for SATS.

    ¡°Wanda, you¡¯re amazing.¡± Carlisleplimented and gave her a thumbs up. Wanda also showed a

    proud

    smile.

    ¡°Oh, Wanda, your home is quite far from here, right? How are you going backter? Do you need me to

    send you home?¡± Carlisle asked,

    She hade all the way for his sake, so he couldn¡¯t let her leave alone at night.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. My driver is waiting for me,¡± Wanda answered and waved her hand.

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched. He had forgotten that she was from a wealthy family.

    Wanda then packed up her math book and suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, Carlisle, which university are

    you applying to during the application tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Rivend University,¡± he answered.

    Wanda felt a little disappointed in his response and asked, ¡°Is it because of Sarah?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head and replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Her expression softened slightly, and she looked at him smilingly with some expectation. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go

    back first. If you have any questions in the future, you can ask me anytime.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Carlisle said.

    Carlisle watched Wanda carry her school bag and a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

    Rivend University was just an ordinary Tier 1 local university. Yet, with Wanda¡¯s grades, she could

    easily get into prestigious universities in the Ivy League.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but wonder. She hade all the way to his neighborhood to exin a

    question to him.

    He felt a sudden jolt in his heart. Could she possibly like him? But that didn¡¯t make sense. They had

    almost no interaction.

    It seemed a bit unrealistic as he thought about it. But he still said, ¡°Wanda, I applied to Rivend just

    for

    myself.

    ¡°I saw a sentence yesterday. ¡®It¡¯s very foolish to change your life for someone else. This sentence is for

    me and you. No matter what, we should always be ourselves.¡±

    Wanda was momentarily stunned. Carlisle waved, and they parted ways. As he entered the

    neighborhood, he noticed a grin on the face of the passerby just now.

    ¡°Done looking?¡± Carlisle asked.

    ¡°Done!¡± Hilda Young replied cheerfully and wrapped her arm around Carlisle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Son, tell your

    mom, who¡¯s that girl?¡±

    ¡°Ah,e on, you wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°Is she fond of you?¡± his mom asked.

    ¡°Not a chance.¡± The twoughed and chatted as they headed home.

 Chapter 4

    A barely 646 square feet rental ce served as their family of three¡¯s modest home.

    The room was dimly lit, with worn¨Cout furniture disying severe signs of peeling paint. The cracked

    floors exuded dampness, while the air carried a musty scent.

    ¡°It¡¯s so damp, so it¡¯s probably going to rain again!¡± Hildained as she carried the groceries into

    the kitchen.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle headed straight to his bedroom to start his revision. Before doing so, he took out a

    notepad and a pencil to write down two phrases: ¡°Get into a university¡± and ¡°Earn money¡°.

    For an ordinary person, the goal of taking the college entrance exam was to secure a better future.

    Then he could get a good job and earn money.

    But for Carlisle, it was to make up for regrets from his past life and to lift his parents¡® heads high in front

    of others.

    As for making money, it wasn¡¯t too difficult for a reincarnator like him. There are plenty of opportunities

    to earn money in theing years.

    After work, Gordon Zahn returned home with a bag of pastries. He was dressed in work clothes and

    had a slightly plump figure. He also had stubble on his cheek and messy hair.

    He stood at the door to watch for a while before heading to the kitchen to help.

    ¡°You better get out of here. You¡¯re too clumsy!¡± Hilda pushed Gordon out of the kitchen as she finished

    speaking.

    Gordon suddenly said, ¡°Hilda, have you noticed how hardworking our son is?¡±

    Hilda red at Gordon with a displeased expression and asked, ¡°Is something wrong with you? You

    have something to say when he¡¯s not working hard. Now that he is hardworking, you still have

    something to

    say?¡±

    ¡°What I mean is, our son is working so hard. He¡¯s bound to get into a better university!¡±

    ¡°Of course, Carl has inherited his mother¡¯s talent and intelligence. It¡¯s hard for him not to excel!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! He obviously takes after his smart father!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡±

    Hilda quickly prepared dinner, Carlisle was eager to finish his meal quickly so he could continue

    studying.

    Hilda was displeased and remarked, ¡°Take your time to finish. After all, no one is fighting for your food!¡±

    ¡°Time is money. I need to finish eating quickly so I can study. I don¡¯t have much time left!¡± Carlisle

    mumbled.

    Hilda suddenly felt sorry for him. She then continued, ¡°Carl, don¡¯t stress yourself too much! Your health

    is more important!¡±

    Carlisle then realized that his abnormal behavior had worried his mother. He paused for a moment and

    continued smilingly, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stressed out!¡±

    Gordon sipped his white wine and asked, ¡°Have you decided which university to apply to?¡±

    ¡°Rivend University,¡± Carlisle replied.

    Gordon coughed and choked on his drink. Even Hilda¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.

    As parents, they knew Carlisle¡¯s grades well. With a little more effort this month, he should be able to

    get into a Tier 3 University.

    To say he would get into Rivend University was beyond belief.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡± Hilda was worried that Carlisle might be losing his mind.

    But before she could continue, Gordon interrupted her by pounding on the table and said, ¡°That¡¯s right!

    Where there is a will, there is a way! I believe in you!¡±

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Hilda ate her dinner in silence. With the SATS looming, she couldn¡¯t bear to discourage her son.

    After Carlisle finished his meal, he returned to his room to study. He focused on Math and Language,

    the subjects he struggled with the most.

    By 10:00pm, he heard Hilda knocking on his door to remind him it was time to sleep. ¡°Carl, it¡¯s time for

    bed now!¡±

    ¡°Alright, Mom,¡± Carlisle answered while stretchingzily. He had a faint smile as the onceplicated

    subjects now seemed less daunting. He suddenly felt the joy of learning.

    s in

    After washing up, he climbed into bed to sleep. He looked at the old, peeling ceiling, feeling like he was

    a dream.

    The next morning, Hilda got up early to prepare breakfast, while Carlisle went for his morning run.

    Regr morning runs could improve physical fitness, boost immunity, and improve his mental state.

    In his previous life, he died of illness. So, he was determined to have a strong body in this life.

    Gordon, still half¨Casleep, came out of the bathroom. He yawned while asking, ¡°Is breakfast ready? I¡¯ll

    go

    wake our son up for breakfast!¡±

    Hilda rolled her eyes and answered, ¡°He¡¯s up earlier than me, already out for a run! Are pigs flying?¡±

    Gordon was suddenly wide awake. He was surprised. ¡°A morning run? Is this a joke?¡±

    Hilda felt a chill run down her spine. She asked, ¡°Gordon, do you think something happened to our

    son?¡±

    Carlisle was studying hard and getting up early to ruit was too out of character! It¡¯s like he had be

    a different person.

    Gordon rubbed his stubble with a frown and continued, ¡®Is he in love?¡± As soon as his words were out,

    Hilda thought of the girl from yesterday afternoon.

    ¡°Who¡¯s in love?¡± Carlisle asked as he walked to the door, sweating profusely.

    Gordon quickly went to turn on the fan. Hildaughed awkwardly and continued, ¡°Nothing! You must

    have misheard us.¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t pursue the question further. After cooling himself down, he finished breakfast and

    freshened up to get ready. He then put on his schoolwear and rode his bike to school.

    As he approached the school gate, Carlisle stopped at the first traffic light intersection since he usually

    met Sean there. About five minutester, Sean rushed over with his mountain bike.

    ¡°Damn, I thought I was seeing things! Pigs must be flying. You¡¯re here earlier than me?¡± Sean was

    surprised.

    it

    Usually, he was the one waiting for Carlisle. Today, it was the opposite.

    Carlisle noticed the heavy dark circles under Sean¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Did you stay up all night?¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes darted around mysteriously as he continued, ¡°I found another underground inte cafe.

    It¡¯s just two dors for an all¨Cnighter!¡±

    Carlisle rolled his eyes at Sean and said, ¡°The SATS are around the corner, and you¡¯re still staying up

    all night?¡±

    Sean shrugged indifferently while saying, ¡°I can always retake it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it this time

    anyway.¡±

    Both of them were like two peas in a pod. With their low grades, they ended up as desk mates in the

    last

    r low or

    row.

    As they chatted while riding their bikes, Sean noticed Sarah and Sienna at the school gate. A tall male

    ssmate was delivering breakfast to them.

    Sarah blushed, seeming slightly embarrassed. Meanwhile, Sienna casually epted the breakfast and

    said, ¡°Hey, we¡¯re all ssmates. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡±

    Sarah whined, ¡°Sienna, what are you doing? I barely know him!¡±

    Sienna shot Sarah a look, and when Sarah turned her head, she saw Carlisle and Sean.

    Sarah then epted the breakfast from the male ssmate as she said sweetly, ¡°Thank you so much

    for getting breakfast for Sienna and me. It¡¯s so thoughtful of you!¡±

    The male student had long hair and a delicate look. He smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I¡¯m delivering

    this on behalf of someone elsel?

    ¡°Someone else?¡± Both Sarah and Sienna were taken aback. Sienna asked, ¡°Who is that person?¡±

    The long¨Chaired student replied, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you for now, but don¡¯t worry. From now on, you¡¯ll breakfast

    every day!¡± With that, he walked into the school.

    wou¡¯ll have

    Just then, Carlisle and Sean approached the school gate. Sarah looked at Carlisle and exined, ¡±

    Carlisle, don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t know that guy¡­ and I have no idea why he¡¯s getting breakfast for

    me!¡±

    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 5

    Carlisle stopped with his deep gaze fixed on Sarah, who lowered her head shyly.

    ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± Carlisle shrugged indifferently, baffled by her. Then, he whistled

    while he pushed his bike through the school gate.

    Sarah froze in ce. Sienna frowned and asked, ¡°Sarah, don¡¯t you think Carlisle seems to have

    changedpletely?¡±

    Sarah scoffed disdainfully and continued, ¡°He¡¯s just ying hard to get. He¡¯lle crawling back to me

    begging for attention if I ignore him for a day!¡±

    Sarah was confident in her looks. Yet she couldn¡¯t fathom Carlisle suddenly giving up on pursuing her.

    ¡°I knew it! Sarah, you¡¯re stunning, so how could he possibly give up so easily? Turns out he¡¯s just

    changing tactics!¡± Sienna said affectionately, while linking her arm with Sarah¡¯s and giggling.

    Carlisle entered the ssroom and immediately noticed Wanda revising diligently. If even those who

    outperformed him were hardworking, he had no excuse not to work hard.

    He returned to his seat and began memorizing vocabry while the other students trickled into the

    ssroom.

    Sarah nced at Carlisle, who was studying hard, and smiled faintly. He was working hard to get into

    Rivend University.

    Her words had caused such a drastic change in him. How could he possibly give up pursuing her?

    Too bad that he couldn¡¯t get admitted into Rivend University even if he worked hard. The teacher

    would surely mock him when it came time to fill out the college applicationter.

    As the bell rang for ss to begin, Lucy entered the ssroom with a mug in her hand. The ssroom

    fell

    silent.

    ¡°The next month is crucial. I n to rearrange the seating to ensure that everyone can study with

    peace of mind!¡± Lucy informed the ss of her intention to rearrange the students¡® seating n like

    other

    sses.

    Students who werecking shouldn¡¯t be paired together as they would distract each other from

    studying. So, she nned to seat those with poor grades with those who performed well.

    Sean immediately bent down as he feared Lucy noticing him. He had even nned to catch up on

    sleep

    during the day!

    ¡°Sean, switch seats with Herman!¡± Lucy said with a stern look at Sean.

    Damn! Worrying about things that might never happen only increased their chances of happening!

    Sean looked at Herman Townsend, who sat in the third row from the center. His deskmate was Abigail

    Stephenson, the ss representative fornguages.

    Yet, Carlisle was impressed. This was a targeted solution as Sean wasn¡¯t doing well innguages,

    especially with readingprehension. She probably wanted Abigail to tutor him.

    But what puzzled him was that there wasn¡¯t a scene like thin where sents were rearranged in his past

    life. It must be because of his rebirth that shifted the trajectory.

    ¡°Ms. Turner, I don¡¯t want to sit with Carlisle!¡± Herman protested.

    He finally managed to improve hisnguage results after so long. If he sat with Carlisle, all the hard

    work would go to waste within a month!

    Lucy¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Then do you want to sit next to the podium?¡±

    Herman immediately backed down. He pursed his lips and silently organized his textbooks.

    Sean scowled miserably. ¡°It¡¯s over. My joyful times are over!¡±

    Carlisle nced at Sean and said, ¡°It¡¯s thest month now. Study hard. With Abigail here, if you put in a

    little more effort, your grades will definitely improve!¡±

    Lucy continued rearranging the seating and said, ¡°Sienna, switch seats with Quentin!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t..¡± Sienna rejected without hesitation. Her grades weren¡¯t too good as well, and all she had to do

    was to rely on Sarah for help.

    Quentin ke sat in the third¨Ctost row. His deskmate was Timmy Leen. Not only was he

    unattractive,

    but he alsogged in academicspared to Carlisle.

    Although Carlisle¡¯s grades were poor, and was a foolish boy, at least he looked decent! Otherwise, why

    would Sarah keep giving him false hope?

    Lucy exined, ¡°Sienna, your other subjects are fine except for physics. Meanwhile, Quentin¡¯s physics.

    grades are passable. You can help one other!¡±

    She had carefully considered the seating arrangement. After all, the two other sses had shown

    improved results after switching seats. She had to find ways to improve her ss¡® college admission

    rate.

    Sarah nced at the burly Quentin, and a hint of disgust shed in her eyes. ¡®Ms. Turner, I don¡¯t want

    to sit next to a guy!¡± she protested

    Quentin came from the countryside and had arms thicker than her thighs. He liked ying basketball,

    and he always smelled sweaty. She wouldn¡¯t sit with such a country bumpkin.

    However, Lucy¡¯s decision was not something a student like her could change. Quentin still ended up

    sitting next to Sarah. Sarah felt aggrieved, and tears welled up in her eyes.

    Quentin had never been close to such a pretty girl before. He scratched his head, blushing. Then, he

    said awkwardly, ¡°Sa¡­ Sarah, I¡¯ll talk to Ms. Turner after ss if you don¡¯t want to sit with me!¡±

    Sarah turned her head away as she didn¡¯t even want to respond to him. As long as she ignored him,

    the new seating arrangement would be ineffective. Then, Quentin would be repositioned eventually.

    The whole ss period was spent rearranging seats. Many students had started revising together with

    their new deskmates,

    Lucy smiled satisfactorily, pleased with the results of the seating rearrangement. Why didn¡¯t she think

    of

    this earlier on?

    ¡°Ms. Turner.¡± Carlisle suddenly raised his hand.

    Lucy cast a disdainful nce at Carlisle and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I would like to switch seats too,¡± Carlisle said earnestly.

    ¡°Your grades aregging in all subjects. It won¡¯t make a difference where you sit¡­¡± Lucy mercilessly

    crushed his hopes.

    Most of his ssmates burst intoughter.

    Carlisle sighed. Was Ms. Turner really this disappointed in him?

    But it was indeed his fault. He had never focused on studying as he had been addicted to the inte

    and dating previously. Even if he worked hard now, Ms. Turner would think he was merely cramming at

    the

    Lucy looked at his disappointed expression and didn¡¯t have the heart to bring him down any further.

    She exined reluctantly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to change your seat but look around the ss. Who

    would be willing to sit with you now aside from Sean?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Turner, I¡¯m willing to do so!¡± A voice responded softly.

    Lucy was taken aback as she looked at Wanda in astonishment. Not only Lucy but the other students

    were also stunned.

    The ss monitor was willing to sit next to Carlisle? A top student and a low achiever. Was this a joke?

    Lucy shook her head and refused, ¡°No, you¡¯re the only one in our ss with a chance to enter a

    prestigious university. I can¡¯t allow him to drag you down!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s cheeks flushed red as she whispered, ¡°Carlisle had been studying hard recently. Why not give

    him a chance, Ms. Turner?¡±

    ¡°Studying hard? Studying hard to write love letters to Sarah?¡± Lucy brought up the matter furiously.

    Several studentsughed mockingly, Lucy then shook her head helplessly. She pondered for a moment

    before saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll move him here for three days first.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him stay in this seat if he¡¯s doing well for these three days. If there are any signs of him holding

    you back, I¡¯ll immediately move him away!¡±

    Wanda nodded gently and felt her heart beat a little faster. After all, she had never been a deskmate

    with a boy in high school before.

    Carlisle tidied up his textbooks excitingly and switched seats with Lily Green, who had been sitting next

    to

    Wanda.

    She red at Carlisle with a face full of resentment and said, ¡°Just three days, we¡¯ll switch back seats

    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

    after three days!¡±

    Carlisle smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after three days!¡±

    With the seat rearrangementplete, Carlisle moved from thest row to the first row.

    While seated by the window, Sarah felt puzzled when she saw Carlisle¡¯s smile. Why didn¡¯t he request

    to be her deskmate when he had such a good opportunity? She had even nned on how to politely

    refuse him.

    Soon, the first ss ended, but Lucy didn¡¯t dismiss the ss. Instead, she went to the office and

    brought back a stack of college application forms.

    In this era, students filled out their college preferences before taking the SATS. However, in some area

    they started implementing a system where students took the exams first before filling out their

    preferences.

    Then, Lucy informed the ss by saying, ¡°E

 Chapter 6

    Once Carlisle received the college application form, he quickly found the code for Rivend University

    and filled it in ordingly.

    ¡°Carlisle, did you really pick Rivend University?¡± Wanda turned her head while holding a pencil and

    asked.

    Carlisle pushed his application form over directly and said, ¡°Here, I¡¯ve filled up the form!¡± Only

    Rivend University was written on the application form.

    Wanda felt strange, yet she smiled. ¡°You seem quite confident, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will achieve my goals!¡± Carlisle dered solemnly. As a reincarnator, he might as well just

    run into a wall and be done with it if he couldn¡¯t even get into Rivend University.

    After hesitating for a moment, Wanda also filled in Rivend University on her application form.

    Suddenly, Carlisle asked, ¡°Wanda, you could definitely get into Stanford or Harvard with your grades.

    At the very least, you could aim for the Ivy League. Why did you choose a regr university like

    Rivend University?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s hand stiffened a little while she held the pencil, and her ears turned slightly red.

    Carlisle nodded as if he understood her and continued, ¡°I see. Is it because someone you like also

    chose

    Rivend University?¡±

    He turned to look at the academic chairperson, Armand Finley. Then, he smirked. ¡°It¡¯s Armand, right?¡±

    Armand was born with a silver spoon. He was six feet one tall with an imposing bearing and excelled in

    academics.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right either. With Armand¡¯s ability and family background, he would definitely go for the Ivy

    League! Could it be Dave?¡± Carlisle¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at Dave Pugh, who sat in the row before

    Sarah.

    ¡°Dave, what school did you choose?¡± Sarah tapped Dave in front of her with the eraser end of her

    pencil and asked quietly.

    ¡°Rivend University! And you?¡±

    ¡°I also chose Rivend University!¡± Sarah answered.

    Beside them, Quentin muttered, ¡°The cutoff score for Rivend University is a bit high. I doubt I¡¯ll be

    able

    to get in!¡±

    Sarah sneered. ¡°You¡¯re considered lucky if you can even get into a Tier 3 university. Yet you¡¯re still

    thinking about Rivend University?¡± Just as she finished speaking, Sarah noticed Carlisle sneakily

    ncing at her.

    Since he was assigned to the front row, it would be inconvenient for him to sneak nces at her, right?

    ¡°Hey, stop imagining things. I don¡¯t have anyone I like!¡± Wanda red at Carlisle with her face flushed.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Chapte

    Carlisle shed his white teeth in a smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re blushing now, I must have hit the mark. You

    chose Rivend University because of Dave¡­¡±

    Just as he finished speaking, Carlisle paused for a moment. However, it seemed like Wanda didn¡¯t end

    up marrying Davest time.

    Wanda red at Carlisle with tears in her eyes and asked, ¡°Carlisle, are you done?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡± Lucy frowned and reprimanded him. Carlisle shrunk his neck and took out his book to

    review

    ¡°Have you filled out your application form?¡± Lucy asked in a cold tone.

    Carlisle nodded and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve filled it up.¡±

    ¡°Show me!¡± Lucy extended her hand as Carlisle handed his application form to her.

    Locy looked at the form for a while and frowned. She sneered. ¡°Carlisle, can¡¯t you have some self-

    awareness? With your grades, do you still think you can get into Rivend University?

    ¡°The cutoff score for Rivend University is 1280. Yet you scored less than 900 in the mock exams.

    How do you n to get into Rivend University? Lucy was furious, thinking Carlisle had randomly

    filled out the application form.

    ¡°We still have a month left to study. What if I do get into Rivend University?¡± Carlisle said confidently.

    Lucy sneered and said, ¡°If you can get into Rivend University, I¡¯ll hang a banner for you at the school

    building!¡±

    ¡°You said it yourself!¡± Carlisle touched his nose with a determined look.

    ¡°I said it, and the whole ss can testify!¡± Lucy said firmly.

    In fact, Lucy wanted to motivate him. If her promise could motivate Carlisle to turn over a new leaf, and

    he could sessfully get into Rivend University, she wouldn¡¯t mind putting up that banner.

    Most of the students were studying earnestly during the self¨Cstudy session. Sean was the only one

    sleeping among a pile of books.

    Lucy y stood behind the window with her cold eyes staring straight at Sean. Carlisle then grabbed a

    piece of chalk from the podium and threw it at Sean¡¯s head.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the sniper?¡± Sean let out a weird shout. At the same time, he noticed Lucy at the window and

    instantly picked up his textbook to read it aloud.

    As the ss bell rang. Sean immediately put down his books and ran out. ¡°Carlisle, let¡¯s go for lunch.¡±

    Carlisle stretchedzily and looked at Wanda. He asked, ¡°Do you want to go to the cafeteria together?¡±

    Wanda frowned slightly and shook her head, with tears still in the corners of her eyes.

    Carlisle¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Wanda, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Wanda took a deep breath and shook her head again. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit unwell. You go ahead and eat!¡±

    she

    answered,

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Do you want me to take you to the sick bay?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Wanda rejected and shook her head again.

    ¡°Carlisle, why are you so slow?¡± Sean¡¯s voice came from the ssroom door.

    Carlisle asked again, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    Wanda nodded and reassured him, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±

    Carlisle pursed his lips and walked out.

    At the cafeteria, Sean handed Carlisle a fried chicken and asked, ¡°Are youing tonight?¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Carlisle asked.

    ¡°The inte caf¨¦!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Carlisle rejected and started eating the fried chicken without hesitation.

    ¡°Tsk tsk, Carlisle, are you really thinking of getting into Rivend University?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just thinking about it. I¡¯m determined to get in!¡± Carlisle replied confidently.

    Sean burst intoughter and continued, ¡°Dude, can you stop kidding me? Just be honest with me. Is it

    because of Sarah?¡±

    Carlisle red at Sean and said, ¡°I already told you that it has nothing to do with her!¡±

    Sean decided to keep his mouth shut, even though he was sure that Carlisle got worked up because of

    Sarah.

    After taking a few bites of his meal, Carlisle said, ¡°I¡¯m full now. You take your time.¡± He then strode off

    to the convenience store after disposing of his lunchbox.

    He paid for sanitary pads and a bottle of mineral water at the checkout counter. Just as he exited the

    convenience store, he bumped into the seemingly hurried Sienna. The ck stic bag in his hand fell

    to the ground.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ Are you blind?¡± Sienna rubbed her chest and cursed. Her anger surged even more after

    realizing

    that it was Carlisle.

    As she was about to explode, she noticed a pack of sanitary pads in a ck stic bag on the ground.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Did Sarah ask you to buy these?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Carlisle picked up the stic bag and was about to leave.

    Sienna sneered. ¡°You¡¯re still pretending now. You remember Sarah¡¯s menstrual cycle so clearly!¡±

    Carlisle stumbled and almost fell. So, even Sarah was on her period now? But he didn¡¯t get them for

    Sarah.

    He noticed Wanda looking very ufortable and clutching her stomach earlier. Hence he guessed it

    was her time of the month. She was just too embarrassed to tell him.

    Wanda was very sincere in tutoring him. Thus, he couldn¡¯t mistreat her.

    Back in the ssroom, Wanda sat at her desk, feeling very anxious.

    Lily had already gone to the cafeteria to eat. Yet Wanda had forgotten to bring sanitary pads again. She

    didn¡¯t dare to leave her seat now. She hoped Lily would return soon.

    At this moment, Carlisle walked into the ssroom in a hurry. Sarah immediately stopped him.

    ¡°Carlisle,

    hold onl

    Carlisle looked at Sarah in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Give it to me.¡± Sarah reached out her hand.

    ¡°Give you what? Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched.

    ¡°The thing in your hand!¡± Sarah said. She bought sanitary pads every month. So, she could tell at a

    nce that the ck stic bag Carlisle was holding contained sanitary pads.

    ¡°It¡¯s not for you!¡± Carlisle walked straight back to his seat. He then stuffed the ck stic bag into

    Wanda¡¯s drawer.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened, and the blush on her face spread to her neck. ¡°Carlisle, you¡­ you¡­.

    Carlisle took out his textbook and started memorizing vocabry instead. Yet, Wanda¡¯s heart was

    beating fast. He¡­ he¡­ He actually bought such personal items for her.

    It wasn¡¯t unheard of for boys to buy sanitary pads for girls. But mostly, it happened when they were in a

    rtionship.

    As Carlisle didn¡¯t even look at her, Wanda bit her lip and took out a pad before running out of the

    ssroom.

    Not long after, Sienna returned to the ssroom while having ice cream.

    Sarah asked, ¡°Enna, where are my things?¡±

    Sienna looked puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t Carlisle get them for you already?¡±

    Sarah gritted her teeth. ¡°He didn¡¯t get it for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Carlisle, why are you like this?¡± Sienna asked as she red at Carlisle.

    Carlisle covered his ears and continued memorizing vocabry. By then, Sarah pressed her stomach

    and said, ¡°Enna, could you please help me get some for me?¡±

    Sienna had no choice but to ce the unfinished ice cream on her desk and go to the convenience

    store again.

 Chapter 7

    Wanda returned to the ssroom just before ss. Carlisle noticed she had changed into a different

    set of clothes. As a day student, Wanda had to go home to change clothes.

    ¡°Carlisle, thank you.¡± Wanda buried her head and thanked Carlisle with her cheeks flushed with

    embarrassment. She looked adorable.

    ¡°If you really want to thank me, just help me with my studies!¡± Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    Wanda pursed her pink lips and said softly. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to study, I will help o you!¡±

    Carlisle was touched. There weren¡¯t many in the ss who respected him.

    Wanda came from a well¨Coff family, and had good grades. Yet she didn¡¯t despise him at all. She was

    even willing to help him study.

    At that moment, Carlisle¡¯s heart fluttered. Could it be that Wanda chose to stay at Rivend University

    just because of him?

    Then, the thought was quickly dismissed by Carlisle. He didn¡¯t have any outstanding qualities besides

    his

    looks.

    There were plenty of people in the ss who were better than him. How could someone from a wealthy

    family like Wanda be interested in a poor guy like him?

    During their self¨Cstudy session, Wanda patiently tutored Carlisle, and he studied diligently.

    Whether it was because of his reincarnation or not, Carlisle realized that his mind was exceptionally

    sharp. Concepts he couldn¡¯t grasp before became clear when Wanda exined them.

    Wanda handed Carlisle a math test paper and said, ¡°Complete this paper!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Carlisle picked up the mineral water on the table and took a few sips.

    Wanda widened her eyes and said, ¡°Carlisle¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s mine.¡± Wanda blushed. She had drunk half of the mineral water Carlisle bought while getting

    sanitary pads.

    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s so sweet¡­¡± Carlisle licked his lips and seemingly savored the taste.

    Wanda¡¯s face turned even redder, with her heart pounding fast. He drank from the same bottle she did.

    Wasn¡¯t this like an indirect kiss? Her face flushed, and she buried her head close to the desk.

    Carlisle smirked and started filling out the test paper, Interestingly, Wanda got embarrassed so easily.

    Towards the end of the school day, Carlisle handed thepleted test paper to Wanda. After casually

    scanning it, Wanda looked at Carlisle in shock and asked, ¡°Did you cheat without me knowing?¡±

    Although she had only nced at it briefly, she could tell that Carlisle¡¯s test paper could at least score

    seventy points. Considering Carlisle had never passed a math test before, it was shocking.

    ¡°Uh, you gave me the test paper. Shouldn¡¯t the answers be with you?¡± Carlisle replied with a smirk.

    ¡°But you learned so quickly?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because your tutoring is excellent!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Wanda blinked as she almost believed Carlisle¡¯s nonsense.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how it is!¡± Carlisle nodded continuously.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sarah was observing the scene of themughing and chatting. She clenched her fists as she was

    enraged.

    She knew what Carlisle was up to. He was deliberately getting close to other girls to get her attention.

    But did he think she would get jealous?

    With a pen in his mouth, Quentin suddenly pushed his test paper towards Sarah¡¯s desk and asked,

    ¡°Sarah, do you know how to solve this-?¡±

    ¡°Get lost,¡± Sarah interrupted.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Quentin quickly retrieved his test paper and dared not to look at Sarah again.

    After school, Wanda received a call from her father while Carlisle was packing his books.

    ¡°Wanda, I have to go abroad for a while. The driver doesn¡¯t have time to pick you up today. So, you¡¯ll

    have to take a car back yourself!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Wanda responded dejectedly.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly feeling so down?¡± Carlisle asked while shouldering his backpack.

    ¡°My dad is going abroad again,¡± Wanda sighed helplessly.

    ¡°You use the word ¡°again¡® so well! Unlike my dad, who has never been abroad in his life!¡± Carlisle then

    smiled wryly.

    Wanda blinked her watery eyes and said, ¡°My dad needs the car. So there¡¯s no oneing to pick me

    up today. Would you mind giving me a ride home?¡±

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow and responded, ¡°I¡¯d be honored!¡±

    ¡°But my house is quite far away!¡±

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯m good at riding bikes!¡±

    Carlisle and Wanda carried their backpacks and walked out of the ssroom, chatting andughing.

    You ar

    ¡°Damn it, Carlisle, you¡¯re putting love over friendship! to wait for me,¡± Sean cursed as he prepared to

    sweep the ssroom.

    Wanda followed Carlisle to the parking lot. Multiple rows of bicycles were parked there. Carlisle¡¯s bike

    was a mountain bike his dad bought after three months of quitting smoking.

    Riding bikes wasn¡¯t allowed on campus. So, Carlisle pushed his bike toward the school gate, with

    Wanda

    walking beside him. They looked like a pair of young lovers.

    ¡°Sarah, do you think Carlisle might be falling for someone else?¡± Not far away, Sienna watched Carlisle

    and Wanda¡¯s departure and began to doubt their rtionship.

    ¡°How is that possible? Wanda is known for being a good girl. She couldn¡¯t possibly be in a rtionship!

    Besides, apart from being rich, how can shepare to me?¡± Sarah expressed her confidence.

    Although she said so, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little doubtful too. Since yesterday, Carlisle¡¯s attitude.

    towards her hadpletely changed.

    Today, he even hesitated to buy her a bottle of mineral water. This made her wonder whether she was

    waiting for him to apologize or if he was waiting for her to apologize to him, But she clearly hadn¡¯t done

    anything wrong!

    Wanda lived in the city center, approximately three miles away from the school.

    Carlisle pedaled as fast as he could, almost ring the bike chain. But it still took him more than forty

    minutes to get her to the neighborhood. It was summer, and Carlisle¡¯s clothes were soaked in sweat.

    ¡°Carlisle, thank you.¡± Wanda blushed and thanked him.

    Carlisle grinned. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll head back now!¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Do you want toe to my ce and cool off yourself for a while?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ No, thanks. I have to go back now. Otherwise my parents might be worried!¡± Carlisle politely

    declined Wanda¡¯s offer and quickly rode off.

    Wanda watched Carlisle¡¯s figure fade in the distance, unable to take her eyes off him.

    It was already dark when Carlisle got home. Gordon was smoking on the balcony with a worried

    expression. Meanwhile, Hilda was sitting on the old sofa in the living room, making handicrafts.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m home!¡±

    ¡°Why are you back sote? Did you go on another date with that girl?¡± Hilda joked as she put down her

    handicraft.

    Gordon walked in and asked with a stern expression, ¡°What girl? This kid is dating already?¡±

    ¡°I just stayed a little longer at school to revise. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions!¡± By then, Carlisle noticed his

    dad¡¯s worried expression.

    Although he was deliberately hiding it, Carlisle, who had experienced the reality of society, could still

    perceive the clues. At this point, his dad seemed to have lost his job.

    His grandmother was suffering from uremia. Hence, she had to take medications every day. She even

    required dialysis now and then

    Although they could still afford three meals a day, they were having a hard time to make ends meet.

    This time, he had to earn some money to ease his father¡¯s burden.

    Chapfat 7

    Hilda went to the kitchen and brought out the warm dishes. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Your dad personally cooked

    your favorite lemon butter fish!¡±

    The lemon butter fish made by Carlisle¡¯s father was unparalleled. It was sour, zesty, and extremely

    delicious. Yet, there was no fish head or tail left. His parents always left the best for him.

    Carlisle was touched and felt like crying. To hide it, he eagerly picked up his bowl and started to wolf

    down his dinner.

    ¡°Eat slowly, you brat! Be Careful not to choke on the fish bones!¡± Gordonughed and scolded.

    At this moment, Hilda asked, ¡°Have you filled out your college application form?¡±

    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 8

    Carlisle took the college application form from his backpack and handed it to Hilda. Upon examining

    the application form, Hilda frowned andmented, ¡°You little rascal, you actually wrote Rivend

    University?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s tone turned displeased. ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t my son qualified for Rivend University?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. What I meant is he could have selected a few more schools!¡±

    ¡°What? He only filled in one school?* Gordon snatched the application form and nced at it.

    Suddenly, his body stiffened.

    Goodness! Carlisle only wrote Rivend University. So, does that mean he was only considering

    Rivend

    University?

    Encouraging him was one thing, but reality was another matter. He didn¡¯t believe that Carlisle could get

    into Rivend University.

    Carlisle swallowed his food carefully and said cautiously, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you believe in me anymore?¡±

    Gordon took a deep breath while he ced the application form on the table. He said earnestly, ¡°Why

    don¡¯t you reconsider?¡±

    His father just swore t

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched a few times. support him. How hypocritical!

    Carlisle suddenly remembered the time while he was sick. His father had frequently coughed and

    asionally had difficulty breathing. He suspected his father had lung problems.

    It wasn¡¯t until Carlisle was close to death that he promised to quit smoking.

    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s make a bet. If I get into Rivend University, you¡¯ll quit smoking.¡± Carlisle suggested.

    ¡°Quit smoking?¡± Gordon couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he remembered the three months he had quit

    smoking to buy Carlisle a bicycle. He continued, ¡°You should change the bet.¡±

    Carlisle sneered. ¡°Do you not have the courage to take on the bet?¡±

    Gordon was agitated and responded, ¡°Let¡¯s bet then! If you get into Rivend University, I will quit both

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    smoking and drinking!¡±

    Carlisle smirked triumphantly.

    Gordon cut in sharply, ¡°Look at you now! You¡¯re acting as if you¡¯re really going to get into Rivend

    University!¡±

    Hilda pinched Gordon¡¯s arm hard and asked, ¡°Who was the one who wholeheartedly believed that he

    could make it?¡±

    Gordon rubbed his arm and turned to the balcony to smoke.

    Carlisle then went back to his room to revise after dinner. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and

    Carlisle took the college application form from his backpack and handed it to Hilda. Upon examining

    the application form, Hilda frowned andmented, ¡°You little rascal, you actually wrote Rivend

    University?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s tone turned displeased. ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t my son qualified for Rivend University?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. What I meant is he could have selected a few more schools!¡±

    ¡°What? He only filled in one school?¡± Gordon snatched the application form and nced at it.

    Suddenly. his body stiffened.

    Goodness! Carlisle only wrote Rivend University. So, does that mean he was only considering

    Rivend University?

    Encouraging him was one thing, but reality was another matter. He didn¡¯t believe that Carlisle could

    get.

    into Rivend University.

    Carlisle swallowed his food carefully and said cautiously, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you believe in me anymore?¡±

    Gordon took a deep breath while he ced the application form on the table. He said earnestly, ¡°Why

    don¡¯t you reconsider?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched a few times. His father just swore to support him. How hypocritical!

    Carlisle suddenly remembered the time while he was sick. His father had frequently coughed and

    asionally had difficulty breathing. He suspected his father had lung problems.

    It wasn¡¯t until Carlisle was close to death that he promised to quit smoking.

    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s make a bet. If I get into Rivend University, you¡¯ll quit smoking.¡± Carlisle suggested.

    ¡°Quit smoking?¡± Gordon couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he remembered the three months he had quit

    smoking

    to buy Carlisle a bicycle. He continued, ¡°You should change the bet.¡±

    Carlisle sneered. ¡°Do you not have the courage to take on the bet?¡±

    Gordon was agitated and responded, ¡°Let¡¯s bet then! If you get into Rivend University, I will quit both

    smoking and drinking!¡±

    Carlisle smirked triumphantly.

    Gordon cut in sharply, ¡°Look at you now! You¡¯re acting as if you¡¯re really going to get into Rivend

    University!¡±

    Hilda pinched Gordon¡¯s arm hard and asked, ¡°Who was the one who wholeheartedly believed that he

    could make it?¡±

    Gordon rubbed his arm and turned to the balcony to smoke.

    Carlisle then went back to his room to revise after dinner. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and

    Language were his weakest subjects. He had to focus on these.

    For the next three days, Carlisle studied tirelessly. He listened attentively in every ss. Once a quiet

    student, he now eagerly raised his hand to answer every question and could always respond fluently.

    One day, Lucy wrote down the same math problem that Carlisle had first consulted Wanda about on

    the ckboard.

    *This question is likely to appear on the SAT paper. Anyone who can solve this?¡± Lucy asked as she

    scanned the entire ss,

    Everyone was shrinking back as they were afraid of being called upon. Lucy wasn¡¯t upset as the

    question. was indeed difficult. Even the ss monitor, Wanda, would need some brainpower to solve it.

    ¡°Ms. Turner, I can solve this question,¡± Carlisle raised his hand and said confidently.

    ¡°Let Wanda solve it instead!¡± Lucy ignored Carlisle directly. Although Carlisle had indeed made

    progress these days, she didn¡¯t think he could solve such aplex equation.

    ¡°Ms. Turner, let Carlisle try it. He really can solve this question!¡± Wanda said confidently.

    Lucy was t

    taken aback, then nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Carlisle,e and solve this question.¡±

    Carlisle walked to the podium and began to solve the equation with the chalk. Within less than three

    minutes, Carlisle had filled half of the ckboard with equations. He didn¡¯t even pause for a moment.

    ¡°Done!¡± Carlisle said as he put the chalk back into the chalk box. ¡°Ms. Turner, please check if there are

    any mistakes!¡±

    Lucy checked his answer carefully, It turned out everything was correct without a single mistake.

    She stared at Carlisle in disbelief. It was hard to imagine that a low achiever like him could solve such a

    question.

    Lucy took a deep breath and remarked, ¡°It seems that Wanda¡¯s tutoring has influenced you greatly!¡±

    Carlisle smiled and replied, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Turner, for giving me this opportunity, and thank you,

    Wanda,

    for tutoring me tirelessly!¡±

    A rare smile appeared on Lucy¡¯s stern face. ¡°Well done, you can return to your seat now. I hope you

    can surprise me even more in tomorrow¡¯s mock exam!¡±

    Carlisle returned to his seat. Wanda looked at the ckboard with a faint smile. She knew how much

    Carlisle had improved in these three days.

    Sarah was also smiling. She believed that Carlisle¡¯s progress in studying was all because of her.

    He liked her, so he became very hardworking just because she told him that she wanted to go to

    Rivend University. That was exactly the power of her charm.

    After ss, Sienna sent Quentin away and sat next to Sarah. She murmured, ¡°Sarah, it seems like

    Carlisle has changed!¡±

    Sarah raised her chin proudly and said, ¡°Of course! Otherwise, how could he get into Rivend

    University?

    How could he catch up to me?¡±

    Sienna asked, ¡°Has he talked to you these past few days?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s been studying hard? Sarah rolled her eyes.

    To Sienna, that meant he did not talk to Sarah for the past few days.

    After a moment of silence, Sienna asked again, ¡°Will you date him if he gets into Rivend University?¡±

    Sarah hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, ¡°Probably. It depends on his attitude!¡±

    Carlisle had disappointed her a lot for the past few days. Not only did he not buy her meals, he didn¡¯t

    even buy her snacks.

    If he still had this attitude after getting into Rivend University, she definitely wouldn¡¯t ept him. But

    if he continued to pamper her as he used to, she might consider trying to date him.

    After all, Carlisle still had some good looks. He even made it to the top ten of the senior high school

    heartthrob list!

    ¡°By the way, who¡¯s the person who¡¯s been delivering breakfast to us mysteriously?¡± Sienna asked.

    ¡°Who else could it be? It must be one of my pursuers. I hate this kind of mysteriousness. Let¡¯s not

    ept

    his breakfast anymorerting tomorrow. I will let Carlisle buy us breakfast instead!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow your lead!¡± Sienna replied.

    The next ss was physical education. Lucy had already informed the physical education teacher to

    allow the students to have free activities. She believed that most people would stay revising in the

    ssroom.

    And indeed, most of the girls stayed back to study in the ssroom. But most of the boys were not

    there.

    Herman was the exception. He felt weak and didn¡¯t want to stay in the sun for too long. He returned to

    the ssroom instead.

    ¡°Herman, where¡¯s Carlisle?*

    ¡°Herman, where¡¯s Carlisle?¡±

    Herman heard two voices merging into his ears as soon as he reached the podium. First, he nced at

    the ss monitor Wanda. Then, he looked at Sarah sitting in the corner.

    Wow, does Carl have this much charm? It was one thing for the school belle to look for him, but now

    even the ss monitor was looking for him too!

    ¡°He¡¯s ying basketball now!¡± Herman answered.

    ¡®Tell him toe upstairs. Just say that I need to talk to him!¡± Sarahmanded.

    *I¡­ I think I have a heatstroke,¡± Herman weakly replied.

    Wanda got up and asked, ¡°Sarah, what do you need him for? I was just about to go down!¡±

    Sarah replied nonchntly, ¡°Farget it, I¡¯ll go down too. I want him to apany me ying

    badminton!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Wanda responded, then walked ahead.

    Sarah followed Wanda unhurriedly. She felt a sense of crisis because of Wanda. Even though she

    didn¡¯t like Carlisle, she didn¡¯t want Wanda to get too close to him either.

 Chapter 9

    Wanda stepped out of the ssroom, followed by Sarah. Sienna immediately put down the snacks in

    her hand and followed suit as she saw Sarah heading downstairs.

    ¡°Sarah, are you going to look for Carlisle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since I yed badminton. I want him to apany me for a game.¡± After days

    of intense studying, Sarah wanted to rx a bit.

    Sienna nced at Wanda ahead and whispered, ¡°It seems like Wanda is looking for Carlisle too?¡±

    Wanda and Carlisle had been getting very close for the past few days, which naturally raised

    suspicions.

    ¡°Wanda excels in all subjects, and Carlisle probably just wants her help for tutoring. Looks like he¡¯s

    determined to get into Rivend University.¡±

    Sarah felt somewhat conflicted. For the past three days, she had felt like aplete stranger to

    Carlisle.

    She hated this feeling

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll eat my hat if he can get into Rivend University,¡± Sienna scoffed disdainfully. Carlisle¡¯s

    academic performance was obvious to everyone, since he often ranked bottom in exams.

    Getting into a Tier 3 university was already pushing it. But now, he was aiming for a Tier 1 university?

    Carlisle was ying basketball at the sports field with a few male ssmates. The weather in June was

    scorching hot, and Carlisle and Sean¡¯s basketball jerseys were already soaked through.

    ¡°Carlisle, catch!¡± Sean spun around and passed the ball to Carlisle beyond the three¨Cpoint line. With

    the ball in hand, Carlisle immediately jumped and shot.

    Swish! The three¨Cpointer was a sess.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Sean shouted and raised his fist while jumping.

    Hey, Carlisle, have you been practicing secretly?¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable, how did that even go in?¡±

    A few opponents were devastated.

    ¡°Luck, it was just pure luck. Keep it down,¡± Carlisle wiped his sweat with a smile.

    ¡°Huh, herees Sarah¡­ Sean squinted at Sarah, who was holding a cold Coke. Several male

    ssmates also turned their gaze toward her.

    ¡°Is the Coke for Carlisle?¡±

    ¡°Could it be for you instead?

    ¡°Carlisle is so lucky!¡±

    The others watched enviously, yet even Carlisle was surprised. There wasn¡¯t a scene in his previous

    life where Sarah bought him a Coke when he yed basketball!

    It was almost as if his rebirth had shifted the trajectory and changed Sarah as well.

    Soon. Sarah and Sienna arrived at the sports field. Sarah handed the chilled Coke to Carlisle and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s hot out here. I bought you a cold Coke. It¡¯s refreshing!

    Carlisle looked at Sarah in a daze. If not for his reincarnation, he should probably have been

    overwhelmed with excitement now, right?

    As he remembered that Sarah hadn¡¯t visited him even during hisst moments, he took a deep breath

    and silently lowered his head.

    ¡°Hehe, are you touched? It¡¯s the first time Sarah has offered a drink to a guy!¡± said Sienna with her chin

    up. She seemed to imply that being offered a drink by Sarah was an honor.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­

    Just then, Wanda approached with a box of bottled water. Her slender figure struggled with the heavy

    box, and her forehead was slick with sweat.

    Sean quickly stepped forward to carry the box and asked, ¡°Wanda, did you get this for us?¡±

    Wanda stole a nce at Carlisle and then nodded.

    ¡°Wanda is so considerate. Come on, let¡¯s all have some water!¡± Sean grinned and began distributing

    the

    bottles.

    ¡°Thank you, Wanda.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so kind!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    The ssmates thanked her while they took the water. Sarah¡¯s face turned sulky as if she had eaten a

    fly.

    She felt like her spotlight had been stolen. Was Wanda deliberately opposing her?

    Sienna saw Wanda¡¯s gloomy face and said sarcastically, ¡°Wanda, with your family¡¯s wealth, you¡¯re

    buying bottled water only?¡±

    Wanda blushed slightly and muttered, ¡°My mom says that drinking too much carbonated drinks is bad

    for

    your teeth.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it only bad for you if you drink too much? A little wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± Sienna continued to

    argue

    with her.

    Wanda looked at Carlisle and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll exchange it for Coke then?¡±

    ¡°What for? Mineral water is fine!¡± Carlisle took a bottle of mineral water from the box and drank half of it

    in one gulp.

    The ice¨Ccold mineral water was incredibly refreshing. After a few sips, he felt cool to the core.

    ¡°Ah, it feels good.¡± Carlisle looked at Wanda with a satisfied smile, ¡°Thanks, Wanda.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Wanda lowered her head, with her fair and delicate neck flushing red.

    Wanda was so shy. Carlisle withdrew his gaze and chuckled secretly.

    ¡°Carlisle.¡± Sarah red at Carlisle.

    ¡°Why?¡± Carlisle looked surprised.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking the Coke that I bought for you?¡± Sarah¡¯s voice trembled. Her eyes were filled

    with tears, and she appeared pitiful.

    Carlisle coughed and said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the difference? Besides, I¡¯m not a fan of carbonated

    drinks!¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­ If you don¡¯t want it, forget it then!¡± Sarah huffed, then handed the Coke to Sean. ¡°Sean, you

    have

    this!¡±

    Sean nced at Carlisle and shook his head continuously, ¡°I don¡¯t like carbonated drinks either.

    Mineral water is quite refreshing!¡±

    Sarah stared dumbfoundedly at Sean. She had never imagined a guy would reject her kindness.

    The sports representative, Isaac Keller, chuckled and said, ¡°Give it to me then, I love Coke!¡± Without

    hesitation, Sarah handed him the Coke, afraid that her gesture would go to waste.

    Sienna spoke up for Sarah coldly, ¡°Carlisle, Sean, you guys really don¡¯t know how to appreciate

    kindness!¡± Sean shrugged indifferently while Carlisle remained calm as he didn¡¯t care about Sienna¡¯s

    mood.

    After Sarah calmed down, she turned to Carlisle and said, ¡°Carlisle, apany me to y badminton

    for a while!¡±

    Previously, Carlisle had often invited her to y badminton, but she had always declined him. Now, she

    would take the initiative to invite Carlisle for a game. Besides, Sarah wanted to assert her dominance in

    front of Wanda, as she was certain that he would agree.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Wanda watched Carlisle from the corner of her eye, and her mood turned somewhat gloomy. She also

    believed that Carlisle would surely agree to Sarah¡¯s request.

    In fact, Wanda also wanted to ask Carlisle to y badminton, but she was too shy to ask.

    ¡°No, I have to studyter.¡± Carlisle shook his head and rejected Sarah¡¯s request. He was no longer the

    lovesick puppy who woulde running whenever called.

    ¡°Carlisle, you¡­¡± Sarah was once again taken aback. How did Carlisle manage to reject her without

    hesitating? Had he really given up on her?

    While Sarah was lost in thought, Carlisle finished the mineral water. Then, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s y another

    round, then go back to the ssroom to study!¡±

    sensed that Carlisle seemed less concerned about Sarah now and smiled brightly, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s

    Sean an

    Chapte 9

    continue.¡±

    ¡°Dear Wanda, find a shady spot to rest!¡± With that, Carlisle turned and walked toward the sports field,

    leaving behind those words.

    Dear? Did he just call her Dear? Wanda widened her eyes in disbelief as she watched Carlisle leave.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Sarah, did you hear that? Did Carlisle really just call her that? Sienna asked with wide eyes. Wasn¡¯t

    such a term overly intimate?

    The current generation of high school kids tended to be on the conservative side. Any sudden terms of

    endearment would cause people to overthink.

    Hence, Carlisle¡¯s words had shocked Wanda and Sienna

    ¡°So what? He called me that before!¡± Sarah said as she pretended hard to be nonchnt. There was

    still hint of anxiousness in her gaze.

    Not only did Carlisle refuse the Coke she had bought for him, but he also rejected her invitation to y

    badminton together.

    Sarah was worried that Carlisle would give up pursuing her as she would be humiliated if that

    happened. Meanwhile, Wanda moved to sit under the shade as she watched Carlisle y basketball.

    There was a conflicted expression on her flushed face.

    Carlisle was skilled, so his opponent had no chance to score.

    Wanda watched him happily.

    After some time, Carlisle walked toward her. He sounded slightly breathless as he asked, ¡°What do you

    think? Did I dazzle you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Wanda blushed as she looked up at Carlisle and quickly looked back down after meeting his gaze. Her

    voice was soft as she said, ¡°You were stunning.¡±

    Carlisle was around five feet eight. His short hair and distinct facial features paired well with the sharp

    look in his eyes. However, the mature look in his eyes did not match his age.

    ¡°I think so too!¡± Carlisleughed cheekily as heplimented himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a narcissist!¡± Wanda said as she turned to head back to the school building.

    ¡°Hey, Wanda, do you want to y a game of badminton? Carlisle shouted behind her.

    Why did his tone sound so endearing?

    Wanda¡¯s face flushed red as she quickened her steps.

    Later, Carlisle went to the lockers to change into some clean clothes before returning to their

    ssroom.

    He wanted to revise for his SATS with Wanda.

    Just as the two of them were focused on their revision, a girl in a ponytail came over and stood before

    Wanda¡¯s desk.

    ¡°Wanda, could you exin one of the questions in our chemistry homework? The girl¡¯s voice was soft

    as she looked at Wanda nervously

    ¡°Of course,¡± Wanda said as she looked up and smiled.

    Carlisle also looked up.

    Immediately, his eyes widened in shock

    The girl before him was Christine Goodman. She was one of the students in their ss whose families

    were financially challenged.

    On the day of their SAT exams, a taxi driver assaulted her. She was disfigured by the time the cops

    had found her. Besides, the cops also found the DNAs of around seven to eight men within her body.

    Christine¡¯s family had spent all their fortune to find justice for her.

    Unfortunately, their hopes were in vain, as the perpetrators were never caught.

    Carlisle¡¯s breath becamebored as he tightened his grip around his pen. His grip was so tight that

    even his fingers had turned white.

    ¡°Carlisle, you should move and let Christine sit here.¡±

    Wanda turned to look at Carlisle and noticed that his expression was tense. She assumed he didn¡¯t

    want to move, so she turned back to Wanda and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and sit by the window!¡±

    Christine nodded gently.

    Carlisle quickly got up and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can sit here!¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Christine smiled as her cheeks turned red.

    Carlisle took a deep breath and nced at Christine before finding an empty seat by the windows.

    Now that he was reborn, some things in life would probably change. But there were still many things

    that

    were bound to happen.

    It was highly likely that tragedy would befall Christine again.

    Carlisle took a deep breath and decided that he would save Christine.

    Perhaps that was the true meaning behind his new chance at life.

    After listening to Wanda¡¯s patient exnation, Christine finally understood the problem. ¡°Thank you,

    Wanda, I finally got it.¡±

    Wanda smiled sweetly. ¡°No worries. You cane to me if you ever need help with your studies!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Christine nodded. Tears began to flood her eyes as she became emotional.

    Due to her poor family background and her meek personality, she rarely had the opportunity to interact

    with her ssmates. And only a few of them were willing to talk to her.

    She noticed Wanda had been patiently tutoring Carlisle for the past two days. So, she gathered all of

    her

    courage to ask Wanda for help. She never thought Wanda would agree to her request.

    ¡°Christine.¡± Carlisle held his books in his arms as he returned to his seat.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Christine looked at Carlisle shyly. ¡°Carlisle, thanks for

    otten to have your sa

    Carlisle had offered his seat to her, and Wanda had exined her chemistry question to her. She was

    overjoyed as it was her first time experiencing kindness from her ssmates.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in the school¡¯s dorms?¡± Carlisle asked.

    Christine lived quite a distance away from school. Thus, she had to take a taxi to school for their SAT.

    She could have avoided the uing tragedy if she had moved into the school dorms.

    ¡°My parents are working in another city, and my grandma is paralyzed after suffering from a stroke. I

    need to take care of my grandma,¡± Christine exined softly.

    ¡°Then who takes care of your grandma when you¡¯re in school?¡± Wanda asked with a frown.

    ¡°My neighbors are kind enough to help care for my grandma when I¡¯m at school. However, I¡¯m the only

    one who can care for my grandma at night!¡±

    Suddenly, the bell rang. School was over for the day.

    ¡°Wanda, Carlisle, thank you both. I need to go home and cook for my grandmother now,¡± Christine said

    as she left in a hurry.

    Wanda eximed, ¡°No wonder Christine is so frugal. She doesn¡¯t even use public transport on most

    days!¡±

    Carlisle yed with the pen in his hands as he began to think.

    Christine had a paralyzed grandmother who needed her care. So, she couldn¡¯t stay in the school¡¯s

    dorms.

    It would also be expensive for her to stay in the dorms of an established high school.

    ¡°Carlisle, could you send me home?¡± Wanda asked suddenly after collecting her things.

    ¡°Sure. However, you have to buy me another Coke!¡± Carlisle said with a smile as he twirled the pen in

    his

    hands.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯re not a fan of drinking Coke?¡±

    ¡°It depends on who¡¯s giving it to me!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±

    ¡°How can it be the same? Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Carlisle slung his beg around his shoulders and slipped a hand into his pockets.

    Wanda pushed her sses up and smiled.

    A red¨Ccolored 1996 Santana was parked at the entrance of the Franklin Complex.

    Gordon stood straight in his white cored shirt with its hem tucked into the waist. He matched his outfit

    with a pair of shiny leather shoes.

    Hilda had just returned from the market with a basket full of goods. She paused in her tracks after

    spotting Gordon,

    ¡°Hey, look, Hilda. Did your husband just get a promotion and a raise?¡±

    Hilda¡¯s neighbor, Havl

    Woods, asked as she tried to hide her smile.

    Hilda¡¯s lips twitched as she said, ¡°As if. It¡¯s good enough that he¡¯s been able to keep his job. How could

    he possibly get a promotion?¡±

    ¡°Is today the day of your marriage anniversary?¡± Hayley guessed again.

    ¡°Stop overthinking things. Gordon¡¯s brother ising over to visit!¡± Hilda exined with a smile.

    ¡°No wonder you bought so many groceries! Oh, my daughter is about to finish school. I need to go and

    fetch her.

    ¡°Could you help me bring these back?¡± Hayley asked as she stuffed her groceries into Hilda¡¯s hands.

    Hilda then headed toward Gordon with all kinds of different¨Csized grocery bags with a disdainful

    expression. ¡°You¡¯re making a fool of yourself by doing so much for your pride.¡±

    Gordon smiled bitterly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t understand Gerard¡¯s personality. He¡¯ll definitely

    humiliate us if we don¡¯t do anything. We can handle it, but we need to think about our son too.¡±

    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m home!¡± Carlisle said as he parked his bicycle next to the Santana.

    His expression immediately changed when he noticed the car. The fact that his dad had borrowed the

    Santana meant that he was about to head to the airport to pick up Gerard and his family.

    The 1996 Santana cost around 200 thousand dors. Its cost was equivalent to a Land Rover in the

    future.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Go back with your mom to prepare the food. I¡¯ll go to the airport to pick up your uncle!¡±

    Gordon patted Carlisle¡¯s back before getting in the driver¡¯s seat and starting the engine.

    Travis sighed in his heart as he watched the Santana disappear into the distance.

    In his past life, he had failed to provide his parents with a better life as he had given up on his studies

    to

    pursue Sarah.

    In this life, he would definitely work hard to repay his parents.

    After they reached home, Hi headed straight to the kitchen. ¡°Carlisle, help me clean the house up!¡±

    ¡°Cleaning the house won¡¯t change a thing,¡± Carlisle murmured under his breath.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    Carlisle picked up the broom and began to sweep the house,

    His uncle had also visited them in his past life. He had cleaned the house spotless, yet his aunt still

    regarded the house as filthy.

    Gerard and his family weren¡¯t here to check in on them. In truth, their family had just made a small

    fortune

    and wanted toe here to gloat.

 Chapter 11

    Carlisle did a simple sweep throughout the house and began his revision.

    Gordon brought G¨¦rard and his family home at around 7:00pm.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Carl, your uncle is here. Come out and pour some sses of water for them!¡± Gordon said with a

    smile. as he turned toward Carlisle¡¯s room.

    6 8 8 9 9 F2

    ¡°Gerard, Maria,¡± Hilda greeted them as she poked her head out of the kitchen.

    They nodded impassively, whereas their two teenage children didn¡¯t even spare Hilda a nce.

    Gerard was wearing a white T¨Cshirt. He held a Samsung flip phone in his right hand and wore a

    Vacheron Constantin¡¯s watch of thetest model on his left hand.

    ¡°Gordon, you could afford a Santana worth 200 thousand dors, but you couldn¡¯t afford a better

    house?¡±

    Maria Davidson, Gerard¡¯s wife, asked.

    There was a thickyer of foundation coating her 38¨Cyear¨Cold face. She was a sharp¨Ctongued woman

    who only cared about her interests.

    ¡°We bought this house so that it¡¯ll be easier for Carl to go to school. I intend to sell this house once Carl

    heads off to university!¡± Gordon exined.

    ¡°Wait a minute. Why hasn¡¯t Carlislee out yet?¡±

    Maria waved her hands for some wind as she looked around the house. Then, she said in disgust,

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you install an aircon? Aren¡¯t you all being overly frugal?¡±

    Gordon quickly brought out the standing fan from his bedroom. Meanwhile, Carlisle slowly made his

    way out of his room to pour them four sses of water.

    ¡°Carl, do you not recognize me?¡± Gerard asked with a frown.

    ¡°I do!¡±

    Oh. Then, who am I? Gerard asked impassively.

    ¡°You¡¯re Uncle Gerard!¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you greet me and your aunt?¡± Gerard asked with a tinge of anger.

    Maria also said mockingly, ¡°Where did all those years of education go?¡±

    Suddenly, Hilda mmed her knife on the cutting board, causing the sound to echo throughout the

    house.

    Gerard also red at his wife,

    But Maria didn¡¯t seem to realize her mistake as she turned to look at Gordon, who was taking out the

    extensions from his room.

    Maria said, ¡°A father¡¯s responsibility is to educate their children. But it seems like you didn¡¯t educate

    your

    son properly.¡±

    Gordon chuckled dryly. Tll discipline himter!¡±

    ¡°Did yo ¡°Did you

    you educate your children properly? Did Kelly and Xander greet my parents?¡± Carlisle asked calmly as

    he brought the sses of water over.

    ¡°You brat, are you trying to talk back to me?¡± Maria said furiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to do such a thing. I¡¯m just stating a fact. Aren¡¯t your children receiving special education

    the city? Why are they so rude then?¡± Carlisle did not hold back.

    his past life, Gerard and his family had not held back in humiliating him and his parents for not getting

    admitted into college.

    His father had knelt and begged his uncle to lend them money when he fell sick in his past life. Not only

    did Gerard not lend them the money, but he had also beaten his father up.

    Gerard also insulted them by iming that Carlisle had lived long enough and deserved to die.

    Such familial bonds were as good as none.

    ¡°Are you joking with me? Do you believe you deserve to bepared to my children? My daughter is

    at the top of her ss. It¡¯s only a matter of time before she¡¯s admitted to Rivend University.

    ¡°What about you? From what I¡¯ve heard from your father, your results are trash. It might be hard for you

    to enter a Tier 3 university. People like you are what holds us as a society back!¡±

    Maria was so angry that her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

    Gordon¡¯s eyes shed with anger as he listened to Maria¡¯s belittling words.

    At that moment, Hilda came out of the kitchen. Her voice was cold as she said, ¡°Maria, you¡¯re a guest

    in our house, so we¡¯ll wee you wholeheartedly. But if youe here to fight, we¡¯ll have no choice

    but to kick you out!¡±

    Hilda could ept Gerard and Maria belittling them. The differences between families were evident

    after

    all.

    But she could not ept them mocking her son.

    Maria watched as Hilda yed with the knife in her hands and gulped subconsciously.

    Gerard waved his hands dismissively and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Everyone should just keep their words

    to themselves. Don¡¯t affect the children here!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for crossing the line if you continue to belittle my son,¡± Hilda said as she returned to

    the

    kitchen.

    Maria was so angry that her breath becamebored.

    Gerard patted her arm and lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that they¡¯re uncultured.

    What¡¯s the point in arguing with them?¡±

    Maria feltforted as she sat on the sofa and enjoyed the wind from the fan.

    Carlisle was in his room when he heard his mother¡¯s warm words.

    He smiled in amusement. He had not said anything in his past life, so Maria had never crossed the line.

    He didn¡¯t expect Maria to be so cruel with his words after he stood up for himself. He also did not

    expect

    his mom to protect him so fiercely.

    The two families sat together for dinner at around 8:00pm.

    Maria was much quieter than before.

    The atmosphere was also tense.

    ¡°Kelly, have you also submitted your applications for Rivend University?¡± Gordon asked his niece

    with a

    smile.

    Kelly Zahn seemed confused. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®also? Are you telling me Carlisle has also

    applied

    for Rivend University?¡±

    Gordon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It was the only school he had applied to!¡±

    Kelly immediately burst intoughter.

    Gordon¡¯s face flushed red as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you also look down on your cousin?¡±

    Kelly couldn¡¯t help butugh as he said, ¡°Uncle Gordon, it¡¯s rare for people outside of the city to be

    admitted into Rivend University.

    ¡°Also, when has Carlisle ever had a decent grade for his year? He¡¯s never dared to tell us his results.

    Yet he had the guts to only apply for Rivend University. It¡¯s hard for me to understand his train of

    thought!¡±

    In other words, she also looked down on Carlisle.

    However, Gordon and Hilda did not know how to refute Kelly as they knew she was stating facts.

    Maria was delighted as she looked at Gordon and Hilda¡¯s expressions. She then said sarcastically,

    ¡°Kelly, stop mocking Carlisle. They might end up kicking us out!¡±

    Xander Zahn, a newbie junior in high school, mmed his spoon on the table and said, ¡°Let them kick

    us out then. These dishes are horrible. I won¡¯t be missing anything if we leave!¡±

    Hilda¡¯s grip around her fork tightened. She was about to say something when Gordon gave her a

    warning

    look.

    So, she had no choice but to swallow her indignance for the sake of Gordon¡¯s pride.

    Carlisle ate the food and said, ¡°You¡¯ll find a hotel if you turn left downstairs. I suggest you head over

    there

    to eat!¡±

    Gerard chuckled coldly. ¡°Your dad hasn¡¯t even said a word, yet here you are chasing us out?¡±

    Carlisle sighed in exasperation. ¡°Uncle Gerard, do you think there¡¯s any point in sitting together for

    dinner?

    You¡¯re just here to gloat because you¡¯ve earned a small fortune in the county. Am I wrong?¡±

    Gerard froze when he heard Carlisle¡¯s words.

    He didn¡¯t even tell Gordon about it yet. How did that brat, Carlisle, find out about his small earned

    fortune?

    He did earn a small fortune.

    His original n was toe here and belittle Gordon. But he decided to keep his fortune a secret

    when he saw Gordoning to pick him up in a Santana.

    He had nned to investigate Gordon¡¯s financial situation thoroughly before telling them abou

    fortune.

    Gordon saw the shock in Gerard¡¯s eyes and quickly got up to pour Gerard a cup of beer. Gordon

    smiled and asked, ¡°Gerard, did you earn some money recently?¡±

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 12

    Some years back, Gerard had made a fortune selling illegal CDs. Hence, he managed to buy a house

    and

    a car in the county.

    Although he hasn¡¯t been making much for the past few years, he still had a hefty saving of several tens

    of

    thousands.

    He wasn¡¯t considered wealthy, but he was also slightly above the middle ss

    Gordon could tell from the shock in Gerard¡¯s eyes that Carlisle had guessed correctly.

    Gerard had made a fortune!

    It just so happened that he had lost his job recently. Who knows? His brother might even allow him to

    work for him.

    Although the chances were low, he knew he had to sumb during times of need for the sake of his

    family.

    Gerard picked up the cup and took a sip. ¡°I didn¡¯t make much, just enough to afford two Santanas!¡±

    Two Santanas were equivalent to almost 500 thousand dors!

    Gordon¡¯s eyes shone brightly. ¡°What are you doing to earn so much money? Why don¡¯t you let me join

    you?

    Gerard smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you also earn a small fortune? You hadn¡¯t bought a car when we met back in our

    hometownst year!¡±

    Gordon sighed and downed down a ss.

    Then, he confessed the truth with a small grin. ¡°I borrowed this car from my supervisor!¡±

    Maria couldn¡¯t help but burst out inughter. ¡°So it was all an act, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    At first, she thought Gordon had earned a healthy amount, so she held back with her snarky remarks.

    But

    who would have thought that he had borrowed the car?

    *Gordon, you should own up to your reality if you¡¯re in a tight spot. What¡¯s the use of acting and

    pretending like you do? Don¡¯t act so prideful. You might mislead your son!¡± Maria said mockingly.

    Hilda¡¯s cheeks were burning as she red at Gordon. Gordon could be shameless and forgo his pride

    if

    he wanted to! But what about her and their son?

    Gordon touched his nose andughed.

    ¡°Gerard, is there any way for us to work together? We can go big and grow our wealth together. That

    way, we¡¯ll be able to shine. The people from our hometown would also stop looking down on us!¡±

    ¡°Gordon, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood something Those people don¡¯t look down on us. They only look

    down on you!¡± Gerard said with a smile. The disdain in his eyes was strong while he sipped his drink.

    ¡°We are brothers. Can¡¯t you just help me?¡± Gordon said with a shy smile.

    ¡°Your fate is in your own hands!¡± Gerard said calmly. He had no intention of helping Gordon.

    ¡°So Carlisle guessed correctly, didn¡¯t he? You¡¯re just here to gloat, aren¡¯t you?¡® Gordon asked with a

    forced smile.

    Carlisle felt ufortable as he watched his father¡¯s disheartened state.

    His father had always been a man of integrity.

    He always taught him that one can be poor. But one can never give up in life. Moreover, Gordon had

    always said one should help himself rather than ask others for help.

    But when his family was now in a financially challenging situation, all of his father¡¯s dignity seemed to

    have disappeared.

    At that moment, Carlisle swore to himself that he would work hard to earn arge fortune.

    He would allow his parents to stay in a mansion and drive luxurious cars. He¡¯ll ensure they can raise

    their

    heads high when they see Gerard and his family.

    He would also make everyone in their hometown envy his family¡¯s fortune.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to gloat. I was just hoping that I¡¯ll be able to inspire you!¡± Gerard said with a smile.

    Hilda could not listen any further. She put down her cutlery and returned to her room.

    On the other hand, Gordon gulped down his beer.

    After dinner, Gerard brought his family to a hotel to stay.,

    Gordon and Carlisle dropped them off at the entrance of theirplex.

    Gerard lit up a cigarette and patted Carlisle¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t get into a university. I have some contacts with a few factories. You always go

    over there to train and gain some experience!¡±

    ¡°Uncle Gerard, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯ll definitely be able to enter Rivend University!¡±

    He had learned to control his emotions well after experiencing too much in his past life.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    He had been nothing but an ipetent bipr man, as he had often failed to keep his emotions in

    check despite having nothing to his name.

    ¡°Do you know that even if you managed to get into Rivend University, you might still fail to make a

    name for yourself?

    ¡°Have you ever thought about that? Don¡¯t tell me that you believe everyone who goes to university will

    be able to make it big in the real world.¡±

    Gerard¡¯s words were slightly controversial. However it was also the truth. Carlisle knew that because

    he had seen a lot of things in his past life.

    In other people¡¯s eyes, it was important for their children to further their education.

    But knowledge could change one¡¯s destiny.

    ¡°As you said, my fate is in my own hands. Hence, no one has a say in how I live my life! So, Uncle

    Gerard¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Gerard! was shocked to hear Carlisle say such words. But when he turned to look at Carlisle, he

    realized Carlisle was looking directly at him.

    ¡°Have you ever heard the saying of never undervaluing a youth?¡± Carlisle asked with a smile.

    *So, are you telling me that you¡¯ll make it big in the future? That I should start buttering up to you?¡±

    ¡°The sky¡¯s dark. You should head to the hotel for an early rest. Otherwise, the hotel might not h

    rooms left!¡± Carlisle smiled impassively as he ced his hands into his pockets.

    §á§å

    There was no point in engaging in a verbal argument with them. He¡¯ll show them what he was made of

    when he made it big.

    Gordon also took out a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Then, he said guiltily, ¡°Son, I¡¯m sorry for

    embarrassing you and your mother today.¡±

    Carlisle was five feet eight and almost half a head taller than Gordon.

    With one hand in his pockets, he put his other arm around his father¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°You were

    doing it for our family. We¡¯ll pay them back for the humiliation sooner orter!¡±

    Gordon grinned and faked a solemn expression as he said, ¡°Carl, do you understand it now?

    Ipetent people will only be looked down upon. That¡¯s why you must enter university and be a

    competent

    person.¡±

    ¡°Dad, who said you¡¯re ipetent? In the future, I¡¯ll show them howpetent and capable my dad

    is!¡±

    The father and son chatted happily as they disappeared into the distance under the night..

    Carlisle put all of his focus on his studies after Gerard and his family left.

    He would wake up every day at five in the morning. He would then revise for an hour before eating

    breakfast and heading to school.

    When he came home, he would start his revision immediately after dinner. His study session wouldst

    until 11:00pm to 12:00am before showering and heading off to sleep.

    Hilda was worried about Carlisle. ¡°Gordon, do you think your brother¡¯s visit had triggered something

    within Carl? He¡¯s been studying non¨Cstop ever since. Can his body handle it?¡±

    Gordon sat by the balcony and lit up a cigarette. His voice was heavy as he said, ¡°Did you realize that

    our

    son seems to have be much more mature and sensibletely?¡±

    Hilda froze as her eyes widened in shock. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. I feel he¡¯s been talking and acting like a

    grown¨Cup recently!¡±

    Hilda seemed to have thought of something as she suddenly shuddered.

    Her voice trembled slightly as she asked, ¡°Do you think something is possessing our son? I¡¯ve heard

    from one of our neighbors iming that people who have been possessed would start acting out of the

    blue!¡±

    Gordon flicked Hilda¡¯s forehead gently and said, ¡°Stop overthinking things. Our son has just grown up!¡±

    Time passed in the blink of an eye.

    Every high school studegt in their senior year was studying hard as time slowly passed.

    Soon, it was five days away from their SATS.

    Lucy stood on stage with a solemn expression. ¡°All of you are five days away from your SATS. I that all

    of you are working hard. I believe that all of you will be admitted to the school of your dreams.¡±

    She adjusted her sses and looked at Carlisle, who sat before her. ¡°I would like to use this

    opportunity to praise and affirm Carlisle Zahn. His test scores in the past few mock tests were

    outstanding!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just outstanding. It was near perfect.

    Lucy didn¡¯t even dare to announce Carlisle¡¯s mock scores.

    Who would have thought Carlisle, whose test scores had always been near the bottom, would get a

    near- perfect score in each subject with only a month¡¯s revision?

    She was even afraid that Carlisle would be taken to ab to be investigated if people found out about

    him.

    ¡°Carl has b

    been studying hard for the past few months. He¡¯s even studying during break time.

    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. He¡¯s even going as far as reading while pooping!¡±

    ¡°What the heck? Are you being serious?¡±

    A few students turn to look at Carlisle with envious eyes.

    Sean pressed his heart against his chest and eximed in pain. ¡°Carl, do you even remember the oath

    we took in the past? You said you wanted to work in a factory with me!¡±

    Carlisle turned to re at Sean. ¡°When did I ever say that?¡±

    ¡°You did! I¡¯m telling you that you did!¡± Sean pursed his lips cheekily.

    Carlisle¡¯s lips twitched. Why was he friends with such an idiot?

    Although Sean was always cheeky, he had to admit that Sean was a good friend.

    In his past life, Sean had managed to enter a Tier 2 university. But Sean had set aside his studies and

    joined a factory with him due to his failure in getting epted into a university.

    But after working for about three to five months, Sean¡¯s father, Rory Woodsen, forced him to return to

    school

    After Sean graduated, he relied on the 100 thousap dors given by his father to start a small business

    and became a small tycoon.

    Chapte

    After that, he rarely had the opportunity to meet Sean.

    Fortunately, he had the opportunity to meet Sean one more time before his death. Sean hade to

    visit him onest time in the hospital.

    Sean had bawled as he promised to take good care of his parents. He even promised to treat his

    parents

    as his own.

    It was also after hearing those words that Carlisle could rest in peace.

    ¡°It¡¯s the final five days. All of you can go home and rest well. The exams will be held on the 7th of June.

    All of you muste a day before to register for the exams!¡±

    Chapte¨C11

 Chapter 13

    Lucy continued with her long and passionate speech.

    She talked about how getting into a better school would mean better job opportunities.

    She even gave a few examples of her past students.

    She talked about how some of her students had graduated and joined internationalpanies.

    Meanwhile, others had started their own businesses and made a name for themselves.

    The students were captivated by her speech as their eyes shone with hope.

    ¡°Of course, not all students will be able to gain admission into college! I¡¯m not saying this to discourage

    you all.

    ¡°I just want you all to be prepared for such an oue. You don¡¯t need to be disheartened if you fail to

    join a college.

    ¡°Based on my experience with my past students, some had retaken their SATS and managed to join a

    top- tier college!¡® Lucy said as she ced her hands on the podium with a solemn gaze.

    Suddenly, Sarah raised her hands and asked, ¡°Ms. Turner, do you think I¡¯ll be able to get into Rivend

    University?¡±

    The whole ss turned to look at Lucy.

    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance for you if you don¡¯t ck off,¡± Lucy answered strictly.

    Although Sarah had scored well during the mock tests, Lucy did not overly praise her to prevent her

    from cking off.

    Sarah smiled with confidence.

    For the past few months, she had been studying hard. She was confident in her abilities to gain

    admission

    Into Rivend University.

    Sarah nced sideways at Carlisle.

    She wanted to ask Lucy if there was any hope for Carlisle to gain admission into Rivend University.

    However, she refrained after taking Carlisle¡¯s pride into consideration.

    Although Carlisle¡¯s results had been improving rapidly, she believed Carlisle would only be able to

    enter a Tier 2 university at best.

    Then, the bell rang, signaling the end of their ss.

    But everyone sat quietly in their seats.

    ¡°ss is dismissed!¡± Lucy took a deep breath as she spoke. It was rare for her to not prolong the ss.

    ¡°Oh my gosh. We¡¯re free!¡± Sean immediately stood up and threw his textbook in the air.

    Chapte: 13

    Immediately, everyone was buzzing with excitement.

    However, a few students did choose to sit quietly in their seats.

    They had finally graduated from high school.

    Some would proceed to university to obtain a higher education, whereas some would enter society in

    advance and experience harsh reality.

    At that moment, Carlisle was quiet.

    It had been a month since he was reborn. Soon, he would see the fruition of his hard work.

    He was confident that he could gain admission into Rivend University.

    His admission into Rivend University would be the start of the new life he had given himself since

    being reborn.

    ¡°Carl, this is for you.¡±

    Wanda had already carried her beg. She was blushing as she handed him a pink colored letter that

    was

    folded into a heart.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Carlisle looked up at Wanda, but she had already run out of the ssroom.

    What just happened? Was this a love letter?

    Did she fall for him within a month of talking?

    Carlisle was about to open the letter when Sean smacked his table loudly. ¡°Carl, do you wanna go to

    an

    Inte caf¨¦? We can y throughout the night. Consider it my

    treat!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to have our SATS. How can you still be thinking about ying games all night?¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    study the essay title Variety is the spice of

    Carlisle rolled his eyes at Sean and continued, ¡°How¡¯s your on

    life¡± that I asked you to research?¡±

    Sean pursed his lips. ¡°Tve been reading it for a few days now. But it might note out in our SATs!¡±

    *Just read it! Carlisle said as he kept all of his textbooks in his bag.

    ¡°Carl, I¡¯ll worship you if the essay topic really happens to be Variety is the spice of life¡®!¡± Sean said with

    a

    smile.

    Carlisle held his bag and carried his backpack. He said impassively, ¡°I¡¯m not guaranteeing anything.

    But

    the extra knowledge won¡¯t do us any harm!¡±

    He didn¡¯t insist on the title of the essay. Otherwise, he could not exin how he knew the essay

    question.

    ¡°Carlisle,¡± Sarah called out as she walked toward Carlisle¡¯s desk

    ¡°What is it? Carlisle looked at her indifferently.

 Chapter 14

    ¡°Thank you for treating me well for the past two years!¡± Sarah said shyly

    Those unaware of the situation might even think she was about to confess to Carlisle.

    However, the person at hand, Carlisle, answered impassively, ¡°Just say what you want to say. Don¡¯t

    beat around the bush!¡±

    Sarah tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Actually, I just

    wanted to tell you I won¡¯t ept your confession even if you get epted into Rivend University!¡±

    ¡°Are you alright? Don¡¯t tell me you still believe I¡¯m trying to get into Rivend University for your sake?¡±

    Carlisle was amused by Sarah¡¯s words.

    Was his attitude toward her for the past month not clear enough?

    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t want to admit it. But it¡¯s alright, I only wanted to tell you what I think! Although

    your results have improved drastically with Wanda¡¯s help, you¡¯ll only be able to enter a Tier 3 university

    at most.

    ¡°It would be a miracle if you managed to enter a Tier 2 university. So, don¡¯t even fantasize about joining

    Rivend!¡±

    Sarah¡¯s tone was condescending, and her expression was filled with arrogance.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Suddenly, Sean mmed his fist on Carlisle¡¯s desk. He sounded furious when he said, ¡°Sarah, how

    can you be so shameless?

    ¡°What did Carlisle ever do to you? Why must you say such hurtful and condescending words to hurt his

    pride?¡±

    As Carlisle¡¯s good friend, he knew how well Carlisle had treated Sarah,

    Ever since Carlisle fell for Sarah, he stopped going to cybercafes and became stingy and frugal.

    How could Sarah treat Carlisle that way?

    She had no feelings for him. Yet she continued to enjoy Carlisle¡¯s goodwill.

    Now that things were ending, she still wanted to hurt Carlisle and discourage him. She was basically

    trying to destroy him.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡°hurt his pride? Does he even have any pride left in him? Would he have read

    his love letter aloud to the entire ss if he had any pride left?¡±

    Sarah shook her head in disdain

    Then, she turned to look at Carlisle, only to realize he looked calm. He didn¡¯t look like he was about to

    blow a tantrum because of his words.

    She found it strange. How did he manage to remain impassive after hearing those hurtful words?

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Carlisle asked as he looked at her with a heavy gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet! Let¡¯s make a bet. What if I agree to go out with you if you manage to get admitted

    into Rivend University?¡±

    There was an amused smile on Sarah¡¯s face. It was as if she was sure Carlisle would not be able to

    enter

    Rivend University.

    She wanted to see Carlisle put in his all, only to fail.

    ¡°Alright!¡± Carlisle agreed with a smile.

    Sarah froze slightly. She never expected Carlisle to agree with her

    that much?

    But it didn¡¯t matter.

    id he reallyck self¨Cawareness

    Carlisle will never ever be able to gain admission into Rivend University. She wouldn¡¯t bat an eye at

    him.

    even if he did.

    ¡°Then we shall wait and see!¡± Sarah said with a smile. Then, she carried her bag and left the

    ssroom.

    Most of Sarah¡¯s close friends were standing by the ssroom¡¯s door. They circled each other and

    began

    tough.

    ¡°Carl, are you alright?¡± Sean asked as he massaged Carlisle¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I have a great mentality!¡± Carlisle said with a smile.

    He knew what Sarah wanted to say when he noticed her walking toward him.

    He could have ignored Sarah, but he still chose to talk with her, just like before.

    In his past life, he had put in all of his efforts. Yet he still failed to enter Rivend University. In the end,

    the whole bet had be a joke in his ssmates¡® eyes.

    Even after many years, some of his ssmates would talk about the bet to humiliate him.

    He had agreed to Sarah¡¯s bet because he wanted to see her eat her own words when he managed to

    enter Rivend University.

    Their ss had ended much earlier today. Hence, Hilda and Gordon weren¡¯t home when Carlisle

    reached

    home.

    He went to the fridge to take out a can of Coke before sitting on the sofa while he enjoyed the fan¡¯s

    breeze.

    He anxiously opened Wanda¡¯s letter.

    Was it a love letter?

    Probably not. Right?

    It was probably a letter of encouragement.

    The second he opened the letter, he noticed that the letter had been written neatly and gracefully.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Hello Carl, do you still remember what you said to me before? You said it was stupid for a person to

    change their whole life for another person!

    ¡°Do you think such a stupid person will ever appear in your life? I¡¯ll see you

    Carlisle felt his brain go nk.

    end University.¡±

    Anyone with a functioning brain would understand the hidden meaning behind Wanda¡¯s words.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    She was trying to say that she had decided to change the path of her life for someone. And that

    someone just so happened to be him!

    No wonder Wanda had continued to stay in Rivend University despite having the grades to enter an

    Ivy League.

    She had really stayed on for him!

    Holy shit!

    He had rarely interacted with Wanda in his past life. How could she stay at Rivend University for

    him?

    She probably decided to attend Rivend University, so it¡¯ll be easier for her to attend any gatherings in

    the future.

    It was a shame that he had been so caught up with Sarah in his past life that he never spared a second

    nce at Wanda.

    After being reborn, he began to have some interactions with Winda. Hence, she had gathered the

    courage to write a love letter to him.

    Carlisle¡¯s breathing becamebored as he seemed to have grasped another new meaning behind his

    rebirth.

    Wanda must have ended up marrying someone she had no feelings for. Hence, she didn¡¯t have a

    happy future.

    It was one of Wanda¡¯s biggest regrets, and he was the one who had caused it.

    He had lived a short life.

    His parents had to watch him die.

    These were all part of his regrets in his past life.

    Carlisle took a deep breath and murmured, ¡°Wanda, I¡¯ll see you at Rivend University!¡±

    Wanda¡¯sst sentence probably meant that he would not be able to see her for quite some time.

    With her shy personality, she would also probably try to hide from him.

    Since that was the case, they would meet again at Rivend University.

    At that moment, Hilda¡¯s angry shouts echoed into the house. ¡°Hayley Woods, I dare you to nder my

    son again. I¡¯ll destroy your house if you do!¡±

    Carlisle quickly made his way outside.

    What happened to his mom? Why did she suddenly begin arguing with their neighbor?

    At the stairs, Hilda and Hayley happened to be ring at each other.

    The fresh groceries from the shops were scattered all across the floor.

    Hayleyughed coldly and said, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? My son¡¯s results would not be that bad if

    your son hadn¡¯t brought him to the cybercafe so frequently.

    ¡°How dare Carlisle even dream of entering Rivend University with that shitty results of his. You and

    your whole family should just continue dreaming!¡±

    ¡°You bitch. I¡¯ll tear you apart¡­¡±

    Hilda¡¯s expression was full of hostility as she rushed up to grab Hayley¡¯s hair.

    Hayley refused to back down as she grabbed Hilda¡¯s arm and bit her.

    ¡°Mom, Mrs. Woods, stop fighting¡­¡± Carlisle quickly rushed up to stop the fight.

    Although Hayley¡¯s words were slightly cruel, they were neighbors for quite some time now. Their family

    had helped his family repeatedly throughout the years.

    Her precious son probably messed up another exam. Hence, she was venting all her anger on his

    family.

    Carlisle separated the two women as Hilda screamed in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t hold me back. I want to tear h

    mouth apart¡­

    her

    Hayley ced her hands on her hips as she said arrogantly, ¡°Come on then. Come and hit me if you

    dare. You can¡¯t do anything. Why are you acting so proud?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle, let go of me¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, mom. Calm down!¡±

    Carlisle held onto his mother tightly as he turned to Hayley and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ms. Woods.

    We¡¯re all neighbors here. We don¡¯t have to fight.¡±

    Hayleybed her messy hair as Hilda had messed up her hair.

    Then, Hayley said, ¡°I¡¯ll let it go this time since your son is here!¡±

    Hilda also didn¡¯t dare to go overboard with Carlisle there. She didn¡¯t want her son to think that he had a

    crazy old woman for a mother.

    Hayley picked up the groceries on the floor and headed home.

    Carlisle bent down to put all the leftover goods into Hilda¡¯s basket.

    ¡°Did your ss end early today?¡± Hilda asked as she bent down to help pick up the groceries.

    Chapte 15

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have a five¨Cday holiday before it¡¯s time for our SATS.¡±

    Suddenly, Hilda thought of all her aggrieved moments. She pursed her lips as tears pooled in her eyes.

    ¡± Carlisle, are you confident you¡¯ll be able to further your studies?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you have more faith in your son? Didn¡¯t you see I¡¯ve been studying non¨Cstop for the past

    month?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s voice was soft and gentle.

    It was as if he suddenly realized that his parents were probably more stressed than him.

    They had to withstand endless mockery from Gerard and his family. Ti neighbors¡® judgemental gaze

    toward them.

    All of this was because of his bad grades.

    so had to withstand the

    Furthering one¡¯s education was a big thing in his generation. Most people would look down upon a

    family If their child failed to get into a university.

    In the eyes of most people, only people who manage to get into university will be able to have a bright

    future.

    And that was indeed the case in reality.

    Only a great opportunity or knowledge could change one¡¯s future.

    Carlisle had been a salesman in his past life. He had a boss who only finished elementary school. But

    he had also met a Master¡¯s student who became a regr employee in the firm.

    ¡°I believe in you,¡± Hilda said through teary eyes as she smiled at Carlisle. Then, they brought the

    goods.

    back home.

    Gordon only returned home at around 9:00pm. He looked exhausted. There was also a twinge of

    sadness

    In his eyes.

    The three of them had dinner together. It was warm and fulfilling.

    For the next five days, Carlisle had spent three days revising. But during thest two days, Sean had

    dragged him to an inte caf¨¦ for two days straight.

    But Hilda and Gordon did not mind.

    After all, Carlisle had been studying diligently for the past few days. His SAT exams were in two days. It

    was time for him to rx before the exams.

    On the 7th of June, it was drizzling when Carlisle woke up at six in the morning.

    Hilda could hear some soundsing from the living room and nudged Gordon.

    ¡°Gordon¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?*

    ¡°Why is Carl up so early?¡±

    ¡°His exams are today. He probably woke up to prepare for them!¡±

 Chapter 16

    Carlisle¡¯s voice was soft and gentle.

    It was as if he suddenly realized that his parents were probably more stress an him.

    They had to withstand endless mockery from Gerard and his family. They also had to withstand the

    neighbors¡® judgemental gaze toward them.

    All of this was because of his bad grades.

    Furthering one¡¯s education was a big thing in his generation. Most people would look down upon a

    family if their child failed to get into a university.

    In the eyes of most people, only people who manage to get into university will be able to have a bright

    future.

    And that was indeed the case in reality.

    Only a great opportunity or knowledge could change one¡¯s future.

    Carlisle had been a salesman in his past life. He had a boss who only finished elementary school. But

    he

    had also met a Master¡¯s student who became a regr employee in the firm.

    ¡°I believe in you,¡± Hilda said through teary eyes as she smiled at Carlisle. Then, they brought the

    goods.

    back home.

    Gordon only returned home at around 9:00pm. He looked exhausted. There was also a twinge of

    sadness

    in his eyes.

    The three of them had dinner together. It was warm and fulfilling.

    For the next five days, Carlisle had spent three days revising. But during thest two days, Sean had

    dragged him to an inte caf¨¦ for two days straight.

    But Hilda and Gordon did not mind.

    After all, Carlisle had been studying diligently for the past few days. His SAT exams were in two days. It

    was time for him to rx before the exams.

    On the 7th of June, it was drizzling when Carlisle woke up at six in the morning.

    Hilda could hear some soundsing from the living room and nudged Gordon.

    ¡°Gordon¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why is Carl up so early?¡±

    ¡°His exams are today. He probably woke up to prepare for them!¡±

    Chapter 16.

    20

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go and prepare some food for him,¡± Hilda sald as she turned on the light and changed out of

    her pajamas.

    Gordon took out a hundred dor bill from under his pillow and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give him this

    hundred dor bill and let him go out to have some good food!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Hilda changed quickly and went to the living room.

    ¡°Mom, did I wake you two up?¡± Carlisle smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°Why did you wake up so early? How will you maintain your energy if you don¡¯t rest properly?¡± Hilda

    reprimanded.

    ¡°I agreed to go to the exam hall with one of my friends!¡±

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t exin why you had to wake up so early,¡± Hilda said inquisitively.

    ¡°My examination hall is located at the Beta Complex. It¡¯ll take me around an hour to ride my bike there.¡±

    ¡°Who asked you to ride your bike there? You can call a cab there. Come home if you can after the first

    day of exams.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    ¡°Just find a hostel nearby if you can¡¯t. Remember to eat well for the next two days,¡± Hilda said as she

    stuffed the 100¨Cdor bill in Carlisle¡¯s hands.

    ¡°This is so much money

    His father only earned around 800 dors per month.

    His mother had taken another job to ensure they¡¯d have enough money to eat. But she only earned

    around 300 dors a month.

    In the following years, although the pay was low, the price of goods was also rtively low.

    He could buy breakfast for less than a dor from his high school¡¯s cafeteria.

    Lunch would only cost around two dors.

    Most students living in the dorms would only spend around 20 dors a month.

    Carlisle had a weekly allowance of 30 dors. But he used to spend about 20 dors of his allowance

    on Sarah.

    Carlisle immediately felt ufortable as he recalled how his parents had been working hard to earn a

    living. However, he had been caught up in spending money on Sarah.

    His mother would need to work for about ten days to earn the equivalent amount in his hand.

    In his previous life, he had thought that money was a given. He had even believed that his parents

    weren¡¯t giving him enough money.

    But now that he had been reborn, he finally realized how much weight a simple 100¨Cdor bill could

    hold.

    ¡°Mom, thank you so much.¡± Carlisle¡¯s eyes turned red as he hugged his mother.

    Chapter 16 AT

    *Focus on your exams. Don¡¯t disappoint your dad and me,¡± Hilda said as she patted Carlisle¡¯s back.

    Carlisle nced at the clock. It was almost half past six in the morning. He had to rush over and stop

    Christine from getting into that car.

    In the past two days, he had managed to find Christine¡¯s house. It would take him about an hour to ride

    from hisplex.

 Chapter 17

    Carlisle wore a raincoat before quickly speeding toward Christine¡¯s residential area.

    It was th

    the

    beginning of June. Despite the rain, the air was still hot and humid.

    The muscles in his legs tightened as his bicycle chain began to creak due to it being too long since he

    The rain poured on endlessly.

    Suddenly, the chains in his bicycle finally broke due to the tension,

    Fuck.

    Carlisle cursed as he stopped his bicycle by the roadside and began to repair the chain.

    He had used his bicycle for more than three years. Fixing the chain was easy. He had finished it within

    ten minutes and was back on the road.

    To stop his chain from breaking once more, he had found a shop for bicycles and asked for some oil.

    The repairman didn¡¯t charge him after hearing that he was heading to attend his SATS.

    The houses in the Helios Vige were mostly made out of plywood.

    There was also andfill nearby that stretched out from the county to the suburbs. Yet, no professionals

    were around to clean up the area.

    Hence, the disgusting smell of trash hung in the air.

    Christine sat by the bed while feeding her grandma breakfast in a simple 300¨Csquare¨Cfoot home.

    The house was simple and crude. But it was able to shelter them from the storm.

    The house was also clean.

    ¡°Christine.¡± A middle¨Caged woman walked in. The woman¡¯s clothes were ripped and had several

    patches all over the shirt.

    ¡°Ms. Jefferson, why are you here?¡± Christine quickly put the food in her hand and went to the door.

    ¡°We managed to save up some money. You¡¯ll be having your SATS, so you should eat properly.¡±

    Christine quickly shook her hands. ¡°That won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t take any more of your money!¡±

    Grace Jefferson took out a stack of crumpled notes. But it consisted mostly of loose change as most

    notes were one-dor bills. There were hardly any five or ten¨Cdor bills.

    Christine¡¯s parents were working in another city. But ever since two years ago, they stopped visiting

    and funding her.

    For the past few years, she had survived high school through the small amount her neighbors gathered

    Chapte 17

    for her

    Grace stuffed the money into Christine¡¯s hands.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Her hands were calloused as she held Christine¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Christine, you are the light and

    hope for our small vige. You should focus on your exams. I¡¯ll take care of your grandmal¡±

    Christine had grown up in the vige. Her grandma had also helped many vigers when she was your

    After her grandma had be paralyzed, her parents abandoned shoulder the weight of the family at

    a young age.

    ence, she was forced to

    Hence, the kind vigers took it upon themselves to care for Christine and her grandma.

    Christine¡¯s eyes turned red as she lowered her head. Tears fell down the corner of her eyes as she

    choked on her sobs.

    ¡°Thank you Ms. Jefferson. Please help me thank everyone too. I definitely won¡¯t let all of you down!¡±

    She had been studying hard for the past few days. She knew she had to get into a university and make

    a name for herself to repay their kindness.

    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s about time now. You should hurry to school!¡± Grace urged. She was worried Christine

    would

    bete for her exams.

    ¡°I got it. Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble you with caring for my grandma for now!¡±

    Usually, Christine would wake up early and spend two hours walking to school.

    But her grandma had been feeling sick today. So, she went to the clinic that was some distance away

    to buy some medication for her grandma. Thus, she had already wasted a portion of her time.

    It was unrealistic for her to walk to school now. So, she could only call a taxi and rush over.

    She collected her things, washed up,bed her hair, and left her house hurriedly with an umbre.

    The Helios Vige was by the countryside, so it was rare for taxis to drive by. Christine had decided to

    wait for a while for the bus to save some money.

    It would only cost her one dor if she decided to head to school by bus.

    However, ten minutes had passed. But the bus had yet to arrive.

    At that moment, a ck car stopped beside Christine.

    ¡°Hey, are you heading to take your SATS?¡± The driver was a fat man, wearing a pair of sunsses.

    Christine looked at the driver warily and nodded.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get on? I¡¯ll send you there for only a dor! I only offer such a great deal to SAT

    candidates! ¡°The fat man pushed his sunsses up his nose bridge and smiled kindly.

    But Christine shook her head a

 Chapter 18

    She would have gotten into the car if it was a metered taxi.

    But the man was driving a personal car. She dared not to get in his car.

    Suddenly, lightning shed across the sky as the thunder rumbled causing Christine to tremble in fear.

    The fat man continued to say, ¡°Hey, just get in quickly. I¡¯m not a bi

    don¡¯t want to miss your exams, do you?¡±

    Christine looked around and realized not many cars were on the road.

    Her exams weren¡¯t going to wait for her to arrive either.

    1. uy. There will be a storm soon. Your

    She would be disappointing everyone in her vige if she missed her exams.

    After some contemtion, she reached out to hold the car¡¯s door handle.

    ¡°Christine.¡±

    At that moment, a bicycle was rushing toward her at high speed.

    ¡°Why are you so slow? Do you want to go for your exams or not? I can leave right now if you don¡¯t want

    to!

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The fat man urged on in annoyance

    ¡°M¨CMy ssmate ising!¡± Christine said timidly.

    It sounded like Carlisle. But he was too far away, so she wasn¡¯t sure.

    The fat man took off his sunsses as his gaze shed with irritation. He got out of the car and walked

    toward Christine.

    Christine immediately became very alert. Her body shook as she dodged the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Christine¡¯splexion paled as she looked at the driver in fear.

    ¡°Get in the car,¡± the fat man said in a low tone. Then, he reached out, trying to grab Christine¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Fuck. Let go of her!¡± Carlisle shouted in anger as he quickened his pace.

    The fat man opened the car door and pushed Christine inside.

    r my service

    The fat man murmured, ¡°I already/told you that I¡¯m not a bad guy. I was kind enough to offer my and

    send you to your examination hall for a small fee.¡±

    Then, the man mmed the door shut.

    Christine was terrified as she, mmed her hands on the car window and began to shout, ¡°Let me out.

    Let

    me go. Help:

    The man got in the driver¡¯s seat and took a de from under the seat. He lowered his voice and said, ¡±

    Shut up. I¡¯ll stab you to death if you continue to scream.¡±

    Christine immediately paused as her body began to tremble.

    Suddenly, Carlisle mmed his bicycle in front of the car.

    He held a brick he had prepared in advance and shouted at the man, ¡°Get down the car. You better get

    down now¡­

    The man¡¯s expression darkened as he peeked his head out from the

    way. Do you believe that I¡¯ll run you

    over?¡±

    With that said, he began to release his brakes.

    1. ow. ¡°You brat. Get out of my

    Carlisle immediately went forward and mmed the brick down on the man¡¯s head.

    The man was immediately stunned. What the fuck?

    His head spun as he stepped on the elerator, trying to run Carlisle over.

    Carlisle immediately threw another brick at his windshield. His windshield immediately cracked.

    The man was furious as he got down the car with his de.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­ Run¡­¡± Christine was so scared that her face was deathly pale, and her mind became a

    jumbled

    mess

    Carlisle was slightly terrified when he noticed that the man had a knife.

    The area had not been covered with surveince cameras yet. But this would be the first meaningful

    thing

    he did since he had been reborn. He had to save Christine.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already called the cops. You still have time to run away!¡± Carlisle began to backtrack with a brick

    in

    hand.

    However, the man was cruel as he charged at Carlisle with the knife in hand.

    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is

    eis Running Out!

    im

    Chapte 19

 Chapter 19

    Carlisle immediately dodged to the side. He looked for the right time and smashed the brick in his hand

    onto the man¡¯s arm.

    The man began to scream in pain as he dropped the de. Then, he gave Carlisle a punch to the face.

    Carlisle was immediately fired up as he threw the brick to the si

    started a fistfight with the man,

    Despite his slender body, he went head to head against the fat man.

    Beep¡­

    Beep¡­

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    At that moment, a white BMW stopped by the roadside and honked at them.

    ¡°Carlisle? Why is he here?¡± The short¨Chaired girl in the passenger seat looked confused.

    Then, her hands clenched into fists. She turned to the man in the driver¡¯s seat, Zachary Thompson,

    and said emotionally, ¡°Could you please go down and help him?¡±

    Zachary nced at his sister before taking an umbre and heading toward the ck car.

    ¡°You should have minded your own business. I¡¯ll choke you to death!¡±

    The fat man had already gained the upper hand and was standing over Carlisle with his hands

    wrapped

    around his throat.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t breathe and could feel himself start to fade. He had overestimated his strength.

    Although he had been working out for the past month, he was only an 18¨Cyear¨Cold boy!

    ¡°Hey, why are you killing someone out in the open here?¡±

    The fat man turned around to see a young man in a sleek suit. He seemed to be in histe twenties

    and

    stood tall at about six feet.

    ¡°Are you trying to meddle in my business too?¡± The fat man shouted ferociously.

    Zachary nced at the ck car and saw a young student in tears through the car window.

    He immediately guessed that the man before him was a human trafficker. The young boy probably

    caught

    him in the act and tried to stop him.

    That was why the fat man had screamed at him for meddling too.

    So, Zachary tightened his grip around his umbre and walked toward the man. Then, he raised his leg

    and kicked the man in the throat.

    The man immediately fainted from the kick.

    Zachary pursed his lips and said, ¡°How can he faint from just one kick?¡±

    hapte 19

    Then, he held his umbre and walked toward Carlisle. He stretched out his hand to help him up. ¡°Are

    you alright?¡±

    I¡¯m fine, Carlisle said as he coughed. Then, he got up and headed toward the ck car to unlock the

    door.

    Christine immediately got out of the car and wrapped her arms around Carlisle. She began to cry.

    ¡°Carlisle, thank you so much.¡±

    Carlisle tensed as he patted Christine¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re safe now!¡±

    Luckily, someone came and intervened. Otherwise, he would have died here.

    ¡°Hey, thanks for your help¡­¡± Carlisle turned to thank Zachary only to realize that the BMW had driven

    away.

    In the car, Wanda¡¯s gaze hardened as the memory of Christine hugging Carlisle shed across her

    mind.

    Zachary kept one hand on the wheel as he used his other hand to light up a cigarette.

    He nced at his sister from the corner of his eyes. He asked in confusion, ¡°Why do you seem to be in

    a bad mood?¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡±

    Zachary took a puff of his cigarette and flicked the cigarette bud out of the window. Then, he said,

    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted and focus on your exams. Try and get into an Ivy League!¡±

    Rainville Beta High School was built five years ago.

    Then, it became the designated examination hall for all students in Rainville. Every student slowly

    made

    their way into their designated exam hall.

    Carlisle had bought a set of clean clothes in the supermarket next door. Then, he entered the exam hall

    with Christine just before the bell rang.

    Lucy stood outside of Carlisle¡¯s exam hall for a long time. She immediately sighed in relief when she

    saw

    Carlisle had arrived.

    ¡°Ms. Turner, are you the invigtor for the exam?¡± Carlisle¡¯s face was bruised and swollen. One might

    not recognize him if they saw him from afar.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°What happened to your face?¡± Lucy asked with a frown.

    ¡°The chains on my bicycle broke on the way here, causing me to fall!¡± Carlisle rubbed his burning face

    as even his words were slightly slurred.

    Lucy didn¡¯t question him further. Instead, she said, ¡°The invigtors

    y¡¯s exams are from the

    county. Don¡¯t stress yourself out too much, and just take the exam with a calm heart!¡±

    Carlisle quickly nodded. ¡°Alright!¡±

    Lucy patted Carlisle¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°You should go in. I¡¯ve already prepared a congrattory gift

    for you. I¡¯m just waiting for the day your results are released!¡±

    Carlisleughed, ¡°I was only joking with you. Did you really take my word seriously?¡±

    Lucy¡¯s expression was stern. ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking with you. I told you I would prepare a gift for you, and that

    will be exactly what I do!¡±

    Lucy had noticed the changes in Carlisle over the past month. He had be one of the rare

    candidates who had the opportunity to gain admission into Rivend University.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll definitely make you proud!¡±

    ¡°Good luck!¡±

    Lucy used her hands to cheer him on as he straightened his back and entered the examination hall

    confidently.

    He sat down on his designated seat.

    When the bell rang, the invigtors began to hand out the exam papers.

    He quickly flipped through the essay questions and ignored other questions for the moment.

    As expected, the theme for the essay was ¡°Variety is the spice of life¡°.

    The essay carried a significant portion of the final marks and would affect his scores greatly.

    Carlisle smiled as everyone began to flip through the exam paper.

    In his past life, he felt like the world had ended when he saw the exam paper.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    But now, he did not feel an ounce of pressure as he read through the questions again.

    It was too easy.

    Carlisle managed to finish the entire paper within an hour. He was the first one to leave the school.

    When he went out, he saw many parents holding umbres as they stood outside the school¡¯s

    entrance.

    ¡°Why did hee out so early? He probably handed in an empty test paper!¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯spetent either. I feel bad for his parents!¡±

    ¡°Luckily, he¡¯s not my son. I¡¯ll probably break his legs if he did something like this.¡±

    ¡°Oh my gosh. Gordon, that looks like your son.¡± A bearded man said as he tapped the parent¡¯s

    shoulder, iming to feel bad for his parents.

    Gordon had been working part¨Ctime nearby. His boss had wanted to wait for their son to finish their

    SATS and had taken two days off.

    So, Gordon decided to join in and went to the school.

    Gordon held a cigarette in his hand and narrowed his eyes. Then, he shook his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s

    not my son. My son isn¡¯t that fat. He also wasn¡¯t wearing that when he went out this morning.¡±

    It was still drizzling, so the student¡¯s face was slightly blurred.

    But Gordon was sure that the boy wasn¡¯t Carlisle.

    Gordon had been standing by the window as he watched Carlisle head off. He wasn¡¯t wearing that set

    of

    clothes.

    However, Carlisle soon arrived at the school gate, and Gordon¡¯s expression immediately changed.

    Holy shit, that was his son!

    What happened to his face?

    He nearly didn¡¯t even recognize his own son!

    ¡°Carlisle.¡± Gordon stood on his tip toes as he waved his hand at Carlisle.

    Carlisle saw his dad and quickly went over. ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s expression was sullen as he said, ¡°What happened to your face? Who did you get into a fight

    with?¡±

    Although his expression was stern, he felt like his heart was breaking.

    He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to discipline his child. How could someone else hit his son?

    He would ensure they got what they deserved!

    Carlisle quickly exined, ¡°The chains in my bicycle broke this morning, causing me to fall.¡±

    He had already thought of a great excuse beforeing out.

    Gordon patted Carlisle¡¯s head as he sounded guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should have sent you to school

    this

    morning!¡±

    Almost immediately, Gordon¡¯s expression darkened as he said again, ¡°Why did youe out so early?

    Did you hand in an empty paper?¡±

 Chapter 21

    ¡°What do you mean by saying I handed in an empty paper? I¡¯m just that capable! The essay question

    was

    too easy,¡± Carlisle said with confidence.

    Gordon also knew that his son would not have handed in an empty paper. He had noticed the changes

    in

    his son throughout the past month.

    ¡°Then, how many marks to you think you¡¯ll get?¡± Gordon asked nervously.

    Although he had never taken his SATs, he knew that the highest score for the SATS was 1600 and that

    the essay held arge portion of the marks.

    ¡°I think I could easily get a 85% score,¡± Carlisle said as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

    Immediately, the parents around him looked at him in disdain.

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious with you!¡± Gordon eximed as his lips twitched. Every parent¡¯s dream was to see

    their child be an outstanding student. He was no different.

    He would thank the gods if Carlisle managed to score 60%. Yet Carlisle imed he could score above

    the

    85% mark.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you either!¡± Carlisle smiled in exasperation.

    He had studied the essay theme for a month. With his experiences in both lives, the essay title, ¡°Variety

    is

    the spice of life¡± would allow him to score.

    He also doubted he made any major mistakes on the other questions.

    ¡°Carlisle, your father has always been an honest man. Why can¡¯t you just follow in his footsteps?¡± One

    of Gordon¡¯s colleagues teased with a smile.

    ¡°Nothing I say will make you believe me. Just watch what happens when the results are out!¡± Carlisle

    said calmly as he red at the man.

    He no longer had the energy to fight with unimportant people. He would have to prove them all wrong.

    when the results were out.

    Carlisle continued toplete the following exams within an hour. He came out looking rxed as he

    stuffed his hands into his pockets.

    Gordon was speechless as he stood there and smoked his cigarette.

    Then, he decided to apany Carlisle to lunch before heading out to find another part¨Ctime job.

    By now, most people knew that the boy who hade out within an hour was his son.

    A few of the nasty middle¨Caged women were conversing and talking nastily about his son. He felt

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ufortable and sad when he heard them!

    In the afternoon, Carlisle waited for Sean.

    Chapt

    ¡°Carl¡­ My wonderful and amazing Carl! From today onward, I shall worship you,¡± Sean said excitedly,

    pulling Carlisle into a bear hug and squeezing him twice.

    ¡°Fuck off! Don¡¯t be disgusting.¡± Carlisle said as he pushed Sean off of

    ¡°Oh. Mr. Zahn is here!¡± Only then did Sean notice Gordon. He smiled at Gordon as his face flushed red.

    Gordon smiled and walked forward.

    Sean held Carlisle by the shoulders and said excitedly, ¡°Carl, the essay title was Variety is the spice of

    life. ¡®I think I can get a high score for my essay this time!¡±

    The requirements to enter a high¨Ctiered university were written in ck and white. A single mark

    difference could also cause one to lose the opportunity to study in his dream school.

    ¡°Good luck. Let¡¯s all work hard to get into Rivend University!¡± Carlisle said as he yfully punched

    Sean

    in the arm.

    Sean pursed his lips and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any high hopes for Rivend University. I¡¯ll be happy with

    just entering a Tier 2 University.

    Although Sean had frequented the cybercafe, he wasn¡¯t behind in his studies. Carlisle¡¯s hard work for

    the past month had also enticed him to study.

    ¡°Oh, right. Have you seen Wanda?¡± Carlisle asked out of the blue.

    ¡°Nope. Why are you suddenly asking about her? Are you two¡­¡± Sean suddenly smiled wickedly.

    ¡°Stop overthinking. I was just asking,¡± Carlisle said as he rolled his eyes at Sean.

 Chapter 22

    Gordon had ordered a few dishes for them to eat. He had ordered a sd, a te ofsagne, and

    some

    grilled chicken.

    Soon, Gordon left after they filled their stomachs.

    Carlisle realized his father was in somewhat of a daze. It seemed like his father was still worried about

    his results.

    Carlisle had another two papers in the afternoon.

    Like before, Carlisle had finished the papers within an hour and left the exam hall with his hands in his

    pockets.

    He did not have to worry about anyone mocking his father since his father had already left.

    The weather in the afternoon was great.

    There were a few reporters from the Rivend TV Station. A reporter immediately dragged the

    cameraman toward Carlisle when they saw hime out.

    ¡°Hello. Are you the student who keeps finishing their papers within an hour?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s me!¡± Carlisle said, feeling a little awkward.

    It was just an exam. Why were there reporters here?

    Too bad he had no interest in being an influencer. Otherwise, he could have be a great influencer

    with the exposure.

    ¡°Can I conduct an interview with you?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    ¡°Did you focus on answering all the questions within the hour of your exam? Did you decide to give up

    and stop answering after spotting too many difficult questions?¡±

    ¡°I did answer all of them correctly. I handed my paper in early because those questions were rtively

    easy. So, I finished them quickly.

    ¡°I felt bored sitting in the exam hall, so I decided to leave and get some fresh air,¡± Carlisle said

    confidently,

    ¡°Can I ask you an unrted question? Did you hurt your face due to your arrogance? Did someone

    beat. you up as they couldn¡¯t stand it anymore?¡± the reporter asked with a smile as disdain shed

    across their

    eyes.

    The reporter¡¯s questions managed to cause all the surrounding parents tough. It was clear that the

    reporter was insulting Carlisle.

    ¡°The injuries on my face were due to a bike

    incident this morning!¡± Carlisle answered calmly.

    ¡°Oh! That was careless of you. You should slow down and be careful the next time you ride your bike!¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Carlisle said impassively.

    ¡°Were the questions for today¡¯s exam tough for you?¡±

    ¡°It was easy. Why would I be able to finish within an hour if it was hard?¡± C

    le said with a smile.

    Since they believe he was faking it, he would persist till the end.

    The reporter continued to ask, ¡°Then, could you give me your number? I would like to continue our

    Interview once the results are out!¡±

    ¡°Of course. I can give you my father¡¯s number!¡±

    It was still normal for kids his age to go without phones.

    The reporter quickly scribbled down Carlisle¡¯s number into a notebook.

    The reporter wanted to continue their interview after the results were out to see how Carlisle would

    break down before the camera after receiving his results

    Carlisle had just finished his interview when Lucy rushed toward him with Christine in tow.

    There were a few men with document bags beside her. It looked like they were from the police station.

    ¡°Are you Carlisle Zahn?¡± One of the men asked with a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±

    The officer took a photo from his document bag and asked, ¡°Do you recognize the man in the photo?¡±

    It was the man he had fought with this morning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know him!¡±

    ¡°Do you really not know him? Or are you just pretending?¡± The officer questioned solemnly.

    ¡°I did fight with him this morning. Does that count as knowing him?¡± Carlisle asked calmly.

    The officer narrowed his eyes. Why was he so calm?

    Something was wrong with how calm he was.

    The officer took a deep breath and said, ¡°Could you pleasee with us to the station?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Sure!¡±

    Carlisle and Christine were brought to a police car. Lucy had also followed along.

    After a series of questions, Carlisle exined everything that had happened in the morning.

    The officer narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I have one final question. From what I know, you and Christine

    aren¡¯t close friends.

    ¡°The two of you are barely even friends. So why did you ride 18 miles just to meet her today?¡±

 Chapter 23

    Carlisle finally understood what was happening.

    The police were suspicious that he was rted to the fat man due to his knowledge regarding the

    incident from his past life.

    ¡°Christine has a poor family background. She usually walked to school

    often ended upte! Today is

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    our SATS. I was worried she would not make it to school in time. So, I wanted to go over and fetch her.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s brain had worked quickly to think of a perfect and logical exnation for why he went to meet

    Christine.

    The policeman and his colleagues rxed slightly after hearing Carlisle¡¯s exnation.

    After talking to a few people, they also understood that Christine was oftente to ss. Her teacher

    knew about her circumstances and had never punished her for it.

    Lucy left the police station with Carlisle and Christine.

    Christine¡¯s expression was deathly pale.

    The police officer had just told her that the man from this morning was an extremely perverted rapist.

    He

    had assaulted five women in three years.

    Due to theck of surveince cameras and his ability to avoid being captured, the police had failed to

    arrest him for three years.

    The consequences would be horrifying if Carlisle had not arrived in time.

    Lucy was also terrified when she heard what had happened. She held onto Christine¡¯s hands and said,

    Christine, you¡¯ll have to be more careful and alert in the future!¡±

    Christine was still frightened by the whole ordeal. She could only nod as she felt something being stuck

    in

    her throat.

    Lucy then turned to look at Carlisle and showered him in praise.

    ¡°Carlisle, you did well. I¡¯m so proud to have a student like you. I¡¯ll return to the school and request that

    you receive an award for your bravery. I want everyone to know how courageous and kind you are!¡±

    He had gotten injured because he had fought with a seasoned rapist. However, Carlisle had told

    everyone that he had gotten the injuries from a bicycle ident.

    He was trying to hide his good deeds!

    In the past, Lucy had always been disappointed in Carlisle¡¯s behavior.

    Now, she looked at him as if he was her own son.

    ¡°It is cowardly to see what is right and not to do it. Being courageous has always been an important

    value

    within our society.

    ¡°It shows our integrity as a nation, and we should embody that as a citizen of our country. Our country

    has given us the opportunity to receive education.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we should hold onto our country¡¯s beliefs and influence our society. That way, we can make

    our country a better ce.¡± Carlisle¡¯s words came from the bottom of his heart.

    Lucy¡¯s gaze sparkled as she turned to look at Carlisle with respect and s

    Back then, Carlisle would always sleep during lessons and skip school just to go to a cybercafe.

    Now, he was one of the top¨Cperforming students in her ss. How could he change so much in a

    month?

    Christine¡¯s gaze shone with an unknown emotion after hearing Carlisle¡¯s words.

    She suddenly seemed to have thought of something as her face flushed red. She looked down at her

    toes.

    Lucy used her own money to treat Christine and Carlisle to a meal. Then, she booked a room for

    Christine in a hostel nearby.

    It was still bright outside, so Carlisle had nned on riding home. But he ran into Sean on his way out.

    ¡°Carlisle, where did Mrs. Turner bring you and Christine?¡±

    ¡°To the police station!¡±

    ¡°What the heck? Did you cheat or something?¡± Sean asked as his eyes widened in shock.

    But then, he scratched his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s not right. I don¡¯t think getting caught cheating would

    lead you to the police station. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like I need to cheat?¡± Carlisle red at Sean and exined to Sean what had happened.

    Sean burst intoughter as he listened to Carlisle¡¯s story. He said, ¡°To me, you deserve full marks for

    your

    creativity!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Carlisle didn¡¯t understand what Sean was trying to say,

    ¡°Your imagination is wild. You should write your own novel since you have such a vivid imagination.¡±

    Sean believed that Carlisle was trying to fool him.

    ¡°Fuck you. Believe what you like!¡± Carlisle smiled as he kicked Sean.

    Sean turned around to dodge and put his arm around Carlisle¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I saw an arcade when I

    went out to eat just now. Let¡¯s go and y at the arcade.¡±

    ¡°Do you not n on going home tonight?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve already booked a hostel for two. You¡¯ll stay with me tonight!¡±

    Then, the two of them head over to the arcade together.

    His youth would onlyst so long. He decided he would enjoy his youth now that he had been reborn.

    They yed in the arcade until midnight before returning to the hostel to sleep.

 Chapter 24

    On thest day of exams, Carlisle continued to finish the exam within an hour,

    Many parents would turn to look at him with disdain every time he left the exam hall. No one believed

    that he would do well and get admitted into college.

    Of course, Carlisle did not put those parents¡® gaze to heart. He had alren jutten used to their stares in

    two days.

    However, Carlisle had not seen Wanda once. But he did see Sarah twice.

    a

    Sarah had been acting very cold toward him. She didn¡¯t even spare him a nce.

    Carlisle bought a can of Coke and a bag of chips as he sat on the seat by the park..

    Sean had already exited the hall. Yet Wanda was nowhere in sight.

    The Rainville Beta High School had two entrances. There was a high chance that Wanda had left the

    school through the other exit.

    Carlisle sighed in exasperation. It seems like he would only be able to meet her at Rivend University.

    ¡°Hey, Sarah. Take a look. Carlisle is waiting for you!¡± Sienna said as she left the school with Sarah.

    Sarah immediately used her hands to hide her face. She was furious when she said, ¡°Can you please

    don¡¯t mention him to me? Do you not know how infamous he¡¯s been for the past two days?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want people to know that she knew Carlisle, nor did she want them to know that Carlisle was

    waiting for her. Otherwise, people might think that they were friends or something more.

    After all, he had finished all of his exams within an hour.

    Sarah had been in the same examination hall as Wanda. How could Carlisle finish his exams within an

    hour if even Wanda could not?

    He probably gave up after finding the questions too difficult.

    If nothing unexpected happens, she will lead a different life from Carlisle.

    Sienna stuck her tongue out and said, ¡°We¡¯re all ssmates here. Do you really not n on seeing

    him.

    now that our exams are over?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice I¡¯ve ignored him for the past two days? He might think he has a chance if I continue

    to humor him!¡± Sarah eximed with a smile.

    Sienna nodded with understanding.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. But he could see the sympathetic look Sienna was giving him.

    To Carlisle, Sarah was probably being a narcissist, as usual. He shook his head.

    Soon, Sean left the school and headed straight to Carlisle. ¡°Carl, were you waiting for me?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Carlisle was not going to admit that he was waiting for Wanda.

    He threw his empty chip bag into the trash and downed his Coke. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go

    and y The Mystical Journey!¡±

    The Mystical Journey would gain high poprity in the next two years.

    Carlisle had spent all his money on pleasing Sarah in his past life. He de

    y such games.

    ave enough money left to

    This time, he wasn¡¯t ying those games for the sake of ying. He had nned on earning some

    money

    through the game.

    There will be an increase in esports teams in the future. He wanted a head start and to earn some

    money from that industry.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in ying such a game? It¡¯s expensive and boring. The Legendary Tale is much more

    enjoyable!¡± Sean said with pursed lips.

    ¡°Do you want to earn money through ying games?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Why would I keep farming my stats in The Legendary Tale if I didn¡¯t want to? I can sell a

    pair

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    of swords for five hundred dors! The Heavenly Sword might even earn me five figures!¡±

 Chapter 25

    Sean immediately became interested when it came to making money.

    Which guy didn¡¯t dream of ying games and making money at the same time?

    After a moment of contemtion, Carlisle shook his head and said, ¡°The drop rate for the rare.

    equipment, Judgment, was too low, and their value depreciated rapidly.

    ¡°The Judgment could sell for five or even six figures in 2002. Last year, it could still fetch four figures.

    But this year, it¡¯s down to three figures!

    While speaking, he stood and stared straight at Sean, emphasizing each word. ¡°Besides, when I talk

    about

    making money, I mean making big money!¡±

    yers of The Legendary Tale should know that in 2002, the first server of The Legendary Tale was

    sold

    for over 300 thousand dors.

    At that time, 300 thousand dors was more than enough to buy a 2000 square feet house in the town.

    ¡°Making big money¡­¡± Sean muttered to himself. ¡°How much do you mean by big money?¡±

    Carlisle held up one finger.

    ¡°Ten thousand?¡± Sean swallowed hard.

    26

    In this era, where the average sry was less than one thousand dors, ten thousand dors was

    indeed

    a significant sum.

    However, Carlisle shook his head slowly.

    Sean¡¯s throat felt even drier, ¡°100 thousand?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head again and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start with a small goal. We¡¯ll aim for a million!¡±

    A million!

    A small goal!

    These two phrases circted in Sean¡¯s mind continuously.

    After a while, Sean finally came to his senses. He reached out to feel Carlisle¡¯s forehead, then his own.

    He

    muttered, ¡°Do you have a fever? Or is it me?¡±

    A million?

    And that was considered a small goal?

    How could Carlisle dare say such things?

    It was good to have dreams. But the dream had to be somewhat grounded in reality.

    Sean¡¯s ran his own business and made only 30 to 50 thousand yearly.

    It would take 20 years to make a million.

    ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no point in exining further now. You¡¯ll understandter!¡±

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin. However, he understood Sean¡¯s skepticism.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Had it not been for his rebirth, anyone saying such things to him would have seemed like a fool.

    After the two agreed to meet at their usual spot to surf the inte, they went their separate ways to go

    home.

    Carlisle went upstairs after he locked his bike downstairs. Just as he reached for the door, he heard

    Hilda

    sobbing.

    ¡°If he fails the exam, he can simply retake it. He¡¯s only 18 now. Repeating for a year will only make him

    19!¡±

    Word of Carlisle¡¯s deeds had reached her ears.

    Like others, they also believed that Carlisle hadn¡¯t taken the SATS seriously due to immense pressure.

    Gordon lit a cigarette and puffed out smoke. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him when he gets back. If he¡¯s really

    not interested in studying, he can pursue a skill!¡±

    ¡°I still think it¡¯s better to repeat the year!¡±

    ¡°If he can¡¯t get into college, will you be able to raise your head when we return to the vige to visit?¡±

    Hilda lowered her head and wiped away her tears.

    Gordon took a deep drag of his cigarette. With a loud voice, he said, ¡°What do you mean by not being

    able to raise my head? How many college students are there back in the vige?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s mood soured due to Carlisle¡¯s situation. In frustration, he raised his voice.

    Hilda was startled and trembled slightly.

    With her eyes reddened, she shouted, ¡°Are you still unaware of your brother¡¯s and sister¨Cinw¡¯s

    characters?

    ¡°In no time, they almost belittled you to the point of humiliation. And you don¡¯t even dare to stand up to

    them?¡±

    After being yelled at by Hilda, Gordon¡¯s face dropped into silence.

    Hilda added, ¡°I don¡¯t care. If our son doesn¡¯t make it to college, I¡¯ll have him repeat the year, even if it

    means selling pots and pans!¡±

    As he stood outside the door, Carlisle felt a pang in his heart after hearing his parents¡® argument over

    him.

    His parents held high expectations for him, but he had disappointed them in his previous life.

    Not getting into college must have made his parents very upset. Yet, they always wore a cheerful

    demeanor around him. They didn¡¯t want to burden him with too much pressure.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m home!¡± Carlisle called out as he pushed the door open.

    ¡°Hurry up and wash your hands for dinner. I¡¯ll get you a serving.¡±

    Hilda smiled and walked into the kitchen.

 Chapter 26

    When Hilda turned around, she discreetly wiped her tears away.

    Witnessing this, Carlisle felt another pang in his heart. He clenched his fists.

    In his heart, he vowed that his parents would be proud of him when his SATs results were released.

    At the dining table, Gordon took out the unfinished wine he had served Gerard!

    ime.

    ¡°You¡¯re an adult now, and you¡¯ve finished your SATS. Have a drink with your old man!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s beer in the fridge, so just drink beer. Why are you drinking wine?¡± Hilda red at Gordon with

    annoyance. Then, she walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle beer.

    The father and son drank together, chatting intermittently.

    Gordon didn¡¯t mention a word about Carlisle¡¯s entrance exam.

    After a few drinks, Gordon suddenly asked, ¡°Son, if you don¡¯t pass the exam, are you nning to

    retake it or pursue a skill?¡±

    To Gordon, it was necessary to have a good talk with Carlisle even though this question would hurt his

    pride.

    Carlisle drank half a ss of beer. He replied confidently, ¡°There¡¯s no Ifs. I¡¯ll pass for sure!¡±

    Gordon stared at Carlisle with slightly reddened eyes. Seeing his son¡¯s confident expression, he

    swallowed the rest of his words.

    Gordon raised his ss and said heartily, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Let¡¯s drink,¡±

    ¡°You two, take it easy on the drinks,¡± Hilda said with her head lowered as she sipped the tomato soup.

    After Carlisle finished his beer, he announced, Dad, I¡¯ve made ns with Sean to y basketball!*

    Gordon waved his hands. ¡°Go ahead. Youngsters should stay active!¡±

    ¡°I might stay over at his ce,¡± Carlisle added.

    Gordon asked, ¡°Won¡¯t you be disturbing his family?¡±

    ¡°No. His parents are usually at the store!¡± With these words, Carlisle left the house.

    Hilda sighed softly and set her spoon down. ¡°He¡¯s probably going with Sean to surf the inte!¡±

    ¡°The SATs are over, let him be. He¡¯s not a child anymore!¡±

    Gordon munched on some nuts.

    Although they had revised with Carlisle all this time, they weren¡¯t strict with him.

    In fact, they even pampered him.

    Chapte

    Before Carlisle, they had another child.

    Tragically, that child was taken away just a month after birth.

    During that time, their world was veiled in darkness.

    In this era of limited information, it was almost impossible to find the person who took the child away.

    When Carlisle was born two yearster, they poured all their love into their son.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle rode his bike to an abandoned grain center.

    As soon as he locked his bike, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

    ¡°Hey, Carl¡­¡±

    Carlisle turned to see a boy about his age. The boy had a cigarette behind his ear. His hair covered

    almost

    half of his face.

    It was Kade Zimmer, Hayley¡¯s son. He was expelled in the second year of high school due to fighting.

    Later, he was transferred to a vocational school.

    In Carlisle¡¯s memory of his previous life, Xavier would impregnate a female ssmate the next

    semester, Thus, he would be expelled from school again.

    In the next few years, Kade would hang out with delinquents and neglect his studies. Eventually, he

    would

    receive a six¨Cyear prison sentence for multiple robberies and causing injury.

    Despite all this, Carlisle harbored no ill feelings toward Kade. In fact, he admired him.

    One day, about three yearster, Gordon got drunk and got into a conflict with someone.

    The other party threatened to teach Gordon a lesson with a bunch of gangsters. Kade immediately

    called a group of his friends to help out.

    Fortunately, Gordon became scared and vehemently opposed any esction to violence.

    ¡°You ran out of money for the inte again, right?¡± Carlisle asked as he pocketed his bike keys..

    In his previous life, Kade had shown kindness to Carlisle¡¯s father.

    In this life, Carlisle would change Kade¡¯s future and steer him away from prison.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡± Kade chuckled, scratching his head.

    ¡°If you had money, would you be standing outside?¡±

    Kade faked a cough. ¡°Money¡¯s been tighttely. Is Seaning?¡±

    ¡°No need to wait for him. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to the inte. But next time you get caught, don¡¯t use

    me as a cover again.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Kade frequently got caught surfing the inte and always used Carlisle as his cover.

    As a result, Hayley harbored many negative opinions toward Carlisle.

    Theirst encounter almost led to a fight between Hayley and Hilda.

    ¡°Okay, Carl. I promise not to betray you anymore.¡± Kade walked into the inter

    over Carlisle¡¯s shoulders.

    fe with his arm draped

    As they entered, they were greeted by the scent of athlete¡¯s foot, cigarettes, and microwaved meals.

    However, for regrs at inte cafes, these odors were hardly noticeable.

    The inte cafe was divided into two floors. Each floor was equipped with more than 30rge

    The first floor bustled with activity. Numerous elementary and high school students upied each.

    In this era, smartphones had yet to emerge, and cell phones had just begun to circte. Thus,

    computers were considered a novelty.

    Computer games were especially favored among teenagers.

    ¡°Boss, is there any space upstairs?¡±

    Carlisle took out a few ten¨Cdor bills from his pocket.

    The inte cafe¡¯s owner was a thin man and had a cigarette in his mouth. He tilted his head and

    nced at the pair. ¡°How many do you need?¡±

    ¡°Three.¡±

    The inte cafe was crowded as it was the summer vacation. Carlisle was concerned there wouldn¡¯t

    be

    any spaceter, so he reserved one for Sean in advance.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got two upstairs. One will be avable downstairs in ten minutes!¡±

    ¡°Great. Threeputers for the whole night!¡±

    ¡°That will be 50 bucks!¡±

    ¡°The price went up?¡± Carlisle was taken aback..

    Usually, surfing the inte costs a dor per hour. Even for an entire night, it was only six dors.

    It was 8:00pm now. Threeputers until midnight would have cost 12 dors. For the whole night, it

    would have been another 18 dors. Shouldn¡¯t it have been 30 dors?

    Even with a price increase, it shouldn¡¯t be this outrageous, right?

    ¡°Take it or leave it.¡± The inte cafe owner¡¯s attitude was somewhat rude.

    It was summer vacation, and there were only two inte cafes in Rainville. He wasn¡¯t worried about

    having no business at all.

    Carlisle took out another 20 dors from his pocket. ¡°Kade, get three cans of Coke.¡±

    The owner epted 60 dors and gave him four dors in return.

    Kade faked a cough. ¡®Carl, can you lend me these four dors? I want to get a pack of cigarettes¡­

    ¡°Smoking is harmful to your health. Avoid it if you can,¡± Carlisle politely rejected Kade.

    The kid wasn¡¯t even 18 yet. Carlisle had to lead him to the right path.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    ¡°Never mind if you don¡¯t want to lend money to me. So stubbom.¡±

    Kade¡¯s expression shifted swiftly, like pages turning in a book. After he handed Carlisle the two cans of

    Coke, he headed to hisputer to wait.

    ¡°Boss, are there anyputers left?¡± Sean pushed the door curtains aside and entered, panting.

    ¡°There¡¯s no-¡± The owner didn¡¯t even bother to look up at Sean.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already set up theputers. Let¡¯s go! Carlisle handed a can of Coke to Sean.

    ¡°Damn. Why are you here so early?¡± Sean looked at Carl in surprise.

    ¡°I have nothing to do after dinner, so I came early, Carlisle exined casually.

    The duo went upstairs together.

    The ceiling on the second floor was low, and the space was cramped. Even with four fans sting at

    full

    speed, it still felt like a sauna.

    The two avableputers weren¡¯t next to each other. Sean graciously offered the cleaner one to

    Carlisle.

    Once theputers booted up, Carlisle skillfully clicked on the penguin icon on the desktop.

    He entered his username and password, then pressed the enter key.

    ¡°Ding ding ding¡°¡± echoed from theputer.

    As soon as he went online, the penguin icon shed. Carlisle clicked on the penguin icon.

    It was a message from an ount named ¡°Goldfish memory¡°. This was Christine¡¯s MSN messenger

    username.

    ¡°Carlisle, are you free tomorrow? I want to treat you to a meall¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m busy tomorrow!¡± Carlisle quickly typed a reply on the keyboard.

    He knew that Christine wanted to thank him for saving

 Chapter 28

    At this age, when emotions were budding, he had saved Christine from the tragedy. However, he

    couldn¡¯t stop her from having wild ideas.

    Carlisle decided it was best to keep his distance from Christine since his heart nged to someone else.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    There was no response from Christine for a long time. He assumed she probably went offline. It wasn¡¯t

    easy for her to ess the inte as she didn¡¯t own a phone orputer,

    Closing the pop¨Cup window, Carlisle navigated his ¡°Friend¡¯s List¡± and located Sarah in a separate

    group.

    Sarah¡¯s MSN messenger username was ¡°Fallen Angel¡°.

    It had been over 40 days since hest messaged Sarah. And within those 40 days, she had not replied

    to

    any of his messages.

    But Sarah had a phone and was always online.

    He resisted the urge to remove Sarah from his list after a moment of hesitation. Instead, he added her

    to

    a ss group..

    ¡°Carl, go online. Let¡¯s y The Legendary Tale!¡± Sean shouted from across the room.

    ¡°You go ahead,¡± Carlisle replied. He opened the ss group and found the MSN ount of the group

    admin, ¡°Frosty Gal. He clicked to add her as a friend.

    It was Wanda¡¯s MSN username.

    Besides Sarah, this was the second female ssmate Carlisle had added on MSN,

    He waited ten minutes and had no response. Then, he opened The Legendary Tale to reminisce about

    his

    youth.

    ¡°Sean, where are you? I¡¯lle to you.¡±

    Carlisle yed the role of the Wizard. His current rank stood at 42, nearing the highest rank of 47,

    Meanwhile, Sean¡¯s Warrior role had already reached rank 45. Despite his high rank, hecked

    equipment and struggled to make an impact in the guild.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the Demon Valley with some other guild members. You y on your own for a while!¡±

    Sean stared straight at theputer screen. His hands were constantly on the mouse and keyboard.

    Feeling a bit restless, Carlisle decided to join the fight against the Death Lord in Demon Valley.

    The Demon Valley had just beenunched this year. There was a high chance for the Death Lord to

    drop at

    Judgment.

    This had drawn a significant yer base to Demon Valley.

    As soon as the Death Lord respawned, hordes of yers swarmed over.

    Carlisle casually killed several Skeleton Monsters and left the battlefield.

    With his subpar equipment, he couldn¡¯t withstand the attacks from those affluent yers.

    Carlisle lost interest after he yed for a while.

    He returned to the main server and logged off. He then proceeded to open the official website of The

    Mystical Journey.

    In his previous life, a coworker often spent his spare time immersed in The

    il Journey

    With twoputers and ten ounts, he made over ten thousand dors a month.

    It was noteworthy as that was in 2016 when The Mystical Journey had already lost arge number of

    its yers

    The game was at its peak from the year 2002 to 2005.

    Although it was 2004 now, there weren¡¯t many professional gold farming teams.

    As the poprity ofputers grew in the future, the decline of the gaming industry gradually led to

    the decline of game ount farming.

    The Mystical Journey, God of Doom 2, and Legends of Fiery Passion were the three most popr

    games. now. They could still make some money in the next two years.

    Carlisle went downstairs to the toilet and then took a stroll around the inte cafe.

    After a quick survey, he noticed there were about 20 people ying Legends of Fiery Passion, ten

    ying The Mystical Journey, and another ten ying God of Doom 2.

    The rest yed MapleStory and other single¨Cyer games

    These three games were certainly still mainstream.

    Carlisle bought a bottle of water and then found someone ying The Mystical Journey to join him.

    Initially, he nned to have Sean join him. But Sean became too excited as soon as he started his

    game.

    Around one or two in the morning, Kade shamelessly asked Sean to borrow three dors to buy a

    microwave meal.

    Sean pped ten dors on the table. ¡°Grab one for me and Carl. Use the rest to buy yourself some

    water!

    ¡°Sure thing.¡± Kade went downstairs happily with the money.

    In no time, he returned with two steaming boxes of microwave meals.

    By then, the person who yed The Mystical Journey with Carlisle had already left.

    Sean switched to theputer next to Carlisle.

    The two teamed up to take on the Death Lord in the Demon Valley.

    Chapte

    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Any luck with equipment tonight?¡± Carlisle asked casually between bites.

    ¡°Not even a strand of hair, let alone a skill book!¡± Sean replied irritably.

    Carlisle squinted his eyes. ¡°When things don¡¯t go as expected, something¡¯s probably off. I¡¯m logging in

    now. We¡¯ll tackle the Death Lord togetherter!¡±

 Chapter 29

    Sean became suddenly energized. He quickly finished his microwave meal in just a few bites. Then, he

    logged back into his ount.

    The two of them teamed up and ventured to the Zuma Shrine to kill monsters. Sean¡¯s Warrior took the

    brunt of the attacks while Carlisle¡¯s Wizard inflicted damage from behind.

    Both had mediocre equipment, and Sean¡¯s health bar was nearly depletedral times.

    Fortunately, timely healing sustained him through the ordeal.

    After an hour of relentless effort, they finally defeated the Zuma High Priest.

    Unfortunately, the Zuma High Priest only dropped two skill books.

    ¡°Damn! What¡¯s going on today? Is the game glitched? I¡¯ve been ying The Legendary Tale for over a

    year and never encountered this situation!¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed his hair in frustration.

    Sean wasn¡¯t alone in his agitation. Many yers in the public chat voiced simrints.

    The drop rate for equipment today seemed unusually low.

    Suddenly, Carlisle stared at the screen and said, ¡°Sean, there¡¯s a Zuma up ahead in the upper left

    corner

    that¡¯s almost dead.¡±

    On the screen, a rank 47 Warrior battled a red Minotaur.

    The Warrior¡¯s health bar was dangerously low.

    Sean nced at the screen, and his gaze narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s a member of the Wolf n.¡±

    Any yer of The Legendary Tale would recognize this guild.

    The Wolf n, also recognized as The Hungry Wolves, emerged in early 2004.

    Within only five months, it earned a reputation as the most ruthless guild.

    Bathing the game world in blood, the pack of wolves howled in the Red Desert. Through the trials of life

    and death, they stood united as the Wolf n.

    The Wolf n boasted over 70 thousand members, with over ten thousand online at any given time.

    They were undeniably one of the dominant forces in the game.

    Currently, the Wolf n was ranked second. They showed potential to surpass the top guild, Braggs.

    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of robbing him, are you?¡± Sean shivered.

    His guild, Makers of Chaps, held the eighth rank.

    Considered a scrub in his guild, Seancked the courage to offend members of the Wolf n.

    ¡°I don¡¯t belong to a guild anyway.¡± Carlisle rarely came to the Inte cafe since he started to pursue

    Sarah. He had already left his guild at the end ofst year.

    Even if he defeated the leader of the Wolf n now, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go

    check downstairs.¡± Sean¡¯s heart raced.

    He went downstairs and saw that all yers of The Legendary Tale were asleep. So, he returned

    upstairs

    and stood behind Carlisle to block the camera.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    The inte cafe owner was also a yer of The Legendary Tale. Sean feared

    Carlisle took a deep breath and directed his character to charge forward.

    exposed by him.

    The Warrior from the Wolf n was named Lone Wolf. He sported a full set of Holy War gear with

    terrifyingly high attack power.

    Two years ago, this set of equipment could fetch a sky¨Chigh price in version 1.5 of the game.

    Even now, it was still considered top¨Ctier equipment, although the price had dropped significantly.

    Carlisle loitered around, killing small monsters nearby.

    When the Minotaur¡¯s health dropped to one¨Ctenth, Carlisleunched a sudden attack. He hurled

    Infernal st and Hell Thunder at Lone Wolf.

    However, these two skills didn¡¯t inflict much damage on Lone Wolf.

    ¡°Damn. Are you asking for death?¡± A message popped above Lone Wolf¡¯s head.

    Ignoring him, Carlisle unleashed several high¨Clevel skills at Lone Wolf once more.

    While Lone Wolf hurriedly healed himself, Carlisle cast Frost Palm and Annihtion Fire.

    Simultaneously, the Minotaurnded a blow on him.

    Lone Wolf¡¯s health bar was instantly depleted.

    Carlisle approached the Minotaur and continued to unleash his skills.

    Three minutester, the Minotaur was defeated.

 Chapter 30

    A massive, rare sword suddenly appeared.

    ¡°Heav¨CHeavenly Sword¡­

    Sean¡¯s legs went weak as he gripped the chair with both hands. His eyes bulged in disbelief.

    Carlisle¡¯s body quivered with excitement. He was so excited that he even forgot to retrieve the

    equipment.

    ¡°Damn. It¡¯s the Heavenly Sword?¡±

    The inte cafe owner, who had juste up from downstairs, dropped the cigarette from his mouth

    onto his chest.

    Despite being a heavy spender in the game, he had only heard rumors of the Heavenly Sword and

    never witnessed it himself.

    The trio breathed heavily. Their eyes widened in awe.

    ¡°Hurry¨CHurry up and grab it, then log off!¡±

    The inte cafe owner was the first to react. He spoke with a trembling voice out of excitement.

    Carlisle snapped out of his daze and quickly seized the Heavenly Sword. He then used a Town Portal

    Scroll and logged off the game.

    Carlisle¡¯s excitement couldn¡¯t be contained, even after having his second chance at life.

    The Heavenly Sword was top¨Ctier equipment, even rarer than the Judgment. The first sighting of a

    Heavenly Sword on the entire server dated back to 2002.

    Even two yearster, the Heavenly Sword remained as scarce as dinosaurs.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be rich! Carl! We¡¯re going to be rich!¡± Sean, who had regained his senses, vigorously

    shook Carlisle¡¯s shoulder.

    The inte cafe owner gazed at the two students before him coldly.

    The current value of the Heavenly Sword was easily over 100 thousand dors. If he wasn¡¯t the owner

    of

    this inte cafe, he might have resorted to underhanded means to obtain it.

    At such a price, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for someone to resort to theft or even violence.

    *Sean, I¡¯m exhausted. Let¡¯s head home first!¡± Carlisle rose from his seat and shut down theputer.

    Sean was wide awake, buzzing with excitement. He nodded eagerly. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The owner of the inte caf¨¦ took out a pack of cigarettes. He offered one cigarette to Sean and

    another to Carlisle.

    Grinning, he disyed a mouthful of yellow teeth and asked, ¡°Boys, are you nning to sell this

    Heavenly Sword?¡±

    Carlisle epted the cigarette. The inte cafe owner hurriedly took out his lighter to light Carlisle¡¯s

    cigarette.

    To appear unfazed, Carlisle held the cigarette between his fingers and took a drag.

    He had learned to smoke from Sean a year ago. Exhaling a cool plume of smoke, he fixed his gaze on

    the Inte cafe owner. ¡°What¡¯s your offer?¡±

    The inte cafe owner didn¡¯t respond right away. Instead, he lit his own cigarette and took a few

    drags.

    ¡°The value of legendary equipment depreciates rapidly. Last year, it fetched 100 thousand. But this

    year, it¡¯s probably around 50 to 60 thousand.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Sean shouted loudly. ¡°Do you really think we don¡¯t browse

    the forums? Several guilds are offering over 100 thousand for the Heavenly Sword!¡±

    Sean¡¯s outburst startled several teenagers sleeping on the second floor, who woke up abruptly.

    ¡°Heavenly Sword?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Heavenly Sword?¡± asked a groggy young man in his twenties with dyed hair.

    ¡°Who¡¯s spreading rumors? Where did this Heavenly Sworde from?¡± The inte cafe owner

    retorted with augh, then shot Sean a fierce re.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    This Inte cafe owner had been around the block for a few years. He was covered in tattoos on his

    arms and neck.

    Just a nce from him was enough to intimidate Sean. Sean took a couple of weak steps toward

    Carlisle.

    The inte cafe owner turned to Carlisle with a smile. ¡°Shall we continue this talk downstairs?¡±

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go,¡± Carlisle agreed and followed the inte cafe owner downstairs.

    The owner brought the pair into his bedroom. The air conditioning left the room feeling cool. A shiny

    machete wasid on the floor in the corner.

    Sean was visibly nervous, constantly swallowing saliva.

    Carlisle, on the other end, appeared very calm.

    This street already had surveince cameras installed. Carlisle was confident that the inte cafe

    owner wouldn¡¯t dare do anything rash.

    Besides, the inte cafe had over 60puters, amounting to a value of more than 100 thousand

    dors.

    As he observed Carlisle¡¯s calm demeanor, the Inte cafe owner held him in even higher regard.

    He pulled out two stools, ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯ll get some drinks for the both of you!¡±

    As the two sat down, the inte cafe owner exited the bedroom. Sean immediately asked nervously,

    Carl, do you think this guy will try something?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°Unlikely. His inte cafe is worth more than 100 thousand!¡±

    Sean breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Then how much do you n to sell it for?¡±

 Chapter 31

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk to him¨Cfirst. If his offer aligns with us, we¡¯ll make a deal,¡± Carlisle tossed the cigarette he had

    only taken one puff of on the ground and stomped it out.

    ¡°I reckon he¡¯ll go Sean suggested, eager to secure the highest possible price for the Heavenly Sword.

    <10 80 thousand dors at best. Should I reach out to potential buyers on the forums?¡±

    This was a business transaction worth tens of thousands. Ordinary people might not even earn 10

    thousand dors a year.

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t a minor deal. I¡¯m not keen on dealing with strangers.¡±

    Though they had limited interactions with the inte caf¨¦ owner, they were at least somewhat familiar

    with him. He was more reliablepared to other strangers.

    ¡°Here, have some drinks.¡±

    The inte caf¨¦ owner walked in with three cans of Coke. He closed the door with his foot and

    handed

    a can to each of them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to know each other. I¡¯m Ivan Sanders, but everyone calls me Mr. Sanders.¡±

    Ivan sat on the bed, popped open his soda can, and smirked sinisterly.

    Mr. Sanders?

    Carlisle was slightly surprised.

    The name Mr. Sanders rang a bell

    Back at Rainville High School, Ivan seemed to be the guy several bullies relied on.

    Carlisle hadn¡¯t met Ivan before. Unbeknownst to Carlisle, the inte cafe¡¯s owner was the infamous

    Mr.

    Sanders, whom bullies constantly mentioned.

    Sean¡¯s grip tightened on his Coke can at the mention of Mr. Sanders.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Sanders. I¡¯m Carlisle,¡± Carlisle greeted calmly.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Sanders. I¡¯m Sean.¡± Sean¡¯s voice trembled slightly, betraying a hint of nervousness.

    Observing Carlisle¡¯sposure, Ivan¡¯s expression flickered with surprise. ¡°So, you guys are high

    schoolers, huh? Which year are you in? Are you freshmen or sophomores?

    Given his influence, Ivan had dozens ofckeys at Rainville High School. He was a widely recognized

    figure.

    He mentioned his own name in the hopes of instilling a sense of intimidation. Then, he could potentially

    negoffate a lower price.

    ¡°Im a senior, just finished my SATS,¡± Carlisle replied calmly, hisposure belied his youthful

    appearanceConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    ivan grew even more intrigued by Carlisle¡¯s demeanor. He wondered if Carlisle, had a more powerful

    backer than he himself.

    After taking a sip of Coke, Ivan went straight to the point. ¡°How much are you nning to sell the

    Heavenly Sword for?¡±

    After a moment of consideration, Carlisle gestured with nine fingers.

    Ivan lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs. He shook his head and responded, ¡°That¡¯s too high.

    Selling the Heavenly for 90 thousand dors is impossible, in spite of its rarity.¡±

    Sean nced nervously at Carlisle, fearing he might lower the price further.

    On the forums, some big spenders offered starting prices of 100 thousand or more. If they auctioned it,

    they might even fetch 150 thousand.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Carlisle smiled and proposed, ¡°Everyone knows the value of the Heavenly

    Sword now.

    ¡°But I¡¯m willing to be friends with you, Mr. Sanders. You can have it for a friendly price of 80 thousand

    dors.¡±

    What the heck?

    Carlisle directly reduced it by 10 thousand?

    Sean was stunned.

    The Heavenly Sword, worth over 100 thousand dors, would be sold for only 80 thousand dors?

    In Rainville, current housing prices were typically 170 dors per square foot.

    Second¨Chand houses likely ranged from 70 to 80 thousand dors.

    This equated to the value of an entire second¨Chand house!

    Ivan soon realized Carlisle wasn¡¯t so easy to deceive. 80 thousand dors was indeed a friendly price.

    It appeared that Carlisle genuinely sought friendship with him. But it wasn¡¯t easy toe up with 80

    thousand dors on such short notice.

    After a moment of hesitation, Ivan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Alright, 80 thousand it is. I need to make a

    phone call to gather the funds!¡±

    ush, I¡¯lle back tomorrow¡± Carlisle stood up with a smile.

    When Ivan saw this, he immediately said, ¡°No, I must get it today!¡±

    He feared that Carlisle would seek other buyers.

    ¡°Alright. Try your best to be quick then.¡± Carlisle sat back down on the chair.

    ¡°It might take a while. In the meantime, feel free to use the Inte upstairs. I¡¯ll set up twoputers

    for you,¡± Ivan said with a cigarette in his mouth.

    Carlisle and Sean went outside to use the Inte.

    Ivan took out his cell phone and started making calls to gather the funds.

    Two years prior, he had a reputation for being a bit of a rogue, but marriage had mellowed him.

    The inte caf¨¦ was initially financed by his father¨Cinw.

    He nned to borrow some money from his father¨Cinw first.

 Chapter 32

    Half an hourter, avishly dressed woman in her thirties entered the inte cafe with her nose

    pinched.

    Her slightly bulging abdomen indicated her pregnancy.

    ¡°Honey,¡± Ivan greeted her with deference.

    Jessica Stewart rolled her eyes at Ivan. ¡°Could you please pay attention to the hygiene of this ce?

    With such a strong foot odor, who would want to visit?¡±

    Ivan scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s full every day. It¡¯s only around seven or eight in the morning that we don¡¯t

    have many customers.¡±

    The woman took out a bundle tightly wrapped in newspaper from her bag.

    ¡°Here¡¯s 100 thousand dors. Keep the remaining 20 thousand for yourself. Next time, call me directly

    if you need money. My dad already looks down on you. Yet you keep asking him for money.¡±

    ¡°Yes, honey,¡± Ivan replied with an awkward smile.

    He epted the money from the woman, then smiled and said, ¡°You go rest in the bedroom first. I¡¯ll go

    find that kid to trade the equipment!¡±

    The woman nodded and headed toward Ivan¡¯s bedroom.

    Ivan unwrapped the newspaper and took out 20 thousand. Then, he ced the remaining 80 thousand

    in

    front of Carlisle. ¡°Here¡¯s 80 thousand. Count it!¡±

    Sean stared in disbelief at the crisp new bills amounting to 80 thousand dors. He found it hard to

    catch

    his breath.

    His father had managed to save only around 100 thousand dors after more than a decade in

    business.

    In fact, each employee¡¯s wage was a mere 600 dors in his father¡¯s store.

    And here was Carlisle, selling a single piece of equipment for 80 thousand dors.

    Given Carlisle¡¯s rebirth, he had experienced more than a decade of economic growth. His

    understanding of 80 thousand dors transcended the current society.

    Carlisle just nced at the stack of money indifferently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s log in and make the trade now.¡±

    Ivan returned to the counter and logged into his ount.

    your username ¡®Bygones_b_bygones¡°?¡± Ivan asked.

    ¡°Yes. Are you The_Whisperwind¡°? Carlisle confirmed again, even though they had already confirmed

    the Information earlier.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡± Ivan clicked directly on the trade.

    Carlisle dragged the Heavenly Sword into the trade window.

    Ivan purchased the Heavenly Sword for the price of one gold coin.

    Once the transaction waspleted, Carlisle felt a wave of relief wash over him.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    After Ivan checked the attributes of the Heavenly Sword, he took out a camera from the drawer and

    snapped a few pictures.

    He had purchased the Heavenly Sword with the intention to resell it at a higher price. Buying it for 80

    thousand and reselling it for 100 thousand would yield him a profit of 20 thousand.

    It would take his small inte cafe four months just to earn that much.

    ¡°Mr. Sanders, it¡¯s gettingte. We¡¯ll take off now.¡± Carlisle and Sean had already left their seats.

    ¡°Okay, Carlisle. We¡¯re officially friends now.¡±

    Ivan rose from his seat and handed them cigarettes. ¡°Whenever you drop by to use the inte in the

    future, I¡¯ll only charge you a dor!¡±

    Carlisle nodded with a smile. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Sanders!¡±

    Ivan escorted the pair out of the inte cafe.

    Carlisle and Sean went straight to a restaurant and treated themselves to avish breakfast.

    As they were about to finish their meal, Carlisle took out 20 thousand dors and handed it to Sean.

    Sean, this 20 thousand is for you!¡±

    ¡°Carl¡­ This-¡± Sean gaped at Carlisle in disbelief.

    This wasn¡¯t a negligible amount of 20 dors or 200 dors. It was 20 thousand dors!

    Even his father couldn¡¯t simply hand over 20 thousand dors to him like this.

    ¡°Take it!¡± Carlisle insisted, forcefully handing the money to Sean.

    ¡°Thanks, Carl, Sean said, his eyes reddening with emotion.

    With a friend like Carl, Sean wondered what more he could ask for.

    After they left the restaurant, Carlisle went to a cell phone store to purchase a phone.

    The disy case was brimmed with outdated keypad phones. This was the era when keypad phones

    were all the rage.

    gh¨Cend brand¡¯s keypad phone would be priced at around 3000 to 4000 dors.

    Carlisle quickly selected an exquisite and stylish flip phone.

    The Motor Razr V3 had just been releasedst month. The store was adorned with posters of it.

    However, the price was slightly outrageous. It was priced at 4200 dors.

 Chapter 33

    Carlisle clenched¨Chis teeth and bought three phones straight.

    Observing Carlisle¡¯s generosity with the money, Sean decided to indulge himself and bought one as

    well.

    During that time, SIM cards did not require any form of Identification. So, Carlisle bought three phone

    cards directly.

    As they exited, the store manager gifted them water bottles and umbres.

    Just as they stepped out of the phone shop, Carlisle suddenly felt a pang of regret.

    He remembered that the technology for mobile phones would advance rapidly in theing years.

    He shouldn¡¯t have bought such an expensive phone.

    Then, he quickly rationalized that the money he had was an unexpected fortune.

    In his previous life, he had been negligent, failing to adequately support his parents. He resolved to

    make amends in this lifetime.

    Carlisle rode his bike to the market and purchased a substantial amount of high¨Cquality produce.

    He didn¡¯t return home until nine in the morning.

    Hilda sat on the couch, engrossed in her handiwork.

    Seeing Carlisle arrive with bags of groceries, she smiled and remarked, ¡°Oh, it seems like my son has

    really grown up. He even knows how to buy groceries now!¡±

    It was intended as a jest, but Carlisle chastised himself internally.

    Other teenagers his age were capable of doing household chores likeundry and cooking by the time

    they were juniors in high school.

    However, Carlisle had already graduated from high school. Yet this was the first time he bought

    groceries for the family.

    ¡°I¡¯m eighteen now. I¡¯m already an adult!¡±

    Carlisle ced the groceries on the table. Then, he picked up the white cell phone gift box and walked

    to the couch. ¡°Mom, I got you a gift!¡±

    eyes widened when she saw the exquisite Motor cell phone image on the gift box, ¡°Is this¡­ a

    cell phone?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just any cell phone; it was a high¨Cend brand, Motor!

    Gordon¡¯s older brother, Gerard, had bought a Motorst year. They had heard it cost over 3000

    dors.

    Even after a year of manualbor, Hilda couldn¡¯t afford such a phone!

    Carlisle had foreseen Hilda¡¯s reaction. He exined, ¡°I sold a piece of equipment in the gamest night

    for over 30 thousand dors!:

    ¡°How much?¡± Hilda repeated. She thought she had misheard and identally dropped the cell phone

    ¡°30 thousand dors!¡±

    Carlisle ced the 20 thousand dors he had set aside on the old coffee table.

    He didn¡¯t dare disclose the actual amount of 80 thousand dors.

    After all, he had already given Sean twenty thousand and spent over 10 thousand on the phones.

    80 thousand dors seemed like an immense amount to Hilda now.

    He feared she might not be able to handle it.

    Hilda gazed at the stack of crisp hundred¨Cdor bills, her breathing slightly agitated.

    It took her a moment topose herself. She fixed her gaze on Carlisle and asked sternly, ¡°Carlisle,

    where did this moneye from?¡±

    ¡°I got it from selling game equipment!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. What kind of game equipment could sell for so much money?¡±

    Hilda clearly doubted his exnation.

    Carlisle had no choice but to keep exining about The Legendary Tale to Hilda. He even took out his

    phone and had Hilda call Sean to confirm.

    Sean exaggerated the story even further. ¡°Aunt Hilda, Carlisle is telling the truth. We even sold the

    equipment at a discount. Originally, it could have been sold for 50 thousand dors!¡±

    With Sean¡¯s patient exnation, Hilda gradually epted the truth..

    After ending the call, Hilda looked at the 20 thousand dors with trembling eyes. ¡°Do you believe that

    you can make money by ying games?¡± she asked.

    Carlisle hastily reassured her, ¡°No. It was just a stroke of luck. I won¡¯t get addicted to video games!¡±

    Hilda secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Carlisle¡¯s words. She looked at him with pride and

    said, ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up¡±

    Carlisle sat beside his mom and unpacked the phone. With skillful hands, he inserted the SIM card,

    Med the battery, closed the battery cover, and turned it on.

    Hilda sighed, ¡°This phone must be very expensive, right?¡±

    It looked even more exquisite than Gerard¡¯s phone. It had to be very expensive.

    ¡°It was over 3000 dors. I bought three, so there¡¯s only 20 thousand left.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too expensive.¡±

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Hilda didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at the situation.

    A manualborer earning merely 300 dors per month owned a phone that cost over 3000 dors.

 Chapter 34

    What would outsiders think if they found out?

    Carlisle chuckled and said, ¡°Regardless, this money came to me unexpectedly. Let¡¯s just enjoy

    ourselves

    with it.¡±

    He entered his phone number into the phone with the SIM card Installed and made a call. The phone in

    his pocket rang.

    Carlisle handed the phone to Hilda. ¡°Mom, give it a try and see if it works!¡±

    Hilda got up and made her way to the bathroom. ¡°Let me wash my hands.¡±

    The handiwork she did involved assembling hardware. Her hands were coated in lubricating oil.

    She didn¡¯t want to dirty such an expensive phone.

    After washing her hands, Hilda took the phone and attempted to make a call.

    Carlisle went to his bedroom to converse with her on the phone.

    ¡°Mom, can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can hear you!¡± Hilda¡¯s voice quivered with excitement. Her eyes brimmed with indescribable joy.

    Gordon only had a second¨Chand PHS phone. Hilda hadn¡¯t even used that PHS phone herself.

    She felt quite nervous about suddenly using such a high¨Cend and expensive phone.

    ¡°Do you like this gift? In the future, I¡¯ll make sure you and Dad live in a mansion, drive luxury cars-¡±

    Carlisle said, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as hey on the carpet.

    Hilda¡¯s eyes grew slightly moist. ¡°Silly boy, you mustn¡¯t spend money recklessly in the future!¡±

    Carlisle went silent for a long time.

    Hilda pushed open his bedroom door to find him already asleep. He had probably stayed up all night.

    Shaking her head, Hilda closed the door gently.

    ¡°Honey, is our son home?¡± Gordon suddenly entered from outside.

    Hilda¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at work?¡±

    Gordon sighed, ¡°Maintenance on the circuits, so I¡¯m off today!¡±

    was currently employed part¨Ctime on a piece¨Crate basis. A day off meant no ie.

    ¡°Why did you go grocery shopping so early today? Why did you buy so much? Are we expecting guests

    Gordon asked, puzzled, as he observed the table filled with groceries.

    Just as he finished speaking, his eyes fell on a white gift box on the table. His pupils dted suddenly.

    ¡°Which bastard gave you this?¡± he asked with wide eyes.

    It was a Motor Razr V3. His boss had purchased one just two days ago for over 4000 dors.

    And the groceries on the table cost at least 100 dors. It was hard for him to not specte.

    twice, and her tone turned cold instantly. ¡°Gordon, what are your

    Theers of Hilda¡¯s lips twitcher

    implying?¡±

    Only then did Gordon notice that Hilda also held a cell phone in her hand. Another gift box sat on the

    coffee table.

    If it was from another man, why would there be two?

    Hilda red at Gordon. ¡°If you don¡¯t exin yourself today, I won¡¯t let this slide!¡±

    They had been married since they were 18, for over 20 years. She had never imagined Gordon would

    ever

    doubt her.

    Gordon realized he had overreacted and pped his own face. ¡°Hilda, don¡¯t be angry! I spoke without

    thinking!¡±

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    His insecurities about not earning much money in the past two years often led to wild thoughts. Seeing

    such an expensive phone, he immediately thought other men were interested in his wife.

    Hilda recounted the whole story about Carlisle selling game equipment to Gordon.

    Like Hilda¡¯s previous reaction, Gordon didn¡¯t believe it at all. He rose from his seat, intending to wake

    Carlisle for interrogation.

    ¡°You better sit down!¡±

    Hilda held Gordon back angrily. ¡°Can you stop this nasty habit of yours? Stop making wild guesses

    before you know the truth!¡±

    Once Gordon calmed down, he pulled out his PHS phone to call a manager from his previous

    company.

    ¡°Lewis, do you y The Legendary Tale?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Gordon, are you thinking of ying too?¡±

    Gordon cleared his throat. ¡°It crossed my mind. Can you make money with this game? I heard

    someone sold a piece of equipment for over 30 thousand!¡± he asked tactfully.

 Chapter 35

    ¡°What¡¯s 30 thousand dors? Last year, a yer sold a piece of equipment for over 200 thousand

    dors! That was equivalent to a luxury mansion!¡±

    ¡°Wow, are things in the game really worth that much?¡± Gordon felt like his worldview was about to

    copse

    ¡°They¡¯re valuable, but it¡¯s like ying the lottery. I¡¯ve been ying since 2001 and haven¡¯t made any

    money. Gordon, you¡¯d better forget about making money in the game while you can!¡±

    ¡°I was just asking casually. I¡¯m almost 40 years old. Where would I find the time to y games?¡±

    Gordonughed.

    ¡°Oh, Gordon, where are you working now? Are they still hiring? I think I might beid off soon!¡±

    Gordon pretended to cough. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss thatter, I have something to attend to. I¡¯ll hang up now!¡±

    With that, he promptly ended the call.

    Gordon didn¡¯t want Hilda to know about hisyoff until he found another stable job.

    Hilda stared suspiciously at Gordon and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with this ¡®talk about itter? Do you have a

    mistress outside?¡±

    Gordon didn¡¯t react as explosively as Hilda had earlier. Instead, he grinned and replied, ¡°Seems like

    you still have high expectations of me. Do you think I¡¯m capable enough to find a mistress?

    Hilda scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re hopeless. You¡¯re not even as capable as our son. Can you earn these 20

    thousand.

    dors?¡±

    if my son

    Gordon nced at the 20 thousand dors on the table and said solemnly, ¡°Like father, like son, If

    is capable, it only proves his old man is capable too!¡±

    ¡°Your skin is as thick as armor,¡± Hilda scolded, albeit with a smile.

    At noon, Hilda woke Carlisle up for lunch.

    Meanwhile, at the dining table, Gordon received a call from Gerard.

    Gerard had decided toe to the county at the end of the month for his daughter¡¯s graduation

    banquet.

    ¡°Did Kelly¡¯s SATs resultse out already?¡±

    ET

    Ts just ended yesterday. Shouldn¡¯t the results take longer toe out?¡± Gordon asked, puzzled an

    arprised.

    ¡°Her uncle works in the Education Bureau. It wasn¡¯t hard to check the results!¡± Gerard¡¯s tone was filled

    with pride.

    ¡°What¡¯s her score?¡± Gordon asked with a smile.

    ¡°She scored 1225, just five points shy of making it into Rivend University!¡± Gerard sighed.

    Chapte 35

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    On the surface, it seemed disappointing. But, in reality, this score was enough to stimte Gordon.

    A score of 1225 was sufficient for various Tier 2 universities. It could even secure her a spot in some

    lower¨Ctier Tier 1 universities.

    Gordonmented, ¡°What a shame! Only five points away!¡±

    Despite his strained rtionship with Gerard, Kelly was still his niece.

    Gordon couldn¡¯t help but, feel a tad sorry for her missing out on Rivend University by just five points.

    Gerard interpreted Gordon¡¯s reaction as gloating. He remarked, ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of summer job

    openings at my construction site this year. Should I have Carle over for some work experience?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s expression turned grim instantly. ¡°No need. My son¡¯s scores won¡¯t be lower than your

    daughter¡¯s!

    Gerard chuckled softly. ¡°It¡¯s good to be confident. But you know Carlisle¡¯s grades better than anyone.

    Listen to me. Don¡¯t push him to retake the exam if he doesn¡¯t pass.

    ¡°Sess in education hinges on talent. Without talent, even three years of repeating won¡¯t help. It¡¯s

    better for him to start working early and earn money!¡±

    ¡°My family matters are none of your business, I¡¯m hanging up!¡± Gordon eximed angrily, about to end

    the call.

    Initially, he had considered asking Gerard to use his connections to check Carlisle¡¯s scores. However,

    after hearing Gerard¡¯s words, he felt too embarrassed to request his assistance.

    ¡°Hold on¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to invite some of the elders from the vige to the graduation banquet at the end of the

    month. Can you help me with that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy with work. I don¡¯t have time,¡± Gordon replied in a lukewarm tone.

    Help him with it?

    Gerard¡¯s request seemed like a tant attempt to stir up gossip among the vige elders.

    Gerard wanted to say more, but Carlisle¡¯s voice interrupted from the other end. ¡°Uncle Gerard, my

    dad¡¯s tied up with preparations for my graduation banquet. He really can¡¯t spare any time!¡±

    nded the call before Gerard could respond.

    Gordon took a sip of white wine and mmed the ss onto the table.

    ¡°That idiot! He¡¯s deliberately arranging Kelly¡¯s graduation banquet in the county. He even invited all

    those vige elders. He¡¯s clearly alming to embarrass us!¡±

    Hilda¡¯s expression mirrored Gordon¡¯s displeasure, The vige elders were notorious gossipers. They¡¯d

    surely gossip about their family if they attended Gerard¡¯s banquet.

    Unless Carlisle¡¯s scores surpassed Kelly¡¯s and got epted into a Tier 1 university.

    Carlisle enjoyed his roast chicken with a smile. ¡°Who knows who¡¯ll end up humiliated then!¡±

    Seeing his son¡¯s confidence, Gordon refilled his ss. ¡°Exactly. What if my son gets into Rivend

    University?¡±

    Despite his words, Gordon harbored doubts deep down.

 Chapter 36

    As Gerard mentioned, Gordon, as Carlisle¡¯s father, understood Carlisle¡¯s academic performance better

    than anyone else.

    After Carlisle ate and drank his fill, he retreated to his room to rest.

    Heid on his bed and logged onto the MSN messenger on his phone.

    Wanda still hadn¡¯t epted his friend request.

    He sighed helplessly and retrieved the pink letter hidden beneath his pillow, reading it once more.

    Meanwhile, in a luxurious mansion, Wanda sat in front of her desk in her pajamas. There was an LCD

    desktopputer on the desk.

    The cell phone on the table rang.

    ¡°Zac,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Your results are in. You scored 1350!¡± Zachary¡¯s voicecked excitement, tinged instead with a hint of

    anger.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Given Wanda¡¯s academic performance, she could have scored above 1450.

    A score of 1350 wouldn¡¯t secure her a spot in any Ivy League universities.

    Wanda blinked her lovely eyes and eximed, ¡°That¡¯s not bad. I can still get into Rivend University!¡±

    Zachary almost exploded with anger. He sternly interrogated, ¡°Tell me, are you seeing someone? Are

    yo

    you

    nning to stay in Rivend for some guy?¡±

    ¡°Zac, what are you talking about? This year¡¯s SAT questions were exceptionally challenging. Being

    able to get into Rivend University is already quite an achievement!¡± Wanda said with an aggrieved

    voice.

    Zachary sighed, ¡°Never mind, do as you wish. After all, you are my one and only sister.¡± He chuckled

    bitterly, tinged with a sense of resignation.

    I

    ¡°You¡¯re the most handsome brother on earth. Can I ask you for another favor? Wanda pleaded

    yfully.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    hint of guilt.

    nelp me check Carlisle¡¯s results? He¡¯s from Rainville High School!¡± Wanda¡¯s voice carried a

    With Zachary¡¯s sharp intellect, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to discern something.

    Zachary fell silent for a morfent. ¡°Carlisle, that brave kid fromst time? You¡¯re quite intrigued by him,¡±

    he remarked coldly.

    Back then, when Carlisle got beaten up, Zachary noticed that Wanda seemed very concerned.

    It wasn¡¯t the usual concern between ssmates. It felt more like that of lovers

    ¡°Zac, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Carlisle is just a student I tutor. I¡¯m only curious to see if he¡¯s improved.¡±

    Wanda made exeuses.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check itter. I suspect the exam papers haven¡¯t been graded yet. We don¡¯t have any connections

    at the Education Bureau. It took me a lot of effort to expedite the grading of your papers,¡± Zachary sald

    coldly.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Wanda pobited, disappointment evident in her eyes.

    ¡°Give me three days. I¡¯ll tell you that kid¡¯s results in three days!¡± Zachary was overly indulgent to his

    sister. He couldn¡¯t stand to see her upset.

    Wanda suddenly felt uplifted by Zachary¡¯s promise. ¡°Thanks, Zac! You¡¯re the best!¡±

    Time passed quickly.

    In just over twenty days, the day for the release of SAT results arrived.

    Back then, the inte wasn¡¯t as advanced. The candidates had to visit the school to check their

    scores.

    As fate would have it, Carlisle and Sean ran into Sienna and Sarah at the school gate.

    ¡°Carlisle, are you here to check your scores too?¡± Sarah asked.

    She w

    wore a short¨Csleeved shirt and extremely short shorts. Her fair and long legs captivated anyone who

    saw them.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Carlisle replied calmly.

    Sarah chuckled and asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t pass, will you retake the exam?¡±

    ¡°There are no ¡®ifs¡® involved, Carlisle stated calmly, then strode into the campus.

    Sienna snorted loudly from behind and said, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t walk out of the school crying!¡°¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t bother to respond.

    Instead, Sean turned around and quipped, ¡°You¡¯ll be the ones cryingter!¡±

    I

    Sienna immediately retorted, ¡°Sean, I bet you won¡¯t even get into a Tier 3 university!¡±

    Seeing Sean ignore them, Sienna stomped her foot in anger. ¡°Sarah, look at them.¡±

    Sarah hook her head and chuckled. ¡°How could people like them possibly get into university? They¡¯re

    Lo be parasites in society!¡±

    du

    Suddenly, Sienna said, ¡°Sarah, perhaps you shouldn¡¯t be so cold toward Carlisle. He¡¯ll definitely go to

    work if he doesn¡¯t get into university. That way, you won¡¯t have to worry about finances when you

    attend university!¡±

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Enna, what nonsense are you talking about? Wouldn¡¯t I be an opportunist if I actually did what you

    said?¡±

    Sarah shot Sienna an angry re.

    She didn¡¯t want toe off as too arrogant in front of her ssmates.

    However, Sienna¡¯s words did serve as a reminder.

    Sarah¡¯s family¡¯s business had been strugglingtely. She knew that her university life was bound to be

    financially tight.

    For now, she had to keep Carlisle interested. She could always discard him once she found a better

    guy

    at university.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I misspoke!¡± Sienna quickly apologized as she shook Sarah¡¯s arms yfully.

    ¡°Alright, I forgive you. Let¡¯s head to the ssroom first!¡±

    Sarah linked her arm with Sienna¡¯s and walked toward the main school building.

    Meanwhile, the teachers¡® office bustled with activity.

    Several homeroom teachers had gathered around Lucy. Even the principal and the director of the

    Education Bureau were present.

    ¡°Ms. Turner, you¡¯re really outstanding. Four students from your ss have met the Tier 1 University

    requirements. This is unprecedented in our school!¡±

    ¡°It looks like Ms. Turner will receive the Best Homeroom Teacher of the Year award again this year!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Turner, are you avable tomorrow? I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal and learn from you!¡±

    Lucy remained silent as she basked in everyone¡¯spliments. She felt almost euphoric from the

    praise.

    Since its establishment, Rainville High School had only produced a few students who made it into Tier

    1

    Universities.

    The fact that four students from a single ss managed to qualify was unprecedented.

    The bald principal, who had a protruding belly, smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s announce the

    SATs results. Tonight, I¡¯ll treat everyone to a big meal!¡±

    The homeroom teachers then exited the office with their report folders.

    Ju

    uy stepped out of the office, she suddenly remembered something. She turned back to retrieve arge

    tote bag from her drawer.

    As Lucy entered ss 3A, the room fell silent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be distributing the SATs ¡®results,¡± she announced. ¡°I¡¯ll call out your names. So, pleasee forward

    to collect your score reports.¡±

    Lucy wasted no time and began announcing the names on the report folders..

    Once the students received their folders, they returned to their seats to check their scores.

    ¡°Sienna Thorn!¡± Lucy called out. She nced at Sienna with a hint of disappointment.

    Sienna was just a few points shy of qualifying for a Tier 2 university. It was indeed a bit of a pity.

    Anxiously, Sienna approached and took her report folder.

    Back at her seat, Sienna sped her hands together and silently prayed, ¡°Dear Lord, please bless me

    to

    get into a Tier 2 university.¡±

    Shortly after, she reached into the folder and retrieved her score report.

    When she saw her total score of 1045, Sienna felt like the sky had fallen on her.

    The minimum requirement for admission to a Tier 2 University was 1060.

    In other words, she had no chance of getting admitted into a Tier 2 University.

    ¡°Enna, what¡¯s your score?¡± Sarah leaned over to look at Sienna¡¯s score report upon noticing Sienna¡¯s

    sour

    expression.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Sienna had applied to the Rivend Institute of Business, which was located near Rivend University.

    It was a college Sarah had helped her choose so they could remain best friends in college.

    Upon seeing Sienna¡¯s total score of 1045, Sarah frowned. ¡°Enna, how did you only manage 1045

    points?

    You studied so hard!¡±

    Sienna was at a loss for words. ¡°The exam questions werepletely different from what I prepared

    for. Why am I so unlucky?¡± she sobbed.

    As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

    Throughout the ssroom, various emotions were evident.

    ¡°Yes! I got 1000 points! I made it! I made it! I¡¯m the hope of my whole vige. We have a college

    student in our vige!¡±

    Some shed tears after failing to secure a spot in a Tier 2 university. Meanwhile, others celebrated

    simply for gaining admission to amunity college.

    Sarah held Sienna¡¯s hand andforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, at least you¡¯ll still be able to earn a degree in

    college, right?¡±

    ¡°Se

    adsen!¡±

    ¡°Here!¡± Since Wanda was absent, Sean upied her seat. It was easier for him to collect his report

    folder.

    He retrieved his score report from the folder.

    It revealed a score of 1230.

    Sean¡¯s lips curved into a wide grin.

    Chapte 37

    Though this score fell short of securing admission to Rivend University, it still opened doors to

    numerous lower¨Ctiered Tier 1 Universities.

    ¡°Sarah Gates!

 Chapter 38

    Lucy called out Sarah¡¯s name.

    Sarah took a deep breath and then stepped forward confidently.

    As she moved, her ssmates watched with anticipation.

    Sarah consistently ranked at the top in final exams each year. So, It was certain she¡¯d meet the Tier 1

    University requirement.

    When she received her report folder, she opened it directly in front of the ss.

    It revealed a total score of 1325.

    Relief washed over Sarah, and a contented smile spread across her face.

    Lucy beamed and said, ¡°Congrattions, Sarah!¡±

    Sarah bowed to Lucy with modesty. ¡°Thank you for your guidance over the past three years, Ms.

    Turner!¡±

    Lucy¡¯s smile widened even further at her words.

    ¡°Sarah, what¡¯s your score?¡± Herman asked curiously.

    The rest of the ss eagerly listened to her response.

    ¡°I scored a total of 1325 points!¡± Sarah announced her score confidently.

    ¡°Wow!¡± The entire ss erupted in shocked voices, followed by a warm round of apuse.

    Sarah smiled brightly and nced at Carlisle. She expected to see admiration in Carlisle¡¯s eyes.

    However, Carlisle remained calm andposed. He spared her no nce as if he hadn¡¯t noticed her

    at

    all.

    Sarah thought he probably felt challenged upon seeing her scores. She smirked subtly and confidently

    returned to her seat.

    ¡°Christine Goodman!¡± Lucy called out another name.

    Christine went to the front to collect the report folder. After returning to her seat, she was eager to open

    it.

    She scored a total of 1340.

    Chri

    ands trembled slightly as tears of excitement welled up in her eyes.

    ¡°Carlisle Zahn¡­¡± Lucy¡¯s voice rang out as she called thest name on the list.

    Carlisle stood up from his seat and epted the report folder handed by Lucy.

    Once seated, he carefully opened the folder and retrieved his score report.

    It revealed a total score of 1400.

    Carlisle¡¯s expression remained unchanged as if he had already known his score.

    ¡°Carlisle, what¡¯s your score?¡® Herman¡¯s voicee from behind.

    The whole ss held their breath, awaiting Carlisle¡¯s response.

    In the month before the SATS, Carlisle had put in a lot of effort. No one knew how much progress he

    had

    made.

    Sean snapped out of his joy and leaned over to catch a glimpse of Carlisle¡¯s score report.

    ¡°Damn! You scored a total of 1400 points?¡± Sean¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    Carlisle had previously ranked even lower than Sean in the past exams.

    Did he really be a top student with just a month of revision?

    ¡°What? Carlisle scored 1400 points?¡±

    ¡°Damn, that doesn¡¯t make sense. How did he pull it off?¡±

    ¡°This is unbelievable. People who sleep in ss every day still manage to get such high scores. Those

    of us who study hard only score around 950. What kind of world is this?¡±

    ¡°He must have cheated!¡±

    ¡°How could he possibly score a total of 1400 points? Scoring 1000 points would be more believable!¡±

    Sarah interjected.

    Lucy tapped on the desk. ¡°Quiet!¡±

    The students fell silent. Lucy continued, ¡°This year, our ss has the highest enrollment rate. You are

    the best students I¡¯ve ever taught, but a few students did not qualify for college.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged if you don¡¯t get into college. I suggest you consider repeating the year!¡±

    Afterward, Lucy delivered a lengthy speech of blessings and encouragement.

    When the bell rang, Lucy dered the end of ss and exited the ssroom with her tote bag.

    As she reached the ssroom door, she nced back at the students she had taught for three years.

    After this parting, some students might return to visit her in the future. Meanwhile, others might never

    cross paths with her again.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    In her tlve years of teaching, she had taught three senior sses. The earliest batch had graduated.

    six years ago, but only a few had returned to visit.

    fre

    After Lucy departed, Sarah stepped forward and pursed her lips. Then, she softly inquired, ¡°Carlisle,

    did you really score, 1400 points?¡±

 Chapter 39

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right¨CCarlisle ced his score report on the table.

    Sarah shuddered when she saw the score of 1400.

    He really did get a score of 1400. He¡­ How did he achieve that?

    He transformed from a cker into one of the top, students within a month! Was this the power of love?

    Sarah took a deep breath. She smiled sweetly and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you thank me then?¡±

    Carlisle was slightly stunned. Following that, he returned a slight smile.

    ¡°Why do I have to thank you? The person I should be most grateful to is Wanda. Without her guidance

    this past month, it would¡¯ve been impossible for me to achieve this score!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you only start studying hard because I told you that I wanted to study at Rivend University?

    Would you have gotten such good results if I hadn¡¯t said that in the first ce?¡±

    Sarah hung her head down low, making herself look as if she had been wronged. She was good¨C

    looking to start off with. Her pitiful look tugged at people¡¯s heartstrings.

    Sean, who had been watching by the side, almost had the urge to stand up and rebuke Carlisle.

    Fortunately, he and Carlisle were tight. As a bystander, he was able to recognize Sarah¡¯s true colors.

    Right now, he just hoped that Carlisle wouldn¡¯t turn back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize you¡¯re just living in your own world, Sarah? I applied to Rivend University for my

    own

    sake. It had nothing to do with you at all!¡± Carlisleughed. He gazed at Sarah mockingly.

    Sarah red at Carlisle in disbelief.

    He used to go along with everything she said. She couldn¡¯t believe that he was capable of uttering such

    heartless words.

    What did he mean by saying she was living in her own world? Was there anything wrong with what she

    said?

    Sean noticed the frigidity in Carlisle¡¯s response and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like Carlisle had

    really moved on from Sarah.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Carl. It¡¯s time for your celebration!¡±

    ¡°C

    Carlisle had just got to his feet when the phone in his pocket r¨¤ng. His mother had called.

    Sarah saw that Carlisle had thetest Motor Razr V3 in his hand. A look of shock shed across her

    eyes once again.

    This model was just releasedst month. Its starting price was 4200 dors. How was Carlisle able to

    afford it?

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    All of a sudden, Sarah thought of a specific person.

    Wanda Thompson! It must have been Wanda who bought it for him.

    Sarah¡¯s face went pale. A wave of disappointment swept over her as if she had lost the most important

    thing in the world.

    Carlisle answered the call while he walked out of the ssroom with Sean.

    It had been almost a miqute since he answered the call. But Hilda still hadn¡¯t said a word.

    So, Carlisle asked in an uncertain tone, ¡°Mom? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask him instead!¡±

    Gordan¡¯s voice came from the other end of the call. He took the phone from Hilda¡¯s hand and

    stuttered,¡±

    Carl, um¡­ Have you¡­ You¡­.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to ask if I got into college?¡± Carlisle asked with a smile on his face.

    Gordon nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes. Have you?¡±

    Carlisle answered, ¡°I got into Rivend University!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Gordon almost started prancing in excitement,

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s real. Would I joke about such a thing with you?¡± Carlisleughed.

    Then, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s the preparation for the partying along? I n to bring a few ssmates

    over!¡±

    Gordon exined immediately, ¡°All¡¯s ready. Do bring more of your friends along!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Carlisle frowned.

    ¡°Those people from our vige went over to your Uncle Gerard¡¯s. Only some of my colleagues and your

    Mom¡¯s family areing to show their support!¡± Gordon sighed.

    ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Carlisle answered calmly.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 40

    Gordon scoffed. They¡¯re giving us the cold shoulder now. Just walt until you be sessful. You

    will be too good for them when that timees!¡°.

    After some more small talk with Gordon, Carlisle ended the call.

    He had just walked to the field when an announcement was made through the school¡¯s PA system.

    Carlisle Zahn, please take a look at the school building.¡±

    Carlisle stopped in his tracks. He turned his head toward the school building. There was a figure that

    was

    standing at the top of the building.

    Then, a gigantic banner was unrolled downward like a waterfall.

    ¡°Heartfelt congrattions to Carlisle Zahn from ss 3A for entering Rivend University!¡±

    The voice in the announcement alerted all the students. Everyone nced over.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ms. Tumer?¡±

    ¡°Dang, what was Carlisle¡¯s test score that the teacher even put up a banner for him?¡±

    ¡°I think he scored 1400!¡±

    Soon enough, quite a number of students had walked to Carlisle¡¯s side. As for Carlisle, he gave a nod

    of acknowledgment in the direction of the school building.

    Lucy watched the group of students on the field. Tears welled up in her eyes. After a while, she left the

    roof after a few of her colleagues convinced her to do so.

    The students surrounded Carlisle, asking him whether he was having a college entrance celebration.

    They were eager to go so that they could drink.

    Carlisle was smiling from ear to ear. He urged, ¡°Those who want a drink cane with me to Sunago

    Restaurant right now!¡±

    ¡°Let me go back and get some money. I need to make sure I have enough congrattory money!¡±

    ¡°ed to make a trip back too!¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to head back? How much do you guys need? I can lend it to you!¡± Sean offered as

    he whipped out ten 100¨Cdor bills from his pocket.

    The students were floored. That looked like a thousand dors. Sean was loaded!

    veryone knew that Sean came from a rich family. He was one of the few students in the ss.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    who owned a Walkman.

    Herman rubbed his hands together and said, ¡°Sean, please lend me 20 dors!¡±

    Abigail took out some money from her pocket and inspected them.

    In this generation, congrattory money was usually around 10 to 20 dors.

    She did have 20 dors, but they were in the form of small change. That didn¡¯t look good.

    Quentin didn¡¯t have any money on him. He, too, borrowed 20 dors from Sean.

    Some other students borrowed money from Sean as well. He didn¡¯t refuse all those who requested. He

    went to the tuck shop outside to get some small change. Then, he distributed 20 dors to each

    student.

    Sarah and Sienna were pushing their bikes as they walked over.

    They heard that the other students were borrowing money. Sienna couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there a

    graduation gathering?¡±

    Herman exined, ¡°Nope. We¡¯re nning to go to Carlisle¡¯s college entrance party!¡±

    Sienna curled her lips. She turned behind to take a nce at Sarah.

    Sarah walked over while pushing her bike. She directed her question at Carlisle. ¡°Can I attend your

    college entrance celebration?¡±

    Carlisle smiled slightly. ¡°We¡¯re schoolmates. Of course you can!¡±

    A smile shed across Sarah¡¯s face. She then said to Sean, ¡°Sean, let me borrow 20 dors too!¡±

    Sean faked a smile. ¡°Is Belle Gates short of money?¡±

    Sarah red at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any money out today. How about that?¡±

    Frankly speaking, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t have any money with her today. She simply couldn¡¯t bear to

    part

    with 20 dors.

    She was sure that if she borrowed money from Sean, he would not make her return it.

    Sean handed 20 dors to Sarah.

    A momentter, all the students received 20 dors each. They followed Carlisle and Sean to Sunago

    Restaurant.

    Rainville Hotel was right opposite Sunago Restaurant. It was also one of the few major hotels in

    Rainville.

    The seven¨Cstory hotel stood out like a sore thumb among all the smaller buildings around it. From its

    furnishi to its scale, it was iparable to Sunago Restaurant.

    Three ago, Gerard Zahn had returned to Rainville with his wife and daughter, Maria and Kelly.

    He wanted to hold a grand college entrance celebration for Kelly. So, he spent 30 thousand dors and

    made a reservation for the entire hotel.

    At this moment, Gerard and Maria stood outside, weing guests with wide smiles.

    Maria nced at Gordon and Hilda, who were standing across the street. She beamed.

    She waved at them and shouted, ¡°Gordon, Maria, don¡¯t wait anymore. Carlisle will not qualify for

    college.

    ¡°You should hurry ande over to Kelly¡¯s college entrance celebration instead. And don¡¯t worry about

    giving any congrattory money!¡±

 Chapter 41

    Gordon and Hilda¨Cignored Maria. But Maria went overboard and continued, ¡°You¡¯re an entire family of

    idiots. We decided to have this celebration only after checking her scores.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know whether Carlisle got into college. Yet, you had the guts to hold a college entrance

    celebration? Are you trying to be aughing stock?¡±

    At the same time, Gerard looked on in disdain. Did they want topete with him? What did they have

    that they could use topete with him?

    Other than the fact that Hilda was prettier than Maria, Gordon had nothing else. Carlisle was useless,

    just like his own father. Would he even be able to break the mold?

    Just then, Rainville Hotel¡¯s manager walked over. In a polite voice, he prompted, ¡°Mr. Zahn, the party is

    about to begin. Please make your way upstairs!¡±

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    d the ma

    Gerard adjusted his necktie, put his hands behind his back, and followed the manager upstairs.

    Around half an hour passed. The atmosphere in front of Sunago Restaurant became livelier.

    Gordon was giving their guests a warm wee.

    ¡°Mr. Moore, I didn¡¯t think that you woulde!¡±

    Gordon was beaming as he handed a cigarette to an old man who looked over 50.

    He was Fletcher Moore, head of Helios Vige, Gordon¡¯s hometown.

    ¡°How did your son score on the test, Gordon?¡± Fletcher casually asked as he epted the cigarette

    from

    Gordon.

    ¡°Carlisle has just left school. I haven¡¯t asked what his score is. But he did say that he got into Rivend

    University!¡±

    Gordon took out a lighter and lit Fletcher¡¯s cigarette for him.

    ¡°You¡¯re believing him just like that? That brat wouldn¡¯t lie to you, would he?¡±

    Fletcher took a puff of his cigarette. His every word hinted at his distrust of Carlisle.

    ¡°Mr. Moore, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re aware of the hard work that Carlisle has put in this past month. He did

    his

    revisions from dawn till dusk¡­

    ¡°Alright,¡± Fletcher interrupted Gordon. Then, he took out 20 dors from his pocket and handed it to

    him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve invited me anyway. As head of the vige, I will show you respect. Here¡¯s some congrattory

    money. I¡¯m giving it to you regardless of whether Carlisle got into college or not!¡±

    The smile froze on Gordon¡¯s face. Although he wasn¡¯t very educated, he could read between the lines

    of what Fletcher had just said.

    Fletcher was under the impression that Gordon held this party just so he wouldn¡¯t embarrass himself.

    Did

    he think that he wanted to cheat others of their money?

    ¡°Take your money back, Fletcher. We don¡¯t want it!¡± Hilda pushed Fletcher¡¯s hand away.

    ¡°Despite your incapabilities, I see you¡¯ve quite the temper, Hilda!¡± Fletcher scoffed. Then, he stuffed the

    20 dors back into his pocket.

    Hilda responded in a cold voice. ¡°Who says that I can¡¯t lose my temper? It¡¯s true that we haven¡¯t earned

    much money all these years. But that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯d let just about anyone shame us!¡±

    Fletcher was about to argue back when a few bikes¡¯stopped by the roadside suddenly. They were

    Carlisle,

    Sean, and a few of Carlisle¡¯s ssmates.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, what are you arguing about?¡±

    Carlisle had heard Hilda from a ways away. He had a pretty good guess once he spotted Fletcher.

    He parked his bike by the side of the road. Then, he handed the envelope to Gordon. ¡°Here is my score

    report, Dad!¡±

    Gordon was stunned to see the envelope that Carlisle was handing over to him. For some reason, it

    made

    him feel nervous.

    Then, more of Carlisle¡¯s ssmates arrived.

    Upon witnessing this, Fletcher felt a sense of foreboding. Could it be that Carlisle had really qualified

    for college?

    With shaky hands, Gordon took the envelope. He opened it carefully and pulled out the thin transcript

    slip

    from within.

    1400 points.

    Gordon widened his eyes and held his breath.

    Hilda went over and took a peek. She also gaped in shock.

    Fletcher observed both their facial expressions. Then, his gaze narrowed.

    By the looks of it, Carlisle had really gotten into college. He just didn¡¯t know how much Carlisle scored

    on

    the exam.

    ¡°Well done, my son.¡±

    Hilda¡¯s eyes turned red. Tears kept streaming down her face. She gave Carlisle a big hug.

    He scored 1400 points!

 Chapter 42

    So what if Kelly scored 1225?

    Carlisle gave Hilda a few gentle pats on the back. ¡°You and Dad can breathe a sigh of relief now, can¡¯t

    you?¡±

    Gordon chuckled as he passed Carlisle¡¯s transcript to Fletcher. He pretended to be confused and

    asked, Mr. Moore, please take a look at this for me. My son¡¯s results are quite average, right?¡±

    Fletcher received the score report in his hands and scanned through it.

    He shuddered when he saw the score of 1400.

    ¡°A score of 1400? This¡­ This is unbelievable!¡±

    Fletcher stared at Carlisle in disbelief, Kelly had achieved high scores every year. Yet, she only got a

    score of 1225. How was Carlisle able to score 1400 points?

    ¡°Mr. Moore, everyone¡¯s waiting for you!¡± Gerard shouted from the window on the third floor of the hotel

    opposite.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming!¡± Fletcher replied.

    Hilda saw that her family members had arrived. She walked over proudly to wee them. She puffed

    her chest out and strutted with her head up high.

    Fletcher fixed his eyes on Carlisle and questioned, ¡°You didn¡¯t fake this, did you, Carlisle?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t believe that Carlisle could achieve such a score. So, he could only theorize that this

    transcript.

    was forged.

    At that moment, Sarah approached him and said, ¡°Excuse me, Sir. We watched the teacher give out

    Carlisle¡¯s score report. He didn¡¯t forge it!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can attest to that!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t use others like that!¡±

    ¡°There are quite a number of people who are like that. In short, they just can¡¯t bear to see others being

    sessful!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s ssmates eximed one after another.

    Fletcher was at a loss for words. His hands were trembling as he held onto the transcript. He forced a

    smile and returned it to Gordon.

    ¡°I misspoke earlier, Gordon. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡±

    Upon saying that, he pulled out a 100 dor bill from his other pants pocket. ¡°This is the congrattory

    money from me!

    Initially, he had prepared the 100 dors for Kelly.

    But Carlisle had now gotten into Rivend University. He had a whole future ahead of him. So, he

    needed to seize this opportunity to build a good rtionship with them.

    ¡°What did you say earlier, Fletch? I don¡¯t remember it anymore.¡±

    Gordon wasn¡¯t a petty person either. They were all from the same vige and woulde into contact

    with each other whether they liked it or not.

    Moreover, Fletcher was the head of the vige. It wouldn¡¯t be good to have a falling out with him.

    Fletcherughed. He patted Carlisle on the shoulder and praised him.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good kid. I always knew you were an outstanding one. As expected, you didn¡¯t disappoint me.

    You¡¯re making us at Helios Vige proud of you!¡±

    This was a period of time when those who lived in farm viges were very poor. Those who wanted to

    go

    from rags to riches had to put their hopes on those college students.

    Right at that moment, Gordon¡¯s PHS phone rang.

    He took out his phone and answered it. The caller imed to be a reporter from Rivend TV Station.

    They wanted to interview Carlisle.

    After getting Carlisle¡¯s agreement, Gordon informed the caller of their location.

    On the third floor of the hotel opposite the street, 15 tables were filled with guests. Everyone was

    congratting Gerard.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Gerard and Maria were smiling from ear to ear. As for Kelly, she was looking proud. After all, she was

    the only college student in all of Helios Vige.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Fletch here yet?¡±

    ¡°He went opposite to congratte them!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the only one who believed that Carlisle qualified for college!¡±

    ¡°He believed that Carlisle qualified for college? I¡¯d rather believe that pigs

    ins will

    fly!¡±

    The snobbish vigers from Helios Vige chattered with one another.

    Maria whipped out a ckberry and took a look at the time. Then, she urged Gerard, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Mr.

    Moore arrived?¡±

    Gerard was also frowning. He then said, ¡°Kelly, go over and summon Mr. Moore!¡±

    He knew that Fletcher liked to be lifted up on a pedestal. At the end of the day, he was the vige head.

    He had to show him respect.

    ¡°Okay Kelly nodded obediently before walking out of the hotel.

 Chapter 43

    Originally, Gerald¨Cmade a reservation for eight tables. However, almost all the vigers from Helios

    Vige had gone to the other side of the road, so he had four empty tables.

    Coincidentally, Carlisle¡¯s schoolmates were able to fill the empty seats.

    At this time, Carlisle was seated in front of Rivend TV Station¡¯s camera, preparing to be interviewed.

    The reporter held Carlisle¡¯s score report in her hands.

    The shock was evident all over her face.

    She could not believe that Carlisle was the student who submitted his exam papers within 30 minutes.

    He

    even managed to get into university.

    Not only that, but he achieved a score of 1400.

    ¡°Isa, it¡¯s almost time¡­¡± prompted the cameraman. He was done setting up the camera.

    Isabelle rke took a deep breath. Her mocking look had disappeared. She calmed down, adjusted

    the microphone, and began interviewing Carlisle.

    ¡°Good afternoon to all our audience who are watching and listening in. I am your longtime friend,

    Isabelle

    rke.

    ¡°We interviewed a student before the end of the SATS. I believe that all of you remember that student

    who always used on

    30 minutes to hand in his papers, right?

    ¡°Today is the day the SAT results are announced. We¡¯ve contacted this student and will interview him!

    Isabelle was giving her opening statement eloquently while facing the camera.

    Kelly arrived in front of the private room and bumped into Fletcher, who was walking out with a

    cigarette

    between his lips.

    ¡°Uncle Fletcher¡­ The party is about to begin. We¡¯re waiting for you before we start eating!¡± Kelly

    smiled

    sweetly.

    Fletcher took out another 100¨Cdor bill from his pocket. He smiled perfunctorily and said, ¡°Kelly,

    Carlisle has also qualified for university. It doesn¡¯t matter which party I attend. Here¡¯s my congrattory

    money.

    for you. Keep it¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Carlisle got into university, too?¡± Kelly widened her eyes and asked.

    She didn¡¯t know what to say. How could he have qualified? What made him qualify?

    Fletcher then continued, ¡°Not only did he get into university, but he was epted by Rivend

    University!¡±

    Kelly felt like she had been struck by lightning. Her face ran pale. She couldn¡¯t believe that Carlisle was

    epted into Rivend University.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    She wondered, ¡®H¨CHow is that possible?

    She snapped back to her senses in a sh. In a shaky voice, she asked, ¡°Mr. Moore, you¡¯re pulling my

    leg. aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Fletcher sighed. ¡°A reporter from Rivend TV Station has evene here to interview him. Go in and

    have a look for yourself!¡±

    After shoving the 100¨Cdor bill into Kelly¡¯s hands, Fletcher went to look for a waitperson to ask where

    the

    toilet was.

    Kelly walked into the private room. There were many people standing around the sofa by the window.

    She walked on over and tiptoed to take a look.

    She saw a reporter facing the camera. She had a transcript in her hands as she introduced Carlisle¡¯s

    results.

    ¡°To our audience watching this right now, do you see this? These are the results of that student who

    always only used 30 minutes toplete his exam¨Ca score of 1400.

    ¡°ording to our interview with him, the only university he filled in on his college application was

    Rivend University. And this score of 1400 has exceeded Rivend University¡¯s admission score by

    60

    points!¡±

    The Youngs gasped.

    Before this, they hade for Carlisie¡¯s college entrance party with doubt. They assumed that he was

    just lucky to get into a Tier 3 university.

    Much to their surprise, he had achieved a score of 1400. This was 60 points more than Rivend

    University¡¯s admission requirement. With a score like this, he could probably also get into an Ivy

    League

    school!

    Carlisle¡¯s schoolmates looked at him in admiration.

    At the same time, Sarah was feeling very conflicted. She was pondering on whether she should ept

    Carlisle¡¯s confession.

    Carlisle was now being interviewed by a broadcasting station. He was certainly going to catch the

    attention of some businesses. He definitely had a bright future ahead of him.

    Kelly returned to the hotel opposite, looking dejected.

    The moment she entered the hall, everyone directed their gazes toward her.

    Gerard furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Moore?¡±

    Kelly looked pale. She shook her head. She wanted to speak up, but the lump in her throat stopped her

    from doing so.

    Marid could tell that Kelly didn¡¯t look too good. She went up to Kelly and asked, ¡°Are you alright, my

    dear?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle got into university¡­¡± Kelly finally uttered in a shaky voice.

    Maria¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What? He managed to get in?¡±

 Chapter 44

    Kelly started crying. ¡°He got Into Rivend University.

    Everyone in the room was bbergasted.

    Rivend University? Carlisle got into Rivend University? This was unimaginable!

    Kelly¡¯s score of 1225 could

    Kelly¡¯s score of 1225 could only get her into Tier 2 universities.

    Yet, Carlisle was able to get into a Tier 1 university? What was his score then?

    Maria¡¯s face became twisted. ¡°Are you trying to trick us, Kelly?¡±

    Kelly shook her head in tears. ¡°Rivend TV station even came to interview him!¡±

    Upon hearing that, Gerard turned on the color TV in the hall and switched to Rivend TV Station¡¯s

    channel. The scene in which Carlisle was interviewed was shown.

    ¡°Carlisle¡¯s college admission party is about to begin. We won¡¯t take up too much of his time. This will be

    all for today¡¯s interview!

    ¡°When we have time, we will have an exclusive interview with Carlisle¡¯s parents to better understand

    the kind of family that¡¯s able to bring up such an outstanding child!¡±

    Gerard stared at the television nkly. Waves of emotions surged within him, and he couldn¡¯t calm

    himself down even after a long time.

    Maria looked as if she had lost her soul. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ There¡¯s no way that Carlisle got into

    Rivend University. He must have cheated!¡±

    He scored 1400 even though he handed in his papers within 30 minutes? Who would believe that?

    ¡°Gerard, I¡¯ve also received Gordon¡¯s invitation. I¡¯ll go over to give him some money to congratte

    him!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I received his invite, too. Please bring 50 dors over on my behalf. We¡¯re a family. Even if

    I¡¯m not going over, I should at least deliver my wishes!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll head over to have a look too!¡±

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    The vigers of Helios Vige spoke up one by one.

    Rivend University was way more prestigious than the Tier 2 universities that Kelly got into. They had

    to forge good connections with Gordon¡¯s family.

    Naturally, Gerard wasn¡¯t able to hold them back. He simply sat in his seat and smoked his cigarette.

    A momentter, the lively hall became much quieter.

    However, soon enough, the vigers returned because there weren¡¯t enough seats at Sunago

    Restaurant.

    Even though there were more than ten tables of quests, all the tables were full. The vigers were also

    tactful enough to avoid mentioning Carlisle¡¯s family.

    Even so, Gerard and his family couldn¡¯t bring themselves to smile. They had also lost their appetites.

    Xander Zahn was chewing on some ham hock and had its grease all over his mouth. ¡°Dad, is Rivend

    University that great?¡±

    There was a loud smack. Kelly hadnded a p on Xander¡¯s face.

    ¡°Shut up¡­

    Right now, it made her apnoyed to hear those two words¨CRivend University.

    Xander started bawling immediately.

    ¡°Hey! How could you hit your brother? Maria reprimanded Kelly and red at her.

    In her heart, both Xander and Kelly were precious to her. However, Maria doted on Xander more.

    Gerard also red at Kelly unhappily. ¡°You were the one who didn¡¯t get a good result. Yet, you¡¯re

    venting on your brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done¡­¡±

    Kelly mmed her cutleries on the table and ran out the door.

    After the party, Gerard didn¡¯t meet with Gordon. Instead, he returned to the county with Xander and

    Kelly

    in tow.

    A group of Carlisle¡¯s male schoolmates forced him to drink a fair amount of alcohol. As Carlisle¡¯s close

    friend, Sean had helped to drink a lot on his behalf. He got drunk before Carlisle did.

    Sean¡¯s father, Rory Woodsen, drove to the front of Sunago Restaurant in an old model of a ¡¯96

    Santana. When he found Gordon, he took out 500 dors from his bag. ¡°How could you do this to me,

    Gordon? You didn¡¯t even tell me about Carl¡¯s college entrance party!¡±

    Gordonughed awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re a busy man, Mr. Woodsen. I didn¡¯t want to get in the way of your

    work!

 Chapter 45

    Before he had confirmation about whether Carlisle got into any university, Gordon only invited some of

    his old friends.

    Rory was a well¨Crespected businessman at Rainville. What would he have thought if he had been

    invited even though Carlisle hadn¡¯t qualified for university?

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m quite busy today. I only managed to get here after turning down a client. Yet, I still

    ended up beingte! Sean will be having his college admission celebration in two days. Let¡¯s drink

    together then!¡±

    Rory opened a pack of Sobranie and handed Gordan a cigarette. That was an 18¨Cdor cigarette.

    Normally, Gordon could only look at it at the shops,

    ¡°Sure. That¡¯s for sure!¡± He smiled and epted the cigarette.

    After some small talk, Rory took Sean away. Gordon, on the other hand, carried Carlisle on his back

    and

    headed home.

    It was already the next day when Carlisle woke up.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He nced at his phone and noted that it was already 12:00 pm the next day.

    He was about to get out of bed to get a ss of water when he noticed the shing MSN messenger

    notification.

    He opened his messenger app and saw that he had notifications from over 20 ssmates.

    Good heavens. Normally, no one initiated conversations with him. On the contrary, there were so many

    of

    them at a time like this.

    Perhaps this was reality. When he was useless and incapable, no one was willing to interact with him.

    He tapped on each notification. Most of the messages were congrattory ones, so Carlisle thanked

    them one by one.

    Lastly, he tapped on Sarah¡¯s icon.

    ¡°Carlisle, my college entrance party is happening on July 5th. You have toe!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Send me the address!¡± Carlisle typed and replied.

    Sarah had attended his own party, Naturally, he had to reciprocate the gesture. This was basic

    manners.

    Carlisle attended various ssmates¡® college entrance parties for the foreseeable future.

    But there was a little hup in between.

    Sarah was unhappy because, Carlisle¡¯s congrattory money was too little. Her family was also

    pointing their fingers at him. His phone cost more than 4000 dors, but he only gave her 100 dors?

    Carlisle was speechless. Sarah had given him 50 dors while he had given her double that amount.

    How could they still be unhappy about that?

    On July 10th, Carlisle was taking his afternoon nap when he was suddenly woken up by the sound of

    Gordon¡¯s and Hilda¡¯sughter.

    He put on his slippers and went to the living room.

    Instantly, Hilda walked over to him with the admission letter in her hands. She wiped her tears in

    excitement and said, ¡°Son, look at this!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just an admission letter. Do you have to react like that?¡± Carlisleughed.

    ¡°Of course. Of course, I have to. This is our pride!¡±

    ¡°Hayley was right next to me when I opened the letter. Her eyes almost popped when she saw it!¡± Hilda

    was smiling ear to ear. She was pleased and proud.

    Not too long ago, she had her fair share of criticisms from Hayley over Carlisle¡¯s results.

    Now, Carlisle¡¯s results had silenced Hayley. So, Hilda was feeling exceptionally thrilled these two days.

    ¡°Come and eat. I will bring you out in the afternoon to get your bank ount sorted. I will deposit the

    20 thousand dors that you gave us. You can use it when you head to university!¡± Gordon prompted.

    There was a hint of regret in his voice.

    He hadn¡¯t saved enough for Carlisle to go to university. In fact, Carlisle had to even use his own hard-

    earned money for it.

    ¡°Keep that money for yourselves. I can settle my own university expenses.¡± Carlisle picked up his ss

    to get some water.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have money to go to university,¡± Gordonmented in surprise.

    ¡°I sold some more equipment a few days ago. I have over 10 thousand dors with me right now!¡±

    Carlisle replied with a perfunctory excuse.

    Previously, he sold the Heavenly Sword for 80 thousand dors. He gave Sean and his parents 20

    thousand dors, respectively. His phone cost 12 thousand dors. Recently, he spent almost a

    thousand dors on food and online expenses. Thus, he still had approximately 27 thousand with him.

    ¡°That is money that you earned. I need to return the 20 thousand dors to you! You won¡¯t be so lucky

    all the time. Four years of university is going to cost quite a bit! Try not to y games that much. You

    might be addicted to them!¡± Gordon said.

    His tone became increasingly stem. He was worried that Carlisle would be too engrossed in his games

    and neglect his university studies

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Carl is a college student now. Do you think that he knows less than you do?¡±

    Hilda red at Gordon angrily

    Gordon took out a cigarette. He was about to light it when Carlisle snatched it away from him. He

    laughed and asked, ¡°Have you forgotten about our bet, Dad?¡±

 Chapter 46

    Hilda chimed in immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve promised Carlisle that you would quit smoking if he

    got into university. You cannot renege on your words! It¡¯s time to quit smoking!¡±

    Gordon didn¡¯t hesitate. He threw the half packet of cigarettes in his hands into the trash, Carlisle had

    promising future. He couldn¡¯t let Carlisle look down on him.

    Carlisle sniggered. ¡°Moth, you have to keep a close watch on Dad. If I find out that he smoked, I will

    start

    smoking too!¡±

    He was stricter than he had ever been before.

    When he was seriously ill in his past life, Gordon often coughed. He would even cough up blood

    asionally

    So, Carlisle suspected that Gordon had lung cancer. He guessed that Gordon hid it from him and Hilda

    so that Gordon could save up the money for him instead.

    ¡°Will do. I will have him sleep on the streets if he takes another smoke!¡± Hilda red at Gordon.

    She had always been against Gordon smoking, but he never heeded her advice. Now that Carlisle had

    brought this topic up, she would make sure that Gordon quit smoking even if it meant that they¡¯d end

    up

    getting a divorce!

    After lunch, Gordon brought Carlisle to the bank.

    After much persuasion by Carlisle, Gordon agreed to deposit only 10 thousand dors into his ount.

    Time flew by. It was soon near the end of the holidays.

    Carlisle had booked a train ticket toward Rivend. As for Sean, he chose to enroll in Rivend¡¯s

    University of Science and Technology.

    Both universities were not far from each other.

    Rory came to pick Carlisle up and drive him to the train station.

    Gordon and Hilda stood at the door as they bid their goodbyes to Carlisle. They couldn¡¯t bear to part

    with

    him.

    Hilda hadn¡¯t slept all night. With tears in her eyes, she said, ¡°Make sure you eat well when you¡¯re at

    school. Don¡¯t you think ofing back if you¡¯ve lost weight!¡±

    Carlisle noticed the few strands of white hair on Hilda¡¯s head. He felt a lump rise in his throat. ¡°The

    same goes for both of you. Don¡¯t always think about saving up money for me. I can earn my own keep!¡±

    Gordon and Hilda had been worried for him for half their lives. They didn¡¯t even have a piece of nice

    clothing with them. Once he had earned enough and bought a house in the city, he nned to bring

    them over and give them a good life..

    That day wouldn¡¯t be too far away!

    273

    ¡°Alright, hurry up and get in the car. The train waits for no man!¡±

    Gordon put Carlisle¡¯s luggage into the trunk. Then, he took out a packet of Sobranie cigarettes and

    stuffed. it in Rory¡¯s hands. ¡°Drive safe, Rory!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Gordon¡­ I have more than enough cigarettes. Keep these for yourself!¡± Rory

    chuckled

    and refused Gordon¡¯s gesture.

    Gordon didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry. He exined, ¡°I made a bet with Carlisle. I said that I

    would quit smoking if he got into university!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that means you lost the bet?¡± Rory sniggered.

    ¡°Obviously. So, I¡¯ve now quit smoking. Keep it!¡±

    ¡°Alright then!¡±

    Rory epted the cigarettes and put them into his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I need to hurry and send

    them to the station. Talk to you bothter!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Have a safe journey!¡±

    Gordon waved.

    Carlisle waved back at them from the car. ¡°Take care, Mom and Dad!¡±

    At that moment, tears started flowing down Hilda¡¯s face. She covered her mouth as she waved

    goodbye

    silently.

    Even though it had been a while since they left, Hilda remained standing at the same spot and stared

    nkly ahead.

    Gordon¡¯s eyes were red. He curled his lip and asked, ¡°Look at you. What¡¯s there to cry about?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle has never gone so far away from home. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll be able to adapt well!¡± Hilda

    choked.

    ¡°He¡¯s already an adult. He knows how to take care of himself!¡±

    Gordon looked in the direction where the car had left. He reached into his pocket to feel for a cigarette

    out of habit.

    Rainville was four hours away from Rivend.

    There was no air conditioning on the train, and it was extremely crowded. Even the aisles were filled

    with. passengers. Despite all the windows being open, the temperature in the carriage remained high.

    Carlisle and Sean had their own seats.

    There were six people squeezed together in a four¨Cseater.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    The train started moving,

    Sean remarked excitedly, ¡°Here¡¯s to new adventures and a new chapter in life!¡±

    Carlisle rested his chin on his hands as he looked at the scenery that was speeding past him outside.

    There was a glimmer in his eyes.

    In his previous lite, he had not gone to university. In this life, he had gotten into Rivend University.

    The moment the train departed marked the official beginning of his new life.

 Chapter 47

    It was already 7:00 pm by the time they arrived at South Rivend Station.

    Carlisle and Sean dragged their luggage with them as they walked out of the station. The moment they

    exited the station, a middle¨Cageddy with a fan approached them. She had a big smile on her face.

    ¡°Youngds, looking for a ce to stay? Ten dors a night!¡±

    ¡°Ten dors? That¡¯s really cheap.¡±

    Sean was drawn in instantly.

    Logically speaking, inns in county towns would cost 20 dors a night. However, it was only ten dors

    per night here?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The inns here are very affordable. I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re both freshmen here to enroll in

    your university?¡±

    As she said that, she took the initiative to carry Sean¡¯s luggage for him,

    ¡°Yes. How did you know that?¡± Sean asked in curiosity.

    He wasn¡¯t even wearing a uniform! Couldn¡¯t he have been someone who came to Rivend for work?

    ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m very familiar with all the universities here at Rivend. I can even hail a cab

    for you both tomorrow!¡±

    She dragged Sean¡¯s luggage arid started walking ahead. ¡°Hurry up and follow me,ds!¡±

    Sean followed her eagerly.

    Right at that moment, Carlisle yelled out, ¡°Sean, my uncle hase to pick us up. We don¡¯t have to

    stay

    at an inn tonight!¡±

    Sean looked at Carlisle with a look of surprise on his face.

    He thought, ¡®How have ver heard of Carlisle having an uncle in Rivend?¡±

    Carlisle went forward and stood in the woman¡¯s way. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. We already

    have a ce to stay for tonight!¡±

    Sean then nodded and echoed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I¡¯ve forgotten about that!¡±

    ¡°Brats. Wasting my time!¡±

    The woman kicked Sean¡¯s luggage aside angrily. Then, she walked away while fanning herself.

    As they walked out of the station, Seanmented in a perplexed tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you

    rtives at Rivend, Carl.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    had

    Chapte 471

    ¡°The Inns at train stations are dishonest!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Why do you have so many questions? Do you think that I would lie to you?¡±

    Carlisle rolled his eyes at Sean..

    In his previous life, he used to be ignorant when he first started working. He followed the woman at the

    station and went to the inn

    He had lost everything when he woke up the next day.

    This was a period of time when security was bad. There were many thieves and pickpockets around.

    There were even people who would ride on motorcycles andmit snatch thefts.

    After that, he was even scammed at the train station.

    With his experience in his previous life, of course, he was not going to fall for tricks so easily.

    Carlisle and Sean gged a cab from outside the station to make their way to Rivend¡¯s University of

    Science and Technology.

    Sean had only turned 18.

    If Carlisle added up his age from both lives, he had a mental age of close to 50.

    In his eyes. Sean was like a big kid. There was no doubt that Carlisle had to help him settle down first.

    After riding in the cab for almost an hour, they both arrived at the gates of the University of Science and

    Technology.

    Sean was touched to see the magnificent school entrance and the bustling nightlife in the city.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to stay. We¡¯ll have some fun and then spend the night at an inte cafe!¡±

    Sean was quick toe up with a n for themselves.

    Carlisle was free at night, so he simply nodded in agreement.

    The hotel in the city already had aputer room. It was slightly pricey¨C40 dors a night. If it were in

    the past, both of them would have been reluctant to stay in such an expensive room. Now that they had

    an annual ie of at least ten thousand dors, 40 dors was nothing inparison.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    After putting their luggage down, they took a shower before going out to hunt for food.

    Carlisle took out his phone and sent a message to Owen Barlow via MSN messenger.

    ¡°Are you there, Owie?

    ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± Owen was on hisputer, so he replied really quickly.

    Carlisle urged, ¡°Come over to Rivend. I¡¯ll take you to earn some cash!¡±

    When Owen was schooling, he would skip sses to go online. At other times, he would be hanging

    out

    with a bunch of unlearned loafers.

    Instead of wasting his youth, wasn¡¯t it better for him to start earning money earlier?

    After exploring for over a month, he came up with a n to earn money by game ount farming.

    The Mystical Journey could be profitable. So could The Legendary Tale.

    Plus, The Legendary Tale could be trending for another two years. Right now, cheats for The

    Legendary

    Tale had shown up on a number of forums.

    All he needed to do was to build up stats in a new area. Then, he would be able to reap a fair amount

    of

    profit, regardless of whether it was from gold farming or equipment.

    Owen: ¡°What are you doing at Rivend?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°I¡¯m here for school!¡±

    Owen: ¡°You got into university?¡±

 Chapter 48

    Carlisle replied, ¡°Yup!¡±

    Owen questioned, ¡°You mentioned earning money. How do you propose to earn money?*

    There were two things that he was most interested in¨Cgaming and making money. He had limited

    allowance from home. He would usually use up each week¡¯s allowance within two days. Then, he

    would only have bread on the five remaining days of the week.

    He had no way of earning money

    Now that Carlisle was offering to take him to earn money, he would be definitely interested.

    Carlisle: ¡°I¡¯m nning to open a game ount farming studio at Rivend!¡±

    Owen: ¡°What¡¯s game ount farming?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°It¡¯s where we build up in¨Cgame stats. Then, we will be massively gold farming and collecting

    equipment and materials. Then, we will package these and sell them off!¡±

    At the end of the day, Owen was a young man addicted to the inte. In a jiffy, he understood what

    Carlisle meant. He tapped on his keyboard excitedly and asked, ¡°You mean to say, we¡¯ll be able to earn

    money just by ying games?*

    Carlisle: ¡°That¡¯s one way to understand it!¡±

    Owen: ¡°But I¡¯m still schooling right now. My mom would kill me if she found out that I¡¯m not studying!¡±

    Without waiting for Carlisle to reply, Owen sent him another message. ¡°Also, you¡¯ll need to rent a space

    and purchaseputers if you want to run a studio. Where are we going to get the funds?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about money. It¡¯s all up to you to convince your mother!¡±

    Owen: ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll give it a try. I¡¯ll contact you again to

    After chatting with Owen, Carlisle suddenly realized that someone had sent him a friend request.

    He opened the notification and saw that it was from a stranger whose username was

    ¡°Sweet_like_candy¡°. Her profile photo was of ady with the most old¨Cfashioned blue hair.

    The rating on her MSN messenger ount was three stars.

    Sweet like candy. ¡°Hi, good day!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°Hello. You are¡­?¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°You can call me Wanda!¡±

    Bygories_b_bygones: ¡°You¡¯re Wanda Thompson?¡±

    For some reason, Carlisl¨¦ felt touched. He didn¡¯t have Wanda¡¯s contact number. She wasn¡¯t someone

    who went online very frequently. So, he barely had a chance to chat with her.

    During the two months of summer vacation, he would often think about the innocent, short¨Chaired

    woman. He even dreamt of her a few times.

    In his dream, both of them became chummy lovers. They went shopping and watched movies together.

    They also went to the amusement park and sat on the Ferris wheel together.

    His MSN notification sounded.

    Sweet_like_candy replied, ¡°Who¡¯s Wanda? My name is Rwanda Bell!¡±

    Carlisle lifted the corners of his lips into a slight smile. He had lived two lives. Could a childish trick like

    this deceive him?

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I might have mistaken you for someone else!¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°So, who¡¯s Wanda?¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. I thought that this was her alternative ount!¡±

    There was no response for a long time after he sent that message.

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°Why have you stopped replying?¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°I had something to do earlier!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°You¡¯re not her. Let¡¯s just delete each other¡¯s contact!¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°No way!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°Why not?¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°I¡¯m really bored, and I don¡¯t have many friends online!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that my girlfriend would be jealous!¡±

    Sweet_like_candy. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t know!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°How do you know that she doesn¡¯t know?¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°It¡¯s just a guess!¡±

    Carlisle was smiling from ear to ear. She didn¡¯t even know how to lie! How had he never realized that

    she was so adorable?

    ¡°Carl¡­ When are we starting to make money? I can¡¯t wait!¡± Sean suddenly asked. He was standing by

    the side of the road and waiting for the light to turn green.

    Carlisle took a nce at the traffic light. He answered, ¡°I¡¯ve invited Owen. Let¡¯s wait for him toe

    over!¡±

    Sean widened his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t he still schooling?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°His studies aren¡¯t great. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for him toe and make big bucks

    with us rather than wasting his time at school?¡±

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    In fact, there were many people who weren¡¯t born to excel in academics.

    Since elementary school, Owen never scored well in his exams. During middle school, he always

    ranked.st. Each time after their end¨Cof¨Cterm exam results were released, Carlisle would hear the

    sound of Owen

    being spanked.

    Even though he always got spanked, he was still stubborn. There was no sign of improvement in hist

    studies. After he started attending vocational high school, he lived even more freely. He always skipped

    school to go online.

    This also resulted in his tragedy of entering prison.

    Inviting Owen out to earn money was a way for Owen to change his life. Other than that, it was also for

    him to take the first step toward raking in his own money.

    After thinking for a moment, Sean curled his lips and said, ¡°I feel like Owen isn¡¯t reliable. He¡¯s a

    turncoat. He¡¯s someone who will turn the page faster than you can even blink!¡±

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 49

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have my ways to make sure that he listens to us!¡±

    After all, Carlisle had the experience of working as apany salesman. When he first started that job,

    his sales manager indoctrinated him with a money¨Cmaking mindset every other day.

    He applied the same approach to Owen. He was sure that he could keep him in control.

    Carlisle¡¯s phone sounded. It was the sound of his MSN messenger notifications.

    It was another message from Sweet_like_candy.

    ¡°Is your girlfriend pretty?¡±

    ¡°How old is she?¡±

    ¡°How long have you both been together?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you replying to me?¡±

    Carlisle watched as the messages came in consecutively. With a smile on his face, he typed his reply.¡±

    What do these have to do with you?¡±

    Sweet_like_candy: ¡°I¡¯m just curious!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°Curiosity kills the cat. Also, we don¡¯t know each other very well. Why do I have

    to reveal so much to you?¡±

    Sweet like candy: ¡°We¡¯ll know each other better soon enough. I¡¯ll chat with you again tomorrow. But

    you

    must make sure that you answer today¡¯s questions by tomorrow!¡±

    After that reply, Sweet_like_candy¡¯s profile photo was changed to a gray image.

    Carlisle chuckled. Then, he put his phone into his pants pocket.

    Sean couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. He asked, ¡°Who was it? That wasn¡¯t Sarah, was it?¡±

    Carlisle twitched the corner of his lip. ¡°How could it be her?¡±

    When he first reincarnated and gave up on Sarah, he still considered some of his ssmates¡® feelings.

    However, he was really disgusted after he attended Sarah¡¯s college entrance celebration.

    Sarah¡¯s parents, in particr, were this close to threatening him with murder for money.

    In this generation, congrattory money was usually ten to 20 dors. Carlisle had given them 100

    dors. Yet, they were not satisfied with that. The reason they gave was that he was using a cellphone

    worth 4000 dors for himself./

    How ridiculously funny was that?

    ¡°There¡¯s a seafood restaurant up ahead. Let¡¯s go and eat¡­¡±

    Sean¡¯s gaze was fixed on the seafood restaurant up ahead. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he

    spotted a woman standing at the bus stop. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt.

    The woman was carrying her backpack in front of her. Next to her was a pink luggage. She looked

    slightly

    nervous.

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that Lily Green?¡± Sean asked while staring straight at that woman.

    Carlisle looked over. It was indeed Wanda¡¯s deskmate, Lily.

    All of a sudden, there was a loud rumble in Carlisle¡¯s head.

    Following that, an image came to mind.

    A motorcycle stopped next to Lily. The pillion rider grabbed onto Lily¡¯s backpack, and the rider stepped

    on the elerator. Lily was dragged along for quite a distance¡­.

    Until she rolled under a cement mixer truck and got rolled over¡­

    What¡­ What was that?

    Carlisle started seeing stars. The pain in his head was so severe that it felt as if someone had knocked

    a

    rivet into his head.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He put his hand on Sean¡¯s shoulder to support himself. He looked up once again at Lily.

    She was looking left and right anxiously.

    What was that earlier? It all looked too real!

    Was it a vision of the future?

    He was someone who reincarnated. In some ways, he did have the ability to know the future.

    Something wasn¡¯t right¡­

    In his previous life, Lily got into Rivend University. Subsequently, she worked in a state¨Cowned

    enterprise.

    She was now near the University of Science and Technology. It was obvious that she was admitted into

    the University of Science and Technology.

    How was this so?

    Carlisle¡¯s head raced as he thought hard about it.

    A momentter, his pupils constricted.

    Lily was Wanda¡¯s deskmate. In the previous life, she was able to get into Rivend University because

    she had Wanda¡¯s guidance.

    However, after Carlisle was reborn, he switched ces with Lily. Thus, she was unable to receive

    Wanda¡¯s guidance and only got into a/Tier 2 University.

    His rebirth changed Lily¡¯s history.

    As for his ability to see the future, it probably only applied to those whose history was being changed

 Chapter 50

    ¡°Hey, Carl. You¡¯re hurting me! What¡¯s up with you?¡± Sean asked in a strained voice.

    He realized that Carlisle was putting almost his entire body weight on his shoulders..

    After that, he noticed that Carlisle was dripping with sweat, and his face had gone pale. Instantly,

    Sean¡¯s face tensed up. ¡°What happened, Carl? You¡¯re scaring me!¡±

    ¡°Lily is in danger. Quick, take her away¡­¡± Carlisle urged forcefully through gritted teeth.

    Sean put his hand against Carlisle¡¯s forehead and realized that he was running a slight temperature. In

    a concerned voice, he eximed, ¡°You¡¯re burning up. Why are you having a fever all of a sudden?

    You¡¯re

    even spewing nonsense!¡±

    Carlisle red at Sean and shouted, ¡°Quickly go¡­¡±

    He was feeling weak all over at this moment. Otherwise, he would have run over personally.

    ¡°Stay here then. I¡¯ll go over now.¡±

    Sean made sure that Carlisle could stand on his own before he trotted toward Lily.

    Vroom vroom!

    From afar, a motorcycle wasing toward them at high speed. There were two men riding on the

    motorcycle with helmets on.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Sean noticed that the motorcycle was moving toward thene nearer to the bus stop.

    Was this a snatch theft?

    Sean clenched his fists and dashed ahead.

    The man riding pillion grabbed onto the backpack in Lily¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Before Lily could even respond, she was being dragged forward by a magnanimous force.

    ¡°Go to hell¡­¡±

    Sean leaped like a lion and pushed the motorcycle to the ground.

    Due to inertia, the motorcycle was pushed over 20 meters away. The two men on the motorcycle had

    fallen to the ground and were skidding ahead.

    Sean fell to the ground hard. He got up from the ground and roared, ¡°We¡¯re being mugged! We¡¯re being

    mugged! Call the cops!¡±

    Despite that, those passersby turned a deaf ear and kept their distance.

    Sean was dumbfounded. What was wrong with these people? Why weren¡¯t they helping? Was there no

    one brave enough to help the victim?

    ¡°My school fees¡­ My school fees¡­¡± Lily cried as she ran toward the man who snatched her backpack.

    At the same time, both men had gotten up from the ground, too. Each of them whipped out a well-

    polished knife and walked toward Sean.

    ¡°Get back here, Lily¡­¡± Sean yelled.

    Lily also noticed the knife in the robbers¡® hands. She didn¡¯t dare to take another step forward.

    Then, a cement mixer tryck honked and sped past them.

    Sean rushed to the front of Lily. He put up a brave front and red at the two robbers. He called out,

    How pompous of you to rob someone in public. Aren¡¯t you afraid of thew?¡±

    Beforeing to Rivend, Rory had reminded him that this was a chaotic ce. He advised him to

    avoid going out on his own at night.

    But he had never imagined it to be this chaotic.

    Not only were these people trying tomit snatch theft, but they weren¡¯t even making an attempt to

    escape right now. They seemed like they were wanting to take revenge on him.

    This was the city area!

    ¡°Take the things and leave. Don¡¯t do anything rash¡­¡±

    Carlisle had gotten his hands on a fire extinguisher. He carried it and came to Sean¡¯s side.

    The two men with helmets were very burly. Their arms were thicker than Carlisle¡¯s and Sean¡¯s thighs.

    They even had knives in their hands. If they really came at them, Carlisle and Sean would be the ones

    at a

    loss.

    Lily¡¯s backpack probably contained school fees. These robbers were after money. It wasn¡¯t worth it for

    them to get stabbed just for the sake of getting their money back.

    The two burly men looked each other in the eye. They also spotted the flickering lights from a patrol car

    not too far away. So, they gave up on their revenge and ran toward their motorcycle.

    ¡°My school fees¡­¡± Lily cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

    Those were school fees that her grandfather had gathered after selling off his favorite cow. She was

    now being robbed of it. How was she going to attend school?

    Sean looked at the bystanders angrily. He chided, ¡°Are you all heartless? Why didn¡¯t anyone step

    forward to help when you all saw a woman being robbed? What is happening to the virtues of our

    country?¡±

 Chapter 51

    ¡°Forget it, Sean!¡±

    Carlisle patted Sean on his shoulder. This was a time when evildoers hadn¡¯t beenpletely

    eradicated.

    No one was willing to offend those criminals.

    That being said, Sean¡¯s words guilt¨Ctripped them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Lily. It¡¯s more important that you¡¯re safe!¡±

    Carlisle had changed the tragedy that he had foreseen. Lily had survived. This was the silver lining.

    ¡°My school fees are gone. Without that, I won¡¯t be able to attend university¡­ What should I do?¡± cried

    Lily.

    She sat on the ground with her head buried between her knees.

    She had 4000 dors in her bag. 3000 dors was from the hard work that her parents put in by

    working

    day and night for half a year. The other 1000 dors was from her grandfather¡¯s sale of their cow.

    Carlisle spoke up, ¡°Il put in the money for your school fees first¡­¡±

    After all, Lily¡¯s past had changed because of him. Helping out with her school fees was his way up for

    the guilt he felt in his heart.

    Lily looked up at Carlisle. She was teary¨Ceyed. ¡°You have that much money?¡±

    of making

    Carlisle smiled and replied casually, ¡°I earned some money from gaming over the summer holidays!¡±

    Lily looked at Sean doubtfully. In a croaky voice, she asked, ¡°Is what Carlisle said true?¡±

    A smile broke on Sean¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s a rich man now!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I might only be able to pay you back after a long time!¡±

    Lily started crying even harder. She didn¡¯t interact with Carlisle much. Even so, he was willing to fork

    out the money for her school fees first.

    It was not a small amount. Even if she worked part¨Ctime, it would probably take her years to pay him

    back.

    ¡®There¡¯s no rush in paying me back. Wait till you get a job next time!¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t think of having her return the money. He even decided to include her in his money¨C

    making

    ns in the future.

    After a moment, the police arrived. Carlisle and Sean apanied Lily to make a report and get her

    statement taken.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    After that, they returned to town for dinner.

    Carlisle made a trip back to the hotel to take 5000 dors from his luggage. Although it wasn¡¯t

    considered

    a small amount during this time, he didn¡¯t feel the pinch at all.

    At the seafood restaurant, Sean ordered eight dishes in one go.

    Lily was stunned. She knew that Sean had a good family background. But wasn¡¯t this over the top?

    How were the three of them going to be able to finish eight dishes?

    ¡°Mister, you hurt your arm. Do you want to go have your wound cleaned?¡± a waitress asked politely.

    She had noticed the scratch on Sean¡¯s arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury. It¡¯s no biggie!¡±

    Sean waved his hand. Then, he added, ¡°I¡¯d like to add a shrimp gumbo!¡±

    The waitress asked, ¡°Are you waiting on anyone else?¡±

    Sean nodded. ¡°One more person!¡±

    The waitress was taken aback. ¡°Only one more person?¡±

    They ordered nine dishes for the three of them. She figured that Sean was born with a silver spoon in

    his

    mouth!

    At this moment, Sean realized that he might have ordered too much.

    He thought of canceling a few dishes but was afraid of being looked down on by the waitress.

    Lily was sitting next to him. So, he linked arms with Lily and boasted, ¡°I¡¯m treating my girlfriend to a

    meal. What¡¯s wrong with ordering a few more dishes?¡±

    Lily widened her eyes immediately. She blushed. She wanted to push Sean away but was afraid that

    she¡¯d hurt his pride.

    She was reminded of the scene where Sean leaped ahead to save her. She flushed red and lowered

    her

    head.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I misspoke!¡± the waitress apologized immediately.

    Such a situation has indeed happened before. There were those who were old money who ordered

    more than ten dishes for themselves!

    After the waitress left, Carlisle opened the door to the private room and walked in.

    He saw that Sean had linked arms with Lily. He smiled slightly andmented, ¡°Good on you, Sean.

    It¡¯s only been a while, and you¡¯ve managed to chase Lily?¡±

    Sean turned red. He retracted his hand immediately and stuttered, ¡°Lily¡­ Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to!¡±

    Lily had flushed red in embarrassment. She hung her head low and mumbled, ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s alright!¡±

    They were both very shy. They hung their heads down low and didn¡¯t say a word.

    Carlisle took out 5000 dors and put it on the table in front of Lily. ¡°Here are your school fees, Lily!¡±

    Chapter 52 =

 Chapter 52

    Lily nced at the cash. They were all brand new 100¨Cdor bills. She wasn¡¯t able to tell how much

    there was just by the thickness of the stack.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Carlisle!¡±

    Lily was brought to tears again.

    She had mocked him when he switched ces with her. Even so, he was helping her without holding

    any grudges.

    formal!

    ¡°We were schoolmates. You don¡¯t have to be so for

    ¡°I will return it to you as soon as possible,¡± Lily uttered, choking back on her tears.

    Lily pressed the money against her chest. If it weren¡¯t for Carlisle and Sean, her life would have

    changed.

    ¡°Alright, hurry up and put the money away. You shouldn¡¯t keep your money exposed like that. You were

    probably robbed because you revealed your money somewhere!¡±

    Carlisle picked up the cup from the table and took a sip.

    Lily shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never revealed my money!¡±

    Carlisle continued his analysis. ¡°Then, there¡¯s a second possibility. Those robbers knew that there

    would be freshmen with money on them during the new school term. So, they simply struck at random.

    It was just your bad luck that they targeted you¡­¡±

    Lily pouted. ¡°They¡¯re nasty. I hope the police will be able to catch them soon!¡±

    Carlisle only responded with a smile. There was nothing wrong with Lily¡¯s perspective. However, the

    reality was usually very cruel.

    The security was bad during this period of time. The authorities were probably incapable of doing

    anything even if they wanted to. If capturing them was such an easy task, the robbers wouldn¡¯t have

    threatened them with knives.

    The staff members served up their food. After all nine dishes were served, Carlisle was bbergasted.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°You¡¯re a nouveau riche indeed. This meal is on you!¡± Carlisle red at Sean unhappily

    Sean responded nonchntly. ¡°My treat it is!¡±

    Out of the 20 thousand dors that Carlisle gave him, he only used some of it to buy his phone. Other

    than that purchase, he had never touched the money again.

    Sean opened a bottle of beer and poured a ss each for Carlisle and Lily.

    ¡°Cheers to our freedom¡­¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    Carlisle lifted his ss with a smile on his face.

    Lily nced at Carlisle and Sean, whom she was now indebted to. It didn¡¯t feel right to refuse them, so

    she also lifted her ss and clinked sses with them.

    Carlisle and Sean chugged it all in one gulp. As for Lily, she only took a sip.

    Right at that moment, the MSN messenger notification rang from Carlisle¡¯s phone in his pocket again.

    He put his cutleries down and took his phone out.

    He thought that Sweet like candy had messaged him. As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t her.

    Goldfish memory: ¡°Carlisle, have you arrived at Rivend?¡±

    It was Christine Goodman.

    Carlisle typed, ¡°Just arrived not long ago. How about you?¡±

    Goldfish_memory: ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve just arrived too. Where are you? Can I treat you to a meal?¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: I¡¯m near the University of Science and Technology¡­¡±

    Goldfish memory: ¡°Oh, what a coincidence. I¡¯m nearby, too!¡±

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°Come over to A1 Seafood Restaurant then. Sean and I are dining here!¡±

    Goldfish memory: ¡°You¡¯ve already started eating? I¡¯ll treat you another day then!¡±

    The name, A1 Seafood Restaurant, sounded posh. She didn¡¯t dare to treat Carlisle to a meal at a ce

    like this.

    It wasn¡¯t that she was being stingy. Rather, she couldn¡¯t afford it.

    She had tried really hard to gather the money for her studies by asking her neighbors for it.

    Bygones_b_bygones: ¡°We can talk about that another day. Juste over first. Sean ordered an entire

    spread of food. We won¡¯t be able to finish everything!¡±

    Goldfish memory: ¡°Alright then!¡±

    Sean was eating the lemon butter fish when he suddenly asked, ¡°Carl,e to think of it, how did you

    know that Lily would be in danger at that time?¡±

    Upon hearing that, Lily looked toward Carlisle in surprise. ¡°You already knew that I was going to be in

    danger, so you asked Sean to save me?¡±

    Both of them stared straight at Carlisle. With a serious expression on his face, he said, ¡°I will let you

    both in on a secret. You have to make sure that you don¡¯t tell anyone!¡±

 Chapter 53

    The two of them nodded their heads repeatedly. Carlisle leaned in and whispered, ¡°To be honest, my

    grandfather is a psychic. I¡¯ve been exposed to it since I was young, so I¡¯ve managed to pick up some

    physiognomy. When I saw Lily¡¯s dark forehead, I predicted that she would encounter danger soon!¡±

    He knew that Sean would ask him this question, so he came up with a perfect exnation.

    Sean grew up in a big city, so he was rather skeptical of Carlisle¡¯s words. He turned toward Lily and

    asked,

    ¡°Do you believe him?¡±

    Lily nodded. ¡°I do. The psychics in our vige are extremely reputable!¡±

    Sean picked up his beer and took a big gulp. He said with a grin, ¡°Then, can you predict if I¡¯ll be able to

    find a girlfriend in university?¡±

    Carlisle scanned Sean¡¯s face, picked up his palm, and studied it carefully.

    After a while, he closed his eyes and began counting his finger joints.

    Seeing Carlisle so serious, Sean couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.

    After a brief moment, Carlisle finally opened his eyes and eximed, ¡°Oh my!¡±

    Sean looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±

    see a great love life ahead of you. In the next few years, there will be lots of women pursuing you!¡±

    Carlisle said as he looked at Sean with an envious gaze.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Sean excitedly took a big gulp of his beer.

    Carlisle then pursed his lips and said, ¡°However, none of them will genuinely like you, and they will just

    be after your money!¡±

    Sean¡¯s excitement instantly withered. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m destined to be single in university!¡±

    Carlisle nced at Lily. He then leaned back in his chair and chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s an opportunity right in

    front of you. If you can grasp it, you might just be able to turn the tide in your favor!¡±

    Sean instantly perked up once again. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I still have hope for finding true love?¡±

    Carlisle nodded with a smile.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sean eagerly asked, ¡°Please give me some advice!¡±

    Carlisle smiled as he turned his gaze toward Lily.

    Sean followed his gaze, and his face instantly flushed red.

    Was Carlisle suggesting that Lily was his true love?

    Lily also sensed the suggestion in his tone, making her instantly lower her head in embarrassment.

    She deeply believed in fortune¨Ctelling.

    ind

    Otherwise, how else would Carlisle have known she was in danger?

    Now that Carlisle was iming that she and Sean were destined, she believed that it was likely true.

    That being said, Lily still wasn¡¯t ready to be in a rtionship!

    Beep beep!

    It

    was a message from Christine, asking which private room Carlisle was in.

    Carlisle texted her the private room number,

    After a while, Christine arrived and knocked on the door,

    Sean walked over to open it. The moment he saw Christine, his eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Christine! What

    are you doing here in Rivend?¡±

    Christine said with a smile, ¡°I got into Rivend University.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d make it¡­¡±

    Sean stepped aside and gestured for her toe in. ¡°Come on in, Christine!¡±

    Christine was dressed in a white short¨Csleeve shirt paired with white jeans. She had her hair pulled

    back

    a ponytail, and her youthful face radiated with innocence.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡±

    With her cheeks flushed, Christine greeted Carlisle shyly.

    Carlisle replied with an awkward smile, ¡°I¡¯ll feel weird if you call me in a shy manner. Please have a

    seat!¡±

    Christine took a seat beside Lily. She nced at the table full of seafood dishes and sighed, ¡°You all

    sure

    have high dining standards. I don¡¯t think I could ever afford this in my entire life!¡±

    Sean sat down between Carlisle and Lily.

 Chapter 54

    Sean had just sat down when he suddenly remembered the day of the SATS when Carlisle saved

    Christine. With an intense gaze, he asked, ¡°Carl, did you also predict that Christine would be in danger

    that day?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Carlisle said with a nod

    Christine¡¯s tragedy was entirely based on his memory from his past life.

    Lily, on the other hand, had her fate altered because of him. His psychic abilities had predicted her

    tragedy.

    Sean was now fully convinced of Carlisle¡¯s psychic abilities. His breath hitched, and he continued to

    ask, How about the Heavenly Sword in The Legendary Tale? Did you predict that, too?¡±

    He finally knew why Carlisle dared to boldly set a goal of earning one million dors.

    With such an extraordinary ability, why would he need to worry about not making money?

    Carlisle rolled his eyes and said with discontent, ¡°Do you think I can predict everything through fortune

    telling? Getting rare weapons in games is all about luck!¡±

    Sean chuckled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Having such an ability is more than enough!¡±

    Christine couldn¡¯t understand a thing they were saying. She asked in puzzlement, ¡°What talking

    about?¡±

    Lily looked at Christine in surprise. ¡°Did Carlisle save you too?¡±

    are you DUNG you guys

    Not wanting them to continue delving deeper into the topic, Carlisle said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s enough.

    Let¡¯s eat first. It would be a shame if all these tasty dishes be cold!¡±

    Just like that, the four of them ate and happily chatted away. Sounds of theirughter resonated in the

    private room.

    It wasn¡¯t until around 10:00 pm that they finally took this

    leave.

    They packed up the leftovers, giving most of them to Christine and Lily.

    Sean had a little bit too much to drink and seized the opportunity to get Lily¡¯s messenger username.

    He even insisted on booking a hotel for Christine and Lily for the night. The both of them firmly

    declined, but that only made Sean upset. Heined that they were being overly courteous.

    Carlisle said with a sigh, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just stay at a hotel? It isn¡¯t safe for two youngdies to

    stay at a motel.¡±

    Thinking about what had happened before, Lily felt a tinge of fear. She grabbed onto Christine¡¯s arms

    and said, ¡°Christine, why don¡¯t I stay with you tonight?¡±

    Christine nodded. She, too, wanted to ask Lily about how Carlisle saved her.

    Sean proceeded to use the girls¡® names to book a double room and then apanied them toward the

    elevator.

    Outside the hotel, Zachary had just parked the car. He was prepared to unbuckle his seatbelt when he

    heard Wanda¡¯s trembling voice from the passenger seat. ¡°Zac¡­ let¡¯s switch to another hotel!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with staying at our own hotel? I¡¯ve been driving for the entire day. Can¡¯t you pity little old

    me?¡± Zachary twitched the corners of his mouth several times.

    Wanda quietly lowered her head. Tears began to stream down her face andnded on the back of her

    hand.

    ¡°Oh, no. Don¡¯t cry. Alright. We¡¯ll go to another hotel¡­¡±

    Zachary couldn¡¯t bear to see his beloved younger sister, Wanda, cry, so he hastily turned the car

    around.

    After driving for another hour, they finally arrived at another chain hotel.

    Without saying a word, Wanda got out of the car and took her luggage from the trunk.

    Zachary parked the car and quickly caught up to her. He snatched the luggage from her and said,

    ¡°Wanda, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Lately, he had been finding it increasingly difficult to understand Wanda¡¯s thoughts.

    She had beenpletely fine during the day but was now so moody.

    At the hotel front desk, a man and a woman were seen to be checking into the hotel.

    The man was fully dressed in designer clothing, while the woman was dressed in slightly more modest

    apparel.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one room left, Sarah. Why don¡¯t we just share a room? I¡¯ll sleep on the couch!¡± The man

    suggested, a smirk ying on his lips.

    With her face flushed, Sarah shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. It isn¡¯t appropriate for a man and a

    woman to share a room. I¡¯ll just stay at a motel. Apart from the mosquitoes and slightly poor

    environment, it¡¯s just as good. Besides, I¡¯ve already gotten used to it from when I was in high school!¡±

 Chapter 55

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you stay here while I go to another hotel?¡± Kelvin suggested with a hint of

    disappointment.

    Sarah nodded. ¡°That would be great. Thank you, Kelvin!¡±

    Kelvin was the mysterious person who had arranged for someone to deliver breakfast to Sienna and

    her.

    She and Kelvin weren¡¯t in the same ss. Kelvin was the top student in ss 3C and was also the

    ss monitor.

    There had also been rumors circting in school that his father was a senior executive in a listed

    Had she known earlier that Kelvin had a crush on her, she would have never gotten involved with

    Carlisle. Kelvin took out a hundred¨Cdor bill and ced it on the counter. ¡°Get her the most luxurious

    room!¡±

    The receptionist immediately epted the money and handed over a key. ¡°Room 608!¡±

    Sarah took the key and headed toward the elevator. Before entering, she turned back to bid Kelvin

    goodbye, shing him a charming smile. ¡°Bye, Kelvin! See you tomorrow!¡±

    Kelvin nodded with a smile.

    As the elevator door closed, Zachary and Wanda arrived at the front desk.

    Zachary said, ¡°Give me the keys to room 908 and 909!¡±

    Noticing that it was their boss, the receptionist quickly took out two brand¨Cnew keys from the drawer,

    Kelvin was left momentarily stunned. Upon noticing Wanda, he taunted, ¡°Wanda, you always looked so

    innocent. Who would have thought that you would also be messing around with men¡­.¡±

    Smack!

    Before Kelvin could finish his sentence, Zachary delivered a heavy p to his face.

    Kelvin instantly blew up in anger. ¡°How dare you hit me!¡±

    Thud!

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Zachary delivered another kick to his chest.

    Kelvin was sent flying to the ground. With his hands clutching his chest, he yelled at Zachary, ¡°How

    dare you hit me! I¡¯m going to call the cops and have you arrested!¡±

    With that, he took out his phone and made a phone call.

    The security guards who were standing guard outside heard themotion and quickly rushed in.

    Kelvin eximed, ¡°Guards, this man hit me! Quickly kick him out!¡±

    Zachary impatiently instructed the security guards, ¡°Get this piece of trash out of this hotel!¡±

    Covering his swollen face with his hand, Kelvin yelled, ¡°Do you think you own this hotel? Do you expect

    them to throw me out when you were the one who hit me?¡±

    Zachary scoffed as he looked down at Kelvin. He then nced at the two guards who had walked in

    and said casually, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys tell him whether I own this hotel or not?¡±

    ¡°He owns this hotel!*

    ¡°Young man, you seem young. It¡¯s best if you just leave on your own!¡± the head of the security team

    said

    coldly.

    Kelvin was left absolutely dumbfounded.

    Did he really just insult the owner of this hotel?

    ¡°Are you still not leaving?¡±

    The guard yelled, causing Kelvin to scramble out the door.

    With his hands in his pocket, Zachary strode toward the hotel.

    In the luxurious suite, Sarah turned on the air conditioner and sprawled on the two¨Cmeter¨Cwide

    Simmons

    bed.

    She sighed. ¡°Rich people truly live a great life! How I wish I could stay in a room like this every day!

    Kelvin might be rich, but he isn¡¯t as handsome as Carlisle!¡±

    Sarah continued to mutter to herself, ¡°Who should I choose? If Carlisle¡¯s dad earned as much as

    Kelvin¡¯s dad, I would surely choose him! It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t have them both!¡±

    Sarah contemted for a moment before taking out her phone to check if Carlisle had sent her any

    messages.

    Yet, to her surprise, Carlisle did not contact her.

    The only message she received was from Sienna. ¡°Sarah, something came up. I¡¯ll only be able to go to

    Rivend tomorrow.¡±

    Sarah texted back. ¡°Got it!¡±

    Since Sienna was currently not online, Sarah put her phone down and prepared to take a bath.

 Chapter 56

    Just then, Sarah received another phone call.

    It was from Kelvin.

    She picked up her phone and answered it. ¡°Is something wrong, Kelvin?¡±

    With his face swollen, Kelvin mumbled incoherently, ¡°Sarah, I have some major news!¡±

    Sarah asked, feeling intrigued, ¡°What is it? Are you eating? Your speech is unclear.¡±

    ¡°No. My gums are just a bit inmed, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Kelvin was obviously unwilling to admit that his face was swollen from being punched, so he randomly

    came up with an excuse.

    Sarah didn¡¯t think much of it and continued to ask, ¡°What news?¡±

    ¡°Your high school ss monitor, Wanda, has a boyfriend!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Sarah immediately thought of Carlisle. Her eyes widened as she asked, ¡°Did you see them?¡±

    Kelvin asked in surprise, ¡°You already knew about this?¡±

    A wave of discontent surged through Sarah as she muttered to herself, ¡°Have they really gotten

    together?¡±

    But Carlisle clearly liked her first!

    Wanda merely tutored him for a month.

    There was no way Carlisle couldn¡¯t possibly be interested in Wanda.

    Apart from her studies and family background, she surpassed Wanda in every aspect.

    *Her boyfriend owns the hotel you¡¯re staying in! ver imagined that the seemingly innocent Wanda

    would find herself a sugar daddy!¡±

    Resentment was on Kelvin¡¯s face. He nned to spread this news to their ss group chat.

    Since Wanda¡¯s boyfriend hit him, Kelvin was going to make sure she could never hold her head high

    again.

    in their ss.

    ¡°What did you say? Wanda found herself a sugar daddy?¡±

    Sarah¡¯s expression eased up.

    It was just as she had thought, Carlisle was clearly interested in her, so how could he possibly like

    Wanda?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. After you went upstairs, Wanda and a man walked into the hotel. The hotel¡¯s security

    guards

    imed that the man is the owner!¡±

    Just then, Sarah received another phone call.

    It was from Kelvin,

    She picked up her phone and answered it. ¡°Is something wrong, Kelvin?¡±

    With his face swollen, Kelvin mumbled incoherently, ¡°Sarah, I have some major news!¡±

    Sarah asked, feeling intrigued, ¡°What is it? Are you eating? Your speech is unclear.¡±

    ¡°No. My gums are just a bit inmed, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Kelvin was obviously unwilling to admit that his face was swollen from being punched, so he randomly

    Sarah didn¡¯t think much of it and continued to ask, ¡°What news?¡±

    ¡°Your high school ss monitor, Wanda, has a boyfriend!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Sarah immediately thought of Carlisle. Her eyes widened as she asked, ¡°Did you see them?¡±

    Kelvin asked in surprise, ¡°You already knew about this?¡±

    A wave of discontent surged through Sarah as she muttered to herself, ¡°Have they really gotten

    together?¡±

    But Carlisle clearly liked her first!

    Wanda merely tutored him for a month.

    There was no way Carlisle couldn¡¯t possibly be interested in Wanda.

    Apart from her studies and family background, she surpassed Wanda in every aspect.

    ¡°Her boyfriend owns the hotel you¡¯re staying in! ver imagined that the seemingly innocent Wanda

    would find herself a sugar daddy!¡±

    Resentment was on Kelvin¡¯s face. He nned to spread this news to their ss group chat.

    Since Wanda¡¯s boyfriend hit him, Kelvin was going to make sure she could never hold her head high

    again.

    In their ss.

    ¡°What did you say? Wanda found herself a sugar daddy?¡±

    Sarah¡¯s expression eased up.

    It was just as she had thought, Carlisle was clearly interested in her, so how could he possibly like

    Wanda?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. After you went upstairs, Wanda and a man walked into the hotel. The hotel¡¯s security

    guards

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    imed that the man is the owner!¡±

    Kelvin deliberately left out the part where he was beaten up.

    Upon hearing this, Sarah clicked her tongue and eximed, ¡°No wonder Wanda is so rich. It¡¯s because

    she found herself a sugar daddy!¡±

    Kelvin rubbed his swollen face and said sinisterly, ¡°Sarah, you should share this news with the ss

    chat. I want to end Wanda¡¯s reputation!¡±

    ¡°Do you have bad blood with Wanda?¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°She annoys me!¡± Kelvin huffed.

    ¡°I think you should look for someone else. I¡¯m not fit to share this news!¡±

    group

    Wanda had quite the influence in their ss. If Sarah were to spread this news in their ss group

    chat, the ssmates who supported her would surely bad¨Cmouth her behind her back.

    Kelvin sighed, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll think of something else!¡±

    Meanwhile, Carlisle and Sean were sitting in front of theputer ying The Mystical Journey.

    Sean wasn¡¯t really interested in these types of turn¨Cbased strategy games andined, ¡°These

    games

    are no fun at all! It¡¯s so boring!¡±

    ¡°Go y The Legendary Tale, then!¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t force Sean into ying. After all, in the future, their studio would be divided into three

    departments anyway.

    If really necessary, he could just assign Sean and Owen to manage The Legendary Tale.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t mad, are you?¡± Sean chuckled awkwardly.

    Carlisle nkly replied, ¡°Why would I be mad? The only reason I¡¯m ying The Mystical Journey is to

    understand the market!¡±

    Sean looked at Carlisle with a deep gaze. He suddenly felt as if he couldn¡¯t quite understand Carlisle.

    Ever since Carlisle decided to move on from Sarah, he began studying hard and went from an

    underachiever to a top student. Later, he was lucky enough to acquire the extremely rare Heavenly

    Sword in The Legendary Tale and sold it for a staggering 80 thousand dors.

    As for Carlisle¡¯s psychic abilities, it was something Sean found hard to believe. Yet, he couldn¡¯t seem to

    find another exnation for Carlisle¡¯s urate predictions.

    ¡°Carlisle, you aren¡¯t some sort of time traveler, are you?¡± Sean asked jokingly.

    Carlisle¡¯s hand paused before he turned to Sean with a smile. ¡°If I said I am, would you believe me?¡±

 Chapter 57

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe you

    you!¡±

    Sean shook his head.

    He¡¯d rather believe that Carlisle had psychic abilities than entertain the idea of him being a time

    traveler.

    Metaphysics and mythology were two different things.

    Carlisle had previously added the yer who taught him how to y The Mystical Journey at the

    inte

    cafe.

    His username was The Sly Knight.

    Suddenly, a notification shed on the game interface. Carlisle clicked it open and saw that it was at

    message from The Sly Knight,

    The Sly Knight wrote, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since youst came to the inte cafe!¡±

    Carlisle replied, ¡°I¡¯vee to Rivend to study!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a university student?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Ask away!¡±

    ¡°Could you lend me a hundred dors?¡±

    ¡°Have you encountered some problems?¡±

    ¡°My sister broke her leg. I¡¯ve already sold all my in¨Cgame machinery, but I¡¯m still short on funds for the

    surgery. I¡¯ve already borrowed as much as I can! I¡¯m truly out of options!¡±

    Sean nced at Carlisle and The Sly_Knight¡¯s conversation. He immediately said, ¡°You must not

    believe him, Carlisle! He¡¯s obviously lying to you. If his sister truly needs surgery, how could he still be

    online?¡±

    Sean pondered for a moment before replying. ¡°Is a hundred dors enough?¡±

    The Sly Knight immediately typed back, ¡°No, but I only dare to ask you for this much. You¡¯re still a

    student, so even a hundred dors must be a stretch for you!¡±

    Carlisle asked, ¡°How much more do you need?¡±

    ¡°Five hundred dors¡­¡±

    ¡°Carl, you can¡¯t possibly be thinking of lending him the money, are you? Five hundred dors is

    equivalent to an ordinary person¡¯s monthly sry!¡±

    Sean was starting to grow anxious. He reached out to switch off Carlisle¡¯sputer, but his hand was

    immediately swatted away.

    23

    ¡°Better to be safe than sorry. If something were to happen to his sister just because of five hundred

    dors, I¡¯d never forgive myself¡­¡±

    Sean eximed, ¡°Are the two of you even close? There are so many people in need in this world.

    There¡¯s

    no way you can help every single one of Just because you have some money, do you think you¡¯re

    now some sort of phnthropist?¡±

    Carlisle knew that Sean was just looking out for him, worried that he might be scammed.

    Based on the few interactions he had with The Sly_Knight and his two life experiences, he believed

    that the person was not a scammer.

    Carlisle patted Sean¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Five hundred dors isn¡¯t that much. It¡¯s not that

    big of a deal!¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you like!¡±

    Seeing that Carlisle had already made up his mind, Sean no longer continued to persuade him.

    Carlisle took out his phone and called the Inte cafe¡¯s owner, Ivan Sanders.

    ¡°Mr. Sanders, this is Carlisle¡­¡±

    ¡°Carlisle?¡±

    Upon hearing Carlisle¡¯s voice, Ivan nearly dropped the cigarette in his mouth.

    Why was Carlisle suddenly calling him?

    Could Carlisle have seen the price of the Heavenly Sword posted on the forum and regretted it?

    Damn it¡­

    It was toote now.

    If Carlisle darede looking for him, he would simply give him a piece of his mind.

    However, thinking about how he had decided to turn a new leaf and his pregnant wife, Ivan was

    hesitant.

    If there was no other option, he was willing to give him a portion of his earnings.

    ¡°Mr. Sanders, could you lend me five hundred dors? I¡¯ll go to the bank and transfer the money to you

    tomorrow!¡±

    Using a passbook to transfer money could only be done at the bank¡¯s counter.

    The bank was already closed, so he could only turn to Ivan for the money.

    Ivan let out a sigh of relief.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    While five hundred dors wasn¡¯t a small amount, considering that he was about to make fifty thousand

    dors from selling the Heavenly Sword, this amount was nothing.

    Carlisle cradled his phone between his ear and shoulder as he asked The Sly_Knight whichputer

    booth he was at.

    Chopte: 57

    ¡°I¡¯m on the first floor. Booth number eight!¡± The Sly Knight immediately replied.

    Carlisle told Ivan about The Sly Knight¡¯s situation.

    Upon hearing that his customer¡¯s sister had leukemia, Ivan immediately said, ¡°You¡¯re a good person,

    Carlisle, How about this? I¡¯ll give him an additional five hundred dors in my name¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Sanders¡­¡±

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but look at Ivan in a positive light.

    He was unaware that the Heavenly Sword had now risen to an exorbitant price of 130 thousand dors.

    Ivan hung up the phone and went to his bedroom closet to retrieve the money.

    Spin to im Your Surprise

 Chapter 58

    Cameron sat at booth number eight, his gaze fixated on the chat log he had with Carlisle.

    He had originally approached Carlisle for money with faint hope. Never would he have expected a

    stranger, whom he had only met once, to actually agree to lend him money.

    His sister was saved¡­

    With the one thousand dors in hand, Ivan walked behind Cameron and patted him on the shoulder.

    He ced 500 dors on the table and said, ¡°This is the 500 dors that Carlisle had me give you¡­¡±

    Cameron immediately rose to his feet. He epted the money and thanked him, ¡°Thank you so much,

    Mr. Sanders!¡±

    Ivan then passed him another 500 dors. This is from me. I hope your sister¡¯s surgery goes well!¡±

    Cameron waspletely taken aback. He never imagined that Ivan would also be willing to lend him.

    money.

    Tears streamed down his face uncontrobly as he thanked the man repeatedly, ¡°Thank you, Mr.

    Sanders! Thank you so much!¡±

    Ivan casually turned around and waved his hand. ¡°Take care of your sister. I hope there will be good

    news the next time youe here!¡±

    With tears in his eyes, Cameron hastily left the inte cafe without even switching off theputer.

    Ivan returned to his seat.

    His phone on the table rang once again.

    It was a call from the leader of the Makers of Chaos, Steven Ferk.

    ¡®Mr. Ferk¡­¡±

    Ivan immediately grew anxious.

    ording to insider information, Steven Ferk was from an affluent family in Rivend. The family

    boasted a worth that was close to ten million dors.

    ¡°The Whisperwind, I¡¯m willing to pay 150 thousand dors for the Heavenly Sword!¡±

    ¡°150 thousand dors?¡±

    Ivan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    130 thousand dors was already his ideal price, yet Steven was now willing to offer 150 thousand

    dors.

    ¡°What? Is it not enough? The voice on the other end of the phone turned cold.

    ¡°No¡­Not at all. Where are you, Mr. Ferk? I¡¯lle over right now to seal the deal!¡±

    The next day, Wands woke up early and got herself ready.

    She then headed toward Zachary¡¯s room and knocked on his door.

    However, she didn¡¯t seem to get any response.

    Wanda muttered, ¡°Stupid Zachary! He must¡¯ve stayed up all night gaming again!¡±

    She truly didn¡¯t understand what was so fun about The Legendary Tale. Zachary would often stay up all

    night ying it.

    Even as an adult, he would always make her worried.

    Sean headed to the University of Science and Technology with Lily, while Carlisle and Christine took

    the cab to Rivend University

    As Carlisle and Christine sat in the backseat, she looked slightly nervous, and her cheeks tinted red.

    Since Carlisle had risked his life to save her, she often had dreams about him.

    She genuinely didn¡¯t know what Sarah was thinking for rejecting such an outstanding man.

    An hourter, the cab stopped at the entrance of Rivend University.

    Christine had arge woven bag and a suitcase with her. However, the wheels of the suitcase had

    already gone missing.

    Noticing this, Carlisle immediately offered to help. ¡°Take my suitcase instead. I¡¯ll carry yours.¡±

    ¡°No.. it¡¯s okay. I can manage!¡±

    Christine insisted as she lifted the suitcase with both her hands, struggling with each step she took.

    Carlisle gently shook his head and snatched the suitcase from her, leaving his behind.

    Christine blushed as she pulled Carlisle¡¯s suitcase and quietly followed behind.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Just as they entered the school gates, Wanda got out of a cab nearby.

    ¡°Wanda, what a coincidence¡­¡±

    Sarah stepped out of the car from behind.

    She had on a baseball cap and a pair of oversized sunsses. She was dressed in a white short¨C

    sleeve shirt and a pair of mini¨Cshorts.

    Her long, slender legs glistened under the sunlight, attracting nces from many passersby. Whether it

    was freshmen or seniors, they all had their gaze fixed on her.

    Sarah raised her chin proudly

    ¡°What a coincidence indeed¡­¡±

    Wanda smiled faintly and then dragged her suitcase toward the school entrance.

    Sarah quickly caught up to her. Thinking about the Juicy gossip Kelvin had mentioned the previous

    night, she teased, ¡°Wanda, how long have you been with that man?¡±

 Chapter 59

    ¡°What man?¡± Wanda stopped in her tracks and looked at Sarah in confusion.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell!¡± Sarah smirked,

    Wanda had a reserved personality, so it was normal for her to be too shy to admit. ¡°But I really have no

    Idea what you¡¯re talking about!¡±

    She continued to drag her suitcase forward.

    Sarah followed closely behind her. ¡°Wanda, I saw you and that man checking into a hotel yesterday

    night!¡±

    Wanda stopped in her tracks once again.

    Sarah stood in front of her and said with a smirk, ¡°Just tell me the truth. I¡¯ll keep your secret!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my brother¡­¡±

    Wanda¡¯s face turned cold.

    She had clearly checked into different rooms with Zachary. Why was Sarah making it sound like she

    did something scandalous?

    ¡°Your ¡®brother, huh?¡± Sarah¡¯s lips curved into a smirk.

    Sarah had to find leverage against Wanda. That way, she could use it to keep Wanda away from

    Carlisle.

    ¡°Sarah, would you just quit it?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s eyes turned red as tears began to well up within them.

    Upon seeing Wanda on the verge of tears, Sarah was even more confident that she had struck a

    nerve. She shrugged. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just boldly admit it? We¡¯re in university now. There¡¯s nothing

    wrong with having a boyfriend!¡±

    ¡°His name is Zachary Thompson. He¡¯s my brother, not my boyfriend!¡±

    Wanda had a soft nature. Therefore, Sarah¡¯s constant usations and mockery caused tears to

    stream down her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You¡¯re making it seem like I bullied you. With such a wealthy boyfriend like yours, I wouldn¡¯t

    dare to offend you!¡± Sarah eximed as she retreated in fear. She then picked up her suitcase and

    tried to scurry away.

    However, just as she turned around, she was immediately blocked by three tall young women.

    The young woman who stood at the center of the group seemed to be in her twenties. She wore

    sunsses and was dressed in sexy attire. She was casually chewing on a piece of gum, and her lips

    were painted with bright red lipstick.

    ¡°Are you seniors here to wee new students? Could you help me with my luggage then? Thank

    you!¡± Sarah said sweetly as she pushed her suitcase to them.

    Wanda,e over here¡­¡±

    The sexy young woman beckoned Wanda over.

    Sarah was slightly taken aback.

    Were they here for Wanda?

    ¡°Um¡­you guys chat. I¡¯ll be heading off first¡­¡±

    Sarah grabbed her suitcase and tried to slip away, but the sexy youngdy immediately blocked her

    path.

    ¡°What¡­ What

    o you want?

    Sarah was starting to grow nervous, her voice trembling slightly.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    ¡°Apologize to Wanda,¡± the sexy youngdy said coldly.

    Sarah took a nervous gulp. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit or scold her. Why should I apologize?¡±

    ¡°I told you to apologize! Stop asking so many questions!¡± Another young woman, who stood behind the

    sexy one, scolded.

    Sarah was startled. She said in a trembling voice, ¡°I. I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you eaten? Speak louder!¡± The sexy youngdy ordered.

    Tears welled up in Sarah¡¯s eyes as she raised her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    The sexy young woman said, ¡°Who are you apologizing to?¡±

    Sarah held back her tears and choked out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wanda!¡±

    She had just arrived and had no connections. Hence, she could only back down for now,

    However, she made sure to remember their faces. Once she solidified her connections, she would

    make them pay for their actions.

    ¡°Wanda, feeling better now?¡± the sexy young woman asked with a smile.

    ¡°Just let her go. I¡¯m alright now!¡±

    They were, after all, high school friends, so Wanda didn¡¯t wish to make things difficult.

    The sexy young woman nced at Sarah and said, ¡°Wanda is my childhood friend. If I ever see you

    bullying her again, I¡¯ll make sure your school life is a living hell!¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± Sarahplied, but she was burning with anger.

    It wasn¡¯t like the sexy woman owned Rivend University. What could she possibly do? Expel Sarah

    from the university?

    ¡°Can I go now?¡±

    Sarah asked cautiously. Right now, all she wanted was to stay away from this problematic woman.

    The sexy young woman didn¡¯t even spare Sarah a nce. She gently ruffled Wanda¡¯s hair and said

    with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been six years since Ist saw you. You¡¯ve grown so talll¡±

    ¡°Queenie, you¡¯ve be much prettier!¡±

    Wanda hugged the sexy young woman.

    This young woman was Queenie Lane. She and Zachary were childhood sweethearts, and the two had

    been engaged sincest year. They were just waiting for Quennle to graduate before getting married.

    After a moment of embrace, Queenie patted Wanda¡¯s back and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to the

    registration office¡­¡±

 Chapter 60

    It was a hectic day for new students. By the time Carlislepleted the enrollment procedures and

    settled down, it was already evening.

    The dormitory was a room for

    the ce was a steamer.

    Iwith only two ceiling fans. The entire room was stifling hot. It felt as if

    Carlisle had initially nned to take a cold shower to cool down, but upon seeing the long line outside

    the public bathroom, he immediately abandoned the idea.

    He removed his shirt and jeans and changed into beach shorts. He theny down on the bed to rest.

    -He took out his phone and sent Sweet_like_candy a message. ¡°Watcha doing?¡±

    After three minutes, he still didn¡¯t get a reply.

    He assumed that she must be busy with the enrollment procedures.

    Carlisle closed his eyes, nning to take a nap.

    Just then, a loud voice suddenly came from the door. ¡°Hello, everyone!¡±

    Kelvin walked into the room with his suitcase in one hand and a huge stic bag in the other. Inside

    the huge stic bag were cans of chilled Cokes.

    ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Kelvin. From now on, we¡¯re roommates!

    ¡°Let me treat you all to some chilled Coke!¡±

    Kelvin ced his suitcase beside him and distributed the chilled Coke to everyone.

    ¡°Thanks, man!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Kelvin!¡±

    The roommates who received the Cokes thanked Kelvin with bright smiles.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Soon, Kelvin approached Carlisle¡¯s bed. Just as he was about to hand Carlisle a can of Coke, he

    suddenly paused, ¡°Carlisle, do you remember me? I¡¯m also from Rainville High School!¡±

    Carlisle paused. Then, he replied with a smile, ¡°Of course I do. You¡¯re Kelvin, ss 3C¡¯s ss

    monitor.¡±

    There were only three sses in his high school. Hence, it was natural for him to know all the ss

    monitors.

    However, Carlisle was a little shocked that Kelvin would recognize him.

    He didn¡¯t remember having any interaction with Kelvin before.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious as to how I recognize you, right?¡±

    Kelvin seemed to have noticed Carlisle¡¯s puzzlement and asked with a yful smile.

    Carlisle quickly figured out the reason. ¡°It must be because of Sarah, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Have some coke!¡® Kelvinughed as he handed Carlisle a can of Coke.

    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not thirsty¡­

    Carlisle tried to decline when he suddenly noticed the cold look in Kelvin¡¯s eyes.

    He was certain that they would have a hard time getting along in the future.

    Kelvin took a seat on Carlisle¡¯s bed and said lowly, ¡°Carlisle, could you do me a favor? I¡¯ll give you 50

    dors for it!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Could you spread a message in the ss group chat? Tell everyone that someone spotted Wanda

    checking into a hotel with a man¡­¡±

    Kelvin had contacted a few of his ssmatesst night, but they all rejected his request.

    Carlisle was also from ss 3A, so having him spread this news was the best option.

    ¡°What did you sav

    His eyes widened in shock as his face turned incredibly pale.

    He thought, ¡°Did he say that Wanda checked into a hotel with another man? How is that possible?¡±

    How could the usually shy Wanda possibly check into a hotel with a man?

    It was clearly a lie!

    Carlisle swatted Kelvin¡¯s hand away from his shoulder and said nkly, ¡°Kelvin, it¡¯s wrong to spread

    lies!¡±

    ¡°Who says I¡¯m spreading lies? I saw it with my own eyesst night. That man owns the Four Seasons

    Hotel!¡±

    Kelvin pulled out his wallet from his pocket and took out a 100¨Cdor bill. ¡°If you share this news with

    the ss group chat, this will be yours!¡±

    ¡°Damn! You sure are rich, Kelvin!¡±

    ¡°Kelvin, I¡¯ll follow you from now on!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    The roommates stared at the 100¨Cdor bill in Kelvin¡¯s hand.

    Most of them came from ordinary households. Despite being in university, their monthly allowance was

    usually only around 300 dors.

    ¡°Put away your money! Nor everyone is as shallow as you are!¡±

    Carlisle still didn¡¯t believe Wanda would check into a hotel with another man.

    Wanda came from a prestigious family and was an

    extremely well¨Cmannered youngdy. There was no

    way she would do such a thing.

    Beep beep!

    Carlisle¡¯s phone, which was ced on the bed frame, suddenly rang.

    and

    He picked his phone up and saw that it was a message from Sweet_like_candy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just finished up with everything. Have you decided on how you¡¯ll answer my question from

    yesterday?

    ¡°Stop pretending, Wanda! I know it¡¯s you!¡±

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

    y

 Chapter 61

    ¡°Damn! Is that a Motor Razr V3?¡±

    The roommates caught sight of Carlisle¡¯s phone, and their eyes widened in surprise.

    That was a phone that was worth more than 4000 dors.

    What family background,did Carlisle have for him to be able to afford a Motor Razr V3?

    ¡°It¡¯s only a V3! I have one, too!¡±

    Kelvin proceeded to take out his phone and waved it to everyone.

    ¡°Wow! I only have a PHS phone!*

    ¡°At least you can still afford a PHS phone! The only telmunication device I have is a pager my dad

    bought for me!¡±

    ¡°Really? I suddenly feel a lot better!¡±

    ¡°Quitining! People like us who can¡¯t afford phones will be envious!¡±

    The roommates, who were from different ces, quickly bonded with one another.

    Kelvin said casually, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯ll give you 200 dors-¡±

    ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t need your money!¡±

    Carlisle shot Kelvin a re.

    Whether Kelvin was telling the truth or not, there was no way Carlisle would betray Wanda because of

    money.

    If it weren¡¯t for her, despite being reincarnated, he might not have gotten into Rivend University.

    Kelvin gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll remember this!¡±

    He was considered quite influential at Rainville High School. How could Carlisle have the nerve to tell

    him

    to get lost? Once Kelvin solidified his connections, he¡¯d surely teach Carlisle a good lesson.

    Beep beep!

    It was a message from Sweet like candy.

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not Wanda!¡±

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Carlisle typed back. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! I¡¯ll only believe you if you give me a call!¡±

    Sweet_like_candy replied. ¡°I don¡¯t even know your phone number!¡±

    ¡°1314¡­ This is my phone number. Call me!¡±

    Carlisle immediately sent his phone number to her.

    Chinter 61

    Sweet like candy replied, ¡°I¡¯m not going to call you!¡±

    Carlisle pursed his lips. ¡°Then, remove me from your friend list. We have nothing to talk about anyway!¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll call you!¡± Sweet_like_candy finally gave in.

    After a brief moment, his phone rang.

    He immediately picked up the call. He heard the deep voice of a woman from the other end of the

    phone. ¡°Hello, Bygones_b_bygoges!¡±

    It really wasn¡¯t Wanda!

    Carlisle didn¡¯t respond and immediately hung up the call. He then swiftly removed her from his friend

    list.

    In the girls¡® dorm room, Queenie passed the phone back to Wanda. She said with a faint smile, ¡°Is he

    your boyfriend?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s cheeks flushed red as she replied shyly. ¡°No, he¡¯s not!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! Your cheeks are all red!¡± Queenie yfully teased.

    The image of Carlisle and Christine hugging under the rain suddenly resurfaced in Wanda¡¯s mind. Her

    smile instantly faded, and her eyes dimmed.

    ¡°What is it? Does he not like you?¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    Leaning against the wall, Wanda hugged her knees closely to her chest. Her eyes were nk, and her

    heart clenched tightly in pain.

    She had intentionally scored 1350 on her SATS for him. She thought that she would finally have a

    chance after he gave up on Sarah. Never had she expected him to get together with Christine instead.

    ¡°Silly girl! Men are all trash! You¡¯re so outstanding. You have no need to worry about not getting a

    boyfriend! Ill introduce you to a few rich young men tomorrow. I guarantee you that they are all

    exceptional and handsome!¡±

    Queenie took Wanda¡¯s hand and patted it gently.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m not ready to be in a rtionship yet!¡±

    Wanda picked up her phone and nned to send another message with Sweet_like_candy¡¯s name to

    Carlisle.

    However, she was shocked to find that Bygones_b_bygones was no longer on her friend list.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Did he actually remove me?¡±

    Queenie couldn¡¯t contain herughter. ¡°Just give up on him!¡±

    Wanda tried tofort herself. ¡°He probably removed me after hearing your voice!¡±

    ¡°Huh? What is that supposed to mean? Is my voice not melodious?¡±

 Chapter 62

    ¡°Tell me his name! I¡¯ll rip him to shreds tomorrow!¡± Queenie gritted her teeth and clenched her fists

    tightly.

    ¡°Okay, okay! You should go back to your dorm now. I¡¯m going to bed soon!¡± Wanda squeezed out a

    smile.

    Queenic stood up and said to the people in the room, ¡°Wanda is my childhood friend, and I¡¯m the

    granddaughter of the vice president of Rivend University. Anyone who dares to bully her shall pay

    the

    price!¡±

    Queenie¡¯s strong attitude made the group of young girls nod their heads in fear. Even Wanda couldn¡¯t

    help

    but shrink back slightly

    Perhaps only Queenie¡¯s strong personality could rein in Zachary.

    The next day, Carlisle made his way to ss. He chose the School of Business to build a foundation for

    his future entrepreneurial ventures

    The emerce field was still rtively new, so few students chose it as a major.

    Within the emerce major, there were only two sses, eachprising around 35 students.

    As soon as Carlisle walked into the ssroom, he immediately noticed two pairs of eyes on him.

    It was Christine and Wanda.

    Surprisingly, they chose the emerce major as well.

    ¡°Carlisle..¡± Christine called out with a gentle s

    smile.

    She never expected Carlisle to have chosen this major and even to be in the same ss as her. There

    also happened to be an empty seat beside her so Carlisle could sit right next to her.

    Wanda lowered her head, feeling a pang in her chest.

    ¡°Excuse me, can I sit beside you?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s voice echoed beside her.

    Wanda lifted her gaze to look at him and then turned away. ¡°No one¡¯s stopping you¡­¡±

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Carlisle¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he pulled out a chair and took a seat.

    Meanwhile, Christine¡¯s smile stiffened as her heart clenched tightly in pain.

    It was all in her head. The one whom Carlisle liked was Wanda.

    Carlisle felt his heartbeat quicken. This was his first time seeing Wanda after the whole summer break.

    At that moment, Wanda was equally as nervous as he was. She didn¡¯t even dare nce at Carlisle.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in ages, Wanda!¡±

    2,2

    Carlisle the first to break the silence.

    was

    ¡°L¨CLikewisel

    Wanda was dressed in a white short¨Csleeve shirt and white skirt. Her hands were clenched into a small

    fist, and she seemed very nervous.

    She was confused as to why Carlisle wasn¡¯t sitting with Christine. After all, they had checked into a

    hotel together.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that Christine will be jealous?¡± Wanda¡¯s voice trembled slightly as her eyes filled up

    with tears.

    ¡°Why would she be jealous?¡± Carlisle asked, confusion written all over his face.

    Wanda finally turned her head to look at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two dating?¡±

    Carlisle was utterly confused. He chuckled helplessly, ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°I saw it with my own two eyes!¡± Wanda turned her head away again.

    Carlisle raised his brows. ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°On the day of the entrance exam¡­ I saw you and Christine hugging each other!¡±

    . ¡°Christine was kidnapped that day, and I saved her. She must¡¯ve been too frightened, so she hugged

    me!

    Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been ignoring me the entire summer break because of this?¡±

    Carlisle was dumbfounded.

    So Wanda saw what happened that day. Then, didn¡¯t she see him fighting off the assants?

    ¡°Why did you look for her then?¡± Wanda continued to ask.

    ¡°I¡­ I found out she was in danger, so I went to look for her!¡± Carlisle tried to exin.

    ¡°What a stupid excuse! Do you take me for a three¨Cyear¨Cold child?¡±

    Wanda was a little mad. Without waiting for Carlisle¡¯s reply, she said with a pout, ¡°I even saw you and

    Christine checking into a hotelst night¡­¡±

 Chapter 63

    ¡°I met up with Sean and Lily for dinnerst night. Christer told me that she wanted to thank me for

    my help and thought of treating me to a meal, so I invited her to join us.

    *She and Lily ended up having a bit of alcohol, and I was worried they wouldn¡¯t be safe staying at the

    motel. Hence, Sean and I decided to take them to a hotel. The two of us shared a room while Lily and

    Christine shared another.¡±

    Carlisle patiently exined to Wanda what had happened.

    Girls had a tendency to overthink things. So, it was best to clear everything up.

    Wanda turned toward him. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡±

    Carlisle put up his hand and said solemnly. ¡°I swear that if I¡¯m lying, ¡®¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡± Wanda reached out to cover Carlisle¡¯s mouth. Feeling his warm breath lightly brush

    against her palm, she immediately withdrew her hand.

    Carlisle grinned. ¡°Your hands smell nice¡­¡±

    Wanda¡¯s face turned even redder. She lifted her hand and pinched his thigh.

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Carlisle cried in pain as he grabbed Wanda¡¯s small hands.

    Her hands were soft and smooth, sending ripples through Carlisle¡¯s heart.

    Throughout his two lifetimes, this was his first time holding a woman¡¯s hand.

    Wanda¡¯s face was beet red. Thest time she held a guy¡¯s hand was when she was six years old. It

    was Zachary taking her to the amusement park to y.

    Carlisle¡¯s hand was warm, and it made her feel oddly safe.

    ¡°Hey, the teacher ising¡­¡± A chubby girl behind them whispered.

    Wanda immediately snapped back into her senses and withdrew her hand.

    A woman in herte twenties walked in with a stack of documents in her hands.

    She was dressed in a tight pencil skirt, and her hair was tied into a ponytail. It made her look

    professional.

    ¡°Let us begin!¡± the beautiful teacher said in a gentle voice. Since a ss monitor had not yet been

    appointed, all the students stood up in a somewhat disorganized manner.

    They greeted, ¡°Good morning, Miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Good morning, students. Have a seat!¡±

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    As everyone sat back down/many male students couldn¡¯t help but nce at their beautiful guidance

    counselor.

    ¡°Wee everyone to our first ss. I¡¯m your guidance counselor, Susan Lowe Susan ced the

    documents on the podium and then gave everyone a sweet smile.

    The students instantly erupted in apuse.

    ¡°Woah! Our teacher is so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°She looks so young! Is she even qualified to teach us?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You shouldn¡¯t question Ms. Lowe!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! With such a beautiful teacher, does it even matter if she¡¯s qualified?¡±

    The group of male students continued to discuss Susan¡¯s good looks. Even Wanda couldn¡¯t help but

    exim, ¡°Ms. Lowe sure is pretty¡­¡±

    ¡°Is she? I think you¡¯re prettier!¡± Carlisle seized the chance to tter her.

    To be frank, Susan was indeed beautiful.

    She had fair skin and well¨Cdefined features, which gave off an air of sophistication.

    ¡°Yeah, right! Your eyes seem to say otherwise!¡±

 Chapter 64

    The students instantly became quiet.

    Susan nodded in satisfaction and smiled. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we have everyonee up and introduce

    themselves?¡±

    She then looked toward the first row on the left. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the first student on the left!¡±

    The person who was seated at the very left was Christine. She took a deep breath before stepping up

    to the tform to introduce herself.

    ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Christine Goodman, and I¡¯m from Rainville. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you

    all!¡± Christine said as she gave everyone a slight bow.

    The students immediately apuded, with the male students looking particrly excited

    While Christine was dressed in in clothing, her beauty was unconceble

    Christine shyly returned to her seat. The next student followed to step on the tform.

    ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is David Welsh, and I¡¯m from Erawon City!¡±

    David wore a pair of sses and was rather short, sporting a height of approximately 5 feet 2 inches.

    He seemed a little nervous. After a brief introduction, he quickly returned to his seat.

    The students took turns going up to introduce themselves. With their ssmates taking the lead, the

    rest of the students slowly began to loosen up. Some of them who loved singing even started to show

    off

    their skills

    Soon, it was Carlisle¡¯s turn.

    He stood up from his seat, immediately attracting quite a lot of attention from the girls.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow! He must be at least 6 feet!¡±

    ¡°He really is so handsome! Why can¡¯t I be the one sitting next to him?¡±

    A few girls murmured.

    Carlisle cleared his throat and smiled. ¡°Good day, everyone! My name is Carlisle Zahn, and I¡¯m from

    Rainville. It¡¯s an honor to be here with you all today.

    ¡°My goal foring to this school is to be able to make more friends. More importantly, it¡¯s to improve

    my abilities, be it in my academic or other endeavors.

    ¡°Fate has brought us together, and I hope to be good friends with you all in the future. Let us work

    together to be better people. Thank you!¡±

    The moment Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, he instantly became the center of attention. As he

    finished his introduction, the ss instantly erupted in apuse. Even Susan couldn¡¯t help but take

    notice.

    of him.

    Carlisle calmly returned to his seat. Wanda gave him a thumbs up and praised, ¡°Very impressive,

    Carlisle!¡±

    He grinned. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Wanda!¡±

    At that moment, Susan said with a smile, ¡°Everyone, please learn from Carlisle and make your

    Introduction as detailed as possible!

    ¡°Next student, please!¡±

    The student after Carlisle was the chubby¨Cfaced girl from earlier. While she had a round face, she was

    definitely not overweight. Neat bangs covered her forehead, and she had a pair of big, bright eyes that

    gave off a lively and cute vibe.

    ¡°Hello, everyone¡­ My name¡¯s Phoebe Locke and I¡¯m from Bayville. My hobbies are ying table

    tennis and badminton. If any of you enjoy these sports, feel free to hit me up for a match. I hope to be

    good friends with everyone in the future. Thank you¡­¡±

    Phoebe¡¯s voice trembled slightly, seemingly nervous. The students once again erupted in apuse. 30

    minutes flew by, and the whole ss had finally finished introducing themselves.

    Susan stepped back on the tform and began talking about the origin of the emerce major.

    ¡°With the development of technology, the inte has gradually be widespread in our country¨CIn

    the year 2000, our country officially established the emerce major. Since you have all chosen this

    major, I trust that each of you already possess a basic understanding of it.¡±

    She continued, ¡°Many families don¡¯t recognize this major as the inte isn¡¯t that popr yet. However,

    I¡¯d like to assure everyone that you will absolutely not regret choosing this major. Now, let me give you

    all a detailed introduction to the emerce major!¡±

    As Susan took a piece of chalk and wrote on the ckboard, she exined, ¡°The emerce major

    is divided into two types: economic management and engineering technology.

    ¡°Economic management focuses on mastering the relevant knowledge of the inte economy and

    business management. On the other hand, engineering technology primarily focuses on Inte

    technology and business information.

 Chapter 65

    The students listened attentively. They all took out their notepads to begin taking notes.

    Even when the bell rang, everyone was still deeply immersed, as though they couldn¡¯t get enough of

    what was being taught.

    ¡°ss dismissed!¡± Susan didn¡¯t want to hold students back, so as soon as the bell rang, she swiftly

    took her materials and left the ssroom.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    anda was still carefully analyzing the content in her notebook when Carlisle suddenly p

    her a note.

    She curiously unfolded it to read what was written inside. It read, ¡°Would you like to have lunch

    together?¡±

    A blush slowly crept up Wanda¡¯s neck. She huffed, ¡°Who wants to eat with you? I still haven¡¯t gotten

    even with you for removing me from your contact on MSN Messenger!¡±

    ¡°So, you really are Sweet_like_candy.¡± Carlisle pursed his lips. How could he not have thought that

    Wanda would ask someone else to call him?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t see thating, huh? You dummy!¡± Wanda lifted her chin proudly.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I guess it right the first time we talked? Otherwise, why would I be willing to talk to you for so

    long?

    Carlisle replied with a stubborn look on his face.

    ¡°That means you knew who I was, yet you still removed me?¡± Wanda responded in an aggrieved tone.

    ¡°Fine! You win!¡± Carlisle grinned. ¡°So, to express my apology, I¡¯ll treat you to lunch!¡±

    Fidgeting around the desk and biting her lip, Wanda asked in a barely audible voice, ¡°Is this a date?¡±

    Carlisle, who had been single in two of his lifetimes, felt his cheeks blushing. He scratched his head

    awkwardly and stuttered, ¡°I¡­ I guess?¡±

    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll have lunch with you!¡±

    Wanda pouted her lips, and her cheeks were flushed red. It made her absolutely adorable.

    Right at that moment, Carlisle¡¯s phone rang.

    ¡°Great! Then, it¡¯s decided. Let me take this call first!¡±

    Carlisle grinned and then took out his phone to answer it.

    ¡°Where are you, Carl? I¡¯m at Rivend University!¡± Sean, who was on the other end of the line, asked.

    ¡°That was quick. Don¡¯t tell me you sneaked out without telling your mom?¡±

    ¡°How could I possibly dare tell her?¡± Sean chuckled nervously.

    ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll look for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at the phone booth right across the street!¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be right there!¡±

    Carlisle hung up the phone and said to Wanda, ¡°Wanda, I have some matters to attend to. Could you

    help me inform the teacher about my leave?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Hearing Carlisle calling her name so affectionately, Wanda felt her face bing redder.

    Outside the school gates, there was a stretch of public telephone booths right across the street. Sean,

    who was dressed in his school uniform, was squatting with a cigarette in his hands.

    He had his eyes fixed on the school gates. As soon as Carlisle walked out, he immediately got up and

    waved to him, ¡°Carl, I¡¯m over here!¡±

    Carlisle strode across the street. He nced at Sean¡¯s dark circles and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯d like to take

    you

    somewhere first!¡±

    ¡°Carl, I¡¯m hungry!¡± Sean rubbed his stomach and said with a pout, ¡°To save up for the bus fare, I

    haven¡¯t had a single drop of water sincest night!¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t want to skip ss on the first day of school, so he had to resolve Sean¡¯s problem as

    quickly as he could.

    He found a hotel nearby and handed Sean a hundred¨Cdor bill. ¡°Take this money for now. I¡¯ll take you

    to rent a room long¨Cterm after school.¡±

    Upon seeing the hundred¨Cdor bill, Sean instantly lit up. He shed a bright smile. ¡°Alright. Thanks,

    Carl

    own.¡± Carlisle nodded and reminded him, ¡°I¡¯ll look for you at 6.00 pm. If I don¡¯t see you here, you¡¯re on

    you

    Sean was obsessed with surfing the web. This was why Carlisle was worried he wouldn¡¯t be able to

    find Seanter. On top of that, it was also a way of training Sean to listen.

 Chapter 66

    After getting Sean settled in, Carlisle immediately headed back to ss.

    Susan had yet to arrive, so the ssroom was inplete chaos.

    When Carlisle walked in, the ssroom instantly fell silent. However, this silence onlysted a few

    seconds, and the noise quickly resumed.

    Carlisle returned to his seat. He slipped his hands into his pocket and took out the milk candy he

    bought from the school kiosk earlier. He offered it to Wanda. ¡°For un

    At that exact moment, Wanda also offered him a piece of gum. ¡°Want some?¡±

    Both of them paused and then simultaneously burst intoughter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have yours, and you can have mine!¡±

    Carlisle ced the milk candy into Wanda¡¯s drawer and took the gum from her hands. He peeled the

    wrapper open before popping it into his mouth.

    Buzz

    Wanda¡¯s phone vibrated inside her drawer.

    She took it out and saw that it was Lily who had called. Since the entrance exam, they had rarely been

    in

    contact.

    Wanda popped the milk candy into her mouth as she epted the call. She asked with a smile. ¡°Lily,

    why

    the sudden call?¡±

    ¡°Wanda, have you seen the messenger group?¡± Lily asked in a slightly frantic voice.

    ¡°No, I havent. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wanda frowned, uneasiness welling up inside her.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Just, Just take a look at it yourself!¡± Lily didn¡¯t know how to break the news to her.

    Wanda tapped Carlisle¡¯s arm. ¡°Carlisle, check the ss group chat.¡±

    Carlisle took out his phone and clicked on the group chat. He was surprised to find everyone fervently

    discussing Wanda.

    ¡°ver expected Wanda to be this kind of person!*

    ¡°She¡¯s not even 18 and still considered a minor, How shameless!

    ¡°No wonder she has a driver who sends and picks her up from school. It¡¯s because she found herself a

    sugar daddy!¡±

    Carlisle scrolled through the messages and came across a post made by a ssmate named Keith

    Spears.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got shocking news for everyone! Our ss monitor, Wanda, has a sugar daddy!¡±

    As soon as his message was posted, it instantly caused an uproar within the group chat.

    Some ssmates were skeptical about his post. ¡°I thought you went to the South to work? Where did

    you get this news from?¡±

    Keith¡¯s academic results were poor, so he never made it into University. He previously mentioned at a

    ssmate¡¯s celebration party that he was going to the South to get a job. As such, few of their

    ssmates found his statement hard to believe.

    ¡°It¡¯s true! I have a photo as proof!¡±

    Keith posted a picture of Wanda checking into a hotel in the group chat. The picture was extracted from

    the hotel¡¯s security cameras, which Keith had spent one thousand dors to obtain.

    The photo was blurry, yet it was still clear enough to tell that thedy in it was Wanda.

    Hence, most people in the group chat began vigorously discussing Wanda.

    ¡°Keith, how much did Kelvin pay you?¡± Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but send a message in the group chat.

    Keith replied, ¡°What do you mean by how much he paid me? What are you trying to say, Carlisle?¡±

    Carlisle responded, ¡°It was Kelvin who offered you money to nder Wanda in the group chat, wasn¡¯t

    it?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much Kelvin paid me. The photo I sent is solid proof. Wanda is our ss

    monitor, yet she still dares to do such a shameless thing. She¡¯s not just embarrassing herself, but she¡¯s

    also ruining the reputation of the entire Rainville High School!¡±

    Oto

    Carlisle tried to exin in the group chat. ¡°Please don¡¯t blindly believe rumors, everyone! This means

    nothing. After being ssmates for three years, I¡¯m sure everyone is well aware of Wanda¡¯s character!¡±

    ¡°I believe in Wanda!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°Wanda is not that kind of person!¡±

    A few girls firmly stood up for Wanda.

    Keith texted a reply, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me all of you have also found yourselves a sugar daddy like her.

    Taylor added, ¡°She¡¯s just our ss monitor. There¡¯s no need to be such a suck¨Cup. I really wonder

    what benefits she¡¯s given you all!¡±

    Seeing the ss group chat in absolute chaos, Sarah felt incredibly satisfied. She texted, ¡°I think it¡¯s

    best If we let Wanda exin it herself!¡±

 Chapter 67

    ¡°Carlisle, what is going on?¡± Wanda frowned slightly as she noticed Carlisle¡¯s darkened expression.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in the ss group chat?¡±

    ¡°No, I forgot my username¡¯s password,¡± she exined in a low voice.

    He handed her his phone.

    Taking the phone, Wanda browsed through the chat history and soon turned pale.

    ¡°Carlisle, they¡­ They aren¡¯t true!¡±

    She sobbed and stared at Carlisle with reddened eyes. ¡°You have to believe me¡­¡±

    Heforted her, ¡°I believe you. Don¡¯t worry. Kelvin must be the one causing trouble!¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips and exined, ¡°The man with me is my brother!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s eyes lit up. No wonder the man¡¯s back looked familiar.

    ¡°Does anyone in our ss know your brother?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Turner knows him. When I was a freshman in high school, my brother took me to sign up. He¡¯s

    also my guardian!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Ms. Turner and request her to exin it!¡± Carlisle took back his phone and called Lucy.

    Lucy was on vacation when she received his call. When she knew someone in the ss group chat

    was ndering Wanda, she immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll log on to MSN messenger now. Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Seeing all her students in the ss group chat were talking about Wanda, she browsed through the

    chat

    history and found the photo.

    She recognized the man in the photo. He was Wanda¡¯s guardian, Zachary.

    ¡°Guys, stop talking about it. The man in the photo is Wanda¡¯s brother, Zachary!¡±

    ¡°Keith, Taylor, apologize to Wanda now!¡±

    Lucy sent two messages in a row. The group chat instantly went silent.

    ¡°Ms. Turner, don¡¯t talk nonsense. They went to the hotel to book a room. Can they be siblings?¡±

    Keith was already in the South. After graduation, he might not meet his former teacher and ssmates.

    Naturally, he wasn¡¯t afraid of offending them.

    ¡°Keith, do you know what you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re viting thew. You¡¯ve already affected Wanda¡¯s

    reputation!¡±

    Lucy was so angry that her hands shook as she typed. It was a shame for her to have such a

    dishonorable. student..

    Keith, after all, had just graduated from high school. Her words terrified him.

    No matter how he caused trouble in school, nobody would send him to the police. If he did illegal

    things,

    he would have to go to jail.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    ¡°Keith, Taylor, apologize to Wanda. Or I¡¯ll get her an attorney!¡±

    Lucy was furious.

    Wanda, whose future was limitless, was the best student she met in her career. She wouldn¡¯t allow

    malicious students to have an impact on Wanda.

    Taylor replied, ¡°Sorry, Wanda. Keith paid and asked me to agree with him in the group chat!¡±

    Keith was so pissed off that he wanted to scold him. Taylor took the money but had put all the me on

    him.

    He wouldn¡¯t apologize to Wanda. At worst, he could leave the group chat.

    With that thinking, he left the ss group chat.

    Lucy texted, ¡°Keith has left the group. This matter is over. I hope you guys will take this as a warning.

    Spreading rumors is illegal!¡±

    ¡°I said it before. Wanda isn¡¯t that kind of person. Keith is so hateful!¡± Sarah first expressed her support

    for Wanda in the group chat.

    ¡°He¡¯s resentful that he didn¡¯t get into university. That¡¯s why he wants to ruin Wanda¡¯s reputation. He¡¯s

    so despicable!¡± Sienna echoed.

    Lucy was still on the call, so Carlisle thanked her.

    Then, she asked him what major he had chosen. When she heard that he had chosen emerce as

    his major, she was silent for a while.

    She was only a high school teacher in the county and knew nothing about the more advanced

    professional knowledge, let alone the prospects of emerce and the Inte.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve chosen this major, you must have considered its development prospects. I support you.

    By the way, where is Wanda? Are you two in touch? What major has she chosen?¡±

    Although Wanda¡¯s score wasn¡¯t as high as Carlisle¡¯s, Lucy was looking forward to Wanda¡¯s

    performance.

 Chapter 68

    Carlisle responded to Lucy as he nced at Wanda¡¯s reddened eyes, ¡°She chose the same major as

    mine. We¡¯re in the same ss. She¡¯s also my deskmate. Would you like to say something to her?¡±

    ¡°Okay, give her your phone!¡±

    Carlisle handed it to Wanda, and she immediately thanked Lucy for her help.

    hatting with h her.

    Lucyforted Wanda briefly before chatting.

    Meanwhile, Susan appeared at the ssroom door. She looked at Carlisle and shouted, ¡°Carlisle, bring

    a

    few male ssmates over. Follow me and take the textbooks!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± he responded, then picked out a few burly male ssmates.

    Wanda¡¯s mood improved slightly after she spoke with Lucy on the phone.

    Carlisle¡¯s phone vibrated shortly after she had hung up. The MSN messenger icon shed over the

    screen.

    She wondered if Sarah was the one who messaged him.

    Wanda pursed her lips and decided to check on Carlisle¡¯s MSN messenger. However, she hesitated

    before clicking its icon.

    When Carlisle defended her in the group, he didn¡¯t know that the man in the photo was her brother, but

    he

    believed her without hesitation.

    Perhaps his MSN messenger friend was looking for him. She shouldn¡¯t think wildly.

    Wanda took a deep breath, suppressed her curiosity, and put the phone back in Carlisle¡¯s drawer.

    ¡°Wanda, can I borrow your phone? I want to call my family!¡±

    Phoebe, who sat at the back table, softly nudged Wanda¡¯s back.

    She wanted to inform her family that she had arrived safely at the university, but none of her

    roommates

    had phones.

    She was bored and decided to borrow Wanda¡¯s phone to make a call.

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    Wanda took out her pink flip phone and gave it to Phoebe.

    Zachary purchased it as a gift for her 17th birthday. It was a pink customized Sony T618. It was

    launchedst year for over six thousand dors, with the pink customized version costing over seven

    thousand dors.

    ¡°Your phone looks nice. Is it expensive?¡± Phoebe held Wanda¡¯s phone with both hands and praised in

    envy.

    ¡°My brother bought it for me. I don¡¯t know how much it cost!¡± Wanda smiled gently and didn¡¯t mention

    the price of the phone.

    Phoebe took out a mini phone book filled with phone numbers. After finding thendline connected to

    her vige hend¡¯s home, she dialed the number carefully.

    ¡°Hello, sir, I¡¯m Phoebe. Please inform my mother that I¡¯m already at university and tell her to take care

    of

    herself¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask your

    mother toe over and answer the phone. Call back in half an hour!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need, sir. She has bad legs. Please tell her that I¡¯m safel

    ¡°Alright then. Take care of yourself and study hard. Get a good future so your mother can have a good

    life!

    ¡°Yes, I will!¡± Phoebe nodded vigorously. After hanging up, she took a dor out of her pocket.

    ¡°Wanda, I¡¯ve ended the call. Here¡¯s your phone. Thank you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    Wanda turned around to get her phone back. When she saw the dor, she was puzzled. ¡°This

    money¡­¡±

    The of

    bill!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to pay!¡±

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    Wanda only took her phone back. She couldn¡¯t use up her phone bill anyway. During the summer

    vacation, she checked and found that there were still more than a thousand dors in it. As a result,

    she had- difficulty changing her phone number.

    ¡°No, you have to take it, or I won¡¯t dare to borrow your phone next time!¡± Phoebe¡¯s attitude was firm.

    Despite her poverty, she had strong ambitions. Her mother also taught her since she was a child that

    she shouldn¡¯t be greedy for petty gains.

    Wanda smiled helplessly and took the money, ¡°ording to the current charging standards, one

    minute costs 25 cents. You just talked for two minutes. I¡¯ll charge you a half dor. I¡¯ll return another

    half to you!¡±

    After saying that, she took out her wallet to look for change. Only then did she discover that she only

    had cash worth more than ten dors.

 Chapter 69

    ¡°Wanda, you don¡¯t have to give me the change. Just keep it for next time!¡± Phoebe grinned.

    Wanda blushed slightly. ¡°Okay, let me know when you want to call next time!¡±

    After a while, Carlisle and others entered the ssroom with textbooks in bags. They had gone back

    and forth several times since there were many textbooks.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    September in Rivend was simr to June, so they were sweating profusely. Susan bought them

    some iced Coke as a reward.

    Carlisle returned to his seat and used his notebook to fan himself.

    Wanda took out a pack of tissues from the drawer and offered it to him, whispering, ¡°Are you

    exhausted? Wipe your sweat!¡±

    He looked at her tenderly and teased, ¡°Wipe it for me!¡±

    ¡®Dream on!¡±

    She blushed and pursed her lips before rolling her eyes at him. He then took out a tissue to wipe away

    his

    sweat.

    ¡°Someone messaged you!¡±

    Wanda continued to read her notes taken in the first ss after reminding him.

    ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡±

    I

    ¡°I haven¡¯t read it. I don¡¯t know either,¡± she responded indifferently.

    Carlisle took out his phone and looked at it. It was a message from Sarah.

    ¡°Carl, are you free tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner together. Enna wille over, too!¡±

    Although Wanda was reading her book, she secretly nced at the message from the corner of her

    eye.

    It was indeed from Sarah. She called him so intimately and even invited him to dinner.

    Wanda pursed her lips and continued to peek at Carlisle¡¯s phone screen. She was curious how he

    would

    respond.

    He texted, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have the time. I have something to do tonight!¡±

    She smiled slightly as she saw how he responded to the message.

    In Finance ss 3, Sarah swiftly texted, ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat me this time. Dinner is on me today!¡±

    Wasn¡¯t it only a meal? Why was Carlisle being stingy?

    Inexplicably, she missed the high school Carlisle, who had been loyal to her.

    ¡°My lesson is starting. Bye!¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t even bother to exin. He closed the phone cover after replying.

    Wanda felt satisfied and smiled in joy.

    He leaned over and asked, ¡°Wanda, why are you smiling?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Am I smiling?¡± She blinked her clear eyes innocently.

    ¡°Perhaps I saw it wrong Carlisle also smiled.

    ¡°You must have been too tired and had hallucinations! By the way, I¡¯d like to find Lily for dinner tonight.

    Do

    you want toe with me!¡±

    After all, Lily had been her deskmate for three years in high school. She didn¡¯t hold a college entrance

    celebration, nor did she attend any of her ssmates¡® college entrance celebrations.

    It was the beginning of the university year. Wanda wanted to meet Lily, whose university was close to

    Rivend University.

    Carlisle paused before responding. ¡°I may not have time at night.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wanda lowered her head in disappointment.

    It turned out that he wasn¡¯t looking for an excuse to reject Sarah. He was indeed not free tonight. If he

    had time, he might agree to have dinner with Sarah.

    ¡°I have a friend who came from Rainville. I¡¯ll need to look for a long¨Cterm stay for him tonight!¡±

    Carlisle thought Wanda was disappointed because he declined her invitation.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just go ahead with your business.¡± Wanda smiled forcefully before continuing to read her

    notes in silence.

    Carlisle smiled bitterly. She was still young. It was normal for her to overthink.

    When he was madly pursuing Sarah in his previous life, he also overthought like Wanda.

    ¡°I can follow you to find Lily for a meal tomorrow!¡± Carlisle whispered.

    ¡°Tomorrow is my sister¡¯s birthday!¡±

    ¡°What about the day after tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°That day is my brother¡¯s birthday!7

    ¡°Howe your brother and your sister¡¯s birthdays are only one day apart?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my future sister¨Cinw!¡±

    ¡°How about two dayster?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter!¡±

 Chapter 70

    Carlisle lowered his head helplessly as he noticed Wanda¡¯s slight anger.

    Perhaps he should go with her first. However, how should he exin to Owen then?

    Owen would work with him in the future. How could Carlisle establish a positive image if he broke his

    promise before even starting anything?

    Wanda couldn¡¯t stand to see Carlisle¡¯s overwhelmed expression. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m not angry. You should

    deal with your affairs first. You must fulfill your promises to others!¡±

    He felt moved. ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Wanda!¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± She pursed her lips and smiled again.

    The bell rang after they¡¯d taken the textbooks. They headed to the cafeteria together.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The sun shone brightly today. Wanda forgot to bring her umbre and had to rush to the cafeteria to

    avoid the sun.

    ¡°Wanda, wait for me!¡±

    Carlisle walked to the nearby trash can and picked up a mineral water carton. He unfolded it, came to

    her side, and used it to shield her from the sunlight.

    The students and lecturers passing by gazed at them strangely. Some lecturers even judged them.

    This era was still conservative. Many would gossip about the students who fell in love.

    Carlisle said while holding the unfolded carton, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Wanda ignored those strange gazes and nodded with a blushed face.

    Meanwhile, the sexily¨Cdressed Queenle walked across the field with an umbre, cheerfully speaking

    with

    her best friends. They were talking about the attractive boys among the freshmen.

    Shirley Lloyd, one of her best friends, suddenly said, ¡°Queenie, the girl in front seems to be your

    boyfriend¡¯s sister!¡±

    Queenie looked over and saw a tall, slender boy holding a piece of unfolded carton to shield Wanda

    from the sunlight.

    Her other best friend, Regina Jenkins, smiled sweetly. ¡°It seems that she¡¯s falling in love!¡±

    Queenie frowned slightly. She took out her phone and secretly took a few photos of them.

    Shirley eximed, ¡°I think that boy is average. Wanda has a good background. Why would she fall in

    love. with such a boy?¡±

    While sending the photo to Zachary, Queenie responded calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no way he can be with

    Wanda!¡±

    Zachary, who was ying games in his hotel¡¯sputer room, took a look at the photos sent by

    Queenie.

    His expression gradually darkened.

    He could recognize Carlisle. Wanda deliberately got low scores to gain admission to Rivend

    University because of him.

    Zachary thought that he shouldn¡¯t have saved Carlisle in the first ce. Instead, he should let Carlisle

    be beaten to death by the gangster.

    Queenie texted, ¡°Do you want me to find someone to remind that guy?¡±

    ¡°No need. I know people at Rivend University!¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you be afraid that Wanda will be angry?¡±

    ¡°My people are reliable!¡±

    After turning off his phone, Zachary put on his headphones and shouted, ¡°Find the guild leader of the

    Pride Protectors. I¡¯ll test the power of the Heavenly Sword¡­¡±

    Carlisle spotted two seats at the cafeteria.

    ¡°Hold our seats. I¡¯ll go get the meals!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Wanda appeared happy. She took her seat while he went to buy food. It was exactly the university life

    she

    had dreamed of when she was in high school.

    They had a bright future.

    Cafeterias in this era didn¡¯t ept credit cards. Carlisle had to purchase meal tickets before using them

    to buy meals.

    After ten minutes of waiting in line, he finally packed two meals.

    Sarah also happened to be on this floor. She sat not far from Wanda¡¯s table.

    She felt ufortable when she saw Carlisle sitting opposite Wanda with two meals,

    Although Kelvin helped her buy meals, she felt far less fulfilled than when Carlisle did.

    Sarah grew confused. Had she lost him?

    ¡°Sarah, what are you thinking about?¡± Kelvin ced the meal in front of her and asked gently.

    She shook her head and ate her food impassively.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t eat breakfast and did some work in the morning. So, he was already hungry and wolfed

    down the food.

    ¡°Can you be more elegant when you eat?¡± Wanda chewed slowly and spoke with feigned disgust..

    ¡°Ahem, okay!¡±

    Carlisle slowed down his eating speed, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He was almost in his 40s when

    hebined his two lives, but an 18¨Cyear¨Cold had taught him a lesson.

    Wanda smiled and gave him all the meat. ¡°I don¡¯t like eating fatty meat. Help me eat it!¡±

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 71

    ¡°Then what do you like to eat?¡± Carlisle enthusiastically ate the meat Wanda had given him.

    She said softly, ¡°Except fatty meat and animal offal, I can eat everything else!¡±

    She then asked with guilt, ¡°Would you think I¡¯m a picky eater?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the picky one, but Sarah. Do you know how picky she is?¡± Carlisle spoke vaguely while

    chewing.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Wanda turned and nced at Sarah by the window.

    She noticed Sarah had looked over just now. That was why she deliberately gave Carlisle meat to

    show it

    to Sarah.

    Her purpose was to stop Sarah from thinking about him.

    Wanda was satisfied when she saw Sarah¡¯s resentful expression.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    *She can¡¯t eat pasta which is too rough or too soft. She dislikes half¨Cmushy and half¨Craw omelets. She

    avoids onions and dislikes tomato sauce¡­

    Carlisle went into great detail about Sarah¡¯s picky eating habits. He couldn¡¯t help butment how he

    had managed to serve her before.

    ¡°Compared to her, I¡¯m indeed not picky!¡± Wanda smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Apart from her good looks, she doesn¡¯t have any advantages!¡± Carlisle¡¯s contempt for

    Sarah grew as he talked.

    ¡°It¡¯s enough for her to be pretty. Or you wouldn¡¯t have had a crush on her!¡± She puffed her cheeks.

    ¡°I was blind back then!¡± He scratched his head and blushed.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop talking and eat!¡± Wanda rolled her eyes at Carlisle. She was still a little unhappy.

    She wasn¡¯t as attractive as Sarah. Would he forget about Sarah and be with her? Was she only a

    substitute in his heart?

    The afternoon was self¨Cstudy lessons. Midway, Susan, the guidance counselor, brought everyone to

    pick up military training supplies. Military training would start next week.

    After lessons, Carlisle sent Wanda¡¯to the girls¡® dormitory before leaving to find Owen.

    When he came to the hotel¡¯s entrance, he noticed Owen smoking with two long¨Chaired young men

    wearing ck vests and suspenders.

    ¡°Hello, Carl.¡±

    They are¡­¡±

    Carlisle nced at the two of them. They were probably in their 20s. He felt that one of them looked

    familiar. However, after thinking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen that man.

    ¡°They also y The Legendary Tale. They¡¯re in the same guild as me. I happened to meet them at an

    inte cafe. They also want to make a fortune with you!¡±

    Owen looked embarrassed. He took Carlisle aside and whispered, ¡°Carl, they have a good rtionship

    with me. Please do me a favor!¡±

    Carlisle felt disgusted with Owen¡¯s approach. He was helping Owen since he had been kind to Gordon

    in his previous life.

    However, Owen brought two more people with him. They appeared untrustworthy. If they stole the

    technology, they would form a new group.

    Carlisle was worried he might wind up cultivatingpetitors.

    Fortunately, game ount farming was only one part of his businessndscape. Since they were

    Owen¡¯s friends, he would let them divide Owen¡¯s interests.

    ¡°Okay, since they¡¯re your friends, they¡¯ll also be my friends. As long as they¡¯re willing to endure

    hardship, they¡¯ll get the benefits!¡± He patted Owen¡¯s shoulder and spoke sincerely.

    ¡°Hehe, thank you, Carl!¡±

    Owen thanked him gratefully before saying to the two men, ¡°Come over and get to know Carl!¡±

    They came over and greeted Carlisle reluctantly. They couldn¡¯t be too haughty because Carlisle was

    wealthy. The wealthy one would always be the boss.

    ¡°You guys can first introduce yourselves!¡± Owen spoke to the two of them.

    One of the skinny men responded, ¡°I¡¯m Heath Walton, 22 years old. I¡¯ve not studied since I graduated

    from junior high school. I¡¯m level 47 in The Legendary Tale and a core member of the Pride Protectors!¡±

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading

 Chapter 72

    Heath Walton?

    Carlisle recalled memories from his previous life.

    The Prince Hotel, Rivend¡¯srgest five¨Cstar hotel, was operating illegally. The hotel owner, Prince

    Heath, was shot dead while fleeing.

    Prince Heath¡¯s full name was Heath Walton.

    Carlisle¡¯s heart was filled with turmoil. In the next ten years or so, Prince Heath would be a feared

    name.

    Heath founded the Prince Hotel in 2009 and ruled Rivend¡¯s underworld force in 2012. He suffered a

    setback after he offended a big shot from Lumina in 2015.

    At that time, officials even used tanks to deal with him.

    If Heath could run that hotel properly, his legend would grow even more. Unfortunately, he went down a

    dead¨Cend path.

    He had a younger brother, Benjamin, who was the trigger for the copse of the Prince Hotel

    Benjamin was the Prince Hotel¡¯s second boss. He was arrogant and insulted a Lumina big shot¡¯s

    girlfriend in public.

    Right then, another man introduced himself. ¡°Hello, Carl. I¡¯m Benjamin Walton. You can call me Ben.

    I¡¯m also a member of the Pride Protectors. I¡¯m level 4

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    in The Legendary Tale!¡±

    *Carl, what are you thinking about?¡± Owen noticed Carlisle¡¯s distracted look and nudged him.

    Carlisle calmed himself down and smiled. ¡°You guys haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? I¡¯ll take you for a meal

    first!¡±

    Benjamin took out a cigarette box from his pocket, but it was empty.

    ¡°Owie, give me five dors. I want to buy cigarettes!¡± Benjamin rubbed his hands and smiled.

    Owen¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Carl only gave me a hundred dors. I paid for all your expenses today. I

    don¡¯t have any money now.¡±

    Benjamin winked and motioned for him to ask Carlisle for money.

    Owen looked at Carlisle awkwardly and was about to speak, but Carlisle spoke first, ¡°I don¡¯t have any

    money left. I¡¯ll go to the bank and withdraw some!¡±

    After withdrawing five thousand dors from the bank, he offered the three of them two hundred dors

    each.

    ¡°Use it first. Tell me if it¡¯s not enough!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so generous, Carl

    Owen was extremely excited. Carlisle gave out money more generously than his parents, However

    was curious about where Carlisle got the money.

    He was Carlisle¡¯s neighbor. He knew the Zahn family well.

    Several times in the past, Hilda had to borrow Carlisle¡¯s tuition fees from his mother.

    ¡°Carl, how did you be rich all of a sudden?¡± Owen couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously.

    ¡°I received a lot of gift money at the college entrance celebration!¡± Carlisle made an excuse.

    ¡°No wonder. Did your father give you your four¨Cyear tuition fees?¡± Owen continued to ask.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re quite smart.¡± Carlisle pretended to be surprised.

    ¡°Even a fool could guess it. Starting a game studio requires a lot of money. Since you can spend so

    much money, you must have at least 20 thousand!¡± Owen assumed he knew the whole truth.

    ¡°You guessed it again!¡±

    Carlisle hailed a taxi on the roadside and took them to the A1 Seafood Restaurant in Southdale.

    Heath and Benjamin were dangerous, but they could also be effective weapons.

    If he could make effective use of them, it would benefit his business n and prevent the rise of two

    cruel bullies in Rivend.

    ¡°Heath, are you a local of Rivend?¡± Carlisle, who sat in the passenger seat, suddenly asked.

    Heath nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±

    Carlisle continued to ask, ¡°Then you must know a lot of people, right?¡±

    Heath smiled lightly. ¡°Not many. If something happens, I can summon 50 people as long as you pay.¡±

    Owen looked at Heath in shock. ¡°Are you telling the truth? I thought you were bragging earlier.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Bragging means pretending to be powerful without money. You can regard what I stated

    earlier as bragging. But if I have money, I can easily aplish what I boasted about. My connections

    are my capital!¡±

 Chapter 73

    ¡°What Heath said makes sense. So, we have to work hard to make money and achieve what we

    boasted

    about!¡±

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Owen looked at the hundreds of dors in his hand, his eyes filled with longing for the future.

    An hourter, the taxi arrived outside A1 Seafood Restaurant.

    Then, Carlisle called Sean.

    Sean had arrived early and booked a luxury package worth nearly three thousand dors.

    In 2004, even wealthy families weren¡¯t so extravagant as to spend nearly three thousand dors on a

    meal. It was more expensive than their previous nine¨Ccourse meal.

    After getting to know each other, they sat in the private room to discuss.

    Carlisle gave an overview of his game studio n. The others listened with great interest.

    Heath held a cigarette and squinted. ¡°The rate to obtain the game equipment is too low. The price is

    reducing too quickly. Can this thing make money?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can make a lot of money from this!¡±

    Carlisle stated confidently, ¡°As long as we have enough game ounts, we can increase the number

    of equipment, gold coins, and supplies. The Legendary Tale attracts arge number of yers. Our

    goods will only be in short supply. We can also make money from several pirated games. This market

    is wide!¡±

    Heath took a long drag on his cigarette before asking hoarsely, ¡°Have you estimated how much you

    can earn in a day?¡±

    Carlisle leaned on the chair. He tapped his fingers on the table and said with a slight smile, ¡®Set this

    matter aside. Let¡¯s first talk about how we cooperate!¡±

    Several people stared at Carlisle closely. Heath replied, ¡°We are listening. Just state your conditions!¡±

    He never considered making great wealth.

    How could there be a career that allowed him to y games while making money? He only wanted

    enough money tost a lifetime and didn¡¯t want Benjamin to suffer poverty with him.

    ¡°I have two suggestions for cooperation. The first is that I¡¯ll pay you two hundred dors a day. The

    second option is that I¡¯ll give you a 10%mission on the profit every month!¡±

    After Carlisle finished speaking, he took a sip from the teacup on the table.

    Two hundred a day?¡± Owen¡¯s eyes widened.

    The average working¨Css earned only 20 to 30 dors per day. However, Carlisle offered a sry of

    two hundred dors per day. Was he engaging in digging for gold?

    choose the first onel! have one more condition¨CI want to get paid every day!

    Heath was so excited that he pped the table and made his decision on the spot.

    Benjamin whispered, ¡°Heath, do you really believe him?¡±

    The sry of two hundred dors per day hadpletely subverted his cognition.

    Except for corporate executives, ordinary people like them without academic qualifications would never

    be able to find such a career in their lifetime.

    Heath rolled his eyes at Benjamin. ¡°Are you deaf? I told him he had to settle our wages every day. He

    has already given us two hundred. That¡¯s equivalent to one day¡¯s ie. Even if he can¡¯t make

    money, we¡¯ll still get paid!¡±

    Benjamin scratched his head, thinking that it was indeed the case.

    Sean said bitterly, ¡°Carl, I don¡¯t want to study anymore. I also want to make money!¡±

    Despite working nonstop for a month, Rory only earned about three thousand dors a month.

    Carlisle offered others six thousand dors a month, which startled him.

    ¡°You can tell your father that you want to drop out!¡± Carlisle smiled meaningfully.

    With Rory¡¯s temper, if Sean didn¡¯t want to study, he would drive right over and beat Sean up.

    Sean was instantly terrified. ¡°Forget it. Please don¡¯t tell him. He¡¯ll break my legs!¡±

    Carlisle soon requested the waiter to bring him a case of beer once the dishes were served.

    After pouring the beer, he picked up the ss and stated, ¡°Now we have a deal. A toast to our smooth

    cooperation!¡±

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 Chapter 74

    Heath picked up the ss and grinned. ¡°I hope we can make a fortune in the future!¡±

    Everyone started eating when they finished drinking their beer.

    Benjamin seemed to have never eaten meat in his life. He grabbed a shrimp with his bare hands and

    devoured it.

    ¡°What are your dreams?¡± Carlisle asked them while eating.

    He had no intention of changing Prince Heath¡¯s fate. Prince Heath would still appear, but his fate would

    differ from his previous life.

    Under Carlisle¡¯s training. Prince Heath would be a true hero.

    ¡°My dream is to open a big inte cafe!¡± Owen spoke excitedly.

    Heath took a sip of beer and said, ¡°I want to open a disco!¡±

    Benjamin¡¯s mouth was full of meat. He smiled innocently. ¡°I want to open a hotel. Then I won¡¯t have to

    sleep in an inte cafe!¡±

    Heath took another sip of his beer. He felt ufortable when he heard his brother¡¯s dream.

    They were orphans. Even though they weren¡¯t blood¨Crted, they treated each other better than real

    brothers.

    As the eldest, he should be responsible for taking care of Benjamin. However, he was unable to send

    his younger brother to school, and even basic living expenditures were problematic. He felt

    ipetent.

    ¡°You guys are ambitious to be the bosses!¡± Sean gave the three of them a thumbs up.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Benjaminughed. ¡°Everyone has dreams. What if ites true?¡±

    Sean smiled meaningfully and said nothing to diminish their confidence.

    Carlisle dered, ¡°If you guys follow me, I¡¯ll make your dreamse true!¡±

    Everyone looked at Carlisle, who took a sip from his teacup.

    The calmness he disyed waspletely inconsistent with his age.

    Heath even had the illusion that this university student, who appeared much younger than him, was an

    experienced elderly.

    Carlisle¡¯s words held a power that Heath couldn¡¯t help but want to belleve in him¡­

    After having a meal, Carlisle took them to find a house;

    Heath was familiar with Rivend. He introduced several houses with high¨Ccost performance.

    Carlislepared several houses and finally chose a four¨Cbedroom, two¨Cliving room suite with a

    monthly rent of five hundred dors.

    ¡°You need to pay a three¨Cmonth deposit. I¡¯ll charge you three thousand dors!¡±

    Jean Windoff, thendlord, had long hair and was in her 30s. She wore a slim¨Cfitting dress and had a

    sexy figure. She had a flowery scent and revealed a natural charm.

    Looking at the handsome Carlisle, she gulped and smiled charmingly. ¡°Actually, we can still discuss the

    price!¡±

    Carlisle appeared to have seen through her thoughts and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m satisfied with the price. I can¡¯t

    bear to let a beauty suffer a loss!¡±

    Jean was slightly stunned. Carlisle was handsome and appeared to be in his 20s. How could he speak

    so

    well?

    ¡°Here is three thousand dors. I¡¯lle to you tomorrow and sign the contract!¡± Carlisle counted out

    and handed it to her.

    ¡°I have a ready¨Cmade contract at my ce. Why don¡¯t you follow me and sign the contract now?¡± Jean

    showed a sweet smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. Let¡¯s do it tomorrow!¡± Carlisle looked embarrassed. He suspected she was plotting

    something against him.

    There was nothing wrong with saying that a woman was like a wolf in her 30s.

    He was only 18 years old. If he went to her ce, he would suffer a loss.

    If it were him in his previous life, he might not be able to withstand such temptation.

    However, in this life, he only wanted to make money so his parents could live a good life. He also

    wanted to let Wanda marry him gloriously.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll do something bad to you?¡± Jean squinted and stared at Carlisle¡¯s

    handsome face.

 Chapter 75

    Carlisle sensed Jean¡¯s tantly passionate eyes and felt ufortable all over.

    ¡°Jean, how about I follow you to sign the contract? Heath could tell Jean was interested in Carlisle.

    Carlisle was his boss, so he should stand up as a shield: Besides, Jean was attractive. It wasn¡¯t a bad

    idea for him to have his first rtionship with her.

    Jean wrinkled her nose as she nced at Heath. ¡°Step aside. I didn¡¯t talk to you.¡±

    He smiled awkwardly and leaned close to Carlisle to whisper, ¡°How about you go with her? She is

    exquisite and has a pretty good figure=¡±

    ¡°I still have things to do. Sean, let¡¯s go back first!¡± Carlisle hastily dragged Sean outside.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Even though Jean had some charm, he couldn¡¯t betray Wanda.

    ¡°Hey, Carl, that¡¯s a great opportunity. You can sleep with a woman for free. Why didn¡¯t you cherish it?¡±

    Sean joked.

    ¡°Fuck off. I won¡¯t be a yboy!¡± Carlisle kicked Sean¡¯s butt.

    ¡°Haha, you can¡¯t kick me!¡± Sean reacted in time and turned sideways to avoid Carlisle¡¯s sneak attack.

    He

    even triumphantly twisted his butt to challenge Carlisle.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t stopughing as he watched Sean behave like a child. He took out his phone and

    checked the time. It was now 8:10 pm.

    ¡°It¡¯s still early. Let¡¯s go to the second¨Chandputer market!¡±

    He summarized the reason for aplishing nothing in his previous life. One was that he wasted all

    his time and energy on Sarah. The other was his bad habit of procrastinating. Since he was rebom, he

    must

    get rid of his bad habit.

    Carlisle took out his phone and dialed Ivan¡¯s number.

    Ivan, who had recently received a huge sum of money, was eating and drinking at his reception.

    He then turned to look at his vibrating phone on the desk. When he realized it was from Carlisle, he felt

    less nervous than thest time. He could tell that Carlisle would keep his word.

    ¡°Hey, Carlisle!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Sanders, do you have any acquaintances in Rivend who own an inte cafe?*

    ¡°Yes, I have a cousin who runs an inte cafe. Do you also want to get into this business?¡±

    Ivan¡¯s tone was full of surprise. Then, he persuaded earnestly, ¡°Carlisle, this field is difficult. You can¡¯t

    start it unless you have three hundred thousand dors. Even if you start it, it¡¯ll be difficult if you don¡¯t

    have any connections!¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t nned to get into it. I only want to buy a fewputers to y games, but I¡¯m worried about

    being duped¡­¡±

    Carlisle naturally understood what Ivan meant. Public security was in disarray these days. Troubles

    were bound to happen in inte cafes. It was difficult to suppress the mayhem without some means.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll give you my cousin¡¯s number. Just tell him that I rmended you to him. I

    got all of myputers from him. Since you know everything about the configuration, he won¡¯t dare to

    cheat you!¡± Ivan spoke cheerfully.

    ¡°Okay, thank you. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal when I return during vacation!¡± Carlisle politely thanked him.

    Ivan sent him a number shortly after hanging up the phone.

    Carlisle made the call.

    Following the discussion, theputer seller invited him to his store to talk. He and Sean took a ride to

    the city center.

    There were a lot of phone andputer stores here. ording to the advertising paper posted

    outside, the price of phones was above three thousand dors.

    It was difficult for the average person to purchase such a phone. However, Rivend was vast and

    abundant in resources. There was no shortage of wealthy people.

    The four universities had attracted tens of thousands of students. All of the parents¡® hard¨Cearned

    money went toward their children¡¯s education.

    Since students¡® consumption levels had increased, Rivend¡¯s prices and economy were also

    gradually

    rising.

    When they arrived at theputer store, they were greeted by a gentleman in his early 30s, wearing

    sses and a sallow shirt.

    He adjusted his sses and smiled gently. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Winston Sanders. I¡¯m Ivan¡¯s cousin! ¡°Nice to

    meet you, Mr. Winston. I¡¯m Carlisle Zahn!¡±

 Chapter 76

    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Sean Woodsen!¡±

    Carlisle and Sean shook hands with Winston.

    Winston led them to sit. He gave them two bottles of Coke from the refrigerator and asked with a smile,

    You bought theputer to y games, right?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Yes, so our configuration requirements are slightly higher!¡±

    The Legendary Tale and The Mystical Journey didn¡¯t require configuration. However, if they wanted to

    open the game multiple times, they needed to run auxiliary plug¨Cins. It required a specificputer

    configuration to support it.

    Winston took out a pack of cigarettes and gave each of them one.

    Carlisle declined while Sean took the cigarette and lit it.

    Winston lightly took a puff of his cigarette before introducing them to the high¨Cconfigurationputers

    in

    his store.

    Sean¡¯s eyes twitched when he heard the starting price for thoseputers was around seven

    thousand dors. ¡°Gosh, even a second¨Chandputer is so expensive!¡±

    Carlisle was quite calm. Technology had only recently developed. Phones andputers hadn¡¯t yet

    emerged, so

    they were expected to be pricey.

    ¡°Seven thousand dors is indeed a bit expensive. I need six units. Can I buy them for 30 thousand

    dors?¡± Carlisle asked calmly while drinking Coke.

    Winston¡¯s eyes twitched. The way he looked at¡® Carlisle changed.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    The young people who could afford 30 thousand dors were most likely the second generation of

    wealthy people. He purchased sixputers at once, which was also a big deal.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re Ivan¡¯s acquaintance, this price cut is too much! Sixputers with the identical setup

    cost 42 thousand dors. If you want them, I can cut the price to 40 thousand!¡± Winston spoke

    unhurriedly.

    ¡°My bottom line is 32 thousand. I can only spend that much!¡±

    Carlisle shrugged helplessly with a disappointed look as if he had no choice but to give up if he couldn¡¯t

    get theputers at that price.

    Winston almost had no idea how to respond. ¡°These sixputers cost 39 thousand dors. Since

    you¡¯re Ivan¡¯s friend, you can just pay me 39 thousand and five hundred dors!¡±

    Carlisle still hesitated. He had lent Lily five thousand dors and spent three thousand to rent a house.

    He also paid more than five thousand for his tuition and living expenses. There were only around 32

    thousand dors left in his bank ount.

    Sean whispered, Carl, do you have enough money? I can lend you ten thousandi

    22

    Carlisle sighed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll borrow the money from you first!¡±

    He chose the high¨Cconfiguration Dellputers to ensure theputers would run well.

    Around 10:00 pm, Winston drove them to their rental house and worked extra hours to help them with

    theputer instation.

    Carlisle and Sean soon returned to their dormitories.

    Shortly after they left, Owen, Heath, and Benjamin sat nkly next to six brand¨Cnew high¨Cend

    computers.

    ¡°Heath, are theseputers the highest configuration of the inte cafe?¡± Owen asked while gulping.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s estimated to cost eight thousand each!¡±

    Heath was likewise shocked. He didn¡¯t expect Carlisle to purchase such high¨Cqualityputers.

    ¡°Sixputers cost 40 to 50 thousand dors. If we sell them, we can use this money to do business!¡±

    Owen expressed a bold proposal.

    ¡°Owie is right. Heath, how about we¡­¡± Benjamin was swayed. He had never seen what tens of

    thousands of dors looked like.

    Heath lit a cigarette, puffed out smoke, and stated, ¡°Your idea is good. But you have to think clearly. If

    we follow Carlisle, he might be able to make our dreamse true. However, if we sell these

    computers, we might never achieve them!¡±

 Chapter 77

    ¡°Heath, why do you think so? We can also make money by using Carlisle¡¯s method! Benjamin looked at

    Heath in confusion.

    ¡°Yes, Heath, I don¡¯t understand either!¡± Owen said while smoking a cigarette and scratching his feet,¡±

    Carlisle offered us 200 dors per day. It means that we¡¯ll bring him over 600 dors per day. If we do it

    ourselves, we¡¯d earn more than 200 dors!¡±

    After all, he¡¯d learned math in high school. He could perform simple calctions.

    Heath frowned at them and asked, ¡°We just met Carlisle today, but he dared to leave theputers

    worth tens of thousands here. Would you two dare to do so?¡±

    Benjamin and Owen shook their heads. Not to mention theputers worth tens of thousands, even if

    it were only 200 dors, they wouldn¡¯t hand it over to a stranger so easily.

    Heath continued, ¡°That shows magnanimity. And magnanimity determines the oue. Carlisle is

    bound for sess. Only by following him will we have a chance to achieve our dreams!¡±

    Despite hisck of formal schooling, he enjoyed learning. When he surfed in the inte cafe, he often

    spent several hours studying philosophy.

    ¡°I got it, Heath. Let¡¯s go find something to eat!¡± Benjamin gave up his thoughts after hearing what Heath

    stated.

    Heath nced at Owen again, saying, ¡°Owie, aren¡¯t you faithful to your friends? You¡¯ve known Carlisle

    for a long time. He trusts you and gives you money. Is this how you repay him?¡±

    ¡°Heath, 1-

    Heath interrupted Owen coldly, ¡°I like to make friends, but only with those who are loyal. I¡¯m willing to

    go out of my way to help my friends who deserve a genuine rtionship. I¡¯m not interested in making

    friends who will betray me!¡±

    ¡°Heath, I was wrong. Please don¡¯t tell Carl about this!¡± Owen lowered his head, admitting his mistake.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your friend¡¯s performance. He believes in us. We should also believe in him!¡±

    Heath stood up and patted Owen¡¯s shoulder before walking out. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll treat you both tonight!¡±

    After returning to the dormitory and washing up, Carlisle sat on the bed and changed the battery of his

    phone. As soon as he turned it on, he logged into MSN messenger.

    In the afternoon, he added Wanda back on MSN messenger.

    He opened the chat group and noticed Wanda, Christine, Sarah, Sienna, and Sean¡¯s avatars shing.

    Carlisle first opened Wanda¡¯s chat box. There were many messages from her.

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    ¡°Are you free?¡±

    ¡°Are you back?¡±

    ¡°Your matters should be over now, right?¡±

    She sent herst message around 9:00 pm, apanied by a crying emoji.

    ¡°I just finished my business. Are you still awake?¡± Carlisle promptly texted.

    Wanda instantly replied, ¡°Have you returned to the dormitory?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I just arrived. My phone¡¯s battery has died!¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t responded to my messages for so long. Is there a girl holding your hand? Wanda¡¯s

    message reeked of jealousy.

    She knew Carlisle had gone with his friends to look for a rental ce, but she assumed he should have

    time to reply to her messages.

    She believed he must have brought a girl with him.

    Carlisle felt amused and replied, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    Girls tended to think wildly. Even top academic students were no exception. However, it also showed

    his

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    importance in Wanda¡¯s heart.

    sway.

    If she didn¡¯t like him, she wouldn¡¯t have thought this

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous!¡±

    I¡¯m just¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll be in danger outside!¡±

    Wanda typed fast to send several messages, one after another.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll reply quickly to your message next time!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going to bed. See you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Good night!¡±

    Carlisle returned to the group interface and clicked on Christine¡¯s chat box.

    ¡°Carlisle, do you like Wanda?¡±

    Christine¡¯s avatar was gray. She probably borrowed her roommate¡¯s phone to send him a message and

    then went offline without waiting for his response.

    Carlisle replied, ¡°Yes!¡±

    Then, he clicked on Sarah¡¯s chat box.

 Chapter 78

    Sarah had texted, ¡°Carlisle, there is an ice rink opening on Saturday. It¡¯s free to enter. Let¡¯s go

    together!¡±

    Carlisle replied, ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡±

    Then, he clicked on Sienna¡¯s chat box. She sent the same message as Sarah.

    He was a little stunned.

    Sarah didn¡¯t mention that Sienna was going as well. He wasn¡¯t sure what they were trying to achieve.

    He was toozy to think about it, so he replied to her the same way before clicking on Sean¡¯s chat box.

    ¡°Carl, won¡¯t you be afraid that Owen and his friends will steal yourputers? Those cost tens of

    thousands!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hire people with bad intentions. It¡¯s not a waste to spend tens of thousands to reveal their true

    colors!¡±

    Sean just took a shower. He pouted when he saw Carlisle¡¯s reply. He typed, ¡°But we don¡¯t have much

    capital. If we lose this money, it¡¯ll be difficult to make aeback!¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Believe me. I¡¯ve always had a good eye!¡±

    More precisely, he believed in Heath.

    As a tycoon who could rule Rivend¡¯s underworld forces in the future, Heath¡¯s vision wouldn¡¯t be

    limited

    toputer equipment worth tens of thousands.

    Suddenly, there was a violent knock on the door.

    ¡°Spotcheck! Open the door!¡±

    Kelvin, whose bed was next to the door, quickly opened the dormitory door. Four burly seniors entered

    grandly.

    ¡°Are you all here?¡±

    The leader had short hair and a scar on his face. He dressed like a gangster with board shorts and a

    ck tank top.

    When the scar¨Cfaced senior entered the room, the freshmen trembled in fear.

    ¡°We¡¯re all here¡­¡±

    Kelvin took a few bottles of Coke from the bucket next to the bed. ¡°Seniors, please have a drink!¡±

    The scar¨Cfaced senior epted the Coke and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re quite sensible. What is your name?¡±

    I¡¯m Kelvin!¡± Kelvin replied quickly.

    The scar¨Cfaced senior nodded and took out a list.

    Chapter 70:

    A person behind him pointed at the students on the upper bunk and shouted, ¡°Get down and line up!¡±

    The students on the upper bunk hastily sprang from their beds.

    Carlisle frowned slightly. To avoid conflicts, he lined up with his roommates.

    ¡°Now I¡¯ll read out the names. Respond to me when you hear your name!¡±

    The scar¨Cfaced senior nced sharply at everyone before starting.

    ¡°Daniel Scott!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    ¡°Hmph, Daniel? You should call yourself ¡®Dandy!¡± the scar¨Cfaced senior mocked.

    Everyone in the dormitory burst outughing.

    The man behind the scar¨Cfaced senior shouted, ¡°What are you guysughing at? Is that funny?¡±

    Everyone became silent, not daring to make a sound.

    ¡°Dn Fisher!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    ¡°Shane Foster!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    ¡°Jasper Sutton!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    ¡°Carlisle Zahn!¡±

    When the scar¨Cfaced senior read out this name, he looked up at Carlisle, who was standing at the

    back.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Carlisle responded.

    He vaguely felt that the scar¨Cfaced senior seemed to have some ulterior motives.

    The scar¨Cfaced senior approached Carlisle, leaned close to him, and whispered, ¡°Someone asked me

    to give you a message. Stay away from Wanda Thompson!¡±

 Chapter 79

    After saying that, the scar¨Cfaced senior turned around and returned to his previous position.

    ¡°I¡¯m Mike Carlson from the Faculty of Engineering. My brother isn. He has opened three ice rinks in

    the Riverwatch District. His fourth ice rink is about to open this Saturday!¡±

    At this point, he lit a cigarette and added, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to show off. I just want to tell you guys that my

    brother is the boss of the Riverwatch District. You guys can¡¯t afford to offend me!¡±

    Kelvin was pleased when he heard that. He felt that Mike had a great background and wished to have

    a positive rtionship with him.

    Mike looked at Carlisle and asked, ¡°Carlisle Zahn, did you hear what I said?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°I heard it!¡±

    Mike continued, ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll do spot checks around¨C10:00 pm every day. When wee, you

    guys muste down and line up. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± The roommates responded in unison.

    Mike added, ¡°Keep the room clean. Don¡¯t leave shoes and other things lying around. You can¡¯t smoke

    in

    the room¡­.

    After saying some strict rules, he left with his people.

    Daniel sat on Carlisle¡¯s bed and sighed. ¡°It seems that we¡¯ll have a tough time. How did someone¨Clike

    him

    get into Rivend University? He looks like a gangster!¡±

    Jasper, who was on the bed opposite, whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what he just said? His brother is the

    boss of this ce. He probably got in through connections!¡±

    Daniel lit a cigarette, turned to Carlisle, and asked, ¡°Carlisle, what did Mike say to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Carlisley on the bed with his eyes closed, trying to rest. He hadn¡¯t calmed down yet. He had no ideal

    who asked him to stay away from Wanda.

    Today was the first day of university. He couldn¡¯t believe someone fell in love with Wanda at first sight.

    Would Mike beat him up if he didn¡¯t heed the warning?

    Carlisle scratched his head before picking up his phone and calling Owen.

    ¡°Carl, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Send me Heath¡¯s messenger username!¡±

    3578¡­

    Heath¡¯s messenger username consisted of only six digite and was level 48.

    Chapter 79:

    His level was already high when the inte was still developing. His online name was Prince Heath.

    ¡°Carl?¡±

    ¡°Do you known Carlson?¡±

    ¡°I know him. He¡¯s the boss of this area!¡±

    ¡°Are you familiar with him?¡±

    ¡°We have feuded!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched. He originally wanted to ask Heath to help him smooth things up.

    ¡°Why are you asking this? Did his brother mess with you?¡±

    Carlisle was stunned for a moment. ¡°How did you guess it?¡±

    Heath didn¡¯t reply for a long time.

    When the lights in the dormitory were switched off, and Carlisle was about to sleep, Heath finally

    responded, ¡°Don¡¯t offend him. When you make enough money, you can do whatever you want!¡±

    Carlisle felt a little disappointed. Should he part ways with Wanda?

    Did he

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    a reborn person, have to live in such a miserable state?

    The reborn characters in the novel all had cheat codes. Why did he have nothing?

    He also couldn¡¯t prophesy the future anytime and anywhere.

    Carlisle sighed, turned sideways, and prepared to sleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, a piece of

    news from his previous life shed over his mind.

    On September 8, 2004, the owner of Rivend islo Clothing jumped from the building andmitted

    suicide due to bankruptcy.

    His eyes shot open.

    From 2001 to 2004, Islo Clothing was the leading enterprise in Rivend¡¯s clothing field.

    The police reported that the chairman¡¯s wife had an affair with his driver. She cashed out 3 billon from

    thepany, causing thepany¡¯s capital chain to break. The chairman couldn¡¯t withstand the

    pressure, so he jumped off the building.

    Today was the 5th. There were still three days before the chairman jumped off the building.

    Damn it. Carlisle hadn¡¯t even settled his affairs yet.

 Chapter 80

    Carlisle gritted his teeth. He took out his phone to search for information about Islo Clothing. After half

    an hour of trying, he couldn¡¯t find the chairman¡¯s phone number.

    Just when he was about to give up, he suddenly remembered that Sean¡¯s father was in the textile

    business. Rory seemed to have business dealings with Islo Clothing.

    Carlisle opened MSN messenger and contacted Sean.

    ¡°Sean, you said your family has business dealings with Islo Clothing, right?¡±

    ¡°Carl, I was bragging. Islo Clothing is a high¨Css business. How can our workshop be qualified to

    cooperate with them?¡±

    ¡°Damn it! You fooled me!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, though. Islo Clothing¡¯s supplier ships out orders. My dad takes the orders from the

    suppliers. Isn¡¯t it also considered business dealings with Islo Clothing?¡±

    ¡°Get me the phone number of the chairman of Islo Clothing!¡±

    ¡°Holy shit! Where am I going to get that?¡±

    ¡°Call your dad for help!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask my dad tomorrow. Why do you want his phone number? Do you want to start a clothing

    business? Carl, we have to do it step by step. It¡¯s not easy to run a clothing business¡­¡±

    Carlisle promptly quit MSN messenger.

    The next day, Carlisle got up early. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to have breakfast because of what

    happenedst night, so he headed straight to the ssroom.

    He thought he had arrived early enough, but he found that all his ssmates were already there.

    When Carlisle entered the ssroom, he noticed Christine¡¯s gaze. He turned to look, but she

    immediately lowered her head.

    However, he noticed that her eyes were somewhat reddened.

    Christine had borrowed her roommate¡¯s phone to log into MSN messenger this morning. When she

    saw Carlisle¡¯s message, all her fantasies vanished.

    Carlisle sighed secretly before going to his seat in silence.

    Wanda wore a white dress today and exuded a flowery scent. She was concentrating on reading a

    book,

    ¡°Good morning, Wanda!¡± Carlisle sat in his seat with a smile.

    ¡°Morning, Wanda responded lukewarmly.

    He grinned. ¡°Are you still angry?¡±

    She said nothing but picked up her pen and took notes in the book.

    When Carlisle wanted to take his book from the drawer, he touched something warm and quickly

    withdrew his hand.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Holy crap! What is this?¡±

    He then looked down to find five warm bread rolls and a bottle of milk.

    ¡°Did you bring me breakfast?¡± Carlisle felt warm.

    In thest two years of high school, he was the one who brought Sarah breakfast. Wanda was the first

    girl to bring him breakfast.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Wanda rolled her eyes at Carlisle.

    He looked at her while eating the bread rolls.

    Along her short sleeves, he saw her light blue bra. Thinking that Wanda was still young, he immediately

    withdrew his gaze.

    While eating the bread rolls, Carlisle also drank some milk.

    Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He quickly took it out and read Sean¡¯s message.

    ¡°Carl, my dad said that there are suppliers above that supplier. Even if you contact the first supplier,

    you can only reach the salesperson of Islo Clothing!¡±

    Carlisle replied helplessly, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll think of another way!¡±

    Wanda noticed his expression and nced at his phone.

    Islo Clothing? Wasn¡¯t that her uncle¡¯spany?

    Why did Carlisle want to contact her uncle?

 Chapter 81

    Carlisle tucked his phone away and continued to munch on his bread roll filled with chorizo. His meal

    filled the ssroom with the pungent smell of the sausage.

    Despite the smell, many ssmates were also having breakfast, so no one spoke up.

    Carlisle wasn¡¯t usually a fan of such strong¨Csmelling breakfast foods, but today, he found his chorizo-

    stuffed bread roll surprisingly delicious.

    Wanda moved her chair closer to Carlisle and whispered, ¡°Carlisle, why did you ask about the

    chairman of Islo Clothing?¡±

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Carlisle turned his head abruptly, almost bumping into Wanda.

    ¡°Ew, that stinks¡­¡± Wanda quickly backed away from Carlisle. She even waved her hand to clear the

    air. ¡°I

    shouldn¡¯t have bought you that bread roll.¡±

    Carlisle leaned in and blew a gust of air at Wanda. ¡°Does it smell?¡±

    ¡°Stay away, it¡¯s gross!¡± Wanda covered Carlisle¡¯s mouth with her hands.

    Several ssmates red at them as they were being loud,

    ¡°Remember, we¡¯re in a public ce, so keep it down!¡± Phoebe interrupted from behind, covering her

    mouth to stifle a giggle.

    With her face flushed, Wanda buried her head in her arms on the desk.

    Christine, however, wasn¡¯t distracted by themotion and remained engrossed in her book.

    Her desk mate, Lorraine, leaned over cautiously and whispered, ¡°Christine, do you have a crush on

    Carlisle, too?¡±

    Christine shook her head firmly. ¡°Not at all!¡±

    ¡°I saw your chat history on MSN with Carlisle!¡±

    Christine¡¯s face turned red.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Christine. I didn¡¯t mean to pry!¡± Lorraine said awkwardly.

    Tears welled up in Christine¡¯s eyes, She looked down and muttered, ¡°Then you must have seen that he

    likes Wandal

    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. There are a lot of great guys in college. You¡¯re sure to find the right one. Besides,

    we¡¯re still young! There¡¯s no rush to start dating!¡±

    Christine pursed her lips and nodded silently in agreement.

    Christine hadpletely given up hope after receiving a message from Carlisle in the morning. She

    could tell that Wanda had feelings for Carlisle as well.

    Chapter 81.

    Wanda had probably fallen in love with him since high school. She had even waited for Carlisle to give

    up

    on Sarah.

    When Christine thought about it, it was possible that Wanda intentionally got lower grades on her

    exams just to get into Rivend University with Carlisle.

    Since the two of them were clearly in love, she decided it was hopeless to go after him.

    Around 8:00 pm, Susan entered the ssroom.

    She immediately frowned. ¡°It smells! Did no one bother to open the windows?

    ¡°Please try to have breakfast outside next time. Even if there are special circumstances where you

    can¡¯t have breakfast, don¡¯t bring strong¨Csmelling food like chorizo into the ssroom!¡±

    As Susan finished her words, those sitting near Carlisle turned to look at him.

    Susan nced at Carlisle as well but didn¡¯t press the issue. After all, these students had just started

    college. A gentle reminder was more than enough.

    Carlisle felt his face burn.

    Just when he had finally established a good image with the guidance counselor, a chorizo bread roll

    had

    ruined it.

    Wanda apologized weakly, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten you that bread roll!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Carlisle started, but when he turned to look at Wanda, she was stifling augh.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle gritted his teeth and finished his sentence. ¡°¡­fine.¡±

    Wapda bit down on her lips and began mentally reviewing every heartbreaking moment in her life.

    It was only after she remembered the death of her golden retriever, who had apanied her through

    high school, that she managed to keep a straight face.

    Carlisle only had Susan¡¯s ss in the morning. The rest of the day was for self¨Cstudy.

    As the ss was about to end, Wanda asked, ¡°Carlisle, you still haven¡¯t answered my question. What

    do you want with the chairman of Islo Clothing?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Carlisle was at a loss for words as he tried toe up with an excuse.

    ¡°I can help you!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    He knew Wanda¡¯s family was wealthy, but he hadn¡¯t thought they were influential enough to have

    connections with the chairman of Rivend¡¯s leading fashionpany.

    ¡°Do you want to meet him, or do you just need his phone number?¡±

    ¡°Meeting him would be ideal!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it for you. But how will you thank me?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled mischievously. ¡°How about a kiss?¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Wanda nced around to make sure no one was watching before saying with a flushed face,

    Can¡¯t you be serious for once?¡±

 Chapter 82

    ¡°So, how should I thank you?¡± Carlisle asked seriously.

    ¡°How about buying me coffee this Saturday?¡± ¡°How a

    ¡°Deall¡± Carlisle agreed without hesitation.

    Wanda was too easy to please. All it took was a cup of coffee, and she

    was content.

    She was always a piece of cake to appease whenever she was upset. To Carlisle, she was the ideal

    wife.

    As the ss ended, Carlisle suddenly spoke, ¡°Wanda, I won¡¯t be able to have lunch with you today. I

    have

    to take care of something!¡±

    ¡°What do you have to do, Carlisle?¡± Wanda looked at him in confusion.

    They were both freshmen, so it baffled her that he was so busy.

    Carlisle exined with a smile. ¡°A friend of mine just moved here, and we¡¯re nning to start a small

    business together. I might get busy from now on!¡±

    When she heard Carlisle was going into business, a gleam of ambition shed in Wanda¡¯s eyes.

    Carlisle was only a year older than her, yet he was already thinking about making money in college.

    She wondered if it was because he was aware of his family¡¯s financial situation and felt pressured to do

    something

    ¡°Well, go ahead and do your thing. I¡¯ll support you!¡± Wanda smiled sweetly, her eyes showing her

    happiness.

    She suddenly felt very lucky.

    While her peers were still asking their families for money, Carlisle was already starting a business. That

    was her kind of guy.

    Wanda and Phoebe walked ahead while Carlisle followed silently.

    As they left the building, Carlisle scanned his surroundings and spotted Mike with a few seniors nearby.

    His face darkened.

    He had never been threatened in his life.

    However, after being reborn, he was threatened by a college student in his early 20s, and he had no

    way

    of dealing with it.

    Mike took out a cigarette and lit it.

    One of his friends chuckled. ¡°This kid seems pretty obedient!¡±

    ¡°Of course he does. If we can¡¯t even handle a freshman, how are we supposed to survive in this

    school?¡±

    Another scoffed.

    Mike pulled out his phone and sent a text message. Then, he waved his hand. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go have a

    feast.¡±

    Carlisle arrived at the rental house with four takeout meals in hand.

    Heath was busy setting up the inte connection with some of the staff. Meanwhile, Benjamin and

    Owen were passed out on the couch after pulling another all¨Cnighter.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡± Heath greeted him.

    chut have you? H¡­..

    ¡°Haven¡¯t had up and eat!¡± Carlisle put the takeout on the table.

    It was four servings ofsagna. They were a dor more expensive per serving than the ones in

    Rainville.

    Heath nudged Owen and Benjamin with his foot, but they were fast asleep and wouldn¡¯t wake up. So

    he sat down to eat with Carlisle.

    Heath narrowed his eyes. ¡°Carl, if you really want to get rid of Mike, I can help you¡­

    ¡°How?¡± Carlisle looked up at Heath.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get some of my friends to confront him at the campus gate!¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to do after that? Blend in?¡±

    ¡°We can go to the Tristream District. That¡¯s Gold Tooth¡¯s territory,n and Gold Tooth are mortal

    enemies, so he wouldn¡¯t dare enter Tristream!¡± Heath exined.

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯ll handle this myself. What you need to do is get the studio up and running

    as soon as possible!¡±

    Heath was going to be a big deal in the future, but it wasn¡¯t time yet.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Without money to buy people off, Heath¡¯s buddies weren¡¯t trustworthy.

    After lunch, the inte was set up.

    Carlisle took a seat and tried theputer.

    The performance and speed were pretty good.

    Then he started browsing some forums.

    Out of the blue, Heath pulled a note out of his packet. ¡°This is the number of my buddy from elementary

    school. He went to college and is now a programmer. All those cheats on the forums were mostly his

    work!¡±

 Chapter 83

    Carlisle¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. It was as if someone had given him a pillow while he was tired.

    He had been discussing the gold farming process with Heath and the others earlier.

    He hadn¡¯t expected Heath to remember everything he had said and even to contact his old ssmate.

    Carlisle dialed the number on the note.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± a hoarse voice answered from the other end.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Carlisle, and I¡¯m¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Carlisle, huh? How much can you pay me every month?¡± The voice interrupted.

    The person on the phone seemed to know why Carlisle was calling and didn¡¯t wait for him to finish

    before asking about his sry.

    ¡°Did Heath tell you about my ount farming business?¡±

    ¡°He did. I can get you whatever you need.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s tone became indifferent as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t like dealing with people who brag.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t take a penny from you if I were lying!¡± Hank replied in a simrly cold manner.

    He felt that Heath¡¯s friend had no respect for him. If it weren¡¯t for Heath, he would have hung up by

    now.

    He made thousands of dors a month selling cheats on the forums. There was no need for him to

    cater

    to anyone.

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°What¡¯s your ideal sry?¡±

    ¡°The same as everyone else. I want two hundred dors a day!¡± Hank replied.

    ¡°Fine. Come by today, and I¡¯ll pay you for a day¡¯s work.¡±

    After Carlisle hung up, Heath looked at him worriedly, cigarette in hand. ¡°With four people in the studio,

    you¡¯ll be spending eight hundred dors daily!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s smile froze. It was indeed annoying.

    Spending eight hundred a day meant he was losing five thousand six hundred dors a week. The

    studio business wouldn¡¯t make that much in the beginning. Not to mention that he had less than five

    thousand

    dors on him right now.

    Heath stubbed out his half¨Csmoked cigarette into an empty beer bottle and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s switch to

    monthly payments for the sry. You just have to take care of our food, housing, and transportation.

    We haveputers now, so we don¡¯t have to go to inte cafes!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money. I¡¯ll never go back on my word!¡± Carlisle said.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for ss. I¡¯ll be back tonight.¡± Carlisle got up and walked out of the room, leaving

    nothing

    Chapter $3

    but a cool silhouette behind..

    Heath stared at Carlisle¡¯s leaving figure. He was more and more convinced that Carlisle was someone

    who could make a fortune. Staying by his side was no mistake.

    Carlisle returned to campus. As he approached the campus gate, he received a message from Wanda.

    ¡°Carlisle, can you bring me a bottle of mineral water?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    Carlisle went to the convenience store and bought two bottles of mineral water. Just as he was about to

    pay, Mike entered the store with two of his buddies.

    They looked tipsy.

    Carlisle paid five dors and didn¡¯t ask for the change before getting ready to leave.

    Mike put his hand up to stop Carlisle. His breath smelled of alcohol. ¡°You got two bottles of water?¡±

    ¡°For a friend.¡±

    Mike¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°They¡¯re for Wanda, right?¡±

    One of them shoved Carlisle. ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about thisst night? Have you forgotten?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bathroom and have a chat, shall we?¡± the other one said as he draped his arm around

    Carlisle¡¯s shoulder.

    Carlisle knew he couldn¡¯t beat them, so he forced a smile and offered them the water. ¡°Here, these are

    on

    me!¡±

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Mike took the water from Carlisle¡¯s hand and patted him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you again, or I¡¯ll take you to the bathroom for a real talk!¡±

    With that, he waved his hand and went deeper into the convenience store with his friends.

    Carlisle left the store with a dark expression on his face.

    He never expected to be the target of bullies.

    Back in high school, he had some good friends. As long as he didn¡¯t upset any of the bullies, he was

    safe

    at school.

    He wondered if he should tell the teacher. Things might get worse if he did. Besides, the school might

    not have handled it properly, and he didn¡¯t have any evidence.

    ¡°Damn it, just you wait!¡± Carlisle red at the convenience store before quickly dashing out of campus

    to buy two bottles of mineral water.

    When he returned to the ssroom, he was sweating profusely.

    Wanda furrowed her brow. She took a small electrio¨Cfan out of her desk drawer and handed it to

    Carlisle. Why do you look so tired?¡±

 Chapter 84

    Carlisle unscrewed the cap and took a big gulp. I¡¯ve been hounded by this mutt for days, so I just

    bolted!¡±

    Wanda couldn¡¯t help but snort withughter.

    ¡°Next time, take a selfie and show me your sorry state!¡±

    She didn¡¯t doubt Carlisle¡¯s story. In fact, she was quite curious about how he looked while being chased

    by a dog.

    Carlisle just smiled and remained silent.

    ¡°Wanda! I did all that for you!¡± he retorted inwardly.

    Wanda put a piece of paper with a phone number on Carlisle¡¯s desk.

    ¡°This is the phone number of the chairman of Islo Clothing. My¡­ uncle got it for me and told the

    chairman about you. So you can set up a meeting with him!¡±

    ¡°Even the chairman of Islo Clothing listens to your uncle, huh? Sounds like he¡¯s quite a big shot,¡±

    Carlisle said with a grin.

    Wanda shook her head andughed. ¡°He¡¯s an old college buddy of my uncle. They go

    way back.¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t think too much of that and dialed the number right away

    After about ten seconds, a neutral voice answered, ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Carlisle, a student at Rivend University, and I was hoping..

    ¡°Just tell me where to meet. I¡¯m in a meeting. Make it quick!¡±

    ¡°6:00 pm at Rick¡¯s Cafe!¡±

    The line cut off as soon as Carlisle finished the address.

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched in annoyance.

    Damn it. He was trying to save their life, but they were acting like he owed them something.

    ¡°Did he just hang up?

    ¡°Well, bosses tend to be a little temperamental!¡± Carlisle said with a resigned smile and quickly turned

    off the fan as Susan entered the ssroom.

    Susan was busy preparing for the bonfire party, and after a few reminders about discipline, she left.

    Time flew, and as soon as the school bell rang, Carlisle was out of his seat.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    He didn¡¯t dare leave the building with Wanda before he dealt with the threat.

    If Mike saw them, he¡¯d probably make their lives miserable.

    Wanda was still packing her books when she sov Carlisle running off as if his life depended on it. She

    gritted her teeth in annoyance. ¡°Dammit, he didn¡¯t even wait for me!¡±

    Carlisle arrived at Rick¡¯s Cafe at 6:20 pm.

    A man in his 30s stood at the door and eyed him intently. ¡°Are you Carlisle from Rivend University?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±

    The man in the suit looked Carlisle up and down. No matter how hard he stared at Carlisle, he didn¡¯t

    recognize him as one of his bosses¡® children.

    ¡°What do you want from my boss?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, is it?¡± Carlisle replied coolly.

    The man¡¯s gaze turned icy. ¡°Listen, kid, watch your attitude¡­

    ¡°And how would you prefer me to talk to you? I have an appointment with your chairman, and he has

    agreed to meet with me. Why all the questions?¡±

    The man clenched his fists, barely holding back his anger. However, he knew better. Carlisle was

    someone Lethan wanted to see, and their rtionship was a mystery to him.

    ¡°Come with me!¡± The man unclenched his fists and led Carlisle up to the cafe¡¯s second floor. It was a

    ce filled with the city¡¯s elite.

    Notebooksy on tables next to cups of coffee while groups of wealthy heirs chatted about thetest.

    beauties of Rivend University¡¯s campus.

    The man led Carlisle to a seat by the window. A middle¨Caged man with a schrly charm was flipping

    through a magazine.

    ¡°Boss, Carlisle¡¯s here,¡± the man whispered.

    Lethan put down his magazine and greeted Carlisle with a warm smile.

    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±

    Carlisle sat across from Lethan. He was nervous.

    The man before him was a billionaire, after all. He had never met anyone of his level in either of his

    lives.

    ¡°What would you like to drink? Lethan asked amiably.

    ¡°A cup of Rick¡¯s coffee with 70% sugar, please!¡±

    ¡°But coffee is best enjoyed ck.¡±

    ¡°I have a sweet tooth.¡±

    ¡°Why not just get sweet tea, then?¡±

    ¡°I get tired of it if it¡¯s too sweet,¡± Carlisle exined.

    The man chuckled softly and motioned for the waiter to bring Carlisle his specially sweetened coffee.

    ¡°So tell me, what brings you here?¡± Lethan asked, getting right to the point.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading

 Chapter 85

    Carlisle nced back at the man who escorted him up..

    ¡°He¡¯s my driver. He¡¯s been with me for six years. Speak up if you have something to say!¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°I can only discuss this with you.¡±

    Lethan paused for a moment

    ¡°Speak or get lost!¡± John said.

    Lethan gestured for John to leave. John, give us some time alone.¡±

    ¡°But boss¡­¡±

    ¡°A kid in his teens can¡¯t possibly hurt me, can he?¡± Lethan said with a chuckle.

    John red at Carlisle before turning to leave.

    The waiter set down two cups of coffee.

    Lethan lowered his head and took a sip of his coffee. ¡°Can we finally talk now?¡±

    Not speaking immediately, Carlisle stirred his coffee.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Lethan looked up at Carlisle with an air of authority about him.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Carlisle took out his phone and sent Lethan a text message.

    Lethan took out his phone and read the text. He furrowed his brow.

    ¡°You may be under surveince, so I can¡¯t talk to you about it directly. I¡¯ll keep texting you. Don¡¯t show

    shock or anger when you read the messages!¡±

    What was this kid up to? Surveince? Was this some kind of joke?

    Lethan took another sip of his coffee as he nned to leave.

    He thought Carlisle probably wanted a shortcut to a job in hispany after graduation, so he tried to

    get his attention with a wild stunt.

    Another text alert sounded.

    Lethan hesitated for a while, but he opened the message anyway.

    ¡°Your wife and driver are having an affair. They n to liquidate three billion from yourpany in

    three days!¡±

    Lethan mmed his fist down on the table. Both cups of coffee fell over.

    Carlisle was sttered with coffee.

    John rushed over. ¡°Boss¡­ What happened?¡±

    Lethan¡¯s eyes fixed on Carlisle, his face filled with endless rage.

    He loved his wife dearly, and his driver had been like a brother to him for six years. Why would they

    betray

    him?

    It was just a job opening. He could give it to Carlisle for Wanda¡¯s sake. There was no reason for him to

    use the reputation of his wife and close friend to get his attention.

    Carlisle returned Lethan¡¯s stare.

    He had warned him in the text, but Lethan couldn¡¯t control his emotions. If John read the message, his

    n would have been ruined

    John grabbed Carlisle by the cor, ready to strike.

    ¡°You little brat! Are you looking for trouble by messing with my boss?¡±

    ¡°John, stop!¡± Lethan ordered.

    ¡°Boss, what happened?¡±

    ¡°He wants to do an internship at ourpany. I told him he was too young, and he cursed me out,

    that¡¯s

    all.¡±

    John raised his hand again, ready to strike. ¡°You little punk! Who are you to insult my boss?¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    John red at Carlisle as he suggested, ¡°Boss, this is a waste of our time. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Take me back to the mansion!¡± Lethan headed for the exit without looking back.

    Carlisle stood up abruptly and yelled, ¡°At least pay the damn bill!¡±

    Since Lethan had already used him of cursing, he might as well do it.

    ¡°Hey, listen here¡­ John began to roll up his sleeves as he couldn¡¯t stand Carlisle¡¯s attitude any longer.

    He was ready to lunge at him.

    Lethan tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Go pay the bill.¡±

    ¡°Boss¡­

    ¡°What?¡± Lethan¡¯s look was colder than before.

    John went to the counter to pay.

 Chapter 86

    Lethan nced at Carlisle before heading for the stairs.

    Carlisle sighed helplessly. He had done his best. Whether Lethan believed him or not was up to him.

    After leaving the cafe, Carlisle withdrew all his money from his bank ount and took a car to the studio.

    Just as he arrived at the studio, he received a text message. It was from the chairman of Islo Clothing.

    ¡°You better not have lied to me, or I¡¯ll make sure you get expelled from Rivend University!¡±

    Carlisle wondered if he was being threatened and scratched his head in frustration.

    Why should he, a person who was given a second chance at life, tolerate such intimidation? Was he to be pushed around by everyone now?

    With a restless spirit, he replied, ¡°I hope you can still talk to me like that in three days!¡±

    In the living room of the studio, Heath had bought a variety of dishes, and there was a case of beer on the floor.

    The four friends were enjoying their cigarettes shirtless.

    ¡°Carl!¡± All four stood up to greet Carlisle when they saw him arrive.

    Carlisle was taken aback by the sight, knowing full well that it was Heath¡¯s doing. Heath was genuinely eager to make something of himself by working with Carlisle.

    ¡°Have a seat, everyone¡­¡± Carlisle entered the living room with a smile, then took a moment to size up the

    new programmer.

    Hank had shoulder¨Clength, unkempt hair and thick sses. His frame was almost skeletal.

    Carlisle had thought that programmers were supposed to lose their hair from stress. Hank, however, was losing weight.

    As Carlisle was watching Hank, Hank was doing the same with Carlisle. When he realized Carlisle was

    only about 18 years old, his eyes showed a hint of disdain.

    Carlisle approached Hank and held out his hand. ¡°Wee to the team!¡±

    Hank gave Carlisle a token handshake before going back to smoking on his own.

    ¡°Carl, take my seat!¡± Heath offered Carlisle his seat and pulled up another chair for himself.

    Carlisle opened a bottle of beer and held it up. ¡°Our team is reallying together now. Let¡¯s drink to that!

    Heath opened his beer. Benjamin and Owen followed suit and popped the caps off their bottles.

    Hank picked up a bottle of wine from the floor and said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll stick to the hard stuff.¡±

    The five of them clinked their bottles and took several swigs.

    Hank downed a third of his wine in one gulp as if it were water.

    Carlisle chuckled nervously, ¡°Hank, can you still work after drinking that much?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever wondered why I¡¯m unemployed?¡± Hank snorted.

    Heath, caught betweenughter and concem, exined, ¡°Otherpanies won¡¯t let him drink on the job!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched. Was Hank drinking hard liquor on the job? Which boss would tolerate that? If it weren¡¯t for theck of suitable candidates and Heath¡¯s sake, Carlisle wouldn¡¯t have considered him.

    Heath leaned in and whispered to Carlisle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the alcohol doesn¡¯t affect him. Sometimes, he would get inspired after drinking ande up with weird but useful things.

    ¡°Back in July 2001, he hacked into The Legendary Tale¡¯s main server, causing all their servers to go down for maintenance for two days!¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Carlisle¡¯s heart raced. He had struck gold. ¡°Hank, drink all you want. We don¡¯t have any rules here, and there¡¯s plenty of booze!¡±

    Carlisle happily tapped his beer bottle against Hank¡¯s wine bottle.

    Meanwhile, at the Warbane residence, Lethan returned to his room and sat at his desk. He stared nkly at a picture of his wife.

    The woman in the picture looked to be in her mid¨C20s. She had impable beauty.

    After a long time, he snapped out of his daze and sent a text message to his brother¨Cinw.

    ¡°Could you have your private investigator check on Quinn and John for me?¡±

    ¡°Have youe to your senses?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡°¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ¡°Josle and I knew that woman was no good from the start. But you turned against us for her, even going so far as to hit your sister!¡±

    If Quinn and John are really having an affair, I need to know.¡±

    His brother-inw replied, ¡°I¡¯ll get on it right away. But be prepared for the worst.¡±

    Lethan sat back in his chair, his mind swirling with thoughts and regrets. He had been blind to the signs, too trusting of Quinn. Now, the possibility of her betrayal loomedrge over him, threatening to destroy what little peace he had left.

    Meanwhile, at the studio, Carlisle and his team continued their brainstorming session. Despite the initial awkwardness, the group gradually fell into a rhythm, their ideas flowing more freely with each passing minute. Thebination of beer, camaraderie, and creative energy sparked a sense of optimism among them.

    Hank, who had been mostly silent up to this point, suddenly spoke up. ¡°You know, we could integrate a feature that allows users to customize their avatars in real-time. It would add a personal touch and keep them engaged longer.¡±

    Carlisle nodded, intrigued by the idea. ¡°That¡¯s brilliant, Hank. Let¡¯s start working on a prototype and see how it fits into our current framework.¡±

    As the evening wore on, the team grew more animated, their discussions punctuated byughter and the asional clinking of bottles. Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride and hope for the future. They were a motley crew, but together, they had the potential to create something truly special.

 Chapter 87

    Carlisle and his friends were enjoying their drinks.

    Sean had joined the fun halfway through, and he brought some ribs.

    The six of them quickly bonded, with Sean and Hank engaging in a drinking game.

    Hank was a veteran ?t drinking games, so Sean was no match for him. He quickly got drunk after a few

    rounds.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Heath lit a cigarette and sternly warned Hank. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t get him so drunk that he gets

    sick!¡±

    ¡°At his age, I could drink more than two pints of white wine!¡±

    Benjamin chuckled and said, ¡°Hank, I¡¯ll drink with you!¡±

    His eyes were clear and showed no sign of drunkenness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I just have to go to the bathroom,¡± Hank said, loosening his belt before walking away

    with steady step

    Just as Hank reached the bathroom door, Owen copsed to the floor. His face and body were as red

    as roast pork.

    Heath helped Owen to the couch. ¡°This guy can¡¯t drink but insists on drinking!¡±

    ¡°You guys can really hold your liquor. Any secrets?¡±

    Carlisle sipped his tea cautiously. He envisioned future business deals where it would be an advantage

    to have such capable drinkers at his side.

    ¡°No secret, just drink a bunch!¡± Benjamin replied with an honest smile, then added, ¡°We¡¯re out of

    drinks. I¡¯ll go buy some more.¡±

    Carlisle watched Benjamin leave, feeling a myriad of emotions. Who would have thought that the

    seemingly honest and gentle Benjamin would be a bully in Rivend? However, now that they

    were with him, things were going to change.

    Benjamin returned with two cases of beer and three bottles of Chardonnay.

    Hank and Benjamin resumed theirpetition while Carlisle and Heath yed games on the

    computer.

    After about two hours, Hank and Benjamin had finished off both crates of beer and all three bottles of

    Chardonnay.

    Benjamin slurred, ¡°Wait here¡­ ll get more drinks!¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± Hank replied contemptuously.

    ¡°Enough, both of you, stop drinking!¡± Heath red at them. ¡°Hank, it¡¯s time to do some real work!¡±

    ¡°Alright, no more drinking!¡± Benjamin, who feared no one but his older brother, hung his head when he

    saw Heath getting angry.

    Hank sat down with half a bottle of Chardonnay. After booting it up, he pulled out a USB drive and

    plugged it in.

    He installed over twenty software packages that were stored on it, including programming tools, several

    cheats, and multiboxing software.

    Carlisle and Heath moved their chairs closer to Hank and watched intently as he showed the cheats on

    theputer screen.

    SpeedGear 3.0, Timely Rain 3.0, Twin Tigers Anti¨CBan, and Crimson Moon Ultimate were among the

    cheating software that he has.

    ¡°Wow, you have quite a collection of cheats!¡±

    Carlisle was amazed. These versions were far superior to those sold on the forums.

    Those found in the forums were priced around 15 to 30 dors each. They were unstable and prone to

    ount bans.

    Still, many yers risked it for the thrill of ambushing higher¨Clevel yers.

    ¡°How about that? Have I found the right person for you?¡± Heath asked with a grin, lighting another

    cigarette.

    Carlisle snatched the cigarette from Heath¡¯s hand and lit it for Hank ¡°Absolutely reliable!¡±

    Hank brushed his long hair away from his face and mumbled through the cigarette, ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood

    today, so I¡¯m going to share my private stash for some fun. These are thetest versions of the cheats,

    and they have a very low chance of being banned!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s usually very stingy. He doesn¡¯t even share these cheats with us!¡±

    The implication behind his words was clear¨CHank hadid out his treasures. He was showing his

    commitment to Carlisle.

    ¡°I was hoping to make some money with these!¡± Hank took a sip of Chardonnay and grinned. He even

    let out another hup.

 Chapter 88

    ¡°Damn, would having 30 dors less kill you?¡± Heathmented. Although they hadn¡¯t been in touch

    much. since high school, they had many shared experiences together.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the cheats, and you can y with them. I¡¯ll set up the multiboxing.¡±

    Hank added Carlisle to his MSN and sent him some useful cheats from his desktop.

    With Hank¡¯s guidance, Carlisle began using cheats he had never tried before.

    SpeedGear was a hack that could adjust a character¡¯s movement and attack speed, while Blood Lock

    3.0

    locked a character¡¯s health, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t die even at zero health.

    ¡°This is insane!¡± Carlisle said, wreaking havoc with his wizard in the Fantasy Labyrinth.

    Heath looked at Carlisle¡¯s screen with a cigarette in his mouth. He noticed that Carlisle wasn¡¯t in a

    guild.

    You¡¯re not in a guild yet, Carl? Want to join ours?¡±

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°No guild for me. I¡¯m just ying casually.¡±

    Heath¡¯s expression darkened. Carlisle was only 17 or 18, but he could already prevent himself from

    falling

    into a gaming addiction. He was focused on making money.

    Meanwhile, Heath was almost 27 years old and had nothing to show for it.

    Heath took a long puff from his cigarette and opened the guild menu to leave his current guild.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°We should form our own guild. All the studio ounts will join it,¡± Hank suggested, his fingers flying

    across the keyboard.

    Heath nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    Meanwhile, Carlisle was on the eighth floor of the Fantasy Labyrinth, battling the Rainbow Demon Lord.

    He was surrounded by yers from the Makers of Chaos guild.

    ¡°Is that guy using cheats?¡±

    ¡°Look at his equipment and damage! It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, let¡¯s take him down together!¡±

    Dozens of yers swarmed around Carlisle.

    Carlisle was unfazed as he had the Blood Lock cheat activated. He wouldn¡¯t die.

    However, taking down the group of yers wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    Carlisle maneuvered his character around the boss. The other yers couldn¡¯t keep up.

    Just then, a private message popped up from a yer named ¡°The Whisperwind¡°.

    ¡°Damn, Carlisle, what kind of cheat is that? Hook me up!¡±

    Chapter Ba

    ¡°Mr. Sanders?¡±

    ¡°Man, it hasn¡¯t been that long, and you¡¯ve forgotten me?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. This cheat belongs to someone else, and I can¡¯t share it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, just be careful not to get banned,¡± Ivan kindly advised.

    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Sanders!¡±

    Ivan stopped chasing Carlisle and went off to farm smaller monsters.

    Carlisle continued to fend off the Makers of Chaos members, casting spells now and then.

    Soon, Ivan sent word again. ¡°Our guild leader ising!¡±

    Carlisle ignored the warning and looted the equipment of two fallen yers before resuming the fight.

    A whileter, a max¨Clevel warrior wielding the Heavenly Sword attacked Carlisle.

    ¡°Holy crap, the Heavenly Sword!¡±

    Heath¡¯s eyes almost popped out of his head. After three years of ying The Legendary Tale, this was

    the first time he had seen the Heavenly Sword.

    Even Hank stopped coding and turned to look at Carlisle¡¯s screen.

    Carlisle sent a private message to Ivan. ¡°Mr. Sanders, the Heavenly Sword that your guild leader has

    wouldn¡¯t happen to be the one I sold you, would it?¡±

 Chapter 89

    ¡°It¡¯s the one you sold me. You should go. Our guild leader is not someone you want to mess with. He¡¯s

    powerful both online and offline!¡±

    Just then, Heath asked worriedly, ¡°Hank, do you think we can take him down with cheats?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­

    Hank shakily pulled out another USB drive and plugged it into theputer.

    The folder on the USB drive contained a file called ¡°Blood Demon¡°.

    ¡°This cheat can kill a yer instantly, but it¡¯s easy to get banned!

    ¡°Heath, go to where Carl is. Carl, as soon as you get the Heavenly Sword, give it to Heath.

    Hank opened a web page on hisputer. On it were lines of obscure code.

    After Carlisle installed the software, Hank set the parameters and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡­¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t the developers know our IP address?¡± Carlisle began to have doubts.

    The Heavenly Sword was still a valuable piece of equipment. If they used cheats to kill someone, the

    developers would definitely look into it.

    If someone reported the incident, they could all end up in jail.

    ¡°This is a virtual server. The IP address is set in Sylvanor, so no one can trace us!¡±

    Carlisle took a deep breath and cast a fireball spell.

    It did 999 damage.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    In a luxurious hotel, Zachary stared at the screen in disbelief.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    His character was fully equipped, had 989 health, and was wielding the Heavenly Sword, yet instantly

    hit by a fireball for 999 damage.

    He was sure that his enemies were cheating.

    ¡°My Heavenly Sword!¡±

    Zachary watched helplessly as his Heavenly Sword fell to the ground.

    he was

    The yer who killed him, Bygones_b_bygones, picked up his Heavenly Sword and Memory Ring and

    ran

    away.

    Zachary mmed his fist on the table as he felt his blood boil.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ Damn it all¡­¡±

    Losing the Heavenly Sword was bad enough, but losing the Memory Ring, too?

    Those two items cost him two hundred thousand dors.

    After a while, Zachary calmed down and announced in his guild chat, ¡°Someone named

    Bygones_b_bygones¡® used cheats to steal my Heavenly Sword and Memory Ring. Help me find this

    person, either online or offline!¡±

    After trading the items to Heath, Carlisle¡¯s ount was immediately taken offline.

    ¡°Could we have been gged by the developers? Carlisle felt guilty. The Heavenly Sword was worth 80

    thousand dors¨Ca fortune by today¡¯s standards.

    ¡°We should find someone to sell it to tonight!¡±

    Heath¡¯s hands shook as he lit a cigarette. Though he often mixed with all sorts of people, he had never

    done anything downright hical.

    ¡°I can find a buyer!¡±

    Hank pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

    He soon dialed a number.

    Hank put the call on speaker, and a groggy voice came through. The call had woken the person up.

    ¡°Hank, my man, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?¡±

    Hank asked in a low voice, ¡°Mr. York, would you be interested in buying a Heavenly Sword and

    Memory

    Ring?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Bob York immediately sat up.

    Hank remained silent and slowly lit a cigarette.

    After a moment, Bob regained hisposure and took a deep breath. ¡°I know you won¡¯t lie to me.

    Where are you? I¡¯ming over right now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll head to where you are¡­¡±

    Hank was careful not to reveal the location of the studio to Bob.

    ¡°Alright,e to my ce!¡± Bob¡¯s voice was full of excitement.

    He was a die¨Chard yer of The Legendary Tale and knew the value of these two items.

    They were rare and priceless.

    After hanging up, Hank told Heath and Carlisle, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Dragonville Hotel now!¡±

 Chapter 90

    Heath and Carlisle nodded in agreement and then hurried to Dragonville Hotel.

    The hotel wasn¡¯t in the center of Rivend but 120 miles away in Dragonville.

    It was already 3:00 am. when they arrived at the Dragonville Hotel.

    The hotel was a six¨Cstory private establishment that could be considered luxurious even by Rivend

    standards.

    Outside the hotel, a group of carefree young men were smoking cigarettes.

    Hank had introduced Heath and Carlisle to Bob during the car ride.

    Bob was a businessman born in the 1970s. He owned a hotel and an electronics factory.

    Hank had interned at Bob¡¯s factory after graduating from college. He waster fired by the manager

    because of his alcoholism.

    a work.

    Back then, Bob personally called Hank to apologize and invite him back to

    At the time, Hank was young and proud. Unable to take the slightest insult, he refused Bob¡¯s offer.

    However, he found Bob to be a nice person and promised to help him in the future if thepany had

    any problems withworking and software.

    So they kept in touch and asionally got together to y The Legendary Tale.

    Bob liked to y games and had formed a moderately sessful guild in the game. He had once

    offered. to buy top¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cline equipment, such as the Heavenly Sword, at high prices on the forum.

    However, such items were rare and difficult to obtain, even with money.

    As the three of them approached the hotel entrance, a skinny young man with dyed yellow hair and a

    cigarette in his mouth approached them.

    ¡°Long time no see, Hank!¡± he greeted, offering Hank a cigarette from his pack of Sobranie.

    Hank lit the cigarette. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. York?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡± The young man nced at Carlisle and Heath, then turned to lead the way.

    They were taken to a luxurious suite on the third floor, where the air conditioning was set to a low

    temperature. Bob was dressed in silk pajamas as he smoked on the couch.

    The young man knocked at the door. After two puffs, Bob stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and

    got

    up to open the door.

    ¡°Mr. York¡­¡±

    ¡°Hank¡­ You¡¯re here!¡± Bob greeted them warmly. ¡°Come in and sit down!¡±

    They followed Bob into the room.

    Chapte9b

    Bob smiled and asked, ¡°Where did you get the equipment?¡±

    After ying The Legendary Tale for almost four years, he couldn¡¯t believe that Hank had been lucky

    enough toe across the Heavenly Sword and the Memory Ring at the same time.

    ¡°It dropped from Chaos Hero,¡± Hank admitted truthfully.

    Bobughed heartily. ¡°That guy was unting the Heavenly Sword all over the ce. He got what he

    deserved, huh?¡±

    The Heavenly Sword should have been his to begin with. However, the seller changed his mind and

    sold it to the Makers of Chaos guild leader instead.

    ¡°Do you know him, Mr. York?¡± Carlisle asked.

    Bob¡¯s eyes shifted to Carlisle.

    Hank introduced him to Bob. ¡°This is Carlisle, the one who took down Chaos_Hero!¡±

    Bob chuckled knowingly. ¡°You used cheats to defeat him, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Chaos_Hero¡± was a big spender. Even without the Heavenly Sword and the Memory Ring, not many

    people could stand up to him in a fight.

    Besides, Bob knew how good Hank was with aputer. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if he created an

    overpowered cheat.

    ¡°Yes, the cheats are mine!¡± Hank admitted openly.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s see the goods.¡± Bob walked over to theputer by the window.

    Heath logged into his ount.

    Bob examined the equipment, his eyes sparkling with excitement. With these two items, his guild would

    surely soar to new heights.

    ¡°Name your price!¡± Bob said, trying to control his excitement.

    ¡°Two¡­¡±

    Carlisle interrupted Hank. ¡°150 thousand dors!¡±

    Heath and Hank looked at Carlisle in surprise. They had agreed on a price of 200 thousand on the way

    to the hotel. They wondered why Carlisle had suddenly reduced it by 50 thousand.

    Bob smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure the developers will confiscate the equipment after this blows up.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s be friends, how about 100 thousand?¡±

    Heath and Hank felt their hearts sink. They were sure they could have sold the equipment for 200

    thousand dors. Carlisle had just cut the price in half, and they couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Bob nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Fair enough, 100 thousand it is. I won¡¯t ask for a refund, even if the

    developers take the equipment back.¡±

 Chapter 91

    Bob went back to his bedroom to get the money.

    Hank nudged Carlisle¡¯s arm and asked in a low voice, ¡°Carlisle, what were you thinking? You sold him

    the equipment for only 100 thousand dors!¡±

    ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re friends now,¡± Carlisle replied with a smile.

    Hank had mentioned that Bob owned a cell phone manufacturing nt.

    Carlisle¡¯s grand n was to get ahead in the age of smart technology. He believed there would be

    plenty of opportunities to do business with Bob in the future.

    Hank reluctantly lit a cigarette and muttered, ¡°Whatever, as long as I get my share of 30 thousand.

    Heath, who had just tossed one cigarette to light another, forced a smile at Hank. ¡°Hank, there¡¯s a

    reason for Carl¡¯s actions. We just have to trust him.¡±

    At that moment, Bob came out with a stic bag full of cash and ced it on theputer desk.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the 100 grand. Count it if you want.¡±

    ¡°Mr. York, you¡¯re a big¨Ctime boss. We trust you!¡± Carlisle said and shoved the money into Hank¡¯s

    hands.

    Hank¡¯s initial displeasure vanished as he looked at the crisp new bills. A hundred thousand wasn¡¯t too

    shabby, and his share would bring him closer to the 50 thousand dors he needed for a dowry.

    The rest of the transaction went smoothly.

    Bob equipped himself with the Heavenly Sword and the Memory Ring, which increased his stats

    considerably.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest here for a while? I¡¯ll have someone drive you back when it¡¯s daylight.¡± Bob offered,

    his eyes glued to theputer screen but still mindful of his guests.

    Carlisle smiled politely. ¡°We have things to do tomorrow, so we won¡¯t keep you, Mr. York. May I have

    your business card?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re all friends here.¡± Bob pulled a card from his desk and handed it to Carlisle. ¡°Feel free

    to

    stop by anytime for a chat.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡± Carlisle epted the card with a smile.

    The trio left the hotel and hailed a taxi back to Rivend.

    By the time they got back to their rental, it was 7:00 am.

    Sitting on the couch, Carlisle began to divvy up the money. ¡°Without Hank¡¯s cheating, we wouldn¡¯t have

    made this 100 thousand dors, so Hank gets 30 thousand. Heath and I will take 20 thousand each,

    while

    Owen, Benjamin, and Sean will get ten thousand each.¡±

    ¡°Why should they get anything? They slept like logs!

    While Hank was happy with his share of the money, he felt that Benjamin and the others hadn¡¯t done

    anything to deserve a share.

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re a team. If there¡¯s money to be made, we all make it together.¡±

    Heath gave a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯ve never admired anyone more. You¡¯re the first person I really admire.

    You¡¯ve got vision. You¡¯re gonna make it big one day!¡±

    Seeing Heath¡¯s reaction, Hank held back any furtherints.

    Carlisle took out his cell phone and called Ivan.

    now was in

    Ivan was part of the Makers of Chaos guild and knew Carlisle¡¯s true identity, so a little hush money

    order.

    Ivan was having breakfast in his Inte cafe. He looked distracted.

    The guild leader had announced to the group that he would reward eight thousand dors to whoever

    found ¡°Bygones_b_bygones¡°.

    Eight thousand dors was half a year¡¯s sry for an average person.

    He wondered if he should turn Carlisle in for the reward.

    The ssic Nokia ringtone interrupted Ivan¡¯s thoughts.

    He looked at the screen. It was Carlisle calling.

    ¡°Carlisle, our guild leader has put an eight thousand dor bounty on your head!¡±

    ¡°As long as you keep quiet, he¡¯ll never find me,¡± Carlisle assured him.

    Ivan was silent as he hesitated.

    The Heavenly Sword Carlisle had sold him had earned him 50 thousand dors. He didn¡¯t want to

    betray

    Carlisle.

    Just then, Carlisle spoke up. ¡°Send me your bank ount, and I¡¯ll wire you ten thousand.¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you serious, Carlisle?¡± Ivan was taken aback.

    ¡°I sold the equipment for 100 thousand dors, but I only kept 20 thousand for myself. I¡¯ll give you ten

    thousand.¡±

    ¡°You sold the Heavenly Sword and, the Memory Ring for only a hundred grand?¡± Ivan was in disbelief,

    wondering if Carlisle realized the true value of those items.

    ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t from a clean source. I¡¯ll sell them for as much as I can!¡±

    ¡°Fair point. Better than losing everything to the developers.¡±

 Chapter 92

    After a brief exchange, the call ended.

    Ivan sent Carlisle his bank ount information. Given their real¨Clife acquaintance and the generous

    share of ten grand Carlisle offered, Ivan sided with him.

    True to his word, Carlisle went to the bank andpleted the transfer.

    Back at the rental, Hank was busy fine¨Ctuning the multiboxing software while Heath tirelessly set up

    new

    ounts.

    ¡°Okay, done!¡± Hank dered, taking a sip of Chardonnay.

    Heath handed Hank a notebook filled with the new ounts¡® information.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Soon all ten ounts were sessfully logged in.

    Next, Hank activated an auto¨Cgrind script and a speed booster hack. As he watched all ten ounts

    level up simultaneously, a grin appeared on Carlisle¡¯s face.

    But just then, all the ounts were forcibly logged out.

    ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s going on?¡± Heath asked nervously.

    Hank tried to log back in, only to be greeted with a system maintenance message.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just routine maintenance!¡± Hank leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed. He

    blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. ¡°After this update, I bet my cheats won¡¯t work anymore!¡±

    Heath handed Hank a cigarette. ¡°With you as our ace, who needs to worry about updates?¡±

    Hank lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, yawning. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. Call me when the

    maintenance is done!¡±

    ¡°Heath, you should get some rest as well!¡± After pulling an all¨Cnighter, Carlisle felt fatigue set in.

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired!¡± Heath grinned, feeling very energetic after receiving his share of twenty thousand.

    Carlisley down on the sofa and fell asleep.

    Heath, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, copied the multiboxing software and hacks from

    Hank¡¯sputer to the otherputers. Then he logged onto ¡°The Mystical Journey¡¯s¡± game forum to

    do some

    research.

    When Sean and the others woke up, Heath dragged them into learning about the game as well.

    Meanwhile, at Islo Clothing, Lethan sat in his office. His face darkened as he looked at the photos on

    his

    desk.

    They were all explicit pictures of his wife and his close friend, whom he considered a brother.

    Lethan¡¯s face paled, and his hands shook as he opened the video attached to the email.

    After watching the unbearably steamy video, he clenched his teeth so hard that they made a grinding

    sound.

    He couldn¡¯t believe his usually pure and Innocent wife could behave so wildly in bed.

    Just then, there was a knock at the door.

    Lethan put the photos away, turned off theputer screen, and sald calmly, ¡°Come In¡­¡±

    A woman in a suit entered the office. She had a gentle smile on her face and was charmingly sweet.

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m going on a business trip to Fairville. Can you get John to drive me there?¡±

    ¡°Fairville is pretty far. You won¡¯t be able toe back tonight, right?¡± Lethan said Indifferently.

    Quinn Bailey lowered her eyes, seemingly guilty. ¡°Yeah, I probably won¡¯t be back until tomorrow night.¡±

    Lethan mmed his hand down on the table. His eyes reddened with anger as he roared, ¡°Quinn, how

    long are you going to keep deceiving me?¡±

    The sudden outburst startled Quinn. She looked at Lethan, at a loss for words. ¡°H¨Choney¡­ what¡¯s

    wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Warbane, what¡¯s happening?¡± John heard themotion outside and rushed in.

    Lethan opened the drawer, pulled out a stack of photos, and viciously threw them in Quinn¡¯s face.

    Quinn and John were stunned when they saw the scandalous photos. Their eyes widened in shock.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 93

    Quinn¡¯s face was drained of color.

    Questions flooded her mind. How could this happen? Where did Lethan get these photos?

    She was so close to taking the final step and officially bing the finance manager. That was all she

    needed to finalize her n.

    However, at the most crucial moment, everything fell apart.

    She wondered why Lethan had hired a private investigator if he hadplete confidence in her.

    ¡°Quinn, don¡¯t you want to exin yourself?¡± Lethan asked with a volce full of pain.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Quinn cried, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Honey¡­ These¡­ These photos are fake¡­ They¡¯re

    photoshopped. You have to find the person who¡¯s framing me!¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Quinn is right. These photos are all fake. Boss, I¡¯ve been with you for six years. I would never do

    that with Mrs. Quinn. You have to believe me!¡± John pleaded, his voice shaking.

    ¡°So you¡¯re aware you¡¯ve been working for me for six years.

    Lethan walked over to John. His eyes were no longer gentle but filled with icy coldness. His years in

    power made it impossible for John to look him in the face.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± Lethan ordered coldly.

    John immediately raised his head to meet Lethan¡¯s gaze. He felt his defenses crumble.

    ¡°Boss¡­ This is all my fault!¡± John fell to his knees and pped himself in the face.

    Quinn stumbled backward as she realized it was all over. All her ns were ruined.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say, Quinn?¡± Lethan closed his eyes.

    Quinn took a deep breath and said, ¡°At this point, I have nothing else to say.¡±

    Lethan chuckled bitterly.

    As he turned to his desk, John¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of madness. He reached behind him and drew

    a dagger, lunging at Lethan

    Lethan saw John¡¯s movement through his sses and dodged the attack just in time.

    Lethan looked at the dagger in John¡¯s hand in disbelief. ¡°John, are you trying to kill me?¡±

    ¡°You brought this on yourself!¡± John¡¯s eyes glowed with madness as he lunged at him again.

    ¡°Security¡­ Security!¡± Lethan chouted as he dodged John¡¯s attacks.

    Quinn watched helplessly.

    John was fit, so Lethan was no match for him. After a brief struggle, Lethan ended up with several cuts

    on

    his arms.

    Fortunately, security arrived in time to save Lethan¡¯s life.

    Outside thepany, a white Audi slowly came to a stop.

    Shein and Wanda got out of the car. Zachary followed suit with his hands in his pockets and a nk

    expression.

    ¡°Zac, did you and Queenie have a fight?¡± Wanda asked cautiously.

    ¡°Nope!¡±

    ¡°Then why the long face?¡± Wanda was confused.

    Zachary was usually a cheerful person, but today, he was unusually glum.

    Zachary sighed. ¡°Well, I got into a fightst night and lost almost 200 grand worth of equipment. Can

    you me me for being down?¡±

    ¡°You got into another fight? Aren¡¯t you a professional at this game?¡± Wanda teased.

    Zachary looked frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault the other guy used cheats!¡±

    As they talked, the three of them reached the elevator lobby.

    Five security guards emerged from the elevator, escorting a tightly bound John.

    Quinn followed behind.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Uncle Lethan¡¯s driver?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened as she saw Quinn¡¯s hand bound with a nylon rope. ¡°Aunt Quinn¡­¡±

    Quinn¨Ckept her head down, not daring to meet the gaze of Lethan¡¯s family.

    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Zachary was also shocked.

    Shein offered a weak smile. ¡°We¡¯ll ask Lethan about itter.¡±

 Chapter 94

    The three of them arrived at the chairman¡¯s office.

    Lethan was busy tending to his wounds, which were quite ufortable with his injured arm.

    Wanda quickly stepped forward and grabbed the disinfectant out of Lethan¡¯s hand. ¡°Uncle Lethan, what

    happened to you? Let me help you bandage the wound!¡±

    ¡°Wanda, Zac, Shein¡­¡± Lethan greeted them with a desperate voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first,¡± Shein said calmly with his hands behind his back.

    Half an hourter, they arrived at the best public hospital in Rivend.

    Zachary pressed Lethan for details of what had happened, and Lethan told them the story of his wife¡¯s

    affair.

    Wanda was furious. ¡°This is unbelievable! After all you¡¯ve done for her!¡±

    Then Lethan remembered Wanda¡¯s ssmate, Carlisle.

    He wondered how Carlisle knew about his wife¡¯s affair with John. He even knew that they were

    nning to embezzlepany funds.

    Lethan called the finance department on his phone.

    ¡°Mr. Warbane¡­¡±

    ¡°Check if Quinn has approved anyrge transactions recently!¡±

    ¡°Okay, Mr. Warbane. Please give me a moment,¡±

    After about three minutes, the voice on the other end said, ¡°Mr. Warbane, there¡¯s a three¨Cbillion¨Cdor

    project waiting for your approval.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I got it¡­ Lethan hung up, his heart still racing.

    Three billion. That was the entire fortune of thepany.

    If Quinn had taken that money, Islo Clothing would have gone bankrupt,

    His wife¡¯s affair could put thepany out of business. He felt like he was being pushed to the edge of

    a

    cliff.

    Lethan clutched his phone tightly, his eyes zing with anger. ¡°Quinn¡­ You¡¯re ruthless!¡±

    Shein looked at Lethan with aplicated expression. ¡°Remember your promise.¡±

    With that, he got up and left.

    ¡°Uncle Lethan, what promise did you make?¡± Wanda and Zachary had no idea of the adults¡® business.

    Lethan was embarrassed. ¡°Children shouldn¡¯t worry about adult matters.¡±

    Zachary¡¯s phone rang.

    It was an employee from the Legendary Tale.

    The employee told him the cheater had been banned forever, but the two pieces of equipment were

    irretrievable.

    ¡°Damn it! What kind of shitty game is this? I spent so much money, and this is how you treat your

    customers?¡± Zachary exploded in anger.

    At the bedside, Lethan looked at Wanda and asked, ¡°Wanda, is your ssmate from Rivend?¡±

    He spected that Carlisle might have overheard Quinn and John¡¯s conversation, hence his

    knowledge.

    ¡°He¡¯s from Rainville, and we went to the same high school!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lethan couldn¡¯t believe it.

    If Carlisle was from Rainville and was Wanda¡¯s ssmate, then he should be a freshman.

    The new semester at Rivend University had only started three days ago, and during those three

    days, Quinn and John were almost always in his sight. So, it was unlikely that Carlisle had overheard

    their

    conversations.

    However, if that possibility was ruled out, it only made things more confusing.

    ¡°Uncle Lethan, did Carlislee to see you yesterday because of Aunt Quinn¡¯s affair?¡± Wanda asked

    curiously.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±

    Wanda blushed. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t want him to know about our rtionship, so I didn¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°Do you like him?¡± Lethan teased with a half smile.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Like who?¡± Zachary returned after ending the call.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®like¡®? You must have heard wrong!¡±

    Zachary turned to Lethan. ¡°Did I?¡±

    Lethan nodded.

    Zachary scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m just so angry. When I find that bastard, I¡¯ll break his legs!¡±

 Chapter 95

    Carlisle woke up sneezing. He rubbed his nose and muttered, ¡°Wanda must be thinking about me!¡±

    As if on cue, his phone rang. He was sure it was Wanda calling him,

    Carlisle excitedly picked up the phone, but his smile froze when he saw it was from a familiar,

    nameless contact.

    It was Sarah calling. Carlisle answered indifferently, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle¡­ I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±

    ¡°What have you decided?¡± Carlisle was confused. He wondered what Sarah was up to now.

    Sarah gathered all her courage and said, ¡°I want to have a rtionship with you. I want to be your

    girlfriend!¡±

    After observing Kelvin for the past two days, she concluded that Kelvin had no redeeming qualities

    other than having a father who made a hundred thousand dors a year.

    Kelvin wouldn¡¯t spoil her with treats every day like Carlisle did, nor would he text her regrly to check

    on her.

    Most importantly, Kelvin¡¯s looks couldn¡¯tpete with Carlisle¡¯s. Her roommate even asked why

    someone as beautiful as her would go out with Kelvin

    In high school, Carlisle chasing her made her the envy of all the girls in school. Sarah missed those

    days terribly.

    Last night, she had a heart¨Cto¨Cheart with Sienna. Sienna agreed that Sarah should be with Carlisle.

    So today, she worked up the courage to tell Carlisle.

    Carlisle was stunned, but then he chuckled. ¡°Sarah, have you lost your mind? You should call your

    therapist!¡±

    Carlisle¡­ You¡­¡± Sarah¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe that such cold and heartless

    words came from Carlisle.

    ¡°I already have someone I like, so please don¡¯t bother me again.¡± With that, Carlisle hung up.

    Sarah was with Sienna at a nearby cafe. She immediately burst into tears. ¡°Sienna, Carlisle has

    changed. He doesn¡¯t like me anymore. What am I going to do?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s just testing you. After all, you hurt him before. Think about it. If he didn¡¯t care about you,

    why wouldn¡¯t he block you on MSN?¡± Sienna held Sarah¡¯s hand andforted her.

    Sarah thought for a moment and found Sienna¡¯s words reasonable. ¡°What am I supposed to do next?

    I¡¯ve

    never chased a guy before!¡±

    ¡°Treat him like how he treated you before!¡± Sienna sipped her coffee and smiled.

    Sarah recalled Carlisle¡¯s humble attitude and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be that modest!¡±

    ¡°Then I can¡¯t help you. I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship before, and I wouldn¡¯t stoop that low. Love

    shouldn¡¯te through humility!¡±

    Sarah bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes. They could fall at any moment.

    Sienna sighed under her breath. ¡°Maybe you should just give up on him. With your looks, you can get

    any

    man you want.¡±

    ¡°Other people want me for my looks. I¡¯ve just realized that only Carlisle cares about me,¡± Sarah said

    after shaking her head.

    Some time ago, Kevin had taken her to a hotel.

    He wanted to spend the night with her. Even a fool could see what he was after.

    Sienna looked at Sarah with aplicated look on her face. She found her friend increasingly hard to

    understand.

    ¡°Wow¡­ What kind of car is that? It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±

    A couple of girls at the next table suddenly looked out the window.

    Sienna and Sarah were also drawn to look.

    There was a convertible sports car parked on the side of the road below.

    A well¨Cdressed senior gave them a disdainful look. ¡°What a bunch of uncultured people. They don¡¯t

    even recognize a Porsche!¡±

    ¡°Porsche?¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of it. Have you?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Me neither. I only know BMW, Mercedes, and Audi!¡± a couple of the girls whispered to each other.

    Sienna whispered to Sarah, ¡°Have you ever heard of Poe?¡±

    Sarah shook her head in confusion. Her family wasn¡¯t poor, but they weren¡¯t wealthy either. Her dad¡¯s

    car was a 20 thousand dor used Suzuki Alto.

    The senior student nonchntly remarked, ¡°The price of this Porsche Carrera is 2.8 million dors!¡±

    ¡°Whoa¡­¡±

    The surrounding students eximed in amazement.

    Many of them pulled out their cell phones to take pictures.

    ¡°Oh my God, a car that costs 2.8 million? Is there really a car that is that expensive in the world?¡±

    Sienna¡¯s eyes almost popped out of her head. The price of the carpletely overturned her

    worldview.

    Sarah looked at the luxury car with fiery eyes and clenched her fists. ¡°Enna, I¡¯ve found a criteria for my

    future boyfriend!¡±

    ¡°Have you given up on Carlisle?*

    ¡°Could Carlisle ever make enough money in his lifetime to afford this car?¡±

    Sienna smiled cunningly. ¡°With your looks, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for you to snag a rich guy!¡±

    Back at Carlisle¡¯s studio, maintenance on The Legendary Tale wasplete.

    All previous cheats and scripts were now ineffective.

    After downing a bottle of Chardonnay, Hank quickly wrote a new script and cheating software.

    Carlisle was amazed.

    Writing cheats was second nature to Hank. He was truly a genius.

    The five of them sat in front of theirputers and logged into their secondary ounts.

    Heath suddenly said, ¡°Carl, let¡¯s name our studio!¡±

    ¡°How about Dragonaire? It means our future¨Ca dragon soaring through the sky!¡±

    Carlisle let out a smile. ¡°Dragonaire is a nice name.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll design a logo. Who knows, it could be a business one day!¡±

    Hank grabbed a notebook and pencil and started sketching.

    Carlisle¡¯s smile indicated ambition, ¡°Make it look good. Ourpany could go international one day!¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Carlisle as he made that statement.

    Hank¡¯s hand shook slightly as he held the pencil. ¡°Let¡¯s get the studio off the ground before we make

    any big ns!¡±

    Gold farming studios were profitable, but with so many existing now, the price of equipment and

    materials had plummeted. Plus, Carlisle¡¯s high sries made huge profits hard toe by.

    ¡°Hank, do you have to be such a killjoy?¡± Sean replied irritably. ¡°Every startup needs a goal, right?

    Carl¡¯s

 Chapter 96

    alming high, and here you are, raining on his parade?¡±

    Hank took a sip of Chardonnay and replied, ¡°I¡¯m straightforward. I call it like I see it. Dreams are great,

    but reality is often cruel.¡±

    Sean was about to retort, but Carlisle gave him a warning look.

    Benjamin leaned back in his chair with a cigarette and said solemnly, ¡°I think Carl and Sean are right..

    Ambition is what separates someone from the average. Carl said he¡¯d help us make our dreamse

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    true!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see,¡± Hank said with a shake of his head, then continued to draw.

    Just then, Carlisle got a call from Wanda.

    ¡°Carlisle, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at the studio!¡±

    ¡°I was going to ask you out for coffee today, but we have a family reunion tonight, so let¡¯s do it

    tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll buy you two cups tomorrow!¡± Carlisle said with augh.

    ¡°Hehe, you said it! My brother¡¯s here. We¡¯ll talkter¡­¡± Wanda quickly hung up.

    Before Carlisle could put the phone down, another call came in.

    It was from Lethan, the president of Islo Clothing.

    Carlisle grinned as he guessed that Lethan had solved his crisis.

    After pressing the answer button, Lethan¡¯s tired voice came through. ¡°Carlisle, thank you!¡±

    im Bonus For Free Every Day

    mb

 Chapter 97

    ¡°It seems your crisis has been averted¡­¡± Carlisle said with a slight smile.

    ¡°Yes, my wife will walk away without a penny, and John¡¯s attempted murder will get him at least five

    years in prison.¡± Lethan¡¯s voice was somber. After a pause, he asked, ¡°But I¡¯m curious, how did you

    know all

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is

    that I saved you!¡±

    ¡°True. Are you free for dinner tonight?¡± Lethan offered. He¡¯d like to repay Carlisle.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty tied up right now. Maybe another time.¡±

    Lethan, a billionaire businessman, was a connection Carlisle wouldn¡¯t let slip away easily.

    Hank¡¯s earlier words were quite realistic.

    The studio could make money, but making much money wasn¡¯t easy. It would be even harder to make

    enough money to enter the era of smart technology.

    That was why Carlisle had to bring in investments. Lethan and Bob were both good investors.

    Sean brought some fast food: ¡°Time for dinner¡­¡±

    Hank and the others were busy ying on theirputers.

    Sean handed each of them a portion of fast food and said with a smile, ¡°Guys, let¡¯s eat first, then we¡¯ll

    continue!¡±

    Carlisle also started to eat his fast food in front of theputer. Each of them had at least eight pieces

    of chicken.

    Heath flicked away his cigarette butt and said in a deep voice, ¡°Carl, why don¡¯t we just use hacks to

    loot the pay¨Cto¨Cwin yers¡® gear? We¡¯d make a lot of money that way!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it real and steady. You can¡¯t hang around the riverbank without getting your shoes wet.

    We¡¯ll y it safe.¡±

    Heath smiled sheepishly. ¡°I was just throwing it out there!¡±

    After dinner, Carlisle nned to head back to

    campus.

    As he reached the campus gates, he received a call from an unknown number.

    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle, it¡¯s Cameron!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. How did your sister¡¯s surgery go?¡±

    ¡°Very well, I really owe you one!¡® Cameron¡¯s voice was choked with emotion.

    Without the thousand dors Carlisle and Ivan had scraped together, his sister wouldn¡¯t have made it.

    ¡°It¡¯s great that she¡¯s okay. Do you have enough money?¡± Carlisle asked with a smile.

    ¡°We have enough. I¡¯m looking for a job right now. As soon as I make some money, I¡¯ll pay you back

    double!

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to look for a job. Come to Rivend and join my team!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t you in Rivend for school? Cameron was confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to start a game ount farming studio for ¡°The Mystical Journey.¡® If you know anyone,

    bring them over, and we¡¯ll work together!¡±

    ¡°ount farming?¡± Cameron was unfamiliar with the term. His understanding of ¡°farming¡± was manual

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin right now. Juste over. Call me when you get to Rivend University!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle tomorrow!¡± Cameron trusted Carlisle¡¯s wordspletely.

    After ending the call, Carlisle bought some necessities and returned to the dormitory.

    As he pushed open the door, he heard the sound of a metal bed shaking.

    Damn¡­ In broad daylight?

    Shaking his head, Carlisley on his bed and scanned the current cell phone market.

    They were still using 2Gworks, and Android hadn¡¯t been developed yet. To make a globally popr

    full- screen smartphone, he¡¯d have to develop a home¨Cgrown systemparable to Android.

    Android was an open¨Csource operating system based on the Linux kernel architecture, while iOS was

    a closed¨Csource operating system based on the UNIX system architecture. These two systems would

    be the rulers of the smart era.

    The first phone with the iOS system was released in 2007, and the first phone with the Android system

    was released in October 2008.

    Topete with those two giants, the smartphone era had to be fullyunched within two years.

    Just then, Daniel Scott emerged from under the covers, sweating profusely.

 Chapter 98

    Daniel was startled to see Carlisle lying on the bed opposite him. ¡°Holy crap, Carlisle¡­ When did you

    get

    back?¡±

    ¡°About three minutes ago,¡± Carlisle replied nonchntly.

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re lying!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Carlisle grinned. ¡°What mischief have you been up to?¡±

    Daniel¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled at his answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±

    ¡°Believe what you want.¡± Daniel smiled awkwardly before tossing the tissue he was holding into the

    trash

    car

    Carlisle put on his shoes and left the room, leaving the unpleasant smell of the dormitory behind.

    He decided to move out tomorrow and find a new ce to live. The dormitory environment was simply

    unbearable.

    Carlisle went to the roof to call Hank. He intended to recruit some programmers from him to form a

    research and development team.

    They would first have to develop an operating system to create a smartphone. However, there was the

    cost of research and development.

    Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose and decided against calling Hank.

    The cost of research and development, along with sries, was a challenge.

    The profits from the studio probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover the research and development costs.

    Just then, Carlisle¡¯s phone rang. It was his mother.

    Carlisle quickly answered the phone, ¡°Hello, Mom.¡±

    ¡°Son, you don¡¯t have ss today, do you?¡±

    ¡°No sses on the weekend!¡± Carlisle replied with a soft smile.

    Hilda then said, ¡°You little rascal, did you not even think to call when you are on break!¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been a little busy!¡± Carlisleughed awkwardly, realizing he hadn¡¯t called home since he

    started

    college.

    Hilda didn¡¯t press further. Instead, she asked, ¡°How¡¯s school? Have sses started?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. It¡¯ll probably start next week!¡±

    ¡°Son, have you seen Owentely?¡± Hilda inquired suddenly.

    Chapte

    ¡°Owen¡­ He¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s with mol¡±

    Hayley must have realized that Owen wasn¡¯t at school and asked Hilda to check with Carlisle.

    To ease Hayley¡¯s worries, he had toe clean.

    ¡°Were you the one who told him to go there?¡± Hilda¡¯s tone had turned Icy.

    ¡°Yes, it was my idea!¡±

    Hilda lost her temper. ¡°Do you know how worried his mother was? She was on the verge of calling the

    police!¡±

    ¡°Mom, Owen skips ss every day to go gaming. He¡¯s not learning anything useful at school. It¡¯s better

    for him to earn money with me than to waste time there!¡± Carlisle exined.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re still in school, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hilda¡¯s voice carried a hint of panic, fearing that Carlisle had

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    abandoned his studies.

    ¡°I¡¯ve started a game studio, and Owen works there. I¡¯m still going to school, so it won¡¯t affect my

    studies!¡±

    Hilda felt somewhat relieved.

    ¡°Can a game studio make money?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it definitely can. Talk to Mrs. Woods and tell her to rx. Besides, I¡¯ll have Owen call her

    tomorrow. If she doesn¡¯t believe us, she cane to Rivend and see for herself!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I trust you.¡±

    Hilda remembered Carlisle¡¯s confidence about getting into Rivend University, so she believed his

    studio would make money, too.

    After a short pause, Hilda added, ¡°Your grandfather¡¯s birthday is tomorrow. Remember to call him,

    okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Grandpa¡¯s birthday¡­¡± Carlisle¡¯s pupils shrank sharply as he suddenly recalled a news article he

    had seen at his grandfather¡¯s birthday party in his previous life.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 99

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d forget, so I thought I¡¯d give you a heads¨Cup!¡± Hilda said with a teasing smile.

    ¡°Got it, Mom. I¡¯ve got to go now, but I¡¯ll call you when I can, okay?¡± Carlisle quickly ended the call and

    made his way downstairs.

    In his previous life, Carlisle used to spend his birthdays at his grandfather¡¯s ce. On that particr

    night, Rivend TV Station aired a major news report.

    The wealthiest person in Rivend, Yuriel, spent 80 thousand dors in a local antique shop in

    Rainville. He snagged an original Galloping Horses painting by Harold Dcruz. Later, he flipped it for

    a staggering 3.86 million dors.

    Carlisle hailed a cab. ¡°To Rainville, please!¡±

    ¡°Rainville?¡± The cab driver raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t usually do long¨Cdistance trips¡­¡±

    Carlisle grinned. ¡°How about three hundred dors?¡± he asked.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the cab driver shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money. My wife is about

    to give birth in the hospital, and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t make it back in time!¡±

    Carlisle got down from the cab. Just then, another cab pulled over by the roadside.

    Wanda stepped out of the cab. ¡°Carlisle¡­¡±

    Her eyes lit up when she saw Carlisle.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Is your family dinner over already?¡± Carlisle asked with a light chuckle.

    ¡°I left early, Are you heading back to your studio? Mind if I tag along?¡± Wanda suggested with a smile.

    ¡°ed to make a quick trip to Rainville,¡± Carlisle said.

    ¡°At this hour? What¡¯s going on in Rainville?¡± Wanda inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some things to take care of. You should head back to school,¡± Carlisle exined.

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you!¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Carlisle hesitated.

    Wanda immediately put on a pitiful expression.

    Carlisle sighed and said, ¡°Okay, get in the car.¡±

    When the driver heard that both of them were going to Rainville, he chimed in, ¡°Rainville¡¯s quite a

    distance, you know. The fare won¡¯t be cheap.¡±

    Carlisle responded, ¡°Three hundred dors. Deal?¡±

    The driver pondered for a moment. ¡°Will you being back? If I return empty, three hundred dors.

    won¡¯t be much profit.¡±

    Chapte 99

    Wanda chimed in, ¡°Of course, we¡¯lle back. How about six hundred dors for the round trip?¡±

    The driver grinned broadly. ¡°Deal! Let¡¯s hit the road!¡±

    Carlisle and Wanda sat in the backseat.

    Wanda kept her head down, her heart inexplicably racing.

    Carlisle leaned back with a slight frown.

    The painting was priced at 80 thousand dors, but Carlisle had less than 20 thousand dors on him.

    He pondered whether he should ask Wanda for money.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡±

    At that moment, both of them spoke simultaneously, locking eyes with each other.

    ¡°You go first¡­¡±

    Again, they spoke up at the same time. Blushing, Wanda whispered, ¡°I was just wondering what you¡¯re

    nning for tomorrow?¡±

    Carlisle smiled gently. ¡°How about I show you around Rainville tomorrow?¡±

    Wanda pouted and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve spent three years in Rainville. I¡¯ve seen all there is to see.¡±

    Carlisle took Wanda¡¯s hand and said, ¡°But you haven¡¯t explored it with me.¡±

    Wanda nced at their joined hands, her cheeks flushing uncontrobly as her heart pounded against

    her

    chest.

    Realizing they were in a taxi, she quickly withdrew her hand.

    Carlisle¡¯s expression faltered for a moment, and he looked out the window with a hint of

    disappointment.

    Seeing this, Wanda felt a pang of regret and immediately grabbed Carlisle¡¯s hand again.

    This time, Carlisle was taken aback. Had she just willingly taken his hand?

    Blushing deeply, Wanda asked, ¡°You called me earlier. What did you want to say?¡±

    Carlisle squeezed Wanda¡¯s soft, delicate hand and grinned. ¡°I wanted to borrow some money from

    you,¡±

    he said.

    Wanda¡¯s hand was incredibly soft, like a handful of cotton.

 Chapter 100

    A wave of emotions swept over Carlisle, making him want to pull her into his arms.

    ¡°How much do you need?¡± Wanda asked with her head lowered. She felt her palms sweating under

    Carlisle¡¯s intense gaze.

    The cab driver cleared his throat and said, ¡°Miss, be careful. Don¡¯t get scammed!¡±

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow and threatened, ¡°Could you just drive? We¡¯re paying for a ride, not a chat.

    Do you want the fare or not?¡±

    The driver shrugged. ¡°Hey, is it even proper for you to borrow money from ady?¡±

    Carlisle felt a blush creeping up his cheeks. If it weren¡¯t for the circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted

    to ask Wanda for money either.

    Wanda puffed up her cheeks and retorted, ¡°My boyfriend is¨Cstarting a business. It¡¯s normal that he

    needs money!¡±

    Carlisle looked at Wanda in surprise. Did she just admit he was her boyfriend?

    The driver rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t argue further.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Wanda seemed naive, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to say anything.

    Fuming, Wanda said, ¡°Carlisle, let¡¯s get out. We¡¯re not riding with him anymore!¡±

    Carlisle nodded, took out a bundle of crisp hundred¨Cdor bills, and handed one to the driver, ¡°Stop the

    car. This is for the fare, no need for change.¡±

    The driver was momentarily stunned. Then, he chuckled nervously and said, ¡°Sorry for what I said

    earlier. I didn¡¯t mean any harm. It was just a friendly reminder!¡±

    Carlisle said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t judge without knowing the whole story. You might offend someone easily

    that way.¡±

    ¡°Got it, got it. I won¡¯t do it again!¡± The driver smiled apologetically.

    Carlisle squeezed Wanda¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. The guy was just trying to help.¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips and nodded, her eyes involuntarily drifting to their entwined hands.

    Leaning closer to Wanda, Carlisle whispered, ¡°Wanda, you said I was your boyfriend, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened at his tease, and she jerked her hand back. ¡°Y¨Cyou¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­ When did

    I say. that?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯d misheard.¡± Carlisl¨¦ sighed as if disappointed.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ve definitely misheard,¡± Wanda said with a blush.

    She had only blurted out that sentence in a moment of panic.

    Chapte: 100

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but smile at the shy Wanda. She practically treated him like a boyfriend but was

    still

    too shy to admit it.

    However, love was a delicate matter. It was best to let it develop naturally.

    Besides, there were people secretly trying to keep him away from Wanda.

    Until those obstacles were dealt with, he needed to maintain some distance from her.

    By midnight, Wanda had drifted off to sleep.

    Carlisle carefully rested her head on his shoulder to make her morefortable.

    They reached Rainville around 3:00 am.

    The cab exited the highway, hitting a bumpy, pothole¨Cridden road.

    Wanda woke up groggily and asked, ¡°Are we there yet?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°We still have a little way to go before we reach the town.¡±

    Wanda nestled back against Carlisle¡¯s shoulder and drifted back to sleep. As she closed her eyes, she

    realized they were practically leaning against each other.

    Since she was already treating him like a boyfriend, Wanda wrapped her arms around Carlisle¡¯s arm

    and continued sleeping.

    A faint smile appeared on Carlisle¡¯s lips as he nced down at Wanda.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    At 4:30 am, the cab pulled up outside a hotel.

    Carlisle booked two rooms while the cab driver chose to stay in the car and sleep.

    The next day at 8:00 am, Carlisle knocked on Wanda¡¯s door. After waiting for a while and having no

    response, he dialed her number. ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off¡­¡±

 Chapter 101

    As Carlisle heard the automated message on his phone, his heart skipped a beat.

    He rushed to the front desk and asked the receptionist, ¡°Did ady with short hair in a white dress

    leave

    just now?¡±

    The middle¨Caged receptionist, who wasn¡¯t the same person from the night before, shook her head. ¡°I

    didn¡¯t see anyone fitting that description.¡±

    Frowning, Carlisle pressed on. ¡°She¡¯s staying in room 305. Could you please check if she¡¯s there?¡±

    The receptionist hesitated, giving him a skeptical look. ¡°I can¡¯t just open a guest¡¯s room without

    confirmation.¡±

    ¡°We arrived togetherst night. Can you check the surveince footage?¡± Carlisle urged.

    ¡°The surveince system is down, and the maintenance guy isn¡¯t avable,¡± the receptionist exined.

    Frustrated, Carlisle mmed his fist on the counter. He raised his voice, saying, ¡°My friend might be in

    trouble! Can you afford the responsibility if something happens to her?¡±

    The receptionist looked annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude? I¡¯m just following protocol.¡±

    Carlisle shot her a re. He stormed out to look for Wanda, guessing she might have gone out to buy

    breakfast.

    Outside the hotel, Carlisle spotted the parked cab and its driver enjoying breakfast.

    As soon as the driver saw Carlisle, he put down his croissant and drove over.

    ¡°Have you seen my girlfriend?¡± Carlisle asked urgently.

    The driver shook his head. ¡°I went to refuel and grab breakfast. Didn¡¯t your girlfriend stay with you?¡±

    Carlisle got into the cab. ¡°Let¡¯s look around nearby,¡± he urged.

    The driver quickly turned the car around and drove down the streets, checking breakfast spots on both

    sides.

    Despite searching several streets, there was no sign of Wanda.

    Carlisle tried calling her multiple times, but her phone remained switched off.

    By 10:00 am, they returned to the hotel.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle approached the front desk and asked, ¡°Have you seen ady with short hair and a dress?¡±

    The receptionist frowned. ¡°Is she really missing?¡± she asked.

    Carlisle nodded grimly.

    The receptionist swallowed hard at the gravity of the situation. ¡°You should call the police, she

    suggested.

    Chaple 101

    Carlisle¡¯s eyes reddened. Trembling, he pulled out his phone.

    With no surveince footage to rely on and no sign of her after such a long search, calling the police

    seemed to be Carlisle¡¯s only option.

    Just then, the receptionist pointed outside. ¡°Is that her?¡±

    Turning around, Carlisle saw Wanda entering the lobby, holding a ck stic bag.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Wanda asked nervously as she entered the lobby.

    Without a word, Carlisle rushed over and enveloped her in a tight hug.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened, her body freezing in surprise. What was Carlisle doing?

    With a hoarse voice, Carlisle said, ¡°Wanda, don¡¯t ever disappear on me like that again.

    Wanda realized her phone had died. She was touched by the fact that Carlisle went out to look for her

    because he couldn¡¯t contact her.

    Feeling a mix of guilt and relief, Wanda exined softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I went to withdraw some cash, but

    the bank was crowded, so it took me a while¡­¡±

    A sigh of relief mixed with frustration escaped Carlisle when he realized she had gone to the bank to

    withdraw money. He gently let go of Wanda and ruffled her hair, saying, ¡°Remember what I said. Don¡¯t

    ever disappear like that again.¡±

    Wanda nodded earnestly. ¡°I will, and next time, I¡¯ll bring a power bank.¡±

    She handed Carlisle a ck stic bag. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how much you needed, so I withdrew all my

    pocket

    money.

    Carlisle peeked into the bag. There was probably around a hundred thousand dors inside.

    He felt a mix of envy and relief, knowing that Wanda was indeed from a wealthy background, which set

    them apart. In an era where most people earned only a few hundred dors a month, having that much

    pocket money was truly mind¨Cboggling.

 Chapter 102

    Carlisle felt like he was taking candy from a kid as he looked at Wanda¡¯s extravagant pocket money. He

    chuckled. ¡°Since you¡¯re giving me all your pocket money, what will you live on?¡±

    ¡°I still have my savings and living expenses,¡± Wanda replied with a yful smirk.

    Carlisle teased with a yful grin, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve hit the jackpot with my richdy here. I guess I can

    kick back and let you take cate of me from now on!¡±

    ¡°Sure, if y

    don¡¯t mind the gossip.¡± Wanda retorted with a chuckle.

    Carlisle gently tapped Wanda¡¯s nose. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live off you.

    After checking out of the hotel, Carlisle took Wanda to an antique street by car.

    The street was adorned with buildings dating back to the Eduarian era, while both sides teemed with

    farmers sporting patched clothes and straw hats.

    In reality, these farmers were all actors. Dressed in modest vintage attire, they skillfully created the

    impression that their antiques had been unearthed from rustic viges or mountainous regions.

    Holding onto Carlisle¡¯s sleeve, Wanda whispered, ¡°Carlisle, you¡¯re not nning to buy antiques, are

    you?¡± ¡°Why else would I be here?¡± Carlisle raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Do you know about antiques? My grandfather has been in the business for over 30 years and still gets

    fooled

    ¡°Do you believe in luck?¡± Carlisle asked with a smile.

    ¡°Nope!¡± Wanda shook her head.

    ¡°You should. I¡¯ve always had good luck,¡± Carlisle said with a wide grin.

    ¡°Really? I haven¡¯t noticed,¡± Wanda replied.

    ¡°Well, think about it. If I didn¡¯t have good luck, how could I have met such a wonderful girl like you?¡±

    Carlisle teased

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to tter me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Wanda blushed, giving Carlisle a pinch on his waist.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ that hurts!¡± Carlisle winced.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even pinch hard!¡± Wanda blinked innocently.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just massage it for me, and it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Carlisle said,

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re trying to trick me again!¡± Wanda blushed and turned her head away.

    As they chatted, they arrived at a shop called Retrovintique.

    Carlisle¡¯s heart raced as he saw the sign board with the gleaming golden letters of ¡°Retrovintique.¡± This

    was definitely the ce.

    He recalled Yuriel promoting Retrovintique in his Interview.

    Entering the shop, they found only an elderly man with sharp features lounging in a chair.

    He held a long pipe in his left hand while using a traditional¨Clooking fan to Intermittently cool himself

    with his right.

    On the coffee table nearby, a pot of tea was steeping, filling the air with its aromatic scent. Meanwhile,

    an old¨Cfashioned radio yed a ssic soap opera,

    The

    old man squinted at them. When he saw two youngsters before him, he lost. The cheapest item in my

    shop costs at least 10 thousand dors!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover,¡± Carlisle said, tossing the stic bag onto the nearby table.

    The old man¡¯s eyes widened when he saw bundles of hundred¨Cdor bills spilled out from the stic

    bag. He sat up abruptly and picked up a stack of money to sniff it.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is authentic,¡± the old man eximed, his demeanor changing instantly. He swiftly washed

    two cups and poured tea for them. With a ttering smile, he said, ¡°Ah, the magpies¡® cheerful chirping

    this morning was a good omen, heralding the arrival of such an esteemed guest!¡±

    Being able to pull out a hundred thousand at such a young age clearly marked Carlisle as a rich kid, a

    fact that the antique street loved.

    Carlisle tucked away the money and asked with a smile, ¡°Do you have any good paintings?¡±

    The old man looked proud as he said, ¡°Not to boast, but my shop has the best and the most paintings

    on

    the whole street!¡±

    Inviting Carlisle inside, the old man asked, ¡°May I inquire which family you¡¯re from? You dress quite

    modestly.¡±

    After ncing around, Carlisle leaned in and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m from the county, and my family isn¡¯t into

    business.¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    The old man¡¯s eyes sharpened, ¡°I see.¡±

    The old man quickly grasped that since Carlisle wasn¡¯t involved in business, he muste from an

    aristocratic background. Aristocrats were not easily deceived. They had a keen eye for quality and

    demanded only the best.

    He walked to a shelf and pulled out a wooden box from the bottom. Opening it, he revealed a collection

    of paintings.

    ¡°My grandfather¡¯s birthday ising up. He loves paintings, especially those of horses,¡± Carlisle said.

    Images of Harold Dcruz¡¯s ¡°Galloping Horses¡± painting filled Carlisle¡¯s mind.

    Harold Dcruz was a celebrated modern artist, renowned for blending the essence of traditional art

    into his works. His pieces held significant value for collgetors, especially his depictions of horses, which

    carried profound symbolism.

    Among them, the ¡°Eight Gems¡± painting was valued at millions.

    As the old man emptied the box of its contents, he quickly singled out two paintings with markings.

    ¡°Here we have ¡®Galloping Horses¡® and Thousand Stallions,¡® both masterpieces by Harold Dcruz,¡± he

    informed. ¡°Which one are you interested in?¡±

 Chapter 103

    ¡°Is this really an authentic piece by Harold Dcruz?¡± Carlisle asked, eyeing the old man skeptically.

    The old man chuckled awkwardly and said, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that. You¡¯ll have to judge for yourself.¡±

    Pointing at the ¡°Thousand Stallions¡± painting, Carlisle said, ¡°Let me see that ¡®Thousand Stallions¡®

    painting first.¡±

    The old man retrieved a pair of white cotton gloves from his pocket and carefully untied the cotton rope

    binding the scroll before unveiling it.

    Carlisle picked up a magnifying ss and began examining the painting closely.

    The old man said, ¡°Given your family¡¯s probably extensive collection of antiques, I assume you know a

    thing or two about them, right?¡±

    Carlisle replied casually, ¡°A little.¡±

    The old man chuckled again. ¡°You¡¯re quite modest.¡±

    Carlisle carefully examined the details of the horses¡® hooves through the magnifying ss and then

    inspected the seals.

    With a sigh, he shook his head and said, ¡°Show me the other painting.¡±

    Without much ado, the old man rolled up the painting and ced it back in the wooden box. He then

    opened the scroll containing the ¡°Galloping Horses¡± painting.

    Carlisle continued his careful examination with the magnifying ss.

    Not far away, Wanda sat on the bench. She rested her chin on her hands, admiring the serious Carlisle.

    It was a shame her phone had died, or she would¡¯ve taken more pictures of him.

    Suddenly, a chilling voice from outside interrupted her thoughts.

    ¡°Is this the ce?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is it.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gust, please.

    ¡°Mr. Thompson, please, after you!¡±

    Wanda stood up abruptly and dashed toward Carlisle, her voice quivering as she said, ¡°Carlisle, my

    dad¡¯s

    here.¡±

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? That¡¯s such a coincidence!¡±

    Wanda looked at the old man and said, ¡°Sir, I need a ce to hide!¡±

    Pointing to a warehouse behind him, the old man said, ¡°Go in there, but be careful not to knock over

    any porcin.¡±

    Wanda hesitated for a moment. She bit her lip and entered the dark storage room, closing the door

    behind her.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle inquired, ¡°I¡¯ll take this ¡®Galloping Horses¡® painting. How much is it?¡±

    The old man clicked his tongue. ¡°You must be familiar with the antique market¡¯s rules, right?¡±

    ¡°No returns, and no refunds,¡± Carlisle said.

    He had seen quite a few movies about antiques in his previous life and remembered some of the

    jargon.

    The old man let out a chuckle and said, ¡°For an average buyer, I¡¯d sell this painting for 300 thousand

    dors. But given your special status, I¡¯ll give it to you for 150 thousand.¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°The seals on this painting aren¡¯t authentic, and the details on the horses¡®

    hooves

    need improvement. It¡¯s not worth the asking price.¡±

    The old man looked at Carlisle in surprise and then grumbled, ¡°Well, 120 thousand dors will do.¡±

    Carlisle dismissed the painting with a wave. ¡°I could pick this up for 60 thousand dors just for fun!¡±

    Just as he said that, two well¨Cdressed men approached from outside. Carlisle nced over and

    immediately furrowed his brows.

    It was Yuriel Gust, the wealthiest man in Rivend.

    The old man sighed and started to say, ¡°How about 100 thousand dors, I-¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Carlisle interrupted. He handed the money to the old man and rolled up the painting.

    ¡°Carlisle?¡± Zachary widened his eyes in surprise upon spotting Carlisle. He wondered what Carlisle

    was doing in Rainville. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be in Rivend?

    Carlisle put on a fake smile and greeted him, ¡°Oh, Zachary! What a surprise to see you here!¡±

    He reached out to shake Zachary¡¯s hand.

    Casting a quick nce at Carlisle and noticing his inexpensive attire and flip¨Cflops, Zachary made a

    disgusted face and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t try to act like you¡¯re close to me.¡±

    Zachary couldn¡¯t understand why his sister would be interested in someone like Carlisle.

    Shein Thompson turned to Zachary, asking, ¡°Do you two know each other?¡±

    Zachary replied nonchntly, ¡°Not really. He got himself into trouble with some thugs, and I had to bail

 Chapter 104

    Shein responded with mild indifference, ¡°It¡¯s rare to find someone so righteous at his age. You could

    learn a thing or two from him.¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Wanda, who was hiding in the warehouse, felt a sense of contentment hearing her father

    praise Carlisle.

    ¡°Oh, Carlisle, remember this is your future father¨Cinw. Best behavior, okay?¡± Wanda silently urged.

    Zachary scoffed, ¡°Learn from him? Do you even realize how out of line he was? If I hadn¡¯t stepped in,

    he¡¯d

    be in serious trouble. If he sets the example, it¡¯s the end of the Thompson family legacy!¡±

    Wanda tightened her fists in annoyance. ¡°Why does Zachary always have to be so mean? Can¡¯t he just

    be civil?¡± she fumed inwardly.

    Shein shot Zachary a stern look. ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Shein thought to himself that Zachary needed a good talking¨Cto when they got back home, especially

    considering he was being so rude in front of Yuriel.

    Zachary rolled his eyes, thinking, ¡°This guy¡¯s almost run off with your daughter, and you¡¯re defending

    him?¡±

    Shein then smiled at Carlisle and reassured, ¡°Lad, that¡¯s just how my son is. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Carlisle grinned. ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s not wrong. I underestimated the situation and ended up in trouble

    because of it.¡±

    Yuriel turned to Carlisle and asked, ¡°Are you here to buy paintings too?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°My grandfather¡¯s birthday ising up. He loves paintings, so I came to find

    something

    special.

    Zachary eyed the painting in Carlisle¡¯s hand and then nced at the money in the Retrovintique

    owner¡¯s hand. It looked like around 100 thousand dors.

    ¡°That painting looks expensive,¡± Zachary remarked, suspecting Carlisle had swindled Wanda

    financially.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t cheap, and it cost me 100 thousand dors,¡± Carlisle replied honestly.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± Zachary said expressionlessly as he headed outside.

    Carlisle quietly followed him.

    With his father and Yuriel present, Zachary wouldn¡¯t darey a finger on him, would he?

    Once outside, Carlisle noticed a dozen well¨Cdressed bodyguards standing by the entrance.

    Zachary lit a cigarette, then pressed Carlisle against the wall, coldly warning, ¡°Carlisle, let me remind

    you, stay away from my sister. She¡¯s not someone you can mess with.¡±

    Carlisle calmly replied, ¡°You can¡¯t dictate Wanda¡¯s feelings.¡±

    pter104

    ¡°Smack!¡±

    Zachary punched Carlisle in the face, causing him to stumble.

    Several passersby stopped to look. The bodyguards quickly lined up to block the view of the onlookers.

    Zachary grabbed Carlisle¡¯s cor and sneered, ¡°You might not have known what the Thompson family

    was like before, and I can¡¯t me you for that. But understand this: the Thompson family is a league

    you¡¯ll

    never join.¡±

    Carlisle wiped a speck of blood from his cheek with his tongue and calmly replied, ¡°ver aspired to

    be part of the Thompson family. I don¡¯t reach for what¡¯s beyond my grasp, so don¡¯t underestimate me.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Zachary raised his hand, ready to strike again.

    ¡°Zachary!¡± Wanda rushed out from Retrovintique and pulled Carlisle behind her. She looked up

    defiantly and dered, ¡°If you want to fight, fight me!¡±

    Shein emerged from Retrovintique, wearing a grim look. He asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    With his hands in his pockets, Zachary smirked. ¡°You wondered why Wanda didn¡¯t get into a top¨Ctier

    university, right? It¡¯s because of him. Wanda deliberately scored lower to get into Rivend University

    and then started dating him!¡±

    Shein raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that true?¡±

    Wanda remained silent. Tears welled up in her eyes.

    Feeling the weight of the situation, Carlisle knew no matter what he said, the Thompsons wouldn¡¯t think

    highly of him. He spoke earnestly, ¡°Mr. Thompson, Wanda and I will focus on our studies.¡±

    Just as Zachary was about to retort, Shein silenced him with a stern look.

    Shein turned to Carlisle and said, ¡°You¡¯re both still young. I hope you¡¯ll make wise decisions.¡± Wanda

    looked at her father in disbelief, wondering if he had just allowed her to be with Carlisle.

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 104 Shein responded with mild indifference, ¡°It¡¯s rare to find someone so righteous at his age.

    You could learn a thing or two from him.¡± Meanwhile, Wanda, who was hiding in the warehouse, felt a

    sense of contentment hearing her father praise Carlisle. ¡°Oh, Carlisle, remember this is your future

    father¨Cinw. Best behavior, okay?¡± Wanda silently urged. Zachary scoffed, ¡°Learn from him? Do you

    even realize how out of line he was? If I hadn¡¯t stepped in, he¡¯d be in serious trouble. If he sets the

    example, it¡¯s the end of the Thompson family legacy!¡± Wanda tightened her fists in annoyance. ¡°Why

    does Zachary always have to be so mean? Can¡¯t he just be civil?¡± she fumed inwardly. Shein shot

    Zachary a stern look. ¡°Shut up!¡± Shein thought to himself that Zachary needed a good talking¨Cto when

    they got back home, especially considering he was being so rude in front of Yuriel. Zachary rolled his

    eyes, thinking, ¡°This guy¡¯s almost run off with your daughter, and you¡¯re defending him?¡± Shein then

    smiled at Carlisle and reassured, ¡°Lad, that¡¯s just how my son is. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Carlisle

    grinned. ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s not wrong. I underestimated the situation and ended up in trouble because of

    it.¡± Yuriel turned to Carlisle and asked, ¡°Are you here to buy paintings too?¡± Carlisle nodded. ¡°My

    grandfather¡¯s birthday ising up. He loves paintings, so I came to find something special. Zachary

    eyed the painting in Carlisle¡¯s hand and then nced at the money in the Retrovintique owner¡¯s hand.

    It looked like around 100 thousand dors. ¡°That painting looks expensive,¡± Zachary remarked,

    suspecting Carlisle had swindled Wanda financially. ¡°It wasn¡¯t cheap, and it cost me 100 thousand

    dors,¡± Carlisle replied honestly. ¡°Come with me,¡± Zachary said expressionlessly as he headed

    outside. Carlisle quietly followed him. With his father and Yuriel present, Zachary wouldn¡¯t darey a

    finger on him, would he? Once outside, Carlisle noticed a dozen well¨Cdressed bodyguards standing by

    the entrance. Zachary lit a cigarette, then pressed Carlisle against the wall, coldly warning, ¡°Carlisle, let

    me remind you, stay away from my sister. She¡¯s not someone you can mess with.¡± Carlisle calmly

    replied, ¡°You can¡¯t dictate Wanda¡¯s feelings.¡± pter104 272 ¡°Smack!¡± Zachary punched Carlisle in the

    face, causing him to stumble. Several passersby stopped to look. The bodyguards quickly lined up to

    block the view of the onlookers. Zachary grabbed Carlisle¡¯s cor and sneered, ¡°You might not have

    known what the Thompson family was like before, and I can¡¯t me you for that. But understand this:N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    the Thompson family is a league you¡¯ll never join.¡± Carlisle wiped a speck of blood from his cheek with

    his tongue and calmly replied, ¡°ver aspired to be part of the Thompson family. I don¡¯t reach for

    what¡¯s beyond my grasp, so don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± Zachary raised his hand, ready to

    strike again. ¡°Zachary!¡± Wanda rushed out from Retrovintique and pulled Carlisle behind her. She

    looked up defiantly and dered, ¡°If you want to fight, fight me!¡± Shein emerged from Retrovintique,

    wearing a grim look. He asked calmly, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± With his hands in his pockets, Zachary

    smirked. ¡°You wondered why Wanda didn¡¯t get into a top¨Ctier university, right? It¡¯s because of him.

    Wanda deliberately scored lower to get into Rivend University and then started dating him!¡± Shein

    raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that true?¡± Wanda remained silent. Tears welled up in her eyes. Feeling the

    weight of the situation, Carlisle knew no matter what he said, the Thompsons wouldn¡¯t think highly of

    him. He spoke earnestly, ¡°Mr. Thompson, Wanda and I will focus on our studies.¡± Just as Zachary was

    about to retort, Shein silenced him with a stern look. Shein turned to Carlisle and said, ¡°You¡¯re both still

    young. I hope you¡¯ll make wise decisions.¡± Wanda looked at her father in disbelief, wondering if he had

    just allowed her to be with Carlisle.

 Chapter 106

    Chapte

    Shein calmly responded, ¡°Do you need to ask me about something so trivial?¡±

    Zachary sniffed and asked, ¡°Should we kick him out of Rivend University?¡±

    Shein chuckled softly. ¡°If you dare to kick him out, Wanda will drop out immediately.¡±

    After a moment of consideration, Zachary proposed, ¡°What about putting pressure on his parents?¡±

    Shein leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes to rest. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. Just make sure Wanda

    doesn¡¯t find out it was you!¡±

    At 4:00 pm, the cab pulled up at the entrance of Rivend University.

    The driver handed Carlisle a business card with a friendly smile. ¡°Hey,d, I usually hang around near

    Rivend University. If you ever need a ride, just give me a call and book in advance!¡±

    The driver was named Francis Gable. He seemed to be around 30 years old and drove smoothly.

    During their chat, he mentioned he was a retired soldier who had operated tanks in the military.

    ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡± Carlisle said, taking the card with a smile. Despite the driver¡¯s earlier

    brusque manner, Carlisle found him friendly enough to consider hiring him as his personal driver in the

    future.

    ¡°Alright, see youter!¡± Francis noticed some students signaling for a cab and drove toward them.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle spotted Mike chatting with a group of older students as they approached.

    ¡°Wanda, I¡¯m heading back to the studio for a shower. Aren¡¯t you meeting Lily Green for dinner? We can

    meet upter and head to Southdale together! Carlisle said before walking off.

    Watching Carlisle walk away, Wanda felt puzzled. She wondered why Carlisle was in such a hurry to

    leave.

    Annoyed, she headed toward the campus.

    ¡°Mike, this freshman is pretty cute with her sses. She looks quiet and demure,¡± Kelvin Knox, one of

    Mike¡¯sckeys,mented with a grin.

    Kelvin was aware of Zachary¡¯s influential connections. After the humiliation he had endured, he was

    resolute about seeking revenge. Acknowledging his own powerlessness against Zachary, Kelvin

    believed that Mike might be a suitable candidate to confront him.

    ¡°What the hell, do you think I¡¯m the type to go crazy over any girl?¡± Mike kicked Kelvin to the ground in

    frustration.

    Kelvinnded right at Wanda¡¯s feet.

    Wanda feigned surprise and asked, ¡°Kelvin, are you enjoying the cool ground?¡±

    Kelvin nced at Mike in confusion.

    The usually brazen Mike seemed different today.

    Hey there, did I freak you out?¡± Mike greeted Wanda with a half¨Chearted smile.

    Wanda took a moment to assess Mike and his group of older students. With their long hair and

    cigarettes tucked behind their ears, they looked every bit like troublemakers.

    Considering Carlisle¡¯s earlier reaction, she began to piece things together.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Wanda replied,tly, then walked past Kelvin into the campus.

    Kelvin got up from the ground. He chuckled lightly and teased, ¡°Mike, are you trying to make a good

    impression on her?¡±

    *hes

    ¡®To hell with making a good impression,¡± he snapped, sending Kelvin down with another kick.

    Back in her dorm, Wanda swapped out her phone battery and dialed Zachary¡¯s number.

    ¡°Wanda, have you reached school yet?¡± Zachary¡¯s voice was calmer now.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Wanda¡¯s voice quivered with frustration.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Zachary sounded genuinely puzzled.

    ¡°Some guys attacked Carlisle when we got here. They said you put them up to it,¡± Wanda exined.

    ¡°Those idiots!¡± Zachary eximed.

    Wanda¡¯s heart sank. Her suspicions were confirmed.

    It was no wonder Carlisle seemed so startled when he saw them earlier.

    It seemed they had already confronted him before.

    She wondered why he hadn¡¯t told her about this.

    Zachary awkwardly chuckled. ¡°Look, Wanda, I just wanted them to keep an eye on you. I didn¡¯t expect

    them to go after Carlisle. J¡¯ll sort this out with them.¡±

 Chapter 107

    ¡°Zac¡­¡± Wanda hesitated before calling out.

    He felt a slight pang of nervousness. He had a gut feeling that Wanda had something to say.

    Wanda¡¯s voice was low and mncholy as she said, ¡°If you still consider me your sister, please don¡¯t

    hurt Carlisle anymore.¡±

    Zachary took a deep drag of his cigarette. He chuckled wryly and asked, ¡°Are you going to disown me if

    I keep intervening?¡±

    As he uttered those words, Zachary felt a tightening sensation in his chest.

    Their parents each had their own businesses, and their mother had returned to work just three months

    after Wanda was born.

    Zachary had watched Wanda grow up. He had been there since her bottle¨Cfeeding days and watched

    her learn to walk.

    Her first words were ¡°Zac,¡± and he had proudly told their parents about it for days.

    Every time he was picked up from school, Wanda would eagerly watch from the car window. She would

    p and cheer when she saw him.

    Their bond had only grown stronger over the years.

    In college, a friend had joked, ¡°Zac, you spoil your sister so much. When she gets married, you¡¯ll be a

    crying mess, won¡¯t you?¡±

    At that moment, Zachary had been stunned. He had never considered that scenario. In his eyes, no

    one was worthy of his sister.

    Before Wanda took her SATS, Zachary had noticed some changes in her behavior.

    She would often giggle to herself while studying. Besides, she seemed unusually happy when going to

    school, as if anticipating something exciting.

    On weekends, she would impatiently await the passing of time,

    Having experienced unrequited love himself during high school, Zachary suspected that Wanda might

    be

    in love.

    But he dared not investigate further. He feared he wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the truth.

    If possible, he would rather remain oblivious forever.

    However, his worst fears were confirmed when he found out about Wanda and Carlisle.

    It was his fianc¨¦e, Queenie Lane, who had told him.

    When he received the news, Zachary felt as if the sky had fallen on him. He had wrestled with the

    dilemma of choosing between Wanda¡¯s feelings and driving Carlisle away.

    After much deliberation, he chose thetter. But what he never expected was that his beloved sister,

    whom he had cherished since childhood, would consider cutting ties with him for Carlisle.

    Zachary sat nkly on the hotel couch. He didn¡¯t even flinch when the burning cigarette butt singed his

    fingers.

    After a moment of silence from Zachary, Wanda asked, ¡°Zac, are you okay?¡±

    She felt uneasy too- torn between her dear brother and the man she had secretly admired, for two

    years.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Zachary croaked, extinguishing the cigarette with his fingers.

    ¡°Zac, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Wanda knew she had hurt Zachary deeply.

    Guilt washed over her, and tears streamed down her face.

    Zachary smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them not to bother Carlisle anymore.¡±

    ¡°Zac, thank you!¡± Wanda choked back her tears, her voice trembling.

    After ending the call, Zachary leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.

    Carlisle received a call from Cameron before reaching the studio.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Cameron was already at the entrance of Rivend University, so Carlisle instructed the driver to turn

    back.

    After picking up Cameron, they headed back.

    Before he could say anything to Cameron, his phone rang again.

 Chapter 108

    The call came from an unfamiliar number with thest six digits ending in eights.

    Carlisle answered, and a deep voice came from the other end. ¡°Is this Carlisle from Rivend

    University?¡±

    Carlisle replied, ¡°Yes, may I ask who¡¯s calling?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Yuriel,¡± came the reply.

    ¡°Mr. Gust!¡± Carlisle eximed.

    His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the ¡°Galloping Horses¡± painting he

    held.

    This painting rightfully belonged to Yuriel, but Carlisle had bought it first. He wondered if Yuriel would

    confront him over this.

    ¡°No need to be nervous. Just treat me like anyone else.¡± Yuriel tried to sound reassuring.

    Collecting himself, Carlisle asked, ¡°Mr. Gust, what can I do for you?¡±

    Yuriel inquired, ¡°Did you purchase the ¡®Galloping Horses¡® painting from Retrovintique?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did, Carlisle replied.

    ¡®Til offer you 500 thousand dors for it. What do you say?¡± Yuriel offered a price that would be hard for

    anyone to refuse.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Without hesitation, Carlisle replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Gust, but I¡¯m not willing to sell the painting.¡±

    Yuriel¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°500 thousand dors can get you a house and a car. Think about it,¡± he

    reasoned.

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve called, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I won¡¯t sell for anything

    less

    than a four.¡±

    Since the driver was a stranger, Carlisle kept the details vague.

    Yuriel understood Carlisle¡¯s implied figure of 4 million dors. Being a billionaire, he wasn¡¯t fazed. ¡°I¡¯ll

    sweeten the deal with another 500 thousand dors, but you only have one night to decide!*

    With that, Yuriel ended the call.

    There had been rumors circting¡¯a few months ago that within a shipment of top¨Cnotch counterfeit

    paintings sold in Vintex Garden, there was an authentic masterpiece by Harold Dcruz.

    Yuriel had spent over 200 thousand tracking down the batch¡¯s distribution to various antique shops.

    Over the past three months, he had visited numerous antique shops across several cities, buying up all

    of Harold Dcruz¡¯s paintings, whether authentic or not.

    Retrovintique was hisst stop.

    The shop owner imed to have only two Harold Dcruz paintings, one of which Carlisle had just

    bought.

    This also meant Carlisle likely bought the authentic one.

    Yuriel leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigar.

    While he had no interest in antique paintings, he needednd for a construction project.

    With multiple developers eyeing the same plot,petition had turned fierce.

    The father of the official responsible for approvals had a particr fondness for Harold Dcruz¡¯s

    paintings. This ledpetitors to buy authentic works by Harold Dcruz as a bargaining chip.

    Thendline phone rang, and Yuriel picked it up.

    A deep voice on the other end said, ¡°Mr. Gust, people from Windex Corporation have also gone to

    Retrovintique!¡±

    Yuriel¡¯s face darkened instantly.

    Carlisle and Cameron were in a taxi, crossing over Laguna Bridge.

    Laguna was a river that crossed through Rivend.

    At one stretch, the river widened, resembling the belly of a python that had swallowed arge ox.

    This area was called the Riverwatch District.

    Carlisle gazed out the window into the distance.

    The Riverwatch District was about to undergo development. It would be the most development

    area in Rivend.

    Urious

    Property prices were expected to soar from the current 320 dors to 900 dors per square foot.

    After the 2008 global financial crisis, property prices across the country skyrocketed. The Riverwatch

    District experienced a second wave of growth, breaking the 2000¨Cdor mark per square foot.

    By 2014, after years of rising prices, the market began to soften. Purchase restrictions were lifted,

    leading to a surge in property acquisitions by many businessmen, pushing prices to new highs.

    Carlisle pursed his lips, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

    Riverwatch District was a golden opportunity for investment, and he was determined to seize a

    significant portion of it.

    Suddenly, Carlisle narrowed his eyes.

    He was curious as to why Yuriel had personally gone to Rainville to search for antiques.

    If he truly valued the painting, Carlisle wondered why he would sell it for a mere 3.86 million dors.E

    To an ordinary person, 3.86 million dors would be an astronomical sum. But for Yuriel, who was

    worth billions, it was merely a drop in the ocean.

 Chapter 109

    As Carlisle pondered over the situation, his phone rang again.

    The number disyed was unique, featuring four eights in the middle and four sixes at the end.

    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Carlisle answered the call.

    A soft and sweet female voice came through. ¡°Hello, did you buy a painting at Retrovintique?¡±

    Carlisle supposed she was also interested in the ¡°Galloping Horses painting,¡± so he admitted, ¡°Yes, I

    bought Harold Dcruz¡¯s ¡®Galloping Horses¡® painting.¡±

    Excitedly, the woman asked, ¡°How much are you willing to sell it for?¡±

    After a brief pause, Carlisle responded, ¡°How much are you offering?¡±

    Without hesitation, she replied, ¡°Three million dors!¡±

    Carlisle chuckled, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Gust just offered 3.2 million dors.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gust? You mean Yuriel?¡± the woman asked softly.

    Carlisle confirmed with a simple ¡°yes.¡±

    After a moment of hesitation, the woman said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you four million dors.¡±

    Carlisle was taken aback by the offer. Four million dors was a sum beyond his wildest dreams. In his

    past life, he had struggled with debts even toward the end of his days.

    After a moment, he replied, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    The woman grew anxious with Carlisle¡¯s indifferent reply. She said, ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can

    negotiate further.¡±

    Though Carlisle knew little about antiques, he sensed the painting was worth much more than 4 million

    dors from her urgent tone.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    After a pause, Carlisle said, ¡°I¡¯ll check with Mr. Gust.¡±

    The woman eximed, ¡°No, don¡¯t contact Yuriel!¡±

    In the manager¡¯s office at Windex Corporation¡¯s headquarters, a woman in her thirties dressed

    professionally looked anxious.

    On the couch sat an elegantdy in her forties, calmly tidying up a tea set.

    ¡°How dare he hang up on me? It¡¯s really getting on my nerves!¡±

    The woman in professional attire stammed her hand on the desk in frustration.

    During the call, she had it on loudspeaker the whole time..

    The elegant woman could tell from the voice on the phone that it was a young man. She chuckled softly

    and sald, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before to keep your emotions in check. By the time you panicked, he already

    had the upper hand.¡±

    She continued thoughtfully, ¡°Judging by his voice, he couldn¡¯t be older than 20 years old. I wonder

    whose

    kid he is?¡±

    Shania Warbane picked up her phone from the desk and moved to sit opposite the elegantdy on the

    sofa, saying, ¡°Lyrene, maybe it¡¯s time for you to take charge again. I don¡¯t think I can handle this

    project.¡±

    At that moment, the doorbell rang.

    The office door opened. Lethan Warbane walked in with bandaged hands and a few thorny branches

    on

    his back.

    ¡°Lethan, you¡¯re here. You¡¯ve really gone above and beyond to apologize,¡± Shania eximed.

    However, Lyrene remained focused on her tea.

    ¡°Lyrene, Shania¡­¡± Lethan lowered his head as he approached them.

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 110

    ¡°Thud¡± Lethan dropped to his knees and said, ¡°Lyrene, I promised Shein that if Quinn really cheated, I¡¯d

    come to you to apologize!¡±

    Lyrene carefully ced the freshly washed nkets on the table using a pair of tweezers and then

    poured tea from a ceramic teapot.

    ¡°Shania, make the call again. Offer six million dors to secure that painting.¡± Lyrene instructed.

    ¡°Six million dors? That¡¯s too much, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shania was taken aback. That amount was almost the

    monthly sry for all thepany employees.

    Lyrene gave Shania a brief nce. Without hesitation, Shania dialed the number again. However, the

    call went straight to voicemail.

    Shania started to fret. ¡°Oh no, could he be talking to Yuriel?¡±

    Lyrene sighed in exasperation. ¡°Evermore has a much better reputation than Windex. If he gets that

    painting. Windex will lose itspetitive edgepletely.¡±

    Meanwhile, Carlisle was indeed on the phone with Yuriel. And Yuriel had just raised the price to 8.6

    million dors.

    At the Evermore headquarters, Yuriel exhaled a puff of smoke and said, ¡°That¡¯s my final offer¡­¡±

    He had invested heavily in this painting.

    ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll send you the ount details. Once the funds are transferred, have someone contact me,¡±

    Carlisle replied.

    After ending the call, Carlisle texted his bank details to Yuriel.

    Upon receiving the text, Yuriel instructed his financial manager to transfer 8.6 million dors to

    Carlisle¡¯s ount.

    Yuriel¡¯s financial manager happened to be his wife, Jennie Helm. She said confidently, ¡°With our

    company¡¯s credentials, we could easily overshadow Windex Corporation.¡±

    Yuriel smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve been by my side for so long, but you still underestimate the intricacies of this

    game. Credentials are meaningless if they don¡¯t secure us thend. It alles down to those above

    us.¡±

    Jennie pressed her lips together/contemting. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Lyrene already distanced herself from Windex?

    Even if they acquire thatnd, it shouldn¡¯t affect you much, right?¡±

    After a brief pause, she added, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve heard that Lyrene and Shein¡¯s marriage isn¡¯t going well.

    They¡¯ve been separated for three years and only meet asionally at family gatherings.¡±

    Jennie thought Yuriel was being overly cautious.

    Yuriel lit his cigar with a flick of his lighter. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Shein. He¡¯s a master of mind games,

    and he¡¯s likely scheming to mislead me. Once Windex Corporation gains traction, that duo will take

    back control of both Windex and Islo. They¡¯ll outsmart me, putting all our businesses in jeopardy.¡±

    Jennie looked at her husband with admiration. ¡°So, how do you n to deal with them?¡±

    Yuriel took a deep drag from his cigar. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°You go ahead and make the

    transfer.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s heart raced uncontrobly as he saw 8.6 million dors transferred into his ount.

    With this amount of money in the bank, the interest alone would be able to cover the family¡¯s expenses.

    But with a second shot at life, settling for a mere 8.6 million dors felt like selling himself short.

    Plus, 8.6 million dors wouldn¡¯t even catch the Thompsons¡® attention.

    ¡°Carl, making money again?¡± Cameron chuckled from beside him.

    Carlisle calmed his restless heart and grinned. ¡°Yes, I sold that painting for 8.6 million!¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Cameron felt a pang of bitterness. Earning money was no small feat, and Carlisle seemed so easily

    pleased with just over eight million. Even the five hundred he¡¯d lent himself felt like a small fortune in

    comparison.

    Carlisle¡¯s phone rang again. It was Windex Corporation calling. Without waiting for the caller to speak,

    Carlisle said, ¡°Sorry, the painting¡¯s been sold. Please don¡¯t call again.¡±

    He hung up without hesitation. Having already offended them, he reckoned a little more rudeness

    seemned inconsequential.

    Back at Windex, Shania sat despondently on the couch, while Lyrene let out a slight sigh.

    It wasn¡¯t just Shania who had doubts, Lyrene had hesitated earlier, too. After all, several million dors

    wasn¡¯t pocket change.

    Lethan looked up in confusion. ¡°Shania, who were you talking to on the phone? That voice sounded

    familiar.¡±

    He wondered if it was Carlisle.

 Chapter 111

    Shania replied dejectedly, ¡°All I know is that he¡¯s a student at Rivend University.

    Her contacts at Retrovintique copied the surveince footage and sent the buyer¡¯s photo of Harold

    Dcruz¡¯s genuine piece to the school. However, they only provided a phone number.

    Lethan asked curiously, ¡°Why did you call him, and what did Lyrene mean by the 6 million dors?¡±

    Shania was about to speak when Lyrene shot her a warning nce.

    Lethan chuckled resigned/y

    I

    ¡°Lyrene, I know I messed up. Go ahead, give me a beating!¡±

    He had once hit Lyrene over Quinn, and she had ignored him ever since.

    Lyrene gave him a cold nce. ¡°Get up. Don¡¯te looking for me or Shania anymore.¡±

    Lethan¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°Lyrene, are you going to hate me forever?¡±

    Lyrene frowned. ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡±

    With a heavy sigh, Lethan stood up and left the office.

    Shania gently advised, ¡°Lyrene, let¡¯s leave the past behind us. As siblings, we should try to get along.¡±

    Lyrene stood up, smoothed out her dress, and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the county to look after

    Dad. Take care of yourself. Remember what I said: stay away from Lethan¡­ and trust no one but me.¡±

    With that. Lyrer

    With that, Lyrene walked away, leaving Shania staring after her in a daze.

    After a while, she sighed. ¡°Why does it have to be this way?¡±

    As Lyrene got into her BMW, she dialed Shein¡¯s number.

    Shein answered with augh, ¡°Did the sun rise from the west today? You called me!¡±

    Lyrene responded tly, ¡°We missed our chance with the vacantnd in Riverwatch District.¡±

    Shein drummed his fingers on the desk. ¡°Not even a sliver of opportunity?¡±

    Lyrene simply responded with a soft ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Shein sighed, feeling a headacheing on. ¡°I hope my intel is wrong. If Riverwatch District gets

    developed and Evermore Properties beats us to it, Yuriel will dominate the real estate sector.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Lyrene asked, ¡°When will we have confirmation?¡±

    Shein took a sip of water and whispered, ¡°The city council has a meeting set in three days. We¡¯ll likely

    get thetest updates by noon on the third day.¡±

    Without another word, Lyrene hung up the phone.

    Carlisle led Cameron into the studio and introduced him to Heath and the others.

    Heath offered Cameron a cigarette and said, ¡°Nice to meet you! We¡¯re like family from now on!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Heath, but I don¡¯t smoke,¡± Cameron politely declined and added, ¡°I¡¯m new here, so I¡¯m really.

    looking forward to learning from you.¡±

    After checking his bank ount bnce, Carlisle opened a text message from Yuriel.

    ¡°Help Cameron get settled in. I¡¯ve got some errands to run,¡± Carlisle Instructed.

    Then, he grabbed the painting and headed out to Rick¡¯s Cafe.

    Carlisle knew that Yuriel trusted him because he had the means to find him easily through his

    connections.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    He dared not entertain other thoughts as he was dealing with Rivend¡¯s wealthiest.

    Moreover, business dealings required honesty.

    Arriving at Rick¡¯s Cafe, Carlisle spotted five Mercedes parked outside.

    He walked over to find Yuriel¡¯s car. Yuriel was chatting with a rosy¨Ccheeked old man.

    Seeing Carlisle, Yuriel greeted him with a smirk, ¡°Here he is¡­¡±

    Carlisle walked over and handed the painting to Yuriel.

    Yuriel gave a wry smile. ¡°By having close to ten million when you¡¯re this young, you¡¯re way ahead of

    99% of people your age with that money.¡±

    It would be disingenuous to say Yuriel didn¡¯t regret spending 8.6 million dors on something that

    could¡¯ve been purchased for just tens of thousands.

    Carlisle modestly smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gust!¡±

    Yuriel then handed the painting to the elderly man beside him for authentication.

 Chapter 112

    The old man scrutinized the details of the painting through his magnifying ss and nodded at Yuriel.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the office!¡± Yuriel said, not even bothering to nce at Carlisle.

    As Yuriel and his men left, Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    He had finally secured the 8.6 million dors.

    He grabbed a few cups of coffee and gged down a cab by the roadside. To his surprise, Francis was

    the one behind the wheel.

    ¡°Looks like fate has brought us together again!¡± Francis chuckled.

    Carlisle handed Francis a cup of coffee and joked, ¡®Since we¡¯re so destined, why not be my

    personal driver from now on?¡±

    With the recent back and forth between the school and the studio, Carlisle thought it would be

    convenient

    to have Francis on board.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve hit the jackpot in just two hours?¡± Francis joked. From what he remembered, Carlisle had

    borrowed money from that girl just the day before, and now he was already on the hunt for a personal

    driver.

    Carlisle red at him impatiently. ¡°Are you willing to do it or not?¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you serious?¡± Francis was taken aback.

    instan

    ¡°I¡¯ve dabbled in a little business. I¡¯m constantly shuttling between school and the studio, so I need a car

    frequently,¡± Carlisle exined.

    Francis remembered Wanda mentioning Carlisle¡¯s business ventures, so he believed what Carlisle had

    just said. ¡°This is apany car, so I can¡¯t offer it. Do you have your own?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not at the moment. I¡¯m nning to buy a used car,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°Funny enough, I have a retiredrade who works as a used car intermediary,¡± Francis said.

    ¡°Take me to the bank first,¡± Carlisle instructed.

    In this era, cash was king. Most transactions were done in physical currency.

    Even bank cards weren¡¯t ubiquitous, and many still relied on passbooks.

    Opportunities for wealth were abundant in this age, especially for someone like Carlisle, who

    possessed memories of a past life..

    Even without any business experience, he was confident in building his own business empire with the

    memories of his past life.

    Carlisle first bought a backpack from a nearby mall and withdrew 300 thousand dors in cash.

    Back in the car, he gave Francis the address of the studio.

    Wanda called Carlisle to confirm their dinner ns with Lily.

    Carlisle told her to give him an hour.

    Soon after, Sean called, ¡°Carl, I¡¯ve reserved a private room at A1 Seafood Restaurant for a wee

    party for Cameron. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°No problem at all. We¡¯ve got someone new joining us too!¡± Carlisle said with a smile.

    Back at the studio, Carlisle pped his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention before he announced, ¡°Hold

    on

    a moment, everyone. Let¡¯s have a meeting.¡±

    The team gathered around the couch. Carlisle began by introducing Francis, followed by each member

    of

    the studio.

    Francis looked at Carlisle with admiration. He had initially thought Carlisle was just a con artist, but now

    he was starting to see his capabilities.

    At nearly 30 years old, Francis couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat overshadowed by this young college

    student.

    Carlisle handed out coffee to everyone. Since he had given Francis a cup earlier, he didn¡¯t take one for

    himself.

    Cameron pushed his coffee toward Carlisle, saying, ¡°Here, Carl, you have it.¡±

    Carlisle shook his head with a smile and pushed the coffee back. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of coffee.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move on. I have a few announcements to make,¡± Carlisle dered.

 Chapter 113

    Just as Carlisle was about to start the meeting, a knocking sound came from the door.

    Thendlord, Jean Windoff, opened the door and looked at the smoky room with a frown. ¡°Could you

    kids. smoke less? People outside are about to call the fire department!¡± she scolded.

    Carlisle chuckled nervously. ¡°Jean, you¡¯re just in time. Come in. I need to talk to you.¡®

    Francis couldn¡¯t help but admire Jean¡¯s slender figure as she walked in. When she nced his way, he

    blushed and looked away.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jean asked, fanning herself as she entered the room.

    Carlisle exined, ¡°You still have a few vacant units, right? I¡¯m thinking of renting them all.¡±

    Jean¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as she sat down beside Carlisle. ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled, shifting away slightly. ¡°Why would I lie?¡±

    Jean was worried about not being able to rent out those three apartments, and Carlisle¡¯s proposal

    came as a relief. ¡°But the price stays the same, okay?¡±

    Carlisle gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll pay the original price.

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Carl! I¡¯ll make sure to treat you well tonight,¡± Jean said, opening her arms wide for a

    hug.

    Carlisle quickly dodged to the side.

    Francis smirked and said, ¡°Carlisle¡¯s still young. Come to me if you need anything!¡±

    Jean nced at Francis with disdain. ¡°You must be around 30 years old, right? I don¡¯t like older men!¡±

    Francis was surprised that being 30 was considered old. He awkwardly responded, ¡°I¡¯ve never had at

    girlfriend!¡±

    Jean scoffed, ¡°Do you have a house, a car, or savings? Finding a girlfriend without those would be

    tougher than an elephant¡¯s hide!¡±

    ¡°Jean, please leave. We have a meeting to attend,¡± Carlisle interrupted.

    Jean pouted. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d spill your business secrets?¡± Despite her words, she sashayed out of the

    room.

    Carlisle continued, ¡°This is our first meeting. I¡¯ll keep it short since I have other matters to attend to.¡±

    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°Cameron is an experienced yer in The Mystical Journey. He¡¯s joining

    Team Mystical to manage it. Hank, I¡¯d like you to assist Cameron in setting up Team Mystical¡¯s gold.

    farming operations.¡±

    Carlisle looked at Cameron and Hank

    Cameron yed The Mystical Journey to earn money for his sister¡¯s medical bills. When Carlisle

    mentioned gold farming, Cameron Immediately grasped what he was implying.

    Hank chuckled and took a sip of Chardonnay. ¡°Team Legendary hasn¡¯t even started making a profit.

    Where would we get the money to set up another operation?¡±

    Carlisle ced his backpack on the table and unzipped it, revealing 300 thousand dors in

    rs in cash.

    The room fell silent immediately.

    Sean stared at Carlisle in disbelief and blurted out, ¡°Carl, did you rob a bank or something?¡±

    Ignoring Sean¡¯sment, Carlisle continued, ¡°Team Legendary will get an additional sixputers,

    while Team Mystical will get ten extras.¡±

    Carlisle took out 200 thousand dors and ced it in front of Heath.

    Heath was at a loss for words. He stuttered, ¡°Carl¡­ I¡­ You¡­¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    After all, they had only known each other for less than three days.

    Despite this short time, Carlisle entrusted him with 200 thousand dors, an amount that could cover

    the

    cost of a house.

    ¡°My principle in hiring is trust. Since I¡¯m leading this venture to make money with you all, I won¡¯t doubt

    your abilities,¡± Carlisle said.

    Carlisle then proceeded to assign new roles.

    ¡°Dragonaire Studio will be divided into four departments: Team Legendary, Team Mystical, Team

    Darklord, and Team Techno,¡± he announced.

    ¡°Owen will lead Team Legendary, with Benjamin serving as his deputy. Cameron will lead Team

    Mystical. Heath will temporarily lead Team Darklord. Hank will be the head technician of Team Techno.

    And Francis will be my personal driver.¡±

    After Carlisle finished assigning all the roles, Sean cautiously asked, ¡°What about me?¡±

    Carlisle teased, ¡°You¡¯re still in school. I won¡¯t give you any duties to prevent you from getting

    distracted.¡±

    Sean immediately protested, ¡°That won¡¯t do! If you don¡¯t give me something to do, I won¡¯t even feel like

    going to school!¡±

    Carlisle brushed off hisints and turned to Heath and the others, asking, ¡°Any more questions?¡±

    Hank inquired, ¡°How many people do we need for each department?¡±

    After some thought, Carlisle replied, ¡°One person for every sixputers. The new hires will receive a

    monthly sry of 3000 dors. Additionally, Team Techno needs to recruit more people.¡±

    ¡°Why does Team Techno need so many people? I can handle it on my own!¡± Hank eximed, taking

    another sip of Chardonnay.

    ¡°I have other ns in mind for you. For Team Techno, I¡¯m looking for top-tier talent like you who can

    handle independent application development,¡± Carlisle rified.

 Chapter 114

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this like finding a needle in a haystack?¡± Hank chuckled absentmindedly.

    In the field ofputer technology, he believed he was the best.

    ¡°Don¡¯t settle for less. Just bring over the right talent when you find them.¡±

    ¡°Sean, check around your school for top¨Cnotch talent in inte and software development. I¡¯m willing

    to offer a handsome sry for the right person,¡± Carlisle said firmly.

    In the age of digital intelligence, recruiting top talent was crucial.

    Many tech giants had emerged, andpeting with them on resources alone was impossible.

    Carlisle knew his limited resources and funds paled inparison to theirs.

    His unique advantage was his knowledge of the future, which he believed gave him an edge.

    The brief meetingsted about 40 minutes.

    After it ended, Carlisle asked Francis to drive him to Rivend University to pick up Wanda.

    Meanwhile, Heath and the others headed to A1 Seafood Restaurant on their own.

    At the entrance of Rivend University, Wanda stood on the roadside, wearing a light blue dress.

    She was eagerly checking her phone from time to time to prevent missing any messages from Carlisle.

    ¡°Wanda, are you waiting for Carlisle?¡± Sarah¡¯s voice came from behind.

    Sarah was in a stylish halter dress, her hair styled with bangs, and she wore a delicate smile on her

    face.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Wanda nodded.

    Sarah adjusted her hair and smiled coyly. ¡°What¡¯s so great about Carlisle anyway? Besides being

    handsome, he¡¯s useless. Looks can¡¯t pay the bills. There are plenty of rich kids at school. You could

    find someone better than him easily!¡±

    ich kid?¡±

    Wanda looked at Sarah in confusion. ¡°Why would I want to find a rich

    Sarah was taken aback by Wanda¡¯s response. Indeed, why would she, a rich kid herself, want to find

    another rich kid?

    This was a reality Sarah struggled to confront. Despite being superior to Wanda in most aspects, the

    only area where she fell short was her family background.

    Unlike Wanda, she didn¡¯t have a chauffeur waiting for her after school. She had to ride her bicycle

    home.

    However, this didn¡¯t bother her anymore.

    Her life was changing.

    ¡°Well, I wish you two a happily ever after!¡± Sarah sweetly smiled.

    Feeling puzzled, Wanda looked at Sarah.

    Just earlier in the cafeteria, Sarah had given her a rather hostile look. She wondered why Sarah had

    sudden change in attitude that day.

    Just then, a Porsche sped toward them and came to a halt by the roadside. The driver was a

    handsome young man around 20 years old.

    He sported sunsses, a white shirt with a few buttons undone, and his hair was slightly tousled.

    Wanda recognized him from a party she had attended with her father.

    It was Austin Gust, the only son of Yuriel.

    ¡°Sarah, get in,¡± Austin said, waving her over with a smile.

    Sarah nodded gracefully and walked toward the car.

    Wanda finally understood why Sarah¡¯s mood had brightened. She had found herself a wealthy guy.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Suddenly, a cab pulled up in front of the Porsche.

    Carlisle stepped out, saying, ¡°Wanda, let¡¯s go!¡±

    With a smile, Wanda walked toward him.

    Carlisle blocked the door frame and gently reminded her, ¡°Watch your head.¡±

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡± Sarah called out to get his attention.

    Carlisle turned to her and asked, ¡°Is there something you need?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Just saying hi to an old friend,¡± Sarah replied with a grin.

    Carlisle turned away and got into the cab.

    Inside the Porsche, Austin casually asked, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°Wanda, Carlisle, and I all went to high school in Rainville. Carlisle was quite

    persistent. He pursued me for over a year!¡±

    Chapter 115 4:

 Chapter 115

    Sarah shook her head hastily. ¡°ver even agreed to it. ver even touched a boy¡¯s hand when I was

    in

    high school!¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems like I hit the jackpot!¡± Austin¡¯s eyes sparkled with amusement. He ced his hand on

    Sarah¡¯s fair, smooth leg.

    Sarah blushed and lowered her head, feeling both shy and uneasy.

    She was happy to be with Austin, but they had just met.

    Austin¡¯s advances made her uncertain about how to respond.

    After a moment of silence, Sarah gathered her courage to grasp Austin¡¯s wrist and tremblingly said,¡±

    Austin, maybe we¡¯re moving too fast¡­

    ¡°Hmm, perhaps we are.¡± Austin withdrew his hand with a smile.

    He enjoyed it more when girls were willing and took the initiative.

    In Francis taxi, Wanda noticed Carlisle¡¯s worn¨Cout slippers and said, ¡°Carlisle, please dress a bit better

    when you go out next time!¡±

    After spending so long at the studio, he hadn¡¯t even bothered to take a shower or change his clothes.

    And he still smelled like cigarettes..

    Carlisle shifted ufortably. ¡°I¡¯ll remember next time. I promise!¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He was just too busy.

    After bidding goodbye to Wanda, he picked up Cameron, made a trade for the ¡°Galloping Horses

    painting, and attended another meeting.

    Worried that Wanda might have to wait too long, he hurried to the school right after the meeting ended.

    ¡°Why are you distancing yourself from me? Am I that intimidating?¡± Wanda pouted.

    ¡°I smell like smoke and sweat, so I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t like it!¡± Carlisle said apologetically.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± Wanda scooted closer to Carlisle.

    Carlisle grinned and took Wanda¡¯s hand, cing it in his palm.

    Wanda rested her head on Carlisle¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anyone

    causing trouble for you at school anymore. We can openly date without any worries.¡±

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow. ¡°You already know about it?¡±

    Wanda nodded. ¡®It was Zac¡¯s men. I¡¯ve already talked to him.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled and asked, ¡°What did you tell Zachary?¡±

    Carlisle wondered how Zachary, with his personality, had agreed so readily.

    Wanda pursed her lips, choosing not to answer Carlisle¡¯s question..

    Carlisle tightened his grip on Wanda¡¯s hand and leaned his face against her forehead, whispering, ¡°I¡¯ll

    prove myself to Zacl

    He supposed Wanda had threatened Zachary with something, which made Zachary agree so readily.

    It was clear that Zachary doted on Wanda. However, due to Carlisle¡¯s appearance, she seemed to be

    estranged from her family.

    Carlisle and Wanda waited for Lily at A1 Seafood Restaurant¡¯s entrance. The three of them headed to

    a private room on the second floor.

    While Wanda and Lily chatted about school, Carlisle asked, ¡°Any dietary restrictions for you two?¡±

    Both shook their heads.

    Carlisle chose a few signature dishes and started browsing the Rivend forum on his phone.

    Twitter was established in 2006, while Facebook came in 2004.

    Forum websites were the primary tforms forizens tomunicate.

    Particrly, tforms like Widetalk Community were hubs for talented individuals.

    Many

    regions had also established their own forum websites, such as the Rivend forum, where arge

    number of Rivend residents congregated

    When Carlisle first arrived in Rivend, he registered an ount on the forum.

    Upon entering the forum, he immediately posted a thread seeking to purchase property in the

    Riverwatch District. He specified that all documents must beplete and even attached his contact

    number.

 Chapter 116

    After posting his thread, Carlisle began browsing through other users¡® posts on the forum.

    He stumbled upon a pinned thread seeking a yer named Bygones_b_bygones from The Legendary

    Tale. The contact person listed was Chaos_Hero, along with a provided contact number.

    Carlisle nced at Wanda, realizing that Chaos Hero was her brother, Zachary

    The anger he had umted from the punch Zachary had thrown seemed to dissipate a bit.

    If Zachary found out that the person who kidnapped his sister was the one who ruined his Heavenly

    Sword, Carlisle wondered how he would react. But for now, it was best not to provoke him.

    As Carlisle remained engrossed in his phone, Lily leaned in to whisper to Wanda, ¡°Are you guys

    together

    now?¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Wanda blushed slightly and said, ¡°Well, sort of.¡±

    Lily chuckled. ¡°What do you mean ¡®sort of¡°?¡±

    Wanda lowered her voice and exined, ¡°We haven¡¯t really confessed to each other yet¡­¡±

    *So, you¡¯re just missing a formal deration? Lily grinned. Then she frowned and said, ¡°Wait a minute.

    Carlisle seemed quite particr about these things. He even sent roses to Sarah at school previously.¡±

    ¡°Oh, when was that? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Wanda¡¯s smile faded as she felt a pang of jealousy.

    Realizing she had upset Wanda, Lily quickly corrected herself. ¡°I was just kidding. There¡¯s nothing to it!¡±

    h you

    Wanda tugged at Lily¡¯s dress and threatened her. ¡°You better tell me, or I won¡¯t be friends with

    anymore!¡±

    Caught in an awkward situation, Lily nced at Carlisle for help,

    Despite sitting across the table, Carlisle could still hear their conversation.

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°Last Valentine¡¯s Day, I got a rose for Sarah and waited under her dorm in the

    rain for two hours. Yet, she didn¡¯t even give it a second nce!¡±

    ¡°Serves you right!¡± Wanda turned her head away in a huff.

    Last Valentine¡¯s Day was on a weekend. Zachary and Queenie had a fight, and she was at home

    helping Zachary figure out how to make up with Queenie.

    ¡°Wanda, that was just a silly thing fromst year. You don¡¯t need to be jealous,¡± Carlisle said, shaking

    his head with a wry smile.

    Wanda huffed, then she turned her head to Lily and asked, ¡°So, what major did you choose?¡±

    ¡°I chose ounting.¡± Lily said.

    While the two chatted, Carlisle poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip.

    Earlier, Lily had mentioned the importance of formalities.

    Carlisle hadn¡¯t directly confessed his feelings to Wanda because he wanted to give her a romantic

    confession.

    But before that, he needed to make some achievements in his business. He wanted to give Wanda a

    sense of security.

    The waiter served the dishes.

    Carlisle wore disposable gloves and peeled some shrimp for Wanda. He pushed them toward Wanda,

    saying. ¡°Wanda, have some shrimp. They¡¯re good for you!¡±

    Looking at Carlisle¡¯s smiling face, Wanda turned her head away. ¡°I have hands, you know¡­¡±

    At this moment, Lily chimed in, ¡°Wanda, if you don¡¯t want them, let me take them!¡±

    ¡°No, he peeled them for me!¡± Wanda immediately pulled the small te of shrimp toward her.

    Lily let out a sigh. ¡°You two are so lovey¨Cdovey. I feel like a third wheel here. It¡¯s really awkward for

    me!¡±

    Wanda chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t you have male ssmates in college? You should find someone too!¡±

    ¡°L¡­¡± Lily lowered her head, a blush spreading across her face.

    ¡°You little liar. You must have a boyfriend already, right?¡± Wanda teased.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t!¡± Lily quickly shook her head.

    ¡°Is it Sean?¡± Carlisle asked with a smirk. He had previously set them up, but he wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d

    taken the hint and pursued it.

    ¡°We just had smoothies together!¡± Lily replied.

    ¡°Just let things develop naturally. Sean¡¯s a good guy. Oh, speaking of which, Sean¡¯s also at A1 Seafood

    Restaurant. Let me call him over,¡± Carlisle said as he picked up his phone to dial Sean¡¯s number.

    Just as he picked up his phone, he received a call from Sean.

    Carlisle answered, ¡°Sean, I was just about to call you. I¡¯m with-¡±

    Before he could finish, Sean¡¯s urgent voice came through the phone. ¡°Carl, we¡¯ve got trouble with

    someone. Hurry up ande he

 Chapter 117

    The sounds of a fight as well as expletives flying everywhere came from the other end of the line.

    Carlisle said, ¡°Wanda, Lily, I need to head out to deal with something. Stay in here and don¡¯t go

    anywhere!¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He hung up and strode out. Two groups of people were caught in a tussle in the second¨Cfloor corridor.

    Heath swung a chair leg around wildly like he was brandishing a sword. His moves were strong and

    precise.

    Meanwhile, Benjamin, who looked honest and down¨Cto¨Cearth, was surprisingly good in a fight. He was

    holding a man by the neck and kneeing him in the abdomen hard. The man¡¯s eyes were already rolling

    to

    the back of his head.

    Sean and Owen were younger, so they were receiving more blows than they were dealing.

    ¡°Stop fighting! Stop!¡± Francis was trying his best to ¡°stop¡± the fight. As he spoke, he locked a burly man

    in

    his arms, keeping him in ce so he couldn¡¯t move

    Meanwhile, Hank charged forward to smash a beer bottle on the man¡¯s head. As it shattered, blood

    trickled down the man¡¯s forehead,

    Just then, three young men ran at Francis with beer bottles in their hands. Francis¡® gaze flickered as he

    spun around to fling the man at them, making them fall to the floor as he crashed into them.

    Then, another group of men charged out of a nearby private room. They held beer bottles that had yet

    to

    be opened. Mike was in the lead. He brandished a beer bottle and roared at Heath, ¡°Do you want

    everyone

    in our circle to turn their backs on you, Heath?¡±

    Heath turned to spit out a mouthful of blood on the floor. Then, he bared his teeth in a feral smile and

    snarled, ¡°Come on, then. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gotten serious in a fight. I¡¯ll have some fun with

    you

    guys today!¡±

    Mike seemed to be a little wary of Heath. There was even a hint of fear in his eyes. But he didn¡¯t want

    to embarrass himself in front of hisckeys, so he said, ¡°Are you itching for a beating because my

    brother hasn¡¯t given you one in a while?¡±

    Heath gave him and his men a scornful look. ¡°You guys were still wetting yourselves in bed when I

    started running in these circles. And don¡¯t think you can scare me by throwingn¡¯s name around¨Che¡¯s

    nothing without those rich people backing him up!¡±

    Just then, Carlisle came downstairs with a rusty chair leg. When he saw they were up against Mike and

    his men, he frowned slightly. Heath had told him aboutn being Mike¡¯s brother and the top dog in this

    area. It would probably be more trouble than it was worth to get on Mike¡¯s andn¡¯s bad sides.

    After some thought, he chucked the chair leg aside and hurried over to them. ¡°What¡¯s happened here.

    Heath?¡±

    Heath retrieved the cigarette he¡¯d tucked behind his ear and lit it. He took a drag before saying, ¡°Some

    of the brats in the private room next to us got drunk and came to us to kick up a fuss.

    Chapte 117

    Carlisle nodded and looked at Mike with a smile. ¡°Since your men are the ones in the wrong, Mike, how

    about we let this slide? I¡¯ll handle tonight¡¯s bill.¡±

    Heath frowned but didn¡¯t say anything. He knew Carlisle had to consider his business.

    Owen went to them and eximed, ¡°Have you lost your mind, Carl? They¡¯re the ones who came

    causing trouble¨Cwhy do you need to foot their bill?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t that an indirect apology and admission of fault? He couldn¡¯t stand for it.

    Sean limped over to them. His eyes were red as he asked, ¡°When did you be such a coward,

    Carlisle?

    Back in their high school days, Carlisle had gotten into more fights than he had. When any of their

    ssmates had been bullied, he¡¯d always been the first to throw a punch.

    Yet now, Carlisle wasn¡¯t standing up for his friends despite the beating they¡¯d taken. What was worse,

    he was offering to pay for Mike and his men¡¯s expenses!

    It was so fucking frustrating!

    Hank tucked his hands into his pockets. Some ss had shed his arm, and his long hair covered

    half his face, making it hard to read him.

    Meanwhile, Francis crossed his arms. He didn¡¯t think Carlisle was wrong for doing this. Mike had safety

    in numbers. If they were to continue with this fight, their side would be the one to lose.

    The fact that Carlisle had chosen to settle the matter in this manner proved he was mature on the

    inside.

 Chapter 118

    Carlisle ignored how the rest of the people felt about the situation. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off Mike as

    he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    After a moment of hesitation, Mike said, ¡°I want 8000 dors to pay for my medical bill!¡±

    ¡°Fucking-¡°Sean and Owen almost exploded with rage. Mike¡¯s men hadn¡¯t been the only ones who got

    injured.

    Benjamin stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll be beyond disappointed in you if you agree to that, Carl.¡±

    Heath always told him that one could be broke, but one couldn¡¯t be undignified. Even when they¡¯d been

    at their worst, they¡¯d chosen to sleep under bridges and starve than to beg for food or money.

    Carlisle looked at Heath. ¡°Do you have the money?¡±

    Instead of saying anything, Heath looked at Cameron, who was hiding in the private room. He was

    carrying the bag that carried the money.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle went inside and took 8000 dors out of it. He handed the money to Mike and said, ¡°Here¡¯s the

    money for your hospital bill.¡±

    Mike smirked. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not that dumb. Here¡¯s a reminder¨Cyou¡¯d better stay away from these

    fuckers in the future. I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I¡¯ll let you off easily!*

    He waved a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s continue drinking!¡±

    He and his men returned to their private room, as did Heath and the others. Sean didn¡¯t join them,

    though. He roared at Carlisle, ¡°This is the end of our friendship, Carlislel

    With that, he limped off. Benjamin sighed as well. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this

    anymore,

    either.¡±

    Owen didn¡¯t say anything, but he silently followed Benjamin away. Francis shook his head and smiled

    bitterly. ¡°These youngsters really can¡¯t keep their tempers in check.¡±

    Hank opened a bottle of whiskey and poured it onto his wound. The veins on his neck bulged from the -

    pain, but he didn¡¯t make a sound. Francis watched him, thinking that he was ruthless despite his

    appearance. He was ruthless to himself more than he was to others.

    Heath finished his cigarette and lit another one. Carlisle took the whiskey Hank had ced on the table

    and took a swig. The liquor burned on its way down his throat, helping to suppress his anger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep whatever happened today in mind for now. Within a month, I¡¯ll driven and Mike Carlson

    out of Rivend!¡± His tone was calm, but his eyes flickered with ruthlessness.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t feel great, seeing that his friends had been beaten up. But he¡¯d just started his business,

    so he had to hold himself back whenever necessary.

    Heath stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°This area used to be under Horace Lancaster¡¯s care. I worked for him

    for more than a decade. Later,n suddenly showed up out of nowhere with more than ten million

    dors. He bought out some of the ces here and went after Horace¡¯s businesses.

    ¡°When things went bad for Horace,n even bought out some of his most loyal supporters. Then,n

    got someone to get rid of Horace¡¯s wife. He couldn¡¯t handle it and jumped off a building.¡±

    Francis stuffed a piece of salmon into his mouth. ¡°You know, I would¡¯ve thought the battle over territory

    would¡¯ve involved more physical brawls.¡±

    ¡°That might¡¯ve been the case a decade ago. At the time, two or three hundred of us would get into

    fights at one go. But in recent years,w enforcement has been getting stricter in these parts. It¡¯s rare

    to see arge¨Cscale brawl nowadays,¡± Hank said as he leaned back casually.

    ¡°You guys are younger than me, yet you¡¯ve seen so much more than I have.¡± Francis chuckled.

    ¡°You used to be in the army, right? It¡¯s normal that you wouldn¡¯t know about these things.¡± Hank smiled

    faintly..

    Just then, Carlisle¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from a number he didn¡¯t recognize. The person on the

    other end asked politely, ¡°Hi, am I speaking to Half_a_Cig?¡±

    Half_a_Cig was Carlisle¡¯s online username. He said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡±

    The person sounded excited as he said, ¡°I¡¯m Sunny Little, a realtor from Premier Properties. I saw your.

    post on the Rivend forum that you¡¯re interested in purchasing some property at the Riverwatch

    District. I happen to have some listings there.¡±

 Chapter 119

    ¡°How many units do you have?¡± Carlisle asked.

    ¡°Six, and they¡¯re all overlooking the river. They should be pretty easy to rent out once you¡¯ve

    refurbished them a little!¡± Sunny answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at 6:00 pm tomorrow, then.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be waiting for your phone call!¡±

    Carlisle was delighted after hanging up. In three days, the news that Riverwatch District would

    undergo. development would start to spread among the upper crust. There was also one important

    factor that led. to his decision¨CRivend¡¯s first subway station would be in Riverwatch District.

    Once the wealthy heard about this, they would fall over themselves to purchase property at Riverwatch

    District, and the prices would skyrocket overnight.

    Six units were far too small a number. Carlisle¡¯s n was to invest all eight million dors he had in the

    area. In three days time, it would probably increase by three to five times.

    After having some drinks with Heath and the others, Carlisle got up to head back to the third floor so he

    could apany Wanda. He said to Heath, ¡°Remember to talk to Benjamin and Owen. Tell them we¡¯ll

    settle the score starting next month.¡±

    Heath nodded with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re still young. I hope you won¡¯t be too harsh on them.¡±

    Carlisle smiled and left. Hank downed his liquor, then asked Heath, ¡°Do you believe the things he

    said?¡±

    Heath shook his head. ¡°Not really.¡±

    Cameron looked resolute, though. ¡°I have faith in Carl.¡±

    The three of them turned to look at Francis. He asked, ¡°So what if we don¡¯t believe him? Can you guys

    taken down?¡±

    Heughed mirthlessly. In truth, he didn¡¯t have much faith in Carlisle, either. If thetter were around

    his age, he would probably be less wary. But Carlisle was much younger. Francis didn¡¯t think he was

    capable of taking downn¡¯s financial backer.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    The only thing about Carlisle that could make Francis have some semnce of faith in him was how he

    was more mature than the people his age.

    Heath and Hank lowered their heads and sighed deeply.

    Carlisle returned to the private room on the third floor to apany Wanda. After they were fed and

    watered, he went to the front desk to settle the bill. His bill was slightly over 300 dors, but Mike and

    his men had spent 12 thousand dors.

    It pissed him off. They must¡¯ve ordered several bottles of good liquor.

    off to

    Wanda had already seen Lily a cab. When she saw Carlislee out, she said, ¡°How much was the

    bill? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±

    She was the one who¡¯d wanted to treat Lily to a meal, so she didn¡¯t feel good having Carlisle foot the

    bill. There was also the fact that Carlisle was starting his own business¨Che had to be short on cash.

    Why else would he have borrowed money from her?

    He tucked his hands in his pockets and said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me.

    We¡¯re all ssmates. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong for me to treat her to a meal.¡±

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. I have to pay for this!¡± Wanda stubbornly pulled out some 100¨Cdor bills from her

    purse

    Carlisle was bemused. ¡°That really isn¡¯t necessary.¡±

    She red at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t take the money, I won¡¯t bring you along to any more of my gatherings!¡±

    He relented and tugged two notes from the stack Wanda held. ¡°Let¡¯s split the bill, then. The meal cost

    360

    dors¨Cyou can pa

    I 200 dors while I pay the remainder.¡±

    She stuffed all the money she held into his hands. ¡°Take it all!¡±

    ¡°Wait-¡± Carlisle wanted to return the money to Wanda, but she¡¯d already run off.

    He didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He tucked the money into his pocket and ran after her. ¡°That

    wasn¡¯t fair, Wanda! You make me feel like I¡¯m leeching off you!¡±

    ¡°Well, you should! Isn¡¯t it nice?¡± She stopped and turned to grin at him.

    He caught up with her and grabbed the back of her neck. ¡°Go ahead and run. Why did you stop?¡±

    he was lil. ¡°Let me go!¡± Wanda shrunk away from him as she yelped. a kitten whose mother had caught

    it by the neck. She swiped at his waist.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tickle me!¡± Carlisle had always been ticklish. He hurriedly released her to avoid her attacks.

    Once she was free, she tried to tickle him with both hands, making him flee. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare run from

    me,

    Carlisle!¡±

    This time, Wanda was the one who did the chasing. They ran to the grass near the square. Carlisle

    abruptly stopped and turned around with his arms wide open. He waited for Wanda to run right into

    them.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Wanda didn¡¯t manage to stop in time and crashed into him.

    He wrapped his arms around her and teased, ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of me, Wanda?¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Wanda blushed furiously, her voice barely above a whisper.

 Chapter 120

    That wasn¡¯t right. Carlisle was the one taking advantage of Wanda!

    She puffed out her cheeks and looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who purposely stopped¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence. The way Carlisle stared intently at her made her stop. Under the dim

    lights, the moonlight cast on her face through the tree branches. Her red lips gleamed delectably.

    Carlisle gulped, unable to stop himself from leaning down to kiss her. Wanda widened her eyes in

    surprise

    as her heart raced.

    She wondered if Carlisle was going to kiss her. This was her first kiss! Should she reject him? She

    thought that she couldn¡¯t let this happen. He¡¯d yet to confess his feelings to her, so she wasn¡¯t his

    girlfriend yet!

    But¡­ if she were to turn him down, wouldn¡¯t she be just like Sarah?

    After a round of mental struggling, Wanda slowly lifted her head and shut her eyes tightly. She was

    going to throw caution to the wind. This would be Carlisle¡¯s first kiss, too¨Cshe wasn¡¯t losing out on

    anything!

    Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the square nearby. It made Wanda jump in surprise and turn to

    look at the square.

    There was a crowd at the square, and fireworks were being set. They exploded in the night sky in a

    flurry of colors, lighting it up momentarily.

    ¡°Wow, they¡¯re gorgeous¡­¡± Wanda¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly.¡±

    Carlisle sat there and asked her softly, ¡°You don¡¯t get the chance to see fireworks often?¡±

    ¡°I spend the holidays at the county, and they don¡¯t allow fireworks there.¡±

    ¡°Do you like them?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I love the moment when they explode and light up the sky. The sight of them in that split second

    is so memorable.¡± Wanda looked up at the sky, looking dreamy.

    The colorful fireworks, the twinkling stars, and the fact that she could witness all of this with the person

    she liked¡­ It was wonderful.

    Carlisley on the grass with his hands behind his back. He crossed one leg at the knee and wiggled

    his toes as he looked up at the sky with his eyes half¨Cshut.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°Kiss her! Kiss her!¡±

    The crowd at the square started cheering and whooping. A couple hugged each other and shared a

    kiss.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight. ¡°Look, Carlisle! That¡¯s so romantic!¡±

    He askedzily, ¡°Is that a hint for me?¡±

    ¡°What? No, of course not! Don¡¯t overthink this!¡± Wanda shook her head vigorously.

    Carlisle smiled without saying anything else. He already had It nned out¨Con the day he confessed

    his feelings for Wanda, he would light enough fireworks to make Rivend¡¯s sky light up like it was

    daytime.

    They strolled around the square for a while before taking a cab back to campus. Carlisle walked

    Wanda back to her dorm before returning to his.

    Kelvin was ying a game on his phone as he

    ay on his front. When he saw Carlisle walk in, he mocked,¡± You thought you were a big shot back in

    high school, didn¡¯t you? Why¡¯d you back down like a coward today?¡±

    Carlisle gathered his clothes and said, ¡°You were a pretty big shot in high school, too. Why are your

    someone¡¯spdog now?¡±

    ¡°Fuck! Say that again!¡± Kelvin jumped out of bed, looking like he would swing a punch at any second.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t be bothered. He turned to leave with his shower necessities. Kelvin stood in his way

    and said obnoxiously, ¡°You¡¯d better watch yourself when you¡¯re talking to me. You couldn¡¯t afford to

    offend me in Rainville, and you can¡¯t afford to do it now!¡±

    Carlisle looked at him. Kelvin was half a head shorter than him and was as skinny as a stick. Then, he

    sidestepped Kelvin to leave. If he was still the same person he¡¯d been before being reborn, Kelvin

    would already be lying on the floor and screaming for mercy.

    Now that Carlisle had been given a second chance at life, his mindset had changed drastically. He

    would take Kelvin¡¯s insults in stride and pretend they were nothing but ant bites.

    After taking a shower, he returned to his room andy on the bed. Then, he called Thomas to wish him

    a happy birthday.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 120 That wasn¡¯t right. Carlisle was the one taking advantage of Wanda! She puffed out her

    cheeks and looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who purposely stopped¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence.

    The way Carlisle stared intently at her made her stop. Under the dim lights, the moonlight cast on her

    face through the tree branches. Her red lips gleamed delectably. Carlisle gulped, unable to stop himself

    from leaning down to kiss her. Wanda widened her eyes in surprise as her heart raced. She wondered

    if Carlisle was going to kiss her. This was her first kiss! Should she reject him? She thought that she

    couldn¡¯t let this happen. He¡¯d yet to confess his feelings to her, so she wasn¡¯t his girlfriend yet! But¡­ if

    she were to turn him down, wouldn¡¯t she be just like Sarah? After a round of mental struggling, Wanda

    slowly lifted her head and shut her eyes tightly. She was going to throw caution to the wind. This would

    be Carlisle¡¯s first kiss, too¨Cshe wasn¡¯t losing out on anything! Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the

    square nearby. It made Wanda jump in surprise and turn to look at the square. There was a crowd at

    the square, and fireworks were being set. They exploded in the night sky in a flurry of colors, lighting it

    up momentarily. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re gorgeous¡­¡± Wanda¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly.¡± Carlisle sat there and

    asked her softly, ¡°You don¡¯t get the chance to see fireworks often?¡± ¡°I spend the holidays at the county,

    and they don¡¯t allow fireworks there.¡± ¡°Do you like them?¡± ¡°Yeah! I love the moment when they explode

    and light up the sky. The sight of them in that split second is so memorable.¡± Wanda looked up at the

    sky, looking dreamy. The colorful fireworks, the twinkling stars, and the fact that she could witness all of

    this with the person she liked¡­ It was wonderful. Carlisley on the grass with his hands behind his

    back. He crossed one leg at the knee and wiggled his toes as he looked up at the sky with his eyes

    half¨Cshut. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Kiss her! Kiss her!¡± The crowd at the square started cheering and whooping. A

    couple hugged each other and shared a kiss. Wanda¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight. ¡°Look, Carlisle! That¡¯s so

    romantic!¡± He askedzily, ¡°Is that a hint for me?¡± Chapter 120 ¡°What? No, of course not! Don¡¯t

    overthink this!¡± Wanda shook her head vigorously. Carlisle smiled without saying anything else. He

    already had It nned out¨Con the day he confessed his feelings for Wanda, he would light enough

    fireworks to make Rivend¡¯s sky light up like it was daytime. They strolled around the square for a

    while before taking a cab back to campus. Carlisle walked Wanda back to her dorm before returning toBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    his. Kelvin was ying a game on his phone as he ay on his front. When he saw Carlisle walk in, he

    mocked,¡± You thought you were a big shot back in high school, didn¡¯t you? Why¡¯d you back down like a

    coward today?¡± Carlisle gathered his clothes and said, ¡°You were a pretty big shot in high school, too.

    Why are your someone¡¯spdog now?¡± ¡°Fuck! Say that again!¡± Kelvin jumped out of bed, looking like

    he would swing a punch at any second. Carlisle couldn¡¯t be bothered. He turned to leave with his

    shower necessities. Kelvin stood in his way and said obnoxiously, ¡°You¡¯d better watch yourself when

    you¡¯re talking to me. You couldn¡¯t afford to offend me in Rainville, and you can¡¯t afford to do it now!¡±

    Carlisle looked at him. Kelvin was half a head shorter than him and was as skinny as a stick. Then, he

    sidestepped Kelvin to leave. If he was still the same person he¡¯d been before being reborn, Kelvin

    would already be lying on the floor and screaming for mercy. Now that Carlisle had been given a

    second chance at life, his mindset had changed drastically. He would take Kelvin¡¯s insults in stride and

    pretend they were nothing but ant bites. After taking a shower, he returned to his room andy on the

    bed. Then, he called Thomas to wish him a happy birthday. Chapter 121

 Chapter 122

    The male students were equally enamored. They whispered among themselves.

    ¡®Man, she¡¯s so ssyl

    ¡°I just thought of something to describe her¡­ What was it again?¡±

    ¡°That she¡¯s a goddess and you want her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a truedy?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Lowe¡¯s always been so goddess¨Clike. I¡¯ve decided to focus on my education from now on. That

    way, I¡¯ll be able to marry her in the future¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right. Look at how ugly you are. Do you think you¡¯re worthy of her?¡±

    ¡°Fuck you. Don¡¯t go anywhere after ss¨Cfight me!¡±

    Meanwhile, Wanda prodded Carlisle¡¯s elbow and asked, ¡°Do you like Ms. Lowe¡¯s dress?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off Susan since she¡¯d entered the room. Carlisle grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not half bad!¡±

    Susan¡¯s style wouldn¡¯t be considered old¨Cfashioned even after more than a decade from now.

    Wanda blinked. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d look good in a dress like that?¡±

    Carlisle imagined what she would look like in that dress. Wanda was about five feet and five inches,

    and she was slender. There was a sort ofdylike air about her¨CSusan¡¯s dress, coupled with the sense

    of innocence Wanda exuded, would be a great idea.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous, Wanda. You¡¯d look good in anything!¡± Carlisle chuckled.

    If he really had to choose something that would look good on Wanda, he thought she¡¯d look best in

    princess¨Clike, pouffy dresses. She¡¯d look amazing with her hair tied in two pigtails.

    It was too bad there weren¡¯t any such outfits in the country at this point. People would only start

    producing them sometime in the future.

    ?

    Still, Carlisle supposed he could kick start the process a little earlier once he had some extra money..

    ¡°Silence, everyone!¡± Susan rapped the table lightly, and everyone fell silent. She continued, ¡°You¡¯re all

    going to go through military training for the next half a month to improve your health and stamina. This

    is your trainer, Lawrence Hanson.¡±

    She turned to Lawrence. ¡°I¡¯ll leave them to you, Mr. Hanson.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Lawrence smiled.

    Susan gave the students a meaningful look before leaving the ssroom. As soon as she left,

    everyone seemed to lose interest in the remainder of the ss. They slumped in their seats.

    ¡°Sit up straight!¡± Lawrence mmed the table, shooting a sharp gaze over the ss. It scared the

    students and made them sit up straight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re like in other sses, but when I¡¯m running things, I want all of you to do as I

    say. He put his hands behind his back and slowly walked down the aisle. His face was devoid of

    emotion, but he exuded an air of oppression. None of the students dared to breathe loudly, let alone

    speak.

    ¡°First, let me introduce myself. My name is Lawrence Hanson, and I¡¯m a retired soldier. I¡¯ve also been

    selected as Rivend University¡¯s best trainer for seven years in a row! Oh, and I have a nickname¨CBig

    L.¡±

    Some of the students couldn¡¯t stop themselves fromughing. Lawrence joined them, baring his teeth

    in a wide grin. His skin was tanned, so his teeth seemed to gleam. The students who had been holding

    back theirughter couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They burst intoughter.

    Wanda was the only one who looked worried. She mumbled, ¡°So, he¡¯s Big L¡­ We¡¯re in for some harsh

    training!¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Carlisle asked.

    ¡°Queenie¡¯s mentioned him to me before. He¡¯s supposed to be some monstrous trainer. All the

    freshmen he¡¯s trainede out on the other side looking worse for the wear!¡± She sighed.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡± Carlisle¡¯s eye twitched ominously. He was already starting to imagine how

    horrible the training would be.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see!¡±

    Lawrence held up a fist, and the students instantly fell silent. He said calmly, ¡°We have a long path

    ahead

    of us. Firstly, I¡¯m going to tell you a bit about my life as a soldier. Then, I¡¯ll brief you on our training n.

    I hope we¡¯ll be able to get along well for the next two weeks!¡±

 Chapter 123

    Lawrence quickly went over his life as a soldier from recruitment to retirement. At the same time, he

    gave the students some lessons in patriotism. Then, he briefed them on the training schedule. They

    would train from 7:30 am to 11:30 am and then from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

    At the end of the training, there would be a bonfire party.

    Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of ss. Lawrence said, ¡°Training starts tomorrow. Since it¡¯s

    your first day tomorrow, I hope to see all of you present half an hour earlier than scheduled. Gather at

    the field at 7:00 am sharp. Do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The students didn¡¯t look too happy at having to gather a whole hour earlier than the time their

    sses usually started.

    ¡°Are you guys starving or something? Louder!¡® Lawrence barked.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the students shouted.

    ¡°Good, Dismissed!¡± He strode out of the ss with his hands behind his back.

    ¡°Ugh. I hate military training!¡± Phoebe slumped on her table, putting her jaw on top of it. She looked

    glum.

    Wanda pouted..¡°Me, too. The sun¡¯s been shining so brightlytely¨CI know I¡¯m gonna get a sunburn

    after the training!¡±

    They¡¯d already been through military training during high school. Though her family had treated her like

    a princess when growing up, she wasn¡¯t the coy type and had neverined no matter how tough

    things got. She was actually fine with getting sunburnt.

    Now, however, she was a little worried. She wasn¡¯t particrly pretty, and the only thing that made her

    stand out amongst the prettiest students on campus was her fair skin. If she were to lose that

    advantage, would Carlisle be disdainful of her?

    The thought of that made Wanda¡¯s eyes turn a little red. She pinched Carlisle¡¯s arm and said with

    grievance, ¡°You can¡¯t scorn me, Carlisle¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why would I do that?¡± He grabbed her hand and yed with it.

    She pulled it back like she¡¯d been zapped. Then, afraid he would take it the wrong way, she exined

    in at soft voice, ¡°We¡¯re still in ss!¡±

    Carlisle rubbed his nose and smiled. ¡°Answer me, then. Why would I scorn you?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ even if I get a sunburn from the military training, you can¡¯t get mad at me!¡± she mumbled as

    she

    lowered her head.

    Carlisle was happy to see how cautious she was. He said tenderly, ¡®I¡¯ll never be disappointed or mad at

    you, silly.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    His tenderness got Wanda right in the heart. Tears filled her eyes, but they were tears of happiness.

    They overwhelmed her. In truth, she was easily satisfied¨Ceven a simple promise or a small expression

    of love

    DE

    was enough to make her happy.

    ¡°God, could you two stop being so sweet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. Enough!¡±

    Behind them, Phoebe¡¯s deskmate, Tim Weal, couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He gave them both reproachful

    looks.

    Wanda blushed and slumped on her desk, no longer daring to look at Carlisle..

    The next few sses were for them to self¨Cstudy. Most of the students didn¡¯t have cell phones, so they

    focused on their studies.

    Soon, it was noon. Wanda wanted to have lunch with Carlisle, but Queenie called her when ss was

    almost over and invited her out.

    Queenie was Wanda¡¯s future sister¨Cinw, so she agreed to eat with her so they could get to know

    each

    other better.

    Carlisle headed to the cafeteria alone. He¡¯d just taken his seat after getting his food when Gordon

    called him. ¡°Hey, Dad.¡±

    Gordon asked grimly, ¡°Are you dating a youngdy named Wanda Thompson?¡±

    Carlisle stopped eating. He frowned and asked in return, ¡°Did someone say anything to you?¡±

 Chapter 124

    Ïú

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, I just think you should focus on your education since you¡¯re still young. It won¡¯t be toote for you

    to start dating after you graduate!¡± Gordon advised seriously.

    Carlisle could tell his father was hiding something from him. He quickly guessed that Zachary had

    pressured his parents.

    Gordon sighed and continued, ¡°Besides, I heard that the youngdyes from a good family. Our

    family is no match for theirs, so you should break up with her. Don¡¯t distract her from her studies!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I know what to do.¡± Carlisle tightened his grip on his cutlery. All he wanted to do was have a

    simple rtionship with the woman he loved. He wondered why things had to be so hard.

    Gordon sighed again before hanging up. Carlisle lost his appetite. He took a few more bites of his food

    before calling Sunny.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Cig. I¡¯m in the middle of a meeting!¡± Sunny whispered. He wouldn¡¯t have

    answered the call if it were any other client, but Carlisle was important. If he sessfully closed this

    deal, themission would be enough to put food on his table for quite some time!

    ¡°Prepare the contract. I¡¯ll head over there to sign it right now.¡± Carlisle hung up immediately after saying

    that.

    Sunny almost jumped with excitement when he heard Carlisle¡¯s words. He¡¯d earn just over 4000 dors

    inmission for each unit, which meant he¡¯d get a total of 24 thousand dors from selling these six

    units. It was equivalent to the amount a regr individual would earn in two years!

    The manager, Bill Dawson, flung a magazine at him and barked, ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you guys that you¡¯re

    not allowed to take calls during meetings?¡±

    ¡°That was a big client, Mr. Dawson¡­¡± Sunny had graduated from university a year ago. He¡¯d

    interviewed for jobs atpanies that fit his major, but he¡¯d felt like there wasn¡¯t much of a future

    working for them.

    To train and upskill himself, he¡¯d gotten a job as a realtor. This was his second year in sales¨Che wasn¡¯t

    the best at sales and had almost gotten fired a few times. Now that he¡¯d stumbled upon this rare

    opportunity, he had to give it his best!

    ¡°A big client? How big?¡± Bill¡¯s eyes gleamed slyly.

    When Sunny saw that he seemed to be appeased, he said, ¡°This client wants to buy all our listings at

    Riverwatch District. We have six in total now.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Bill looked wary. Many people had moved out of Riverwatch District, and there weren¡¯t

    anymercial businesses there to improve the economy. Why would anyone be silly enough to

    purchase property there?

    ¡°Positive! He¡¯s already on his way here to sign the contract!¡± Despite his words, Sunny¡¯s eyes darted

    around. He wasn¡¯t actually too confident.

    Sunny thought Carlisle had sounded young over the phone and probably wasn¡¯t over 20. He doubted if

    Carlisle was capable of purchasing all six units in one go.

    ¡°You¡¯re still too young, Sunny. You have no idea how cruel society can be sometimes. I¡¯m almost

    positive you¡¯ve been tricked this time around!¡± Bill took a sip of his water. He continued, ¡°Since you

    haven¡¯t brought in any sales for the past five months, thepany¡¯s decided to fire you.

    The first half of Bill¡¯s sentence had moved Sunny¨Che thought Bill was teaching him a life lesson. Then,

    he widened his eyes in shock at thetter half. ¡°Y¨CYou¡¯re firing me, Mr. Dawson?¡±

    The property at Riverwatch District had never been easy to sell, and their branch focused on selling

    secondhand properties. Hadn¡¯t his colleagues also gone without sales over the past half a year?

    Bill pulled out a bunch of 100¨Cdor bills from his briefcase. ¡°Here¡¯s 2000 dors. It¡¯s enough to cover

    five

    months of your basic pay!¡±

    *Mr. Dawson¡­¡±

    ¡°Get out of here!¡± Bill¡¯s expression darkened. He looked like he would hit Sunny if thetter refused to

    leave.

    Sunny gulped. He slowly took off hisnyard and pulled out the cell phone thepany had provided.

    As soon as he put the phone on the table, he realized what Bill was trying to do. Bill wanted to kick him

    out of thepany so he could take Sunny¡¯s client.

    Bill had a cousin who was a member of the underworld, while Sunny¡¯s parents were both working in

    Riverwatch District. If he dared to retaliate, there was a high chance Bill would take it out on his

    parents.

    The cruelty of society, huh? Society wasn¡¯t the cruel one¨Cpeople were.

    Sunny counted eight notes from the stack of 100¨Cdor bills. That was the amount he deserved. Then,

    he packed his things and left the building, looking downtrodden.

    Bill lit a cigarette. Once Sunny was out of sight, he grabbed the phone and checked the list of recent

    calls. He found the most recent one and dialed back.

 Chapter 125

    A brand¨Cnew Mazda6 attracted attention as it cruised down one of Riverwatch District¡¯s streets.

    Francis had just collected the car that morning. It had cost 40 thousand dors.

    Riverwatch District was filled with old houses and apartments that had been built in the ¡®70s. Even the

    streetlights were lightbulbs in wooden holders.

    As Francis drove, he asionally sneaked nces at Carlisle, whose eyes were shut as he sat in the

    back seat, in the rearview mirror. Carlisle hadn¡¯t said a word since getting into the car, He hadn¡¯t even

    reacted when Francis told him how much the car cost.

    Francis couldn¡¯t help feeling on edge as he drove. He sensed a sort of dominance in Carlisle¨Cit

    reminded him of how he¡¯d felt when facing his toon leader in the army. It was weird because he

    hadn¡¯t felt this way before today!

    The car stopped at a fork in the road. Francis cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Boss, could you ask them

    for

    their address?¡±

    Carlisle had just pulled out his phone when it rang. It was a call from the number Sunny had used to

    reach him. Carlisle answered it and put it on speaker. ¡°I was just about to call you. I¡¯m already at

    Riverwatch District. Where¡¯s your building, and what¡¯s it called?¡±

    ¡°Where are your parents, kiddo?¡± Bill thought the client¡¯s child had answered the phone because of

    how young it sounded. He tried to keep his tone jovial.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one buying the property.¡±

    ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is there a problem with that?¡± Carlisle¡¯s tone turned a little grim.

    ¡°No, of course not! Ourpany¡¯s called Premier Properties, and we¡¯re at No. 178, Riverwatch 3rd

    Avenue,¡± Bill hurriedly said.

    Bill thought it didn¡¯t matter if the client was young. Perhaps he was some fun¨Cloving rich kid!

    Carlisle told Francis the address after hanging up. Then, he shut his eyes again. Ten minutester, they

    pulled up outside Premier Properties.

    Bill was smoking a cigarette at the entrance. When he saw the brand¨Cnew car with a temporary license

    te, he threw the cigarette aside and strode forward.

    Francis asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re not buying property here, are you, boss?¡±

    He drove cabs quite often, so he was familiar with the area, Since the main factories and nts had

    moved out of Riverwatch District, many people had left with them. Even the nearby karaoke ces and

    bars were close to bankruptcy.

    Only a fool would purchase property there.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Carlisle got out of the car.

    Bill came over to him with a wide smile. He held out a greasy hand and said. ¡°You must be Mr. Cig. I¡¯m

    the manager of thispany, Bill Dawson!¡±

    Carlisle shook his hand politely. ¡°My surname¡¯s actually Zahn.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Mr. Zahn. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± Bill nced at Francis, who¡¯d just gotten out of the car.

    ¡°And

    this is¡­¡±

    ¡°My driver.¡± Carlisle smiled.

    Bill thought Carlisle must be a rich kid, as he even had a driver. He was excited to learn of this. ¡°Should

    I show you the properties now?¡±

    Once Bill sold off the six units, he¡¯d earn a huge sum even after headquarters took their portion of the

    commission. Things had been high and dry for the past few years, but this was his chance to change

    that!

    ¡°Where¡¯s Sunny?¡± Carlisle suddenly asked.

    ¡°He had to take the day off to deal with an emergency. I¡¯ll show you around, Mr. Zahn!¡± Bill lowered his

    eyes a little, and his smile stiffened

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Carlisle could immediately tell he¡¯d lied. He¡¯d already made an appointment with Sunny to sign the

    contract. Even if something urgent had cropped up. Sunny would¡¯ve called him to inform him.

    Since he hadn¡¯t called and the phone was now in Bill¡¯s possession, it wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that Bill

    had snatched Sunny¡¯s listings. Perhaps he¡¯d even fired Sunny

    ¡°I¡¯ll only sign the contract with Sunny. Since he¡¯s taken the day off, I¡¯lle back some other day.¡±

    Carlis

    turned to leave.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward

 Chapter 126

    Francis turned to head to the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, wait! I¡¯ll call Sunny right now and have hime over to show you the units!¡± Bill hurried

    forward to ce a hand on the door. It wasn¡¯t like he woulde across fools like Carlisle every day.

    He

    couldn¡¯t let him get away!

    up

    He quickly called Sunny¡¯s personal number. When the first call went unanswered, he followed with a

    second. It still went unanswered.

    Finally, someone answered on his seventh try. Sunny sounded cold as he asked, ¡°Why are you still

    calling me, Bill?

    Bill could sense Sunny¡¯s anger even over the phone. Heughed ingratiatingly and said, ¡°I was a fool

    earlier, Sunny. Hurry up ande back to work!¡±

    Capable salespeople were gods to apany that required salesmen to stay afloat. As long as Sunny

    could close this deal with Carlisle, Bill was willing to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness if

    necessary.

    After a moment of silence, Sunny asked, ¡°Is Mr. Cig there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. He specifically said he would only sign the contract with you!¡± Bill had deliberately stepped

    away from Carlisle and Francis when calling Sunny. He was now about 60 feet from them.

    Sunny hesitated, then sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll head over there right now.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t heading back there for the job. He just wanted to fulfill Carlisle¡¯s need to purchase property.

    Since Carlisle had specifically asked for him to be there, it was apparent he wanted to help. Sunny

    didn¡¯t

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    want to let Carlisle down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything about me firing you, okay?¡± Bill asked.

    ¡°I know what to do.¡± Sunny hung up and left the house.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle leaned against the car door with his arms crossed. Francis approached him after

    finishing a cigarette and tried to talk some sense into him again. ¡°Boss, the property here has no room

    for appreciation. You really should reconsider this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already th

    already thought things through,¡± Carlisle turned to look at the dated streets as a confident smile

    crept over his face.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the boss. You call the shots!¡± Francis shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you if you ever

    regret

    this decision.¡±

    Carlisle smiled without saying a word. He checked his watch and saw that half an hour had already

    passed. He would probably return to campuste, so he called Susan to let her know. She didn¡¯t say

    anything much since he didn¡¯t have any sses in the afternoon.

    Bill bought three cans of Red Bull and handed one each to Carlisle and Francis before opening his

    own.

    After taking two gulps, he asked with a smile, ¡°What sort of business do you do, Mr. Zahn?¡±

    ¡°I run a game studio.¡°

    ¡°Oh, you mean an arcade?¡± Bill was from the older generation and hadn¡¯t really yed games before.

    Hel knew that many people visited arcades in recent years, though. He thought that was what Carlisle

    meant.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Carlisle didn¡¯t have too good an impression of Bill and couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin further.

    Bill could tell Carlisle wasn¡¯t too fond of him. He smiled awkwardly and nced at the path Sunny had

    to take to get to thepany. ¡°It¡¯s been ages. Why isn¡¯t he here yet?¡±

    Carlisle said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I¡¯m free the whole afternoon.¡±

    After about ten minutes, Sunny finally showed up at the end of the street while pushing his bicycle. It

    was a bout of bad luck¨Cthe chain had snapped while he¡¯d been on his way.

    He locked the bicycle and jogged over to Carlisle. Holding out a hand, he said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr.

    Cig. I¡¯m Sunny Little!¡±

    Carlisle shook his hand. ¡°Cig isn¡¯t my surname. It¡¯s Zahn.¡±

    ¡°Good day, Mr. Zahn!¡± Sunny smiled.

    Carlisle returned the smile.

    Sunny

    chow me the units.¡±

    nodded and looked at Bill. ¡°Lend me your car, Mr. Dawson.¡±

    Bill was about to pull out the keys when Carlisle said, ¡°You can just take my car.¡±

    Francis had already gotten into the driver¡¯s seat. Sunny hurriedly opened the door for Carlisle. He shut

    it once Carlisle was in the car and got in from the other side.

    He said politely, ¡°Drive straight ahead for about 500 yards, mister. Then, turn left onto Rhonwen Road.¡±

 Chapter 127

    Francis started driving to Rhonwen Road. Carlisle leaned back and crossed his legs, lightly tapping at

    finger against the window. He exuded the air that only someone used to being in a position of power

    would.

    Sunny sat up straight, seemingly rather nervous. Carlisle was younger than him, but he was rich. This

    was Sunny¡¯s first timeing into contact with someone as wealthy as Carlisle since starting this job.

    The three of them didn¡¯t speak. The silence became a little oppressive. Carlisle was the first to break

    the Ice. He asked, ¡°How long have you been in this line of work?¡±

    Sunny hurriedly answered, ¡°Two years and six months if you include my internship!¡±

    Carlisle nodded and smiled. ¡°Would you be interested in working with me?¡±

    Sunny¡¯s eyes widened. He scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m worried I won¡¯t be able to do well, though. I don¡¯t

    exactly have the best results to show despite being with Premier Properties for so long¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°A good salesman needs to have courage¨Cthe courage to try new things and the

    courage to put their thoughts into action. They need to have their own opinions and judgment. If you

    don¡¯t

    dare to try something new, how will you go further in this industry?¡±

    Regardless of the industry or field, salespeople were important. They had a direct impact on the

    Things were the same for Carlisle¡¯s game studio. If he had a good salesman promoting the games, it

    would be a quick way to make money for thepany.

    ¡°What sort of business is your family in, Mr. Zahn?¡± Like Bill, Sunny thought Carlisle¡¯s money came

    from his parents. If he was asking Sunny to work with him, it was likely he was going to take over the

    family

    business.

    ¡°My family isn¡¯t doing any business. I¡¯m the one starting a business, and I have a game studio,¡± Carlisle

    exined

    ¡°Oh. Alright, then. I¡¯ll do it!¡± Sunny didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. He agreed to Carlisle¡¯s proposal. He had no

    intention to return to Premier Properties, so he was jobless for now. If that were the case, he would

    work

    for Carlisle for some time to see how things went.

    Ten minutester, they pulled over at Rhonwen Road. Sunny showed Carlisle around the apartment,

    which was a solid brick building that had been built in the ¡®70s and ¡®80s. There were even outdated

    murals

    and slogans on the wall.

    Sunny pointed at a seven¨Cstory building and said, ¡°The six units you wanted are all in here, Mr. Zahn.¡±

    Francis lit a cigarette and narrowed his eyes as he asked, ¡°So, how much do these old units cost?¡±

    Sunny nced at Carlisle. He was a little diffident as he said, ¡°They¡¯re 150 dors per square foot.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? Something like this costs that much?¡± Francis¡® eyes bulged. He was this close to

    calling

    Sunny a daylight robber,

    The average prices for new homes nowadays were about 200 dors per square foot. The units at

    Riverwatch District were secondhand, and they were old ones that had been built in the ¡®70s and ¡®80s.

    They looked like they would copse at any time. And they were priced at 150 dors per square foot!

    2.2

    Sunny¡¯s face warmed. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already decided to work with you, Mr. Zahn, I¡¯ll be frank. The units

    here. genuinely aren¡¯t worth buying¡­¡±

    Francis chimed in, ¡°You really should reconsider this, boss!¡±

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯ll take them all!¡±

    150 dors per square foot was much lower than he¡¯d budgeted.

    Francis and Sunny both sighed helplessly. Then, their jaws dropped when Carlisle spoke up again. ¡°I

    have eight million dors right now. I want to invest all of it in here!¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Francis¡® and Sunny¡¯s eyes bulged. They thought eight million dors was a bit of a stretch.

    Francis said doubtfully, ¡°You¡¯re not pulling my leg, are you, boss? You even borrowed money from that

    rich

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°Do you know why I did it?¡±

    Francis squinted and thought about it. Then, he said, ¡°You bought a painting with it. Don¡¯t tell me you

    bought something genuine with that money!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s smile widened. He didn¡¯t say anything. Francis clutched at his chest and breathed deeply.

    ¡°With your money, you can buy expensive cars and a huge vi. Even if you just save the rest of the

    money in the bank and live off the interest, you won¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of your

    life!¡±

    Sunny¡¯s eyes were bright. He thought Carlisle was just a regr Richie Rich who would have about a

    million dors or so. Eight million dors was way beyond his expectations.

    Carlisle looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s my mission for you. I want you to help me invest all my money over the

    next two days.¡±

    Sunny gulped. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t reconsider, boss?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°Just do as I say.¡±

    Sunny didn¡¯t understand his thought process, but neither did he have the nerve to defy his new boss.

    He could only nod and say, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to find appropriate listings, then!¡±

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 128

    After that, Carlisle, Sunny, and Francis strolled along Rhonwen Road. Sunny took down the phone

    numbers of listings for sale or rent.

    Then, they returned to Premier Properties. Carlisle signed the six contracts before heading to the bank

    to transfer 890 thousand dors to Bill¡¯s ount. It was 3:00 pm by the time they were done dealing

    with all

    the necessary procedures.

    Sunny asked Bill for 20 thousand dors¨Cthat was hismission. Bill reluctantly went to the safe to

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    retrieve the cash.

    On their way back to the game studio, Sunny gave the money to Carlisle. ¡°I¡¯ll return this to you, boss.¡±

    Carlisle could¡¯ve signed the contracts with Bill, but he¡¯d given him the chance instead. The money

    shouldn¡¯t have been his.

    ¡°But why? This is what you deserve. Carlisle pushed the money back.

    ¡°Premier Properties has already taken 20 thousand dors inmission¨Cthose units should¡¯ve only

    cost 850 thousand dors in total. I¡¯m giving you these 20 thousand dors to cut your losses,¡± Sunny

    exined helplessly.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Look, you don¡¯t have to be so polite to me. What¡¯s meant to be yours should be yours. It¡¯s

    better for you to get the money than for Bill to get it, alright?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ okay.¡± Sunny cautiously put the money away.

    Carlisle leaned back and fell into deep thought as he stared out the window. Riverwatch District¡¯s

    property prices were much lower than he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d probably be able to earn about 80 million.

    dors once he sold the units in three days. Then, he¡¯d have enough to start up the studio.

    However, he still needed money for research and development, as well as the manufacturing of

    customized equipment. That would be a considerable sum. He still had a long way to go if he wanted to

    develop his very own phone brand!

    Just then, his phone pinged with a notification from MSN messenger. It was from Wanda.

    Wanda: ¡°Have you taken the afternoon off, Carlisle?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Yep!¡±

    Wanda: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something bothering you?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°No.¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Then why are you so cold?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°I¡¯m still busy with something right now.¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you owe me a smoothie. Remember to buy me one after sster!¡±

    Chapte: 128

    Carlisle: ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the time for that today. Maybe we can take a rain check on that.¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Alright, then. You go do your thing.¡±

    Carlisle shut his eyes after ending the conversation. He didn¡¯t know how to handle his and Wanda¡¯s

    rtionship at this point. If they were to continue seeing each other, Zachary would probably do

    something to harm his parents. But he was unsure if he wanted to break things off with Wanda.

    ¡°Do you have a a cigarette, Sunny?¡± he asked with his

    with his eyes still shut.

    ¡°I don¡¯t smoke.¡± Sunny patted Fran

    on the shoulder. ¡°How about you, Francis?¡±

    Francis kept one hand on the wheel as he stuffed his lighter into his box of cigarettes. He¡¯d already

    smoked half of them. Then, he threw the whole thing into the back seat.

    Carlisle lit one and took a few drags. This was his first time smoking since being reborn. His heart was

    in

    a mess.

    He thought he could make a fortune based on his memories of his previous life and that he and Wanda

    could be together forever. He never would¡¯ve expected to be under such pressure from Wanda¡¯s family.

    Meanwhile, back at Rivend University, Wanda had slumped on her table, feeling down. Just then,

    Susan appeared at the entrance to the ssroom with a few middle¨Caged men in white shirts.

    Everyone fell silent. Wanda turned to look at them, and her heart clenched when she saw that. Susan

    approached her, looking like she had mixed feelings. She said softly, ¡°Wanda, the dean wants to have

    you

    transferred to ss 2.¡±

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 129

    Wanda¡¯sshes fluttered. The dean was suddenly transferring her to ss 2, and Carlisle was giving

    her the cold shoulder for no reason. It went without saying that Zachary and her father were behind

    this.

    He answered almost immediately when she called Zachary. His tone was calm as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s

    wrong?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you that? Was it your idea, or was it Dad¡¯s?¡± Wanda sounded lcy. She didn¡¯t

    harbor any illusions that Zachary had nothing to do with this.

    ¡°Has Carlisle Zahn spoken to you?¡± Zachary chuckled.

    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t. And he won¡¯t do it because you¡¯re pressuring him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good, Wanda. He¡¯s not worthy of you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who gets to decide whether or not he¡¯s worthy of me. If you insist on splitting us up, I¡¯ll

    hate you for life!¡± Wanda¡¯s eyes turned red. Her voice became a little shaky toward the end of her

    sentence

    ¡°ver would¡¯ve expected you to hate me because of an outsider. Zachary smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly.

    Then, he lit a cigarette and took a drag. ¡°But no matter how much you hate me, I¡¯ll still stop you from

    being with him. You¡¯ll understand why I¡¯m doing this in the future.¡±

    He hung up after that. This was also the first time he¡¯d ever hung up on Wanda. Tears streamed down

    her

    face.

    Susan had overheard the conversation. She sat in Carlisle¡¯s seat and said softly, ¡°You and Carlisle are

    still young, Wanda. It¡¯s not the right time for you two to be dating.

    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s against the university¡¯s rules for students to date before graduation.¡±

    Wanda lowered her head, feeling like her heart was being ripped to shreds.

    Just then, Carlisle messaged her. ¡°Let¡¯s split up for now, Wanda. Give me some time¨CI¡¯ll soon make

    your brother and family acknowledge and ept me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll study hard and turn my business into the best there ever was. I¡¯ll think about you every day. You¡¯re

    the only woman I¡¯ll marry!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s tears flowed faster when she saw the messages. He was only 18, yet he had to bear so much

    pressure. And what would he do if his business failed?

    As her tears continued flowing, she replied, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±

    Susan sighed to herself when she saw Wanda¡¯s message to Carlisle. Just earlier, she¡¯d found out

    about Wanda being Shein¡¯s daughter

    Carlisle probably came from a regr family, which would exin why the Thompson family was

    against him and Wanda being together.

    Chapter 129.

    Yet, Carlisle had made Wanda promises that were almost impossible to fulfill. If he wanted the

    Thompson family¡¯s recognition, he would have to have several million dors in the bank.

    A university professor¡¯s average sry w

    around 750 dors a month, which amounted to only nine

    thousand dors annually if one didn¡¯t spend a single cent.

    So, Susan didn¡¯t think Carlisle and Wanda had a future together.

    Wanda packed her things and left. Everyone in the ssroom watched her as they tried to guess what

    had happened.

    hat¡¯s

    up with Wanda?¡±

    ¡°No idea. Look at all the faculty members who came, though. She must¡¯ve broken some rules or

    something.¡±

    ¡°Stop with the guessing. I bet she got caught for secretly getting into a rtionship!¡±

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like she tried to hide it. Even a fool would be able to tell they were dating!¡±

    Christine watched Wanda leave, feeling confused.

    Was it really as everyone said? Did the fa

 Chapter 130

    Susan walked to the front of the ss and rapped her knuckles on the lectern. ¡°Silence!¡±

    Only then did the students stop whispering among themselves.

    She continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want any of you to overthink this. Wanda has only been transferred to ss 2.

    that¡¯s all.¡±

    When Wanda stepped out of the ssroom, the dean, Peter Smith, said helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for

    this, Wanda. It¡¯s what your grandfather wanted.¡±

    She forced a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. This has nothing to do with you.¡±

    hing

    She hadn¡¯t expected Zachary to drag their grandfather, James Thompson, into the fray.

    James was a stubborn old man who strongly believed that two people had toe from simr families

    to be together. He was the one who¡¯d picked out Zachary¡¯s fianc¨¦e.

    Even her parents¡® marriage was a political one. They were no better than acquaintances even after

    getting married since they were busy with their respective businesses.

    Many people wished they could be born into affluent families, but they had no idea how hard life was as

    one of their members.

    At Dragonaire Studio, Team Legendary received six newputers. Owen and Benjamin, who still had

    bruises on their faces, were busy running around. Heath sat on the couch and negotiated with severalContent is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    recruits.

    When he saw Carlisle, he told them, ¡°Stand up. Allow me to introduce you to our boss, Carlisle Zahn.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Zahn,¡± the recruits greeted him simultaneously. They looked to be between 16

    and

    25. 25.

    They were all surprised to see Carlisle¨Cnone of them had expected him to be so young.

    He nodded at them with a smile. ¡°Sit. You guys continue.¡±

    He was pleased at how efficient Heath was.

    Just then, Cameron approached him, looking a little awkward as he said, ¡°I want to take some time off

    to head back to Rainville, Carl.¡±

    Heath frowned slightly. ¡°Team Mystical¡¯sputers are gonna be installed soon. I don¡¯t think this is the

    right time for you to ask for time off.¡±

    Cameron hung his head, looking ashamed. ¡°I I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±

    Heath looked aloof. ¡°We¡¯ve already recruited people for Team Mystical. They don¡¯t know much about

    The Mystical Journey; we were waiting for you to show them the ropes!¡±

    Chapte 130

    Cameron gulped and looked at Carlisle cautiously.

    Worried that Carlisle would mistake him for bullying Cameron, Heath exined, ¡°I already told them

    we¡¯ll start counting their pay from today.

    ¡°Theputers will be installed by this afternoon, and Hank¡¯s already done up the script. My n was

    to get Team Mystical up and running overnight.¡±

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°What¡¯s another day, right? They can still get their pay¨Ctake it as a wee bonus.¡±

    Then, he turned to Cameron. ¡°You¡¯re going back to pick your sister up, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s alone there without anyone to care for her, so I wanted to bring her over here.¡± He looked

    guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, Carl. You can dock my pay for whatever losses you¡¯ve made.¡°.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Carlisle grinned. He turned to Francis. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to make a trip,

    Francis.¡±

    Cameron jolted. He hurriedly said, ¡°I can just take the train back, Carl!¡±

    It was bad enough that he was taking time off at such a critical juncture. How could he take things

    further and use Carlisle¡¯s driver?

    Carlisle said, ¡°Your sister¡¯s just been through surgery, so she can¡¯t go through all that trouble. Things

    will be a lot easier for you and her if you have a car to take you back and forth.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Carl.¡± Cameron¡¯s heart warmed at Carlisle¡¯s kindness.

    Only then did Heath know Cameron had a younger sister who¡¯d just had surgery. He said guiltily, ¡°Why

    didn¡¯t you tell us about your sister earlier, Cam? I¡¯m sorry for being a little harsh earlier. Don¡¯t take it to

    heart!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Heath.¡± Cameron continued awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not havingplete faith in Carl.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bring my sister with me.¡±

    He gave Carlisle a guilty and awkward look. He felt bad about the whole thing. Carlisle had only met

    him once when he¡¯d asked to borrow some money from him, yet Carlisle had lent him 500 dors

    without

    hesitation.

    Later, Carlisle had even asked him to join his team so they could make money together.

    Though he¡¯de to Rivend with Carlisle, he hadn¡¯t actually believed he could make money with

    Carlisle. He¡¯d gauged Carlisle¡¯s heart with his own mean measure.

    Carlisle smiled uncaringly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so you guys should get going. Have a safe trip!¡±

 Chapter 131

    After Cameron and Francis left, Carlisle went to the second floor.

    Theputer supplier, Winston Sanders, was installing theputers with his apprentice. When he

    saw Carlisle, he stopped and beamed. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Zahn!¡±

    His apprentice pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and held one out to Carlisle. ¡°Have a

    smoke.¡±

    Then, Winston introduced Carlisle to the person next to him. ¡°This is my new apprentice, Jake Horton.¡±

    Jake looked to be about 18 or 19. He had earrings, and his hair had been dyed white. He even had a

    tattoo of a scorpion on his neck as well as a few more scattered over his arms. It was hard to have a

    good first impression of him.

    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t smoke.¡± Carlisle turned Jake down with a smile.

    Jake frowned. ¡°Are you gonna be that rude, Mr. Zahn?¡±

    He felt that Carlisle should have taken the cigarette even if he didn¡¯t smoke. It felt like an insult to him.

    otherwise.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t smoke. Those cigarettes don¡¯te cheap; you¡¯ll just be wasting one on me,¡± Carlisle

    exined.

    He was starting to get mad. He was the boss, and he¡¯d hired Winston for a job.

    If even Winston was so polite to him, why wasn¡¯t Jake? And how could he think Carlisle was being

    rude. just by refusing to ept the cigarette?

    Sunny noticed Carlisle¡¯s temples throbbing a little. Earlier, in the car, he seemed to have caught

    Carlisle breaking up with Wanda. Carlisle had been glum since then, so Jake was just getting himself in

    trouble.

    ¡°How can you talk to Mr. Zahn like that, Jake?¡± Winston red at Jake.

    Then, he exined awkwardly, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Mr. Zahn. He¡¯s my nephew, and hees from a

    single- parent family. No one¡¯s ever had the time to raise him properly, so he¡¯s picked up a few bad

    habits¡­.

    Jake and Carlisle were the same age. Jake had always been a bad student, so he hadn¡¯t gotten into

    university. Under his mother¡¯s insistence, he¡¯de to the city to learn how to deal withputers

    from

    Winston.

    But since his arrival in Rivend, he¡¯d gotten to know some hooligans and ruffians. That was why he¡¯d

    dyed his hair and gotten tattoos, Winston didn¡¯t know what to do about it.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t intend to stoop to Jake¡¯s level. Winston was Ivan¡¯s rtive, and Jake was Winston¡¯s.

    They were all acquaintances, so there was no need to make things too awkward between them.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Besides, his game studio was just starting out. If things went smoothly, he would continue expanding

    thepany over the next three to five years. That meant he and Winston would have to work together

    for some time.

    At that thought, Carlisle smiled perfunctorily. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Get back to work. With any luck, all the

    computers

    will be installed by-

    ¡°Take the cigarette!¡± Jake cut Carlisle off.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Sunny¡¯s blood pressure rose. He kicked Jake while Carlisle grabbed Jake by the hair and

    punched him.

    ¡°Fuck! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jake had been a bully in school, so he was used to being the one doing the beating.

    No one had ever treated him like this before. Now that two people were targeting him, he immediately

    started fighting back.

    Back in school, Carlisle had also been good in fights. He didn¡¯t hesitate to throw punches, and he

    seemed to be using this fight as a way to vent his frustration. He put all his strength into every punch.

    As for Sunny, he was 25 years old and in much better condition than Jake. This was his first time

    getting into a fight, but that didn¡¯t mean he went easy on Jake.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, please! Please stop!¡± Winston hurried forward to break up the fight, but Carlisle pushed him

    away.

    Jake was only one person, while Carlisle and Sunny were working together to pummel him. He

    eventually curled up on the floor and protected his head with his arms as he spat expletives at them.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, you¡¯ll kill him at this rate!¡± Winston threw himself over Jake to protect him. Only then did

    Carlisle and Sunny stop.

 Chapter 132

    At the same time, Owen and Benjamin charged upstairs, each holding a chair leg. ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    When Owen saw how Carlisle¡¯s shirt had been tugged open and how there were scratches on his face,

    he ran over to them, wanting to smash the chair leg on Jake.

    Carlisle stopped him. He panted as he said, ¡°Forget it.¡±

    Benjamin pointed at Jake with his chair leg. ¡°You¡¯d better fucking watch yourself, fucker!¡±

    Just then, Heath came running upstairs with a bunch of men. They held either beer bottles or steel bars

    they¡¯d taken from the windows.

    Jake spat out a mouthful of blood and yelled, ¡°You guys are the ones who should watch out! My boss

    won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡±

    Heath lit a cigarette. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°And who would that be?¡±

    Jake snorted. ¡°Wendell Webb, Starlight Bay¡¯s top dog.¡±

    Heath and Benjamin were taken aback when they heard Wendell¡¯s name. Then, they burst into

    laughter.

    ¡°W¨CWhat are you guysughing at?¡± Jake was baffled.

    Wendell was infamous in Starlight Bay. All the karaoke ces and bars in the area were under his

    watch. It would only take a singlemand from him to have dozens of men by his side.

    Heath took a drag of his cigarette. ¡°Wendell used to be under me.¡±

    Jake¡¯s pupils constricted. He stared incredulously at Heath and asked, ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Heath Walton, also known as Prince Heath!¡± Heath swung the chair leg behind him, resting it on his

    shoulder.

    Prince Heath? Jake felt a chill run down his spine.

    Wendell had indeed mentioned that name in the past. ording to Wendell, Heath had joined Horace¡¯s

    gang at the age of 15. At his peak, he¡¯d had more than 200 people reporting to him.

    The most fearful thing about him was that he enjoyed slicing people¡¯s fingers and toes off. The mere

    thought of it made Jake shudder.

    Heath had gone missing after Horace jumped off a building. Wendell said he was still in Rivend; he

    just rarely made any appearances.

    Jake never would¡¯ve expected to run into Heath in a ce like this. He said tremulously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,

    Heath¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡± Heath waved a hand and led the people he¡¯d brought downstairs.

    ¡°Holler for us if anything happens, Carl. I¡¯m gonna get back to work!¡± Owen left after saying that.

    ¡°If you dare piss Carl off again, I¡¯ll snap your legs in half!¡± Benjamin snarled as he red at Jake before

    leaving as well.

    Jake trembled all over as cold sweat beaded over his swollen face.

    Carlisle pulled an office chair over and sat before him. His tone was icy as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t act like

    you¡¯re a

    big deal when you¡¯re fucking worthless, brat.

    ¡°Do you think Heath¡¯s that powerful? He was only one of Horace¡¯sckeys.

    ¡°Did

    powerful? Look at how someone destroyed

    you think Horace was his family and made himmit suicide. Do you think you can ever be half

    as powerful as Horace was?

    ¡°And so what if you do get there? Those who are truly powerful can take you down without even

    showing

    their faces!

    ¡°We live in aw¨Cabiding society now¨Ctaking thewless path won¡¯t get you anywhere!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s every word hit Jake where it hurt. He hung his head, not daring to meet Carlisle¡¯s gaze.

    Winston handed him a bag of tissues. ¡°Wipe off the blood. No one¡¯s cared about you since you were a

    child, so you¡¯re used to running wild and being arrogant.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn¡¯s given you a precious life lesson today. Do you think it¡¯s that easy to survive as a gang

    member? Think about how Ivan quit that life to open up an inte cafe.¡±

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Jake grabbed some tissues and wiped the blood trickling from his nose. He started crying as he wiped.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch him cry. He brought Sunny downstairs with him to Team

    Legendary¡¯s area.

    They¡¯d just gotten downstairs when Hank approached them excitedly.

    ¡°Carl, there¡¯s a phone manufacturer in Stoneville who made a run for it with his sister¨Cinw. We

    should hurry over there to check things out!¡±

 Chapter 133

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Carlisle¡¯s eyes lit up. If the nt were to close down, there¡¯d be tons of top talents he

    could

    recruit from there!

    ¡°Yeah, I just saw it on the forum! The post is still fresh. The nt¡¯s employees are now protesting

    outside the nt. We can go check things out and see whether we can hire some technical people

    from there.¡±

    Hank had already guessed that Carlisle likely wanted to get into the world of cell phones and the

    inte. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked Hank to search for people in this field of work.

    That was w

    why he¡¯d hurried back to the studio without even finishing his lunch when he saw the news.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head over there right now! Sunny, you stay here and do what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡± Carlisle left

    Sunny at the studio.

    He and Hank immediately hailed a cab to Rainville. It was under Rivend¡¯s jurisdiction and was in the

    north.

    About half an hour after they¡¯d left the studio, Carlisle received a call from Heath. ¡°Carl, it¡¯s Sunny.

    Have you heard of Riverwatch Hotel?¡±

    Sunny¡¯s voice rang out on the other end of the line.

    Riverwatch Hotel? Wasn¡¯t that Prince Hotel¡¯s predecessor?

    After Riverwatch District had been developed, Riverwatch Hotel was rebuilt and turned into Prince

    Hotel. Carlisle had no idea how it ended up in Heath¡¯s hands, though.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard of it. What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    ¡°Three people died therest night. ording to the police, someone powerful was behind it. They¡¯ve

    put out wanted notices for the guy. If he¡¯s caught, he¡¯ll definitely be sentenced to death,¡± Sunny said in

    a low

    voice.

    ¡°Are you saying that we¡¯ll have a chance to buy the hotel?¡± Carlisle¡¯s eyes gleamed as his mouth went

    a

    Little dry from the excitement.

    ¡°I got the owner¡¯s phone number from Bill earlier. He does intend to sell off the hotel, but the price¡­¡±

    ¡°How much is it?¡±

    ¡°36 million dors¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, got it.¡± Carlisle hung up.

    36 million dors wasn¡¯t a sum he could afford for the time being. It would be hard to borrow that much

    money from someone, too.

    After some thought, he called Lethan

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. Why are you calling, Carlisle? Lethan asked.

    ¡°I want to do business with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lethan chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±

    ¡°Before that, I want you to promise you¡¯ll split the profits in half with me,¡± Carlisle said seriously.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Lethan didn¡¯t hesitate.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle had helped him avoid a three¨Cbillion dor loss¨Cit was no different to saving his life. But

    Carlisle hadn¡¯t asked for anything in return and even wanted to do business with Lethan.

    Lethan was also positive he would make money! If they did, Lethan was willing to give all the profits to

    him, let alone split it in half.

    ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll text you the details.¡± Carlisle hung up after that. Then, he sent Lethan a message.

    At Islo Clothing, Lethan was leisurely sipping his coffee. When he received Carlisle¡¯s message, he

    immediately read it.

    ¡°Buy Riverwatch District. It costs 36 million dors.¡±

    He spat out his coffee.

    36 million dors? Did Carlisle even know how much money that was? And this was Riverwatch Hotel

    they were talking about!

    No one visited Riverwatch District these days, not even wild animals. Only a fool would purchase

    property

    there.

    Lethanposed himself before replying to the message. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about,

    Carlisle?¡±

    After that, he put his phone down and wiped the coffee he¡¯d spat all over the coffee table.

 Chapter 134

    Less than two minutester, Lethan received a reply. He immediately checked it.

    Carlisle: ¡°Give me a proper answer in half an hour. If you¡¯ve yet to make up your mind by then, I¡¯ll

    approach

    Yuriel Gust about this.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Yuriel? He¡¯s not as easygoing as I am!¡± Lethan muttered to himself before leaning back and falling

    into deep thought.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t seem like a regr student to him¨CCarlisle¡¯s calmness upon first meeting him at the cafe

    hadn¡¯t been an act.

    And it was still a mystery as to how Carlisle had found out about his wife and driver having an affair. If

    even he, as the husband, didn¡¯t know about it, how had a freshman at Rivend University found out?

    He was much too mysterious. Could it be that Riverwatch Hotel really could earn him big bucks?

    Lethan sipped his coffee with his eyes narrowed.

    The only way it would make a profit was if Riverwatch District were to be developed. But if that were to

    happen, Rivend¡¯s upper crust would be the first to hear about it.

    Suddenly, he thought about something and widened his eyes.

    Josie had dropped by Shania¡¯s ce some time ago, and Shania mentioned something about Yuriel¡¯s

    Evermore Properties fighting her for a piece ofnd in Riverwatch District.

    Had Shania already heard something about this? That didn¡¯t make sense, though. If she knew

    something, she would¡¯ve long since started purchasing the property there in bulk. Lethan just couldn¡¯t

    puzzle things

    out..

    He called Shania.

    ¡°Lethan?¡±

    ¡°Are you busy, Shania?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡±

    ¡°I have a question for you. Is Riverwatch District going to be developed?¡±

    ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± Shania asked in confusion.

    ¡°I was just asking.¡± Lethan chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°Man, and here I thought you¡¯d heard something.¡± Shania rolled her eyes.

    ¡°You and Evermore Properties are fighting over a piece ofnd there, aren¡¯t you? I thought that meant

    the district was gonna be developed. I even thought about purchasing some property there just in

    case!¡± Lethan exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s normal for us in the property line to purchasend, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no doubt Riverwatch District will

    be developed¨Cwe just don¡¯t know when it¡¯ll happen. It might take ten years, 20 years, or even 30 years

    if you¡¯re unlucky.¡± Shania sounded bored.

    ¡°With your business acumen, do you think there¡¯s a chance of it being developed in recent years?

    Lethan didn¡¯t want to give up just yet.

    ¡°I did hear about the higher¨Cups wanting to

    hold a meeting on Rivend¡¯s economic development and future ns. They¡¯re likely going to develop

    a particr district, but I wouldn¡¯t say Riverwatch District is high on the list,¡± Shania said.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°That still means there¡¯s hope, right?¡±

    ¡°If you insist. I¡¯ve already told you what I can. Josie wanted me to stay away from you brother, so I can¡¯t

    do that. That¡¯s all I have to say, really. Bye.¡± Shania hung up impatiently.

    Lethan listened to the dial tone and smiled bitterly.

    but you¡¯re still my

    Outside Stoneville¡¯s Pioneer Industrial Park, dozens of people were sitting by the roadside. Several of

    those who¡¯d lost control of their emotions were sobbing and wailing in the middle of the street.

    The policemen were trying to keep things under control while the authorities tried to soothe the

    workers.

    Lethan called Carlisle just as he¡¯d gotten out of the car.

    Carlisle checked the time. There were three minutes left until the deadline he¡¯d given Lethan. ¡°Have

    you

    decided?¡±

    ¡°Do you have some inside news or something?¡± Lethan asked seriously.

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to bother about,¡± Carlisle said calmly. ¡°I just need you to trust me!¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take this bet, then!¡± Lethan chose to believe Carlisle. If he were to lose his bet, he¡¯d treat it as

    his repayment to Carlisle for saving his life.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. I might need to borrow some money from you,¡± Carlisle said rather

    embarrassedly.

    ¡°How much do you need?¡± Lethan asked.

 Chapter 135

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details. I¡¯ll call you once I¡¯ve confirmed them.¡±

    After ending the call, Carlisle walked toward the group ofbor department staff that was busy calming

    the employees in the middle of the road.

    A woman was sitting on the ground and sobbing. ¡°That jerk hasn¡¯t paid us for three months, and now

    he¡¯s run away. I can¡¯t even put food on the table for my family. What am I supposed to do now?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, please calm down. You¡¯ll get your money back!¡±

    Be Hopkins, a staff from the Labor Department squatted in front of the woman, trying tofort her.

    ¡°Then you should pay us now! What good is it just talking about it?¡± the woman shouted at Be.

    ¡°We can only assist you in applying forbor arbitration, which requires going through a process!¡± Be

    exined gently.

    ¡°How long will the process take? A month? A year?¡±

    The woman was skeptical of the staff¡¯s words and continued to cry.

    ¡°My rtive had a simr situation a few years ago with a factory closure. The boss ran away, and he

    still hasn¡¯t received his wages!¡±

    The woman seemed doubtful and continued to cry.

    Be sighed helplessly. She walked to a nearby carton of bottled water. She took a bottle from it and

    handed it to the woman.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, crying isn¡¯t the solution. Have some water!¡±

    The woman took the bottled water. She took a few sips and continued to wail.

    Be returned to the group and looked for the team leader, Kane Wright.

    ¡°Kane, there are too many of them here. We can¡¯t handle them all.¡±

    Kane sighed helplessly. ¡°Caleb¡¯s phone is no longer reachable. He even fled abroad. It would be

    difficult for us to manage these employees¡­¡±

    After speaking, he asked thepany¡¯s human resources manager, M Jenkins.

    ¡°How many staff are there in yourpany?¡±

    ¡°About 16 hundred staff,¡± M replied. She seemed to be rtively calm.

    ¡°The employees haven¡¯t received their wages for three months?¡± Kane continued to ask.

    ¡°Yes, all employees haven¡¯t been paid for three months. Mr. Davis¡® aunt is the finance manager. She

    has been helping him deceive us by saying they haven¡¯t received payment for the goods!¡±

    ¡°Does thepany still have any stock?¡±

    ¡°We ran out of stockst month. The employees had nothing to do and had been cleaning the

    workshop or assembling subcontracted game consoles.

    ¡°Mr. Davis must have nned his escape a long time ago!¡± M lowered her head and sighed.

    ¡°Have the employees file forbor arbitration. We¡¯ll expedite the process and then let the court handle

    it.¡±

    Kane felt heavy¨Chearted. Now that Caleb had fled abroad, it would be difficult to catch him.

    He could only wait for the court to liquidate thepany¡¯s assets and try topensate the

    employees¡®

    losses.

    Just then, a male staff member from thebor department walked over and said, ¡°Kane, there are two

    guests who want to see you.¡±

    Kane turned. When he saw Carlisle and Hank, he thought they were also thepany¡¯s employees.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    He said helplessly, ¡°Talking to me won¡¯t help you. You have to go through thebor arbitration process!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not thispany¡¯s employees!*

    Carlisle began to introduce himself. ¡°I¡¯m Carlisle, a student at Rivend University. I¡¯m also a

    businessman and want to acquire thispany!¡±

    Kane sized Carlisle up and down suspiciously and asked, ¡°Do your parents know about this?¡±

    Carlisle rolled his eyes. ¡°What does acquiring thepany have to do with my family?¡±

    Kane couldn¡¯t help but doubt Carlisle. He was way too young

    ¡°You should contact the court if you want to acquire thepany!¡± Kane was somewhat impatient with

    Carlisle. He didn¡¯t quite believe him.

    ¡°Thispany¡¯s factory is on a rental basis. The value of the equipment may not be enough to cover

    the employees¡® wages. Otherwise, the boss wouldn¡¯t have run away.

    I

    ¡°If I take over thepany, I canpensate the employees!¡±

    Carlisle would rather spend some money onpensating the employees than waste too much time.

    He just wanted to quickly ovee the pressure from the Thompson family and spend his four years

    at university with Wanda happily. There was no time to waste.

 Chapter 136

    For Wanda¡¯s sake, Carlisle had to push forward.

    Kane took another look at Carlisle. He did look more mature andposed than his peers.

    Kane then reminded him, ¡°I¡¯m a public official. It¡¯s best you don¡¯t joke with me!¡±

    ¡°Do you know Lethan Warbane?¡± Carlisle smiled and asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s Islo Clothing¡¯s chairman. I¡¯m quite close with him. Are you his rtive?¡±

    Kane¡¯s expression softened a little. If Carlisle was rted to Lethan, then he truly had the ability to

    acquire thispany.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, but he¡¯s going to help me.¡±

    Kane took out his phone and made a call. ¡°Let me ask him.

    The call was picked up not long after. ¡°Kane, what a surprise! ver expected you would call.¡±

    ¡°Do you know Carlisle?¡± Kane got straight to the point.

    ¡°Yes, I know him. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°What is your rtionship with him?¡± Kane continued to ask.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We¡¯re coborating, I suppose!¡±

    ¡°Alright, got it. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±

    When Kane confirmed that Carlisle¡¯s words were true, he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders.

    He looked at Carlisle and said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the court. If things go well, you could take over thispany

    in

    three days!¡±

    Carlisle raised his eyebrows. He extended his hand. ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Kane smiled and shook Carlisle¡¯s hand, ¡°ver thought someone so young would have the capability

    to run a factory. I hope you¡¯ll be a good boss!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee to visit anytime!¡± Carlisle smiled.

    Hank, who was behind Carlisle all the time, waspletely stunned.

    Although he suspected Carlisle might be interested in working with mobile phones or the inte, he

    thought he would start with a studio. Acquiring apany directly was something that never crossed

    his

    mind.

    Kane pped and told his colleagues, ¡°Inform the employees that a new boss will take over the

    company. Their wages will be paid in full. The situation should be resolved in about three days.¡±

    With Kane¡¯s assurance, the staff from thebor and police departments all breathed a sigh of relief,

    Kane led Carlisle to Riley Corporation¡¯s management team and introduced him to them.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be Riley Corporation¡¯s future boss. He¡¯ll ensure all employees¡® rights are respected and none of

    you will lose your pay. You can discuss these matters ahead of time.¡±

    The management team was surprised to see Carlisle.

    ¡°He¡¯s too young. isn¡¯t he? If they were going to hire an actor, they could have chosen an adult!¡±

    ¡°Exactly, he looks younger than my son. Can he be a boss?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He might be a rich helr!¡±

    Carlisle pped and introduced himself, ¡°Nice to meet all of you. I¡¯m Carlisle. I¡¯ll take over thepany

    in three days. I hope we can work together well in the future.¡±

    The business department¡¯s manager, Victor rk, pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s still a kid. Yet,

    he wants to manage a factory with over a thousand people?¡±

    The production manager quickly stepped on his foot and said, ¡°Can you shut up? He¡¯s going to pay us!¡±

    Victor cleared his throat and shut his mouth.

    Carlisle heard hisint. He would deal with himter once he took over the factory.

    ¡°Who is in charge of the R&D department?¡±

    This department was Carlisle¡¯s primary concern. It was the factory¡¯s core department.

    A woman in herte 20s stepped forward and said, ¡°Mr. Zahn, I¡¯m Logan Cooper, the head of the R&D

    department.¡±

    C

 Chapter 137

    ¡°Who is the business department¡¯s second inmand?¡± Carlisle continued to ask.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one person in charge of the business department.¡±

    Victor, who had mocked Carlisle earlier, responded.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t even look at Victor as he inquired, ¡°Is there a supervisor?¡±

    Logan¡¯s lips curled as she pointed to the middle¨Caged man smoking at the factory¡¯s entrance and said,

    He is the supervisor, Kenny Chester.¡±

    Each department¡¯s senior members shot Victor a meaningful look. Their message was clear¨Cit was

    time

    to revamp the business department.

    Victor was aware of Carlisle¡¯s intentions, too. He smiled disdainfully at Carlisle.

    He had all the important clients in his hands. Could Carlisle afford to fire him?

    Even if he did get fired, he could leverage his clients for a better opportunity.

    Hank brought Kenny over. He looked at the group of senior members in confusion and asked, ¡°Who

    wants

    to speak to me?¡±

    Logan introduced, ¡°Mr. Chester, this is our new boss, Mr. Zahn.¡±

    ¡°New boss? Are we going to get our sries?¡± Kenny asked In surprise.

    Logan nodded and smiled. If Kane had said so, then it had to be true. No matter what the others

    thought,

    she trusted Carlisle with all her heart.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, nice to meet you. I¡¯m the business department¡¯s supervisor and am in charge of the

    hardware

    supply chain.¡±

    Kenny extended his hand nervously. He knew his higher¨Cup very well. Victor looked down on everyone

    and

    treated them with disrespect.

    Carlisle probably wouldn¡¯t get along with Victor. There could be an opportunity to get a promotion for

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    himself.

    Carlisle shook hands with Kenny and said, ¡°Mr. Chester, you might have a tough time ahead.¡±

    ¡°As long as I can revive thepany, I¡¯m not afraid of any hardship!¡± Kenny¡¯s eyes lit up excitedly.

    Carlisle nodded and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s start by bringing me around thepany.¡±

    The employees gradually dispersed under the persuasion of thebor department and the other

    department heads.

    At the same time, Lethan arrived. He parked his car by the roadside and exchanged a few words with

    Kane before walking toward Carlisle with a grim expression.

    ¡°Lethan, you don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood,¡± Carlisle greeted him yfully.

    Lethan stared at Carlisle and asked, ¡°Are you really going to take over this mobile phone factory?¡±

    Having agreed to spend 36 million dors to buy Riverwatch Hotel, Lethan was already regretting it.

    But at least the hotel had some potential for appreciation. As Shania had said, Riverwatch District

    would eventually be developed. It was just a matter of time.

    Anyway, he had a bit of money to spare, so he might as well treat it as if it were deposited in the bank.

    By the time Riverwatch District was developed, he would definitely not lose money. He could even

    make a profit out of it.

    Lethan wondered what Carlisle was thinking by trying to buy this mobile phone factory. Did he not know

    how difficult the industry was?

    Josie had tried to run a mobile phone factory but gave up after less than three months. She lost nearly

    a

    billion dors.

    Shein had also tried to run the same business butcked technical expertise. So, he gave up the

    business.

    after six months, losing nearly two billion dors.

    Even Rivend¡¯s richest man, Yuriel, had attempted the same business but was quickly overwhelmed

    by

    other mobile phone manufacturers.

    So did Carlisle, a university student, actually want to venture into the industry?

    ¡°Yes!¡± Carlisle answered seriously.

    Lethan took a deep breath. He said in a serious tone, ¡°Carlisle, trust me¨Cstay away from this industry.

    ¡°If you just want to do charity out of sympathy, I can donate some money to helppensate for the

    debts owed by thispany.

    He had confirmed with Kane earlier. Thispany had over 16 hundred employees, each owed three

    months of wages.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 138

    ording to the employees¡® current average wage, it would require around two million to settle these

    employees¡® wages. Lethan could invest three million dors in it.

    But starting a mobile phone manufacturing business would cost tens or even hundreds of millions of

    funds.

    Investing was one thing, the main concern was whether the Industry Lethan invested in could generate

    profit.

    Josie and Shein were both outstanding in running businesses, but even they suffered heavy losses in

    the

    mobile phone industry. How could a university student like Carlisle hope to thrive in it?

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything else. I want to create a phone that will revolutionize this world!¡± Carlisle said

    confidently.

    Lethan waspletely stunned. He seemed to see his younger self in Carlisle.

    ording to his family¡¯s n, he was supposed to be groomed as the sessor in the family¡¯s real

    estate business, while Shania was supposed to be in the fashion indust

    Because he had always been passionate about fashion, he studied fashion design despite his family¡¯s

    opposition.

    The facts proved that his choice was correct. But, it was unfair to Shania.

    Lethan took out a check for five million from his briefcase and handed it to Carlisle. He smiled bitterly

    and said, ¡°This is all I can help you with. I wish you sess!¡±

    He started Islo Clothing at the age of 27. In ten years, the start¨Cup capital provided by his family had

    grown from 300 million to three billion dors.

    In fact, after deducting bank liabilities, the assets were only about two billion dors.

    If Carlisle hadn¡¯t helped him recover the three billion dors, he would have lost ten years of hard work.

    Without that money, he would be heavily indebted and possibly havemitted suicide.

    Carlisle not only helped him recover the losses but also saved his life.

    So, whatever Carlisle asked for, he would try his best to fulfill it.

    ¡°Thank you, Lethan.¡± Carlisle took the check and put it in his pocket.

    Lethan left after receiving a call,

    Carlisle toured thepany under Logan¡¯s and Kenny¡¯s guidance.

    At around 4:00 pm, he received a call from Sunny.

    The negotiation for Riverwatch Hotel had been finalized. They were just waiting for the payment and

    the

    signing of the contract.

    Chanie Ba

    Carlisle Informed Lethan of this news and then sent Sunny¡¯s number to him.

    All managers had gathered in a shabby meeting room in Riley Corporation¡¯s office building.

    Victor didn¡¯t attend the meeting but returned to his office to secure the USB sh drive that held all the

    important client data. If Carlisle really wanted to get rid of him, he wouldn¡¯t have an easy time.

    In the meeting room, Carlisle sat in the main seat.

    Kenny said in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Zahn, all the important client information of thepany is with Mr.

    Carson. If you treat him like this, will it¡­¡±

    Carlisle interrupted Kenny. ¡°I don¡¯t care about those clients. Riley Corporation is already history. I¡¯ll

    establish a newpany. All clients and suppliers will be reselected.¡±

    ¡°Without those clients, thepany would cease operation!¡± M interjected.

    Carlisle looked at Kenny and said, ¡°Mr. Chester, I¡¯ll give you three days. Find a client in need of

    subcontracting. Don¡¯t worry about making a profit, just make sure it can support all employees.¡±

    To begin manufacturing, he first needed to develop his own operating system. And he didn¡¯t like any of

    the current phone hardware on the market.

    He wanted to look for manufacturers to customize advanced hardware, which was also a long journey.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    During this time, thepany¡¯s employees could only subcontract other clients¡® electronic products.

    Otherwise, they would beid off.

 Chapter 139

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make sure toplete the task!¡± Kenny nodded.

    This was a test given by Carlisle. He had toplete it no matter what.

    ¡°Is anyone using Riley¡¯s phone?¡± Carlisle inquired the crowd.

    Everyone present except Hank took out a small, delicate flip phone, resembling the Motor Razr V3

    that had just been released this year.

    Logan handed her phone to Carlisle and sald proudly, ¡°This is the Motor Razr V3. It took only three

    months from designing it to selling it in the market.¡±

    After trying it for a moment, Carlisle smiled and asked, ¡°It¡¯s basically a Motor knockoff, right? How

    are

    the sales volumes and profit?¡±

    Logan blushed. She lost her confidence when it came to sales volume.

    She said embarrassedly, ¡°It¡¯s been on the market for two months, and¡­ we¡¯ve only sold over six

    thousand units. The profit per phone is around a thousand dors.

    ¡°With a production line for over 16 hundred employees, the production capacity should berge enough

    in two months. Where did those phones go?¡± Carlisle asked in confusion.

    ¡°Our sales were bad because thepetition was too aggressive. Mr. Davis was pressured by the

    creditors and had to mortgage the remaining inventory to high¨Cinterest loans to fill the funding gap.¡±

    Logan sighed softly.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not discuss this anymore. It¡¯s almost time to get off work. Kenny, Logan, and Hank, you

    three please stay back. The rest of you can leave,¡± Carlisle instructed.

    He wanted to talk to Logan about product development, but the product he had in mind was too

    extraordinary. So, he sent the others away to avoid causing too much of a stir.

    Once the rest left the room, Carlisle got up and closed the door. Logan and the others stared at him

    intently, not knowing what he was up to.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about phone development!¡± Carlisle said seriously.

    He stared at Logan and said in a deep voice, ¡°I n to create a buttonless full¨Cscreen phone.¡±

    ¡°A buttonless phone?¡± Logan was a little dumbfounded.

    Kennyughed as well. He then asked, ¡°How do you use it without buttons?¡±

    Hank had even gotten tired of questioning Carlisle.

    There was a time when everyone called Hank crazy. Now it seemed that Carlisle was the crazy one.

    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle picked up a piece of paper and a pen from the table and then drew the outline of a rectangle

    with rounded corners.

    Chapte: 139

    The three of them leaned in to look at the drawing.

    ¡°Is¡­ Is this a phone?¡± Logan¡¯s eyes widened.

    It was impossible for a phone to look like this. It looked more like a brick!

    ¡°This is the resistive screen. We can only activate the software by touching the screen,¡± Carlisle

    exined

    briefly

    Although the capacitive screen had yet to be developed, the resistive screen was already on the

    market. Only a few phone manufacturers used it.

    Logan was the head of the R&D department, after all. She was likely to be imaginative.

    As Carlisle exined, a picture of a buttonless full¨Cscreen phone that could start the software by

    touching the icons naturally formed in her mind.

    As soon as this image appeared, Logan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    Such a phone could only appear in science fiction movies. If such a phone could really be made, it

    would definitely subvert the phone industry¡¯s entire perception.

    Hank and Kenny roughly understood what Carlisle meant. They were equally astonished.

    They couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of phone Carlisle was going to make.

    Logan came back to her senses and asked, ¡°Then how do you type and chat on it?¡±

 Chapter 140

    Chaper 140

    ¡°Though phones are used formunication, youngsters nowadays use them for inte browsing. If

    there are no buttons, how will they type?¡± Logan asked.

    ¡°We can develop a keyboard that allows users to freely switch between the default, voice, and

    handwriting input methods!¡±

    Carlisle drew rough outlines of all the input methods on the draft paper.

    Hank and Logan widened their eyes in disbelief again.

    ¡°If this keyboard can be developed, it will definitely take the world by storm!¡±

    Hank was breathing rapidly. Such a keyboard was a brilliant idea. It could meet various typing groups¡±

    needs.

    ¡°Next, let¡¯s discuss this phone¡¯s operating system. I want to develop an intelligent operating system.

    based on Linux.¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Carlisle used the Android system as a prototype and borated on the smartphone operating system.

    Logan and Hank quickly took notes as he exined.

    Carlisle made Kenny get off work since this was not his expertise.

    In the meeting room, Carlisle had an in¨Cdepth discussion with Logan and Hank.

    Time flew by, and it was already midnight.

    There was now a thick stack of draft papers surrounding Logan and Hank. Each paper contained the

    most

    crucial business secret.

    Around 2:00 am, Carlisle finallypleted his exnation of the smartphone operating system.

    Logan took a deep breath. Admiration was shining in her eyes as she looked at Carlisle.

    She then asked, ¡°Mr. Zahn, how did youe up with such an operating system?¡±

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°I had a dream. I used a phone like this in my dream, so I wanted to make it a

    reality.¡±

    Logan looked at the draft papers. Her eyes darkened. ¡°With ourpany¡¯s R&D team, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s

    very

    difficult to develop such a phone system!¡±

    Riley Corporation was just a knockoff phonepany, and most of its R&D personnel were mediocre.

    Riley phones¡® operating system were also modified from the generic button phone operating system

    avable in the market. She did not have the confidence to develop such an advanced system.

    Carlisle leaned back in his chair. He tapped the desktop lightly.

    He shifted his gaze to Hank, who was smoking, and asked, ¡°Hank, are you confident?¡±

    ¡°My skills aren¡¯t at that level, either!¡± Hank shook his head. The usual arrogance he had was now gone,

    This wasn¡¯t about hacking or web pages anymore. It was a macro¨Clevel smartphone operating system.

    Carlisle was no longer just a gaming studio¡¯s boss. He was now the boss of apany with 16

    hundred

    employees.

    Hank felt exceptionally smallpared to Carlisle, so much so that he lost his confidence when he

    spoke.

    The three of them sat in silence. Their burning enthusiasm was instantly put out.

    Suddenly, Logan said, ¡°I have an uncle who works as a technology development executive at Apple.

    Maybe we can consult him!¡±

    Before anyone could respond, Hank took a deep drag of his cigarette and said in a low voice,¡± Let me

    handle this project. What others can do, we can do it, too!¡±

    Logan frowned at Hank¡¯sck of respect for her uncle. She asked, ¡°Where did you work before?¡±

    ¡°I was unemployed.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the confidence to develop this phone system? Do you even understand how the

    industry works or how phones work?¡± Logan pressured him.

    ¡°Technology is all about exploration and development. Having our own technology is better than relying

    on others.

    ¡°Only by developing our own technology can we avoid being oppressed by the foreign market!¡± Hank

    retorted defiantly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re so confident in yourself, then go ahead!¡±

    ¡°I already said I¡¯ll do it, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Hank and Logan were at odds. One was the head of thepany¡¯s R&D department, and the other

    was a self¨Cproimed genius programmer. Neither of them was willing to yield to the other.

    At the same time, Carlisle voiced his decision. ¡°It¡¯s settled, then. Hank, you¡¯ll be in charge of the

    system. Ul. And Logan, you¡¯ll be responsible for the inte software applications!¡±

 Chapter 141

    At 3:00 am, the meeting finally ended.

    Carlisle took the two out for a barbecue and then hurried back to the studio in Rivend to catch some

    sleep.

    The next day, Sunny woke him up. Having slept for only two to three hours, Carlisle could barely keep

    his

    eyes open.

    Sunny reminded him, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re going to bete for training!¡±

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Carlisle mumbled, hoping to sleep a little longer.

    ¡°It¡¯s 7:30 am. You have half an hour left.¡±

    Carlisle sat bolt upright abruptly. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s military training today!¡±

    He hurriedly put on his shoes and asked, ¡°How are things going on your end? Did we secure the

    contract with Riverwatch Hotel?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve scheduled to sign the contract today. Would you like toe along?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m sure you can handle it well!¡±

    After tying his shoces, he dashed out. When he was at the door, he realized his pockets were

    empty.

    He went back to the couch to grab his phone and then borrowed some cash from Sunny to take a cab.

    At 8:05 am, Carlisle arrived at the university.

    As soon as he got out of the car, he could see a crowd of students in camouge uniforms on the field.

    Carlisle¡¯s military uniform was in the dormitory, so he had to go back there first.

    As he passed by the field, he saw the group his ssmates were in.

    There were over 100 students in this group. It was probably abined military group for the two E-

    When Carlisle looked over, he found Lawrence and the other students ring at him.

    He tensed up as he hurried to the dormitory.

    Lawrence turned to the students and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we still have time. Let¡¯s wait for him a little

    longer!

    The students were speechless. They were silently cursing Carlisle.

    They had been standing in formation since 7:00 am because of him beingte.

    On the other hand, Wanda looked adorable even with the training hat and uniform on. Her¨Chair was in

    cute double buns.

    Chopra T41

    However, after standing in formation for an hour, she was beginning to frown. Her body swayed as if

    she could copse at any moment.

    After changing into his uniform, Carlisle hurried back to the field.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯mte. I deserve punishment!¡±

    Carlisle stood up straight, ready to ept his punishment.

    Seeing that Carlisle had a good attitude, Lawrence smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s the first day of military training,

    so it¡¯s normal to bete.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to punish you, but I¡¯m afraid the rest will be angry. So, I¡¯ll give you a small punishment.¡±

    After saying that, Lawrence turned to the students and asked, ¡°How do you think we should punish

    him?

    ¡°Make him do 50 push¨Cups!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s way too little. My legs are numb from standing, so let¡¯s start with 200!¡±

    ¡°200 is not enough. He can do 300!¡±

    ¡°Damn, you guys are ruthless. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will seek revenge in the future?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not going to bete anyway!¡±

    The students were busy discussing Carlisle¡¯s punishment.

    Lawrence raised his hand to silence them and took out a stopwatch from his pocket.

    He looked at the time and said, ¡°My rule is that you need to run half ap around the field for every

    minute you arete. Since Carlisle is 72 minuteste, let¡¯s have him run 36ps!¡±

    With that said, he looked at the students and asked, ¡°Any objections?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± the students shouted energetically.

    The track on the field was more than 400 yards long. 36ps equaled running almost nine miles. This

    punishment was more than enough.

    Lawrence smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡±

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle took a deep breath and started running around the field.

    Meanwhile, Lawrence calmly instructed the students, ¡°Head to the rest area and introduce yourselves

    to

    each other while you¡¯re at it.¡±

 Chapter 142

    The so¨Ccalled rest area was the grassy area next to the field.

    Lawrence led the students there, and they sat down on the ground. They began to introduce

    themselves.

    one by one

    During high school, Carlisle enjoyed sports a lot. He often went for morning jogs. His physical condition

    back then was quite optimal.

    However, when he reached the tenthp currently, he started to lose his breath. He stopped and

    panted

    heavily with his hands on his knees.

    Lawrence was the devil instructor, after all. Carlisle wondered if his legs would be fine after nine miles.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you stop? Every time you stop, I¡¯ll add an extrap!¡± Lawrence shouted loudly at Carlisle.

    Carlisle took a few quick breaths and resumed running.

    By the time the students finished their self¨Cintroductions, Carlisle had alreadypleted 20ps.

    He stopped again. He was gasping for air so badly that he felt like his heart would stop beating.

    ¡°Keep running! There are 16ps left!¡± Lawrence shouted sternly at him.

    With a dry throat and a hoarse voice, Carlisle requested loudly, ¡°Permission to drink water, sir!¡±

    Lawrence replied loudly, ¡°This is punishment, not training. No water for you until youplete running!¡±

    At that moment, he seemed like the strictest instructor of all time.

    All the students could feel their necks tightened. They made up their mind not to bete during military

    training no matter what the circumstances were.

    Christine, who was sitting next to Wanda, stood up and spoke, ¡°Permission to go to the restroom, sir!¡±

    Lawrence nodded. ¡°Permission granted!¡±

    Christine walked toward the restroom. When she was halfway there, she suddenly turned and walked

    toward the convenience store.

    The sun was ring at that time. Carlisle had alreadypleted 28ps. His uniform was entirely

    soaked

    with sweat.

    He felt dizzy. His vision became blurred, his ears were ringing, and his chest was tight¨Csigns of severe

    dehydration.

    Carlisle stopped and sat down weakly on the ground.

    Seeing that Carlisle had reached his limit, Lawrence didn¡¯t push him anymore.

    Meanwhile, Christine approached him with a bottle of water. ¡°Here, drink some water.¡±

    Carlisle looked at Christine and then at the bottle in her hand. He hesitated.

    ¡°Wanda asked me to buy it for you. She even paid me for the delivery fee.¡±

    Christine ced the bottle of water on the ground before leaving.

    She guessed that there was some issue between Wanda and Carlisle. It wasn¡¯t about their rtionship

    but something else.

    Wanda seemed to be avoiding him, which was why she had asked Christine to buy water for Carlisle.

    After Wanda was transferred to ss 2 yesterday, Christine began to doubt whether her chance had.

    However, Carlisle hesitated to ept the water she offered just now, which showed that he was

    worried about Wanda getting jealous.

    Though they were not in the same ss, their feelings for each other remained. Christine had decided

    to give up on him.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle gulped down the whole bottle of water. After finishing it, he regained some

    strength.

    He rested for a moment before getting up to continue running.

    Afterpleting the final eightps, Carlisle dragged himself to Lawrence in exhaustion.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯vepleted myps!¡±

    ¡°Okay. You just need to introduce yourself now. Make sure the rest will remember you!¡± Lawrence was

    somewhat mocking him.

    Carlisle began introducing himself to his ssmates. ¡°Hi everyone. I¡¯m Carlisle. I believe everyone has

    already heard my name since you were forced to wait for me for more than an hour,

    ¡°I won¡¯t say much more. I have caused trouble to everyone today, and I¡¯m deeply sorry for that.¡±

    Carlisle seemed sincere, and coupled with his somewhat handsome appearance, many female

    ssmatesughed it off. However, the male ssmates weren¡¯t convinced at all.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Go over and take a seat!¡± Lawrence nodded at Carlisle.

    He then turned to the students and said, ¡°I believe you have seen the punishment Carlisle received

    today.

    ¡°You have to follow my rules throughout the training. Anyone who vites them will be punished. I¡¯ll

    use the military rules as part of training and disciplinary actions.¡±

 Chapter 143

    Lawrence continued exining his rules and regtions upfront. His sharp gaze made the students

    avoid eye contact with him.

    Carlisle sat on the grass and massaged his legs. His pants were a little tighter now.

    Daniel leaned over and muttered, ¡°Carlisle, I didn¡¯t expect you to be in Emerce ss, too.¡±

    Carlisle nced at him and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be in ss 2, either.¡±

    Daniel smirked. ¡°What were you up tost night?¡±

    ¡°Surfing the inte.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I thought¡­¡± Daniel hesitated. A hint of disappointment shed through his eyes.

    ¡°What did you think I was doing?¡± Carlisle raised his eyebrows at Daniel. Did he think he was hooking

    up

    with someonest night?

    ¡°Nothing. Remember to invite me next time you¡¯re pulling an all¨Cnighter.¡±

    Daniel returned to his seat, smiling.

    Carlisle chuckled before turning to look at Wanda, who was chatting with Christine and Phoebe.

    ¡°Wanda, are you really nning to start a business?¡± Phoebe looked surprised.

    So, this was how it was toe from a wealthy family? While she was still studying, Wanda was

    already

    thinking about starting apany.

    ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t that stressful studying at university, after all. I want to do something meaningful with my

    spare time.¡±

    Wanda felt someone¡¯s gaze and subconsciously looked toward Carlisle. He was staring at her.

    As their eyes met, they saw the tenderness in each other¡¯s eyes.

    Wanda didn¡¯t know what Zachary had done to Carlisle, but she knew someone was monitoring her and

    Carlisle at university.

    If they crossed the line, Zachary would definitely harm Carlisle and maybe even his family.

    To break this deadlock, Carlisle had to prove himself to Zachary,

    The truth was that Wanda wasn¡¯t confident in Carlisle, so she decided to use her resources and

    connections to start a business and make money.

    Wanda withdrew her gaze and looked at Phoebe and Christine. She said, ¡°Out of everyone in this

    university, I only trust you two!¡±

    ¡°But you know our family conditions, we can¡¯t help you much!¡± Phoebe sounded a little disappointed.

    Of course, she wanted to make money, too. She even nned to look for a part¨Ctime job nearby after

    military training ended to earn some living expenses.

    But Wanda was thinking about starting a business. Phoebe didn¡¯t have the ability or capital. Wasn¡¯t this

    going to hold Wanda back?

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you¡¯re willing to study and work together with me!¡± Wanda sounded sincere.

    Growing up in a business¨Coriented family, she knew the importance of trusted allies from an early age.

    ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± Christine nodded fervently.

    Having had enough of poverty, she was more eager to make money than anyone else. She wanted to

    show her parents that she could live well without relying on them.

    about you? Do you want

    Wanda curled her lips as she looked at Phoebe. She then asked, ¡°Phoebe, what about you? Do you

    to start a business with me?¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind. Who doesn¡¯t want to make money?¡± Phoebe replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all! Let me tell you about my two business ideas.¡±

    Time passed by quickly, and it was already noon.

    While Carlisle was having lunch in the cafeteria, he received a call from Sunny.

    He mentioned two things over the phone.

    First, the acquisition of Riverwatch Hotel waspleted.

    Second, he found several good properties. Bill from Premier Properties also received amission for

    selling 23 properties.

    Carlisleughed contentedly. ¡°I¡¯ll sign the contract after training this afternoon!*

    Sunny sighed. ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t really think Riverwatch District will be developed, do you?¡±

    23 properties could easily be worth two million dors. Even if Carlisle was only depositing the money

    in the bank to earn interest, it was worth it.

    ¡°Just focus on your job,¡± Carlisle said in a low voice and hung up the phone

    Just as he hung up Sunny¡¯s call, Heath called.

    ¡°Carl, Team Mystical and Team Darklord are running smoothly now!¡±

 Chapter 144

    ¡°So soon?¡± Carlisle asked surprisedly.

    Heath was exceptionally efficient. Recruiting him had definitely been a wise choice.

    He lit a cigarette and chuckled. ¡°I told you. As long as the money is in ce, everything can be taken

    care of!¡±

    After pondering for a moment, Carlisle said, ¡°When Sunny is back, make sure he finds some clients on

    these three games¡® forums.¡±

    Heathughed. ¡°I told him about it this morning. I even got Hank to do the advertising script. When the

    timees, our advertisements will be all over the game!¡±

    ¡°I feel relieved having you manage the studio!¡± Carlisle expressed his satisfaction.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down,¡± Heath said earnestly.

    In the afternoon, all the students arrived on time for military training. After the roll call by Lawrence,

    they began their spartan training.

    Whether it was marching or running, they had to do twice as much as the other sses. The students

    comined endlessly, but they were powerless to change the situation.

    Although Carlisle had endured his punishment in the morning, he was still full of energy in the

    afternoon and managed toplete all the training with his swollen legs.

    To avoid beingte again the next day, Carlisle decided to stay at the university during military training.

    After training in the afternoon, Sunny called Carlisle to inform him that he was waiting at the gate.

    Carlisle took a shower in the dormitory. He then washed and hung his uniform. After that, he changed

    into

    casual clothes and went out.

    At the gate, Sunny and Francis were smoking and eyeing thedies corfiing in and out of the school.

    Although it was already autumn, the weather in Rivend was still close to 30 degrees Celcius. Many

    female students were wearing ultra¨Cshort denim shorts.

    Both of them couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the students.

    Suddenly, Sunny asked, ¡°Francis, you¡¯re not young anymore. Why don¡¯t you find a girlfriend?¡±

    Francis puffed at his cigarette. The smile on his face gradually disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m happy being alone. I

    have all this freedom, Isn¡¯t it good? I don¡¯t want to be tied down by a woman!¡±

    Then, he turned to Sunny and asked, ¡°What about you? You¡¯re a university student. You have the looks

    and brains. There should be many girls who like you, right?¡±

    A hint of affection shed in Sunny¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have a girlfriend. She¡¯s at the University of Finance and

    Economics. She¡¯ll be graduating next year.¡±

    ¡°Damn, I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± Francis stubbed out his cigarette on the ground angrily.

    Sunny smiled knowingly. ¡°I think Jean is pretty good. You should pursue her!¡±

    Francis narrowed his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s not that easy to deal with. I can¡¯t handle her.¡±

    Sunny looked puzzled. Just as he was about to ask why, he saw Carlisle striding over.

    ¡°Boss!¡± Francis greeted Carlisle with a smile. Sunny followed suit.

    Carlisle smiled lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go and buy those properties!¡±

    Sunny opened the car door for Carlisle as if he was his follower.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, either. He got into the car directly. They had to get used to it sooner

    or

    Francis was the one driving. He didn¡¯t ask why Carlisle wanted to buy so many properties.

    They arrived at Riverwatch District. Carlisle first inspected each property, then followed Bill to Premier

    Properties to sign the contracts.

    Since it was after the bank¡¯s operating hours, they couldn¡¯t make transactions. They had to postpone

    them until noon the next day.

    Meanwhile, Wanda was calling Lethan in the dormitory for a loan. In the entire family, only Lethan was

    treated as an outsider.

    She felt she was about to face a situation simr to Lethan¡¯s. Perhaps only he could help her start her

    business.

    In the Warbane Mansion, Lethan was enjoying his afternoon tea. He almost jumped when he heard

    Wanda¡¯s business idea.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to start a loanpany?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the quickest way to make money!¡± Wanda responded innocently.

    Lethan couldn¡¯t help but Inugh. ¡°Running a loanpany is very risky. Can you ensure that every

    client.

    will repay on time?

    ¡°Besides, the procedures for running a loanpany are very troublesome. Not everyone can manage

    it.¡±

    Wanda teared up. ¡°Uncle Lethan, aren¡¯t you going to help me?¡±

    Hearing Wanda about to cry, Lethan became anxious. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll help you, okay?¡±

    ¡°Uncle Lethan is the best!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s n seeded. She let out a melodiousughter.

    Lethan ced his cigarette into the ashtray and said in a low voice, ¡°Alright, how much money do you

    need?¡±

    Wanda replied weakly, ¡°Around¡­ three million dors.¡±

    Lethan breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I can lend you three million dors, but you have to answer my

    questions.

    ¡°What questions?¡±

    ¡°What is the rtionship between you and Carlisle?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just ssmates!¡± Wanda blinked nervously.

    Fortunately, it was only a phone call. Otherwise, Lethan would definitely see through her lie.

    ¡°Are you sure both of you are just ssmates?

    After buying Riverwatch Hotel, Lethan once again pondered how Carlisle knew about Quinn¡¯s affair.

    After much thought, he finally came up with a possible exnation.

    Quinn and John¡¯s affair was discovered by Josie. She might have told Wanda about it, who in turn

    informed him through Carlisle.

    Wanda became nervous. ¡°Y¨CYes!¡±

    Noticing how nervous Wanda was/Lethan was even more certain of his thoughts. He spoke gently.¡±

    Wanda, I know everything. Please thank your mother for me.¡±

    ¡°T¨CThank my mom?¡±

    Lethan smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send a check to you tomorrow. Keep your phone on, and

    also¡­¡±

    His tone changed. He said in a serious voice, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a financialwyer consultant for you. Starting

    a loanpany is fine, but you have to remember that you must not engage in any illegal activities. Do

    your

    understand?¡±

 Chapter 145

    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t mess around!¡± Wanda replied obediently.

    She knew what Lethan was concerned about.

    Many loanpanies resorted to hiring unemployed workers for violent debt collections due to

    difficulties in collecting payments, leading to tragedies in the end.

    It was true that loanpanies could generate fast money, but the risk was also very high. What she

    needed to do now was to reduce the risks involved.

    Carlisle, Sunny, and Francis returned to the game studio at 9:00 pm.

    Heath was having a meeting with the employees.

    Seeing Carlislee in, everyone stood up and greeted him.

    ustomed to this, Carlisle waved his hand and smiled. ¡°Just sit down. There¡¯s no need for such

    formality.¡±

    Although Carlisle had spoken, Heath didn¡¯t take his seat. The others didn¡¯t dare to take their seats,

    either. It was evident how the others looked up to Heath.

    Carlisle sat down with Sunny and Francis by the window. They were chatting among themselves.

    Only then did Heath and the rest sit down to continue the meeting.

    Francis took three disposable paper cups. While pouring the water, he asked softly, ¡°Boss, is Heath

    reliable?¡±

    Though Carlisle was the boss, everyone in the studio seemed to listen to Heath.

    Heath had a history, and it was hard to tell whether his character was good or bad. Francis was worried

    Heath would eventually take over the studio,

    Carlisle took a sip of water. He smiled lightly. ¡°Are you doubting my judgment?¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Francis replied awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just concerned for your business.¡±

    At the same time, Sunnyughed and said, ¡°Do you think the boss cares about this game studio that is

    worth only about 200 thousand dors?¡±

    Francis pursed his lips. ¡°It¡¯s still money, isn¡¯t it? We don¡¯t even have that amount of moneybined!¡±

    Sunny picked up his cup and took a sip of water. He muttered, ¡°I believe in his judgment. The people

    he chooses must be reliable!¡±

 Chapter 146

    Francis lit a cigarette and puffed at it. ¡°Be cautious in everything you do. No one is absolutely

    trustworthy. In my town, an old man even sold his granddaughter for money!¡±

    Sunny fell silent. Francis¡® words made sense to him. Money could cloud a person¡¯s judgment.

    Carlisle put down his cup and casually remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll stick to my decision. I believe in Heath!¡±

    The phonepany¡¯s establishment happened earlier than he had originally nned. Since he had

    ventured into the industry, he wanted to focus more on it.

    As for the game studio, he intended to hand over full control to Heath.

    Sunny¡¯s PHS phone suddenly rang. He quickly answered it. ¡°Hi, Sunny speaking!¡±

    A deep voice came from the other end. ¡°Are you interested in houses in Riverwatch District?¡±

    Sunny¡¯s eyes lit up. He replied eagerly, ¡°Yes, do you have any?¡±

    The voice on the phone continued, ¡°I have 18 units with me. Are you able to secure all of them?¡±

    Sunny widened his eyes. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take as many as you have!¡±

    ¡°Alright, contact me tomorrow then,¡® the voice on the other side replied.

    After ending the call, Sunny excitedly shared the news with Carlisle. ¡°We are securing 18 units of

    houses

    tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s best to finalize it tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll transfer the money at noon!¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t seem very happy about it. His n was to invest all eight million dors, but it was

    already. the second day today, and he still had over six million left.

    Heath¡¯s meeting finally ended. Everyone returned to their working stations.

    Heath approached Carlisle and the others. He pulled out a chair, took out a pack of cigarettes, and

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    handed them to the three.

    He lit his cigarette and said, ¡°The studio is expected to start turning a profit next week!¡±

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°You need to take care of things here from now on. I may note here often

    in

    the future.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll manage the studio well!¡±

    Heath had already learned from Hank that Carlisle had invested three million dors in the mobile

    phonepany. When he first heard of this news, he was shocked.

    He always thought the game studio was the peak of Carlisle¡¯s career, but he didn¡¯t expect this to be just

    the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

    Carlisle believed in him, so he handed over the studio to him.

    Heath decided to manage the studio well. He must not let Carlisle down,

    After the four chatted for some time, It was already 11:00 pm. The university would have been closed

    by then, so Carlisle had to spend the night in the studio.

    The next day, Francis woke him up at 6:00 am.

    Since he hadn¡¯t stayed upte the previous night, he woke up, feeling energetic.

    Francis escorted him to the university.

    As soon as he arrived, Carlisle returned to the dormitory to change into his military training uniform.

    As he passed by the field, he nced at the assembly point from yesterday. Most of the students had

    arrived, but Wanda hadn¡¯t.

    When he walked into the men¡¯s dormitory area, Wanda and Phoebe arrived at the assembly point.

    The spot where Wanda was originally located had been taken by a female student from ss 2.

    Wanda was worried that Carlisle couldn¡¯t see herter, so she said to Ruby politely, ¡°Ruby, can you let

    me

    have this spot?¡±

    Ruby crossed her arms and smiled. ¡°No!¡±

    She was Austin¡¯s sister, and her father was Rivend¡¯s richest man, Yuriel.

    When Wanda was transferred to ss 2, Ruby had already figured out how to make her life difficult.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward

 Chapter 147

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Wanda naturally knew Ruby¡¯s identity. Regarding connections within the school, Ruby definitely

    couldn¡¯tpare to her. But outside of school, she had strong connections.

    Queenie had warned her on the first day not to provoke Ruby.

    Wanda lowered her head and moved to another spot. Ruby exchanged a nce with her friend, who

    immediately ran to upy that spot.

    Wanda frowned slightly and moved to yet another spot. However, another male ssmate quickly ran

    over and did the same thing.

    Wanda red at Ruby. ¡°Ruby, aren¡¯t you being too much?¡±

    Ruby smiled faintly. ¡°They¡¯re the ones taking your spot, not me.¡±

    Wanda gritted her teeth and decided to stand still, knowing Lawrence would assign her a spot when he

    arrived.

    ¡°Wanda,e over here!¡± Phoebe waved to Wanda on tiptoes.

    Wanda pursed her lips and walked over.

    Suddenly, a basketball flew over the backboard toward Wanda.

    Phoebe¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and she screamed, ¡°Wanda, watch out!¡±

    Wanda instinctively looked to her right; the basketball was right before her face.

    With a muffled sound, arge hand that was ced in front of Wanda¡¯s eyes effortlessly caught the

    basketball. The hand¡¯s knuckles were clearly visible and were less than two inches away from her

    nose.

    Wanda let out a gentle sigh of relief and looked at the boy before her.

    Carlisle lowered his gaze slightly, observing Wanda¡¯s delicate and pale face, devoid of its usual color

    due to the fright. A hint of anger shed in the depths of his eyes.

    Tears started to well up as Wanda fought the urge to throw herself into Carlisle¡¯s arms. She said with a

    trembling voice, Thank you, Carlisle!¡±

    After uttering these words, Wanda lowered her head, and tears streamed down her face. It was

    frustrating to act like strangers with the person she liked.

    ¡°Hou

    freshman, throw the ball over here!¡± shouted a burly student on the basketball court

    Carlisle¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    He caught sight of Lawrence approaching from the school gate, and he smirked subtly. Then, he turned

    and threw the basketball in the basketball court¡¯s opposite direction.

    The burly student froze instantly. ¡°What the heck¡­¡±

    Before he could react, the other students beside him had already rushed toward Carlisle.

    Carlisle prepared himself for a confrontation.

    At that moment, Daniel suddenly shouted, ¡°Mr. Hanson¡¯s here!¡±

    However, the students rushing over seemed oblivious, surrounding Carlisle instantly. One particrly

    fierce¨Clooking student even raised his hand, ready to strike.

    ¡°Go ahead, hit him.¡± Lawrence¡¯s voice came from nearby. He held a packet of milk in one hand and a

    half-

    eaten sandwich in the other.

    Despite Lawrence¡¯s warning, Jaxon Hunter paid no heed and triednding his fist on Carlisle¡¯s face.

    Carlisle swiftly blocked it, but the tremendous force left his arm numb.

    Lawrence¡¯s gaze turned icy. He dropped his food and strode forward, delivering a flying kick at Jaxon.

    Jaxon, quick on his feet, countered with a leg sweep aimed at Lawrence¡¯s knee.

    After Lawrence¡¯s kick was deflected, he crouched down and grabbed Jaxon¡¯s arm with lightning speed.

    Then, with a swift shoulder throw, he mmed Jaxon forcefully to the ground.

    ¡°Wow, Mr. Hanson is so cool!¡± Daniel eximed in excitement. Lawrence was like a character straight

    out

    of a martial artsic.

 Chapter 148

    Many female students also admired Lawrence; only Wanda was watching Carlisle¡¯s figure with red

    eyes.

    Carlisle was helping her seek revenge.

    He would have indeed been beaten if it weren¡¯t for Lawrence¡¯s intervention.

    Lawrence looked down at Jaxon and said, ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t interfere with your fights. But if you hit

    my student outside of military training, you¡¯ll have to deal with me!¡±

    Jaxon did a kick up from the ground and dusted himself off. He red coldly at Carlisle and said, ¡°I¡¯ll

    see you after school.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled dismissively. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait for you at the school gate.¡±

    Lawrence frowned and reprimanded, ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m still here!¡±

    The other students gradually left after giving Carlisle and his group a menacing look.

    Lawrence¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stared at Carlisle. ¡°Do you live on campus or off campus?¡±

    ¡°On campus.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave the school after sses today.¡±

    There were security patrols on campus, so even if there were fights among students, they could be

    quickly stopped. If it happened off¨Ccampus, the school¡¯s security team wouldn¡¯t bother.

    Carlisle remained silent, turning back to rejoin the queue. He had paid a thousand dors in protection

    fees. Hopefully, Mike wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to this.

    Sunny and Francis came to pick up Carlisle to sign the contract at noon.

    Last night, the n was for 18 units only, but the owner added six more units during the contract

    signing.

    That meant there were 24 units total, amounting to a total payment of 1.9 million dors.

    Carlisle also opened a checking ount while at the bank. It was too troublesome to go to the bank.

    every time for a transfer, writing checks next time would be much more convenient.

    As they left the bank, Sunny suddenly ran over excitedly. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s an abandoned ice skating rink

    and

    karaoke venue for resale on Rhonwen Road, both owned by the same owner!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s face lit up upon hearing this. ¡°How much can we get it for?¡±

    Sunny replied, ¡°3.5 million!¡±

    ¡°Can we move in today?¡±

    Sunny shook his head. ¡°The abandoned ice skating rink is okay, but removing the karaoke equipment

    will take two to three days.¡±

    Carlisle took out his checkbook and wrote down four million. ¡°Give him four million. I want all the

    equipment, and the deal must bepleted by today!¡±

    Sunny and Francis stiffened.

    Was Carlisle nning to start a karaoke business in Riverwatch District?

    Sunny regained hisposure, trembling as he epted the check. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you going to sign

    the

    contract?¡±

    This was four million dors! Sunny couldn¡¯t earn this much money in several lifetimes. How much trust

    did Carlisle have in him?

    ¡°ed to go back to school. You can handle it!¡±

    Carlisle smiled faintly and walked toward the ck car parked by the roadside. ¡°Francis, can you take

    me

    back to school?¡±

    Francis nced at Sunny as if he wanted to remember his face.

    Sunny nervously said, ¡°Francis, you can trust me. I won¡¯t run away!¡±

    ¡°The boss trusts you, and so do I!¡± Francis patted Sunny on the shoulder, then turned to get into the

    car.

    Sunny stared nkly at the check in his hand.

    Four million dors! This was money he wouldn¡¯t dare to dream of. In an era where the average sry

    was only 700 or 800 dors, four million was a terrifying astronomical figure!

    If he could keep it for himself, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food and drink for the rest of his life.

    His heart was pounding, and he kept swallowing saliva. He lit a cigarette and took a few deep puffs,

    only to cough violently when he was choked by the smoke.

    After recovering, Sunny took a deep breath and strode into the bank. At the service window, he

    mmed the check on the counter and said, ¡°Help me convert this into cash¡­¡±

    The counter clerk nced at the check, her eyes widening momentarily. But after a moment, she

    quickly regained herposure, smiling professionally.

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but cash withdrawals over 500 thousand dors require an appointment in advance.¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Sunny¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly.

    Just as he was about to turn away/a well¨Cdressed woman hurried to the window and said, ¡°Sir, please

    wait. I can arrange enough cash for you within an hour.¡±

 Chapter 149

    Francis dropped Carlisle off at school and returned to Riverwatch District to find Sunny.

    With a military background, he was cautious and wouldn¡¯t easily trust anyone. Of course, Carlisle was

    an exception, as he was currently relying on Carlisle for a living.

    As the saying goes, ¡°Don¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you.¡± Since Carlisle provided him with meals, he

    should dutifully help him with his tasks.

    After analyzing the people around Carlisle over the past few days, Francis felt that the likelihood of

    Heath betraying Carlisle was slim.

    Moreover, even if Heath had ulterior motives, Carlisle would only lose around 300 thousand dors.

    Sunny had a four million¨Cdor check; it was enough to open more than ten gaming studios¨Ca sum an

    ordinary family wouldn¡¯t earn in their entire lifetime..

    People could be unpredictable, so he had to remain vignt.

    Francis called Sunny when he reached Riverwatch District.

    However, an automated voice replied, ¡°Sorry, the user you dialed is currently unavable. Please try

    again

    Francis¡® brows furrowed tightly. Could the worst¨Ccase scenario have happened? Did Sunny run off with

    the money? That was four million dors!

    He dialed the number again, but the phone seemed to have been switched off.

    Francis narrowed his eyes as he lit a cigarette. After taking a few puffs, he dialed Carlisle¡¯s number.

    Carlisle was already in line on the drill ground. He was about to silence his phone when he saw

    Francis¡±

    calling in. ¡°Francis¡­¡±

    ¡°Sunny is unreachable!¡± Francis¡® tone was grave.

    Carlisle¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°Maybe his phone ran out of battery.

    and has shut down?¡±

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He trusted Heath because Heath became a prominent figure in his past life. Bing the overlord of

    the underground forces in Rivend meant he had vision and ambition.

    As for Sunny, he had relied entirely on intuition to trust him. Thinking back now, it did seem a bit rash.

    But Carlisle still tried to think positively.

    Francis said calmly, ¡°The stand¨Cby time for his PHS phone is at least seven days. Even if he were to

    make uninterrupted calls for 24 hours, it couldst for two to three days.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°Are you suggesting he ran off with the money?¡±

    Francis was speechless. Wasn¡¯t it obvious?

    After a brief silence, Francis spoke again, ¡°If we report it to the police now, we might be able to

    intercept

    him before he leaves Rivend!¡±

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes, his right hand gripping the phone tighter.

    If Sunny had really run off with the money, he wouldn¡¯t just lose four million dors.

    When the meeting concluded the next day, word would quickly spread to those developers.

    Property prices in Riverwatch District would skyrocket, and property worth four million dors could

    easily be sold for at least 35 million dors.

    In other words, the loss incurred would be over 30 million dors.

    Sunny came from a single¨Cparent family, with an ailing mother at home and a girlfriend studying at the

    Cascade State University of Finance and Economics.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t believe Sunny would abandon his girlfriend and sick mother. When Carlisle was being

    scolded, Sunny was the first to step up and defend him.

    ¡°Assemble! Everyone put your phones in the storage box!¡±

    Lawrence held a storage box and began collecting phones from the first row.

    Finally, Carlisle told Francis, ¡°Let¡¯s hold off on reporting to the police for now, I¡¯ll discuss it after school.¡±

    With that, he hung up the phone and ced it in the storage box.

    There weren¡¯t many phones in the box. Only around 30 out of over 100 students in two sses had

    phones.

    Next up was the training program devised by Lawrence.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 150

    A man wearing a mask and a baseball cap dragged a suitcase into a luxurious hotel in the center of

    Rivend City.

    He approached the front desk to check¨Cin.

    ¡°Why are you wrapped up like that on such a hot day?¡± The receptionist eyed the man warily.

    The man coughed twice, covering his mouth, and hoarsely replied, ¡°I got a cold. I¡¯m afraid of spreading

    it!¡±

    The receptionist cautiously stepped back and asked, ¡°What kind of room would you like to book?¡±

    ¡°I want the most luxurious room you have!¡±

    The receptionist looked surprised. ¡°Our most luxurious room goes for 200 bucks a day!¡±

    The man pulled two hundred¨Cdor bills from his pocket and ced them on the counter.

    The receptionist¡¯s demeanor softened a bit. ¡°And we also require 100 bucks as a deposit.¡±

    Once again, the man handed over a hundred.

    The receptionist fetched a key from the drawer and handed it to him. ¡°Room 888. If you need any

    service, just call the front desk hotline.¡±

    The man nced at the receptionist before heading toward the elevator with the key.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    The man opened the suitcase inside the luxurious room. Inside was filled to the brim with hundred¨C

    dor

    bills.

    He took off his baseball cap and mask, revealing a dazed expression.

    Sunny looked at the suitcase full of cash, unable to stop trembling.

    Four million in cash turned out to fill such arge suitcase.

    He had a dream since he was a boy. He wanted toy all the money he earned on his bed and lie down

    once he reached a million.

    But he gradually gave up on this n as he started working.

    His mother fell seriously ill and needed medicine every day.

    His girlfriend came from a low¨Cie family, and he had to use a portion of his sry to help improve

    her life.

    At this rate, how long would it take to earn a million? When would his dream evere true?

    After receiving the four million check from Carlisle, Sunny had a bold idea. He wanted to withdraw all

    four million and take photos and videos of it to fulfill his dream.

    Even though this money wasn¡¯t his, at least he had the chance to actually touch it.

    Next, Sunny spread the money out on the bed and took out a rented camera to take photos and videos.

    Finally, hey on the bed covered with money, closed his eyes, and muttered, ¡°If only this money were

    mine!*

    After about half an hour, Sunny slowly opened his eyes and took out his PHS phone to turn it on.

    There were several missed calls, but Sunny didn¡¯t check who they were from. Instead, he dialed a

    number

    from his contacts without a name.

    After a few beeps, someone answered, cursing, ¡°Damn, I thought you were backing out!¡±

    Sunny chuckled. ¡°Once a deal is made, there¡¯s no backing out. Our boss said he wants all the

    equipment. from the karaoke. So, once we sign the contract today, you¡¯ll get the money, and the deal

    will be done!¡±

    ¡°All the equipment? Is your boss nning to continue running the karaoke?¡± The voice on the other end

    sounded pleased.

    Sunny shrugged. ¡°The boss didn¡¯t say, and I didn¡¯t ask!¡±

    After a moment of hesitation, as if making a significant decision, the voice said, ¡°Seeing your boss is

    straightforward, here¡¯s the deal.

    ¡°Give me four million and 200 thousand, and I don¡¯t want any of the equipment. Once I get the money,

    I¡¯ll leave immediately!¡±

    ¡°Four million¡­¡± Sunny calmly replied, ¡°The boss only budgeted four million, not a penny more or less.¡±

    ¡°Fine, four million it is. Where are you? I¡¯ll bring the contract over.¡±

    ¡°Four Weathers Hotel.¡±

    After providing the hotel¡¯s location, Sunny hung up the phone. He then flipped onto his stomach, lying

    on top of the money, inhaling the scent of the bills with infatuation.

    His phone was ringing. This time, it was Francis calling.

    Sunny hesitated briefly, then gathered his courage and answered, ¡°Francis¡­¡±

 Chapter 151

    Francis didn¡¯t expect Sunny to answer the phone.

    After a brief silence, he asked with a smile, ¡°Did you charge your phone?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um, I just plugged it in!¡± Sunny replied absentmindedly.

    ¡°Where are you signing the contract? I¡¯lle pick you up.¡± Francis¡® tone was calm.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m at the Four Weathers Hotel.¡±

    Sunny could tell that Francis was eager to find him.

    Presumably, Francis couldn¡¯t reach him earlier and thought Sunny might have run off with the money.

    After hanging up, Francis breathed a sigh of relief, lit a cigarette, and drove to the Four Weathers Hotel.

    After finishing a round of training, Carlisle went to the basketball court to find Mike.

    Mike was sweating profusely and taking a few sips of ice¨Ccold c,

    He nced at Carlisle and said, ¡°Someone¡¯s messing with you? What¡¯s it got to do with me? Aren¡¯t you

    close with Heath? Have hime and pick you up!¡±

    There were four school bullies in the school, and they usually didn¡¯t interfere with each other.

    Mike knew the group Carlisle was talking about, and Austin had long bought them off.

    Austin was the son of Rivend¡¯s richest man, Yuriel.

    Offending Austin would probably mean even l¨¢n couldn¡¯t protect him.

    Carlisle sneered. ¡°I paid you a thousand bucks for protection. Aren¡¯t you supposed to keep me safe?

    Are you afraid of them?¡±

    Mike was provoked, ring at Carlisle. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m afraid of them? I¡¯ll escort you out of the

    schoolter. Let¡¯s see if they dare toy a finger on you!¡±

    While he didn¡¯t dare to offend Austin¡¯s men, they also didn¡¯t dare to offend Mike, either. After all,n

    held power in this area.

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°Thanks, Mike. I¡¯ll treat you guys to a meal another day!¡±

    Mike waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Get lost. Your thousand bucks is only enough for me to help you

    once!¡±

    Carlisle turned away, and his expression darkened instantly. After taking a deep breath, he headed

    toward the drill ground.

    After a few steps, his phone rang. He took out his phone and saw it was Francis calling.

    ¡°Francis, any news about Sunny?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Sunny is currently signing the contract with them. That kid took out all four million in cash.

    Francis continued to analyze the sequence of events surrounding Sunny¡¯s reappearance.

    ¡°I think he did consider running off with the money at first, but then he probably thought about the

    consequences, so he gave up the idea.¡±

    ¡°As long as he¡¯s still around, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s not specte about the reasons,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°Do we still need him after this?¡± Francis asked, a cold gleam shing in his eyes.

    If he were Carlisle, he definitely wouldn¡¯t keep a potential threat around.

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    Carlisle pondered momentarily, then sighed. ¡°Now is precisely when we need people. Let¡¯s keep him

    for

    now.¡±

    Francis¡® analysis was just his own guess.

    Carlisle had his own thoughts. He believed Sunny might have had other reasons. As for the specific

    reasons, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to delve into them.

    It would be a significant achievement if Sunny could secure the abandoned ice rink and karaoke.

    After ending the call, Carlisle switched his phone to silent mode and ced it in the storage box before

    returning to the queue.

    Standing in his position, Carlisle nced in Wanda¡¯s direction. Wanda was busy on the phone with her

    head lowered.

    She received numerous calls this afternoon, so she was making phone calls every halftime break.

    Lawrence prompted Wanda to hang up the phone quickly. She ced it back in the storage box before

    returning to her position.

    After the military training ended in the afternoon, the students rushed to the storage box to retrieve their

    phones.

    When Carlisle grabbed his phone, he also noticed Wanda¡¯s delicate hand reaching into the crowd for

    hers. A smirk crept onto his lips as he gently pinched Wanda¡¯s soft hand.

    Wanda hadn¡¯t squeezed to the front; she simply retrieved her phone from between the people. Sensing

    someone grabbing her hand, she felt goosebumps all over her body.

    Just as she was about to resist in anger¡­

 Chapter 152

    She only realized it was Carlise who was holding her hand after the student in front of Wanda walked

    away.

    Her cheeks flushed red instantly, and she felt like burying her head in her cor.

    Carlisle chuckled lightly, released Wanda¡¯s hand, picked up his phone, and walked away.

    A few boys from ss 3B were whispering to each other.

    H

    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy? How dare he take advantage of my goddess?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Carlisle from ss 3A. He¡¯s in for itter!¡±

    Hearing their conversation, Wanda remembered Carlisle had offended a group of seniors earlier. He

    was even warned not to leave school after ss.

    Wanda frowned slightly and quickly sent a message to Carlisle on MSN messenger.

    Wanda: ¡°Carlisle, are you leaving school?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    Wanda: ¡°They might cause trouble for you. Don¡¯t leave!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°I paid Mike for protection, and he promised to escort me out of the school gate.¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Well¡­ okay. Thanks for today. Also, you looked super cool blocking the basketball!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s lips involuntarily curled up when she thought of Carlisle blocking the basketball earlier.

    Carlisle replied with a smile: ¡°Really? Did you fall for me when I blocked that basketball for you back in

    high school?¡±

    Daniel, who was walking beside him, asked, ¡°Why are you smiling so happily? Are you chatting with

    your girlfriend?¡±

    He leaned over to take a look.

    Carlisle¡¯s nickname for Wanda was ¡°Wanbabe¡°.

    Daniel scoffed. ¡°So you do have a girlfriend after all. Is she from our school? What¡¯s her major?¡±

    Carlisle ignored him and continued chatting with Wanda.

    Daniel pondered for a moment and wondered if ¡°Wanbabe¡± was Wanda from their ss.

    At that moment, Carlisle received a call from Francis. He quickened his pace toward the dormitory.

    Half an hourter, Carlisle walked out of the school gate in casual clothes.

    About 40 or 50 people were standing by the roadside.

    Mike was negotiating with a tall man smoking a cigarette.

    ¡°Jax, cut me some ck today. Let¡¯s just call it even!¡±

    Mike ced a cigarette between his lips, and Kelvin immediately took out a lighter and lit it.

    Jaxon took a deep drag, his cold gaze fixed on Mike as he sneered. ¡°Mike, are you dumb? Aren¡¯t you

    thinking too highly of yourself?¡±

    Mike¡¯s expression turned cold as he pointed at Jaxon and shouted, ¡°What the fuck did you say to me?

    I¡¯ll¡­

    Jaxon swung a kick directly at Mike.

    A fight broke out instantly, with both groups grappling with each other.

    The senior students paid them no heed, acting as if nothing unusual was happening, while the juniors

    stopped to watch.

    Jaxon had two friends who knew how to box. With just one exchange, Mike¡¯s nose started bleeding.

    Mike¡¯s men immediately rushed to deal with the two skilled fighters.

    At the same time, four or five vans appeared at both ends of the street.

    Seeing this, Jaxon quickly yelled, n¡¯s people are here! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    With that, Jaxon¡¯s group immediately ran back toward the school.

    Mike cursed angrily from behind, ¡°What a bunch of trash. Don¡¯t run if you got the balls!¡±

    At that moment, sirens could be heard in the distance.

    The people who had just gotten out of the vans muttered curses and quickly retreated.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Mike spat blood onto the ground, looking proud. ¡°They¡¯re just trash after all. Even with Austin backing

    them, they still piss themselves when they seen¡¯s people.¡±

    A ck Mazda zoomed past him.

    Carlisle sat inside the car, sighing. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to get by in this school without some influence.¡±

    Francis frowned. ¡°Was Mike blocking your way at the school gate?¡±

 Chapter 153

    ¡°He was helping me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had conflicts with him before. Yet, he was still willing to help you?¡± Francis asked.

    ¡°Money talks.¡± Carlisle smiled wryly.

    After a brief silence, Francis lowered his voice and said, ¡°Actually, you could develop your own

    underground influence. Wealthy individuals more or less have such power in this era.¡±

    Those words struck a chord with Carlisle.

    He wouldn¡¯t have been involved in these conflicts if he had been studious and obedient in school. But

    Wanda wasn¡¯t an ordinary person, and he had to endure a lot of pressure if he wanted to be with her.

    He nned to let Heath manage the game studio first.

    be rebuilt River

    Once Riverwatch District was developed, he would take over the rebuilt Riverwatch Hotel and let Heath

    manage it while developing his own influence.

    He would push himself to the position of Rivend¡¯s underground overlord.

    Now, it seemed like this move was dragging on.

    -He would have graduated from university by the time Riverwatch District was developed. Would he

    need

    to cower in fear at school during this period?

    When Carlisle returned to the studio, he nned to start reviewing the contracts for the ice rink and

    karaoke with Sunny.

    As Carlisle examined the contracts at Team Legendary¡¯s department, Heath walked over and ced a

    cup of coffee on the table. Meanwhile, Francis was smoking with his legs crossed.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Sunny stood nervously nearby.

    The contracts were good, so Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°Sunny, you should sit down, too!¡±

    Sunny swallowed nervously. ¡°Boss, I¡¯d like to talk to you alone¡­¡±

    Francis put out his cigarette and stepped back with Heath.

    Sunny recounted his actions from earlier that day with his head lowered.

    After finishing, he earnestly exined, ¡°Boss, ver intended to run away with the money. It was just

    to fulfill a childhood dream. I hope you can trust me!¡±

    Carlisle sipped his coffee, listening to Sunny¡¯s exnation, Setting down his cup, he looked up and

    smiled. ¡°Take a seat. I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYou really trust me?¡± Sunny looked at Carlisle in disbelief.

    He had anticipated that Carlisle might forgive his actions but hadn¡¯t expected him to trust him so easily.

    ¡°I trust my judgment and intuition. Four million isn¡¯t a small sum, but it¡¯s not huge, either. As long as you

    stick with me and work hard, you¡¯ll earn more than four million in the future.¡±

    Carlisle stood up and went to pour another cup of coffee, his demeanorposed.

    But Sunny didn¡¯t notice these subtleties. He bowed deeply with tears in his eyes. ¡°Thank you for

    trusting

    me, Boss!¡±

    Carlisle pushed the extra cup of coffee toward Sunny with a wide smile. ¡°Alright, sit down and have

    some

    coffee.¡±

    Sunny admitting to his mistake showed that his character was indeed sound. His exnation also

    aligned well with Carlisle¡¯s thoughts. Showing him such trust would only make him more devoted to

    their

    cause

    After Sunny sat down, Carlisle called over Francis and Heath. Sipping his coffee, Carlisle spoke,

    ¡°Heath, are you confident in taking over the underground industry here?¡±

    Heath¡¯s body tensed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Francis chuckled and exined, ¡°Boss isn¡¯t having a great time at school, so he wants to establish our

    own power.¡±

    Heath licked his lips and replied, ¡°Establishing power isn¡¯t difficult, but to take down Mike, we need to

    get rid ofn. And to do that, we need a huge sum of money.

    ¡°How much are we talking about?¡± Carlisle asked.

    Heath thought for a moment, then held up both of his hands. ¡°Ten million!¡±

    ¡°Ten million?¡± Francis¡® and Sunny¡¯s eyes widened instantly. Even the sounds of typing in Team

    Legendary¡¯s department ceased momentarily.

    Heath red at the employees and shouted, ¡°What are you looking at? Get back to work!¡± The

    employees were startled and quickly resumed typing, burying their heads in their tasks.

 Chapter 154

    Francis said with a wry smile, ¡°Boss, I think we should take it slow.

    ¡°You¡¯re already running a mobile phonepany, managing a studio, and have bought some

    properties. The eight million should be nearly used up, right?¡±

    Carlisle looked at Heath and asked, ¡°Will ten million be enough?¡±

    Ten million might seem like an astronomical figure to ordinary people, but it was just a drop in the

    ocean in business.

    Heath needed to seizen¡¯s territory and business, which required purchasing his own hotel. Then, he

    wouldpete withn¡¯s business using some underhanded tactics.

    When the time was right, he would swallown¡¯s business in one fell swoop.

    Heath chuckled and said, ¡°Can you really gather ten million?!

    Carlisle replied calmly, ¡°Just tell me if it¡¯s enough.¡±

    Heath lit a cigarette and confidently dered, ¡°For anyone else, even if you gave them 50 million, it

    might not be enough. But for me, ten million is plenty.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t bragging. After Horace¡¯s downfall, some of his loyal subordinates chose to follow Heath.

    With enough funds, he could quickly gather them together.

    Carlisle smiled faintly and said, ¡°Alright, if you say so. Leave the studio to Owen and Cameron. You

    and Benjamin get ready. I¡¯ll allocate ten million to you in under three days.

    Upon hearing this, Francis¡® and Sunny¡¯s jaws almost dropped to the floor.

    Sunny wasn¡¯t exactly sure how much money Carlisle had, but Francis had some understanding of it..

    Initially, Carlisle borrowed 100 thousand dors from his girlfriend to buy a painting. Those paintings

    earned him 8.6 million dors.

    Then, he expanded the studio and bought a car. Carlisle had already emptied his pockets with the

    properties in Riverwatch District.

    Where could he possibly find ten million dors?

    Heath took a long drag of his cigarette, feeling the mes of vengeance in his heart gradually igniting.

    With a worried expression, Francis said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they sayn had a rich kid backing him? Are you sure

    you can handle that rich kid?¡±

    Heath smirked coldly. ¡°He¡¯s just a puppet propped up by others. Horace started from scratch, and all

    his men are ruthless.n can¡¯tpare!¡±

    Francis rubbed his nose. ¡°Try not to be too ruthless. It¡¯s awful society now.

    Heath understood Francis¡® implication and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know my limits. Even if

    something goes wrong, it won¡¯t involve you guys.¡±

    ¡°Bro, that¡¯s the way!¡± Francis gave Heath a thumbs up.

    Carlisle took a sip and said with a serious tone, ¡°Let¡¯s not get involved in businesses that harm society.¡±

    Heath nodded. ¡°I know which businesses to do and which not to do.¡±

    Carlisle smiled contentedly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go out for dinner together.¡±

    In the Pearl Pulm District, a 2000¨Csquare¨Cfoot shop was undergoing overnight renovation.

    Christine sipped her tea, her eyes shining brightly. ¡°Is this going to be our workce from now on?¡±

    Phoebe also had a cup of tea in her hand, biting on the straw excitedly. ¡°Do we need to hire some

    employees?¡±

    Wanda, eating a sundae, smiled widely. ¡°We don¡¯t have much capital; we¡¯ll have to hold off on hiring for

    now!¡±

    Phoebe sipped her tea and suggested, ¡°Wanda, why don¡¯t youe up with a name for our

    company?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s call t SwiftFunds Financial Investments!¡±

    Wanda had already thought of thepany name.

    Since it was a loanpany, it was about solving customers¡® urgent needs. The name SwiftFunds was

    quite distinctive.

    ¡°SwiftFunds sounds really nice!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s artistic and fits a loanpany¡¯s style!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Aren¡¯t I amazing?¡±

    The girls¡® eyes were filled with longing and aspiration.

    Little did they know thispany would be a major headache for the entire financial industry in

    the

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    future.

 Chapter 155

    After enjoying a satisfying meal, Carlisle and the others returned to their respective homes. Francis had

    drunk quite a bit, so Carlisle had to hail a taxi back to school.

    Carlisle was immediately taken aback when he entered his dormitory. His roommates stood nervously

    on either side.

    Mike, with a swollen face, was smoking on Carlisle¡¯s bed. Two other young men stood beside him with

    rolled¨Cup sleeves.

    ¡°Mike¡­ What happened?¡± Carlisle approached him.

    Mike narrowed his eyes at Carlisle and snorted. ¡°What happened? It¡¯s all because of you!¡±

    Carlisle put on a grateful expression and said, ¡°Thank you, Mike, for your generous help. Let me treat

    you and your friends to a feast at A1 Seafood Restaurant tomorrow.¡±

    Mike was hoping to gain some benefits from Carlisle. Seeing Carlisle being so understanding, his

    expression softened a bit.

    ¡°No need for a feast. Just give me three thousand. I still need to buy cigarettes forn¡¯s men!¡±

    ¡°Three¡­¡± Carlisle was dumbfounded. In reality, he didn¡¯t even have one thousand bucks on him. :

    ¡°Hm?¡± Mike¡¯s expression darkened, and his twopanions immediately stepped forward. It seemed

    they wouldn¡¯t let him go easily without getting the money.

    Carlisle gritted his teeth and forced a smile. ¡®I don¡¯t have that much money on me right now. How about

    tomorrow? Come to the dormitory at this time tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Fine, you better not y with me!¡± Mike warned before leaving with hispanions.

    ¡°Damn, Carl, you should consider changing dormitories. With you here, we¡¯re constantly on edge!¡±

    Jasper Suttonmented, sitting on the bed opposite Carlisle.

    ¡°Mike was here for a whole hour, so we had to stand just as long. We already had to stand as a

    punishment during military training, but now we have to continue standing even in our dormitory!

    Please, have some sympathy for us.¡±

    The other roommates also looked displeased as they nced at Carlisle.

    At this moment, Daniel spoke up/¡°Carlisle, I think you should tell the teachers. You can just let Mike

    push you around all the time.¡±

    Carlisle smiled helplessly. ¡°Do you think telling the teachers will help?¡±

    There wouldn¡¯t be such gang¨Clike behavior in school if telling the teachers worked. But this situation

    wouldn¡¯tst long.

    Once Heath dealt withn, the underground forces in several nearby areas would be reshuffled. These

    small gangs in the school would have to submit to Heath¡¯s authority.

    Daniel shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you have the money. I¡¯ve warned you, anyway.¡±

    At that moment, Shane Foster suddenly asked, ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs¡® to buy some drinks. Does

    anyone

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    need anything?¡±

    ¡°Help me get two packs of beef jerky!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a bottle of coke!¡±

    Several ssmates immediately handed money to Shane.¡±

    ¡°As usual, 50 cents for the delivery fee!¡± Shane said with a yful smile.

    Carlisle took out a hundred¨Cdor bill from his pocket. ¡°Today¡¯s incident has caused inconvenience to

    everyone. Let me treat you all to some snacks and drinks. Shane, use this to buy something for them!¡±

    ¡°Wow, you sure are generous!¡±

    ¡°Cal, you¡¯re awesome!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, if Mike dares to bother Cal again next time, I¡¯ll be the first to beat him up!¡±

    The roommates seemed to have forgotten the earlier incident, all trying to please Carlisle.

    Most of them came from ordinary families, with a monthly allowance of only about 400 dors. Treating

    them to snacks for 100 bucks was quite generous of Carlisle.

    ¡°Cal, I spoke too loudly just now. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡±

    Jasper¡¯s attitude had changed, and his face was filled with a ttering smile.

    Carlisle had first given Mike a thousand bucks as protection money, and now he promised to give him

    another three thousand.

    He didn¡¯t even bat an eye at Mike¡¯s request just now. Clearly, he came from a wealthy family.

    Jasper believed he should rely on friends when he was away from home.

    What did a small punishment like standing for a while matter if he could be friends with a rich kid?

 Chapter 156

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°I did cause inconvenience to everyone today, so it¡¯s normal for you toin.¡±

    After a quick chat, Carlisley on his bed and took out his phone to reply to Logan¡¯s message..

    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have someone send the money over. You don¡¯t need to worry!¡±

    Logan had called Carlisle to inquire about the employees¡® sries half an hour ago.

    At that time, Carlisle was still eating, and the restaurant¡¯s environment was too noisy. Logan could not

    clearly hear what he said despite shouting for a while.

    ¡°Okay, Mr. Zahn!¡± Logan quickly replied to the message.

    Carlisle continued to ask, ¡°How¡¯s the progress on the project?¡±

    Logan responded, ¡°These days, both Mr. Quilton and I have been recruiting to expand the research

    and

    development team.

    ¡°Mr. Quilton has been working tirelessly. We¡¯ve already made dozens of conceptual diagrams for

    operating systems. You cane and refer to them next year!¡±

    Carlisle replied, ¡°Alright, notify thepany employees. We¡¯ll pay them their sries at around 8:00

    pm

    tomorrow!¡±

    Rivend University was two hours away from Stoneville, so that little time during lunchtime at noon

    was

    not enough.

    After ending the conversation with Logan, Carlisle opened MSN messenger.

    It had been a long time since Sean talked to him. Surely, he wasn¡¯t still angry, right?

    Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle opened Sean¡¯s chat window and sent a message. ¡°Sean, are you still mad?¡±

    Sean: ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯ve just been busy these days.¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°How busy can you be? Don¡¯t you even have time to send your best friend a message?¡±

    Sean: ¡°Go to hell. I¡¯m busy dating!¡±

    Carlisle typed several question marks in response.

    Sean sent a grinning emoji. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Lily and I were destined to be together? So, I¡¯m asking her

    out!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Did she agree?¡±

    Sean: ¡°Yeah, after my heroic rescuest time, any girl would have fallen for me, right?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Alright, then I wish you both well!¡±

    Sean: ¡°How about you and Wanda?

    Carlisle replied with a tearful emoji. Talking about it brings tears to my eyes!

    Sean: ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Let¡¯s talk about making money instead. Are you nning to kick me

    out?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. That¡¯s not happening!¡±

    Sean: ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because you looked down on me that you left?¡±

    Carlisle felt speechless.

    In that situation, refusing topromise would only make things worse. He might even end up with a

    stain on his record or, worse, be sent to solitary confinement.

    Sean seemed to also realize his mistake.

    Sean: ¡°I was a bit impulsive at the time, and maybe I had a bit too much to drink. Actually, I¡¯ve been

    wanting to apologize to you!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Let¡¯s meet up this weekend, and I¡¯ll show you a way to make money!¡±

    Sean: ¡°Show me a way?

    Carlisle: ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I join you in making money?¡±

    Previously, Sean thought that Carlisle was still holding a grudge and didn¡¯t n on involving him in

    making money anymore.

    Carlisle: ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡±

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin, so he exited the chat interface after replying to this message.

    At that moment, Shane entered with tworge bags of snacks. The roommates rushed over to grab

    them.

    Carlisley on his bed with a pensive expression, crossing his legs.

    What kind of money¨Cmaking opportunity should he find for Sean?

    If everything went as nned, his first¨Cgeneration smartphone would beunched next year. The

    inte era would also enter the public¡¯s view ahead of schedule.

    Suddenly, a bright idea shed through Carlisle¡¯s mind. Sean could work on the SociableNet!

 Chapter 157

    SociableNet, formerly known as SchoolSpace, was established in 2005 by a group of students from

    prestigious universities.

    It was primarily used to facilitate socialworking on campuses.

    Unfortunately, SchoolSpace wasn¡¯t initially favored by investors during its early days. The founders

    failed to secure investments and had to sell it off cheaply.

    The businessman who acquired SchoolSpace also owned another simr socialworking site. He

    merged the two websites and, in the following years, attracted over 100 million users.

    Traffic was wealth in the inte era. Carlisle believed he could potentially take SociableNet to new

    heights with memories from his past life.

    ¡°Cal, see if there are any snacks you want to eat.¡± Shane walked over, carrying arge bag of snacks.

    Carlisle took a pack of chips and beef jerky from the bag, then grabbed a bottle of mineral water.

    The dormitory was filled with the sound of munching, and the air was filled with the aroma of spicy

    snacks. The roommates chatted andughed, enjoying themselves.

    Eating the beef jerky felt like chewing wax to Carlisle. Even though he had been reborn at 18, he still

    couldn¡¯t find the same feeling of eating beef jerky from his past life.

    He sighed as he handed the remaining pack of snacks to his roommate in the adjacent bed.

    Just as he was about to sleep, he suddenly remembered he would need arge amount of cash

    tomorrow.

    When he opened a checking ount at the bank previously, the ount manager had given him a

    business card.

    Carlisle dialed the number on the card and arranged to exchange a five million dor check for cash.

    After hanging up the phone, Carlisle found himself unable to sleep. Tomorrow would be the day when

    the development news of Riverwatch District would be released, marking a significant turning point

    since his

    rebirth.

    The property he owned, worth over eight million dors, would likely appreciate by about nine times.

    Then, there was Riverwatch Hotel. Selling it for at least 360 million dors meant he would pocket

    around 150 million after splitting it,

    He would achieveplete financial freedom with over 200 million dors in hand.

    Zachary might be unable toe up with 200 million bucks; even raising 50 million would probably be

    difficult for him.

    Shein would definitely start to regard him differently.

    However, this wouldn¡¯t satisfy Carlisle¡¯s appetite. The hardware suppliers for the mobile phone

    company

    still couldn¡¯t produce the hardware he wanted.

    They might not agree to upgrade their hardware research and manufacturing equipment unless he

    Invested in them.

    How many supply chain manufacturers could he invest in with 200 million dors?

    As usual, Carlisle attended the military training the following day.

    However, he didn¡¯t pass up his phone this time. Before leaving the dormitory, he texted Lethan, asking

    him to pay attention to the news today.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Lethan had the habit of going on morning jogs. He was running in the park when he received Carlisle¡¯s

    message.

    ¡°Pay attention to the news today? What does that mean?¡± Lethan muttered, frowning.

    The next moment, his eyes widened in surprise.

    Could he be talking about Riverwatch District¡¯s development news? Was Riverwatch District really

    going to be developed?

    Lethan took a deep breath and turned around, running

    -k toward the mansion.

    He returned to his bedroom and turned on the 37¨Cinch LCD TV, tuning it to Rivend TV Station.

    However, Rivend TV Station was currently reying footage of a handsome young maning out

    of a high school exam room.

    ¡°It¡¯s him again. This handsome examinee once again handed in his paper and left the exam room

    within half an hour.

    ¡°Next, we¡¯ll be interviewing him.

 Chapter 158

    The reporter spoke with a teasing tone.

    Lethan eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Carlisle?¡±

    After watching the reporter¡¯s interview, Lethan pondered. Carlisle had handed in his exam papers

    within.

    half an hour for every test, yet still managed to get into Rivend University.

    Judging by his calm demeanor, getting into a top¨Ctier university wouldn¡¯t be out of reach for him.

    A thought suddenly popped into Lethan¡¯s mind¨CCarlisle definitely cheated.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    The news about the City nning Bureau and the Rivend Council Meeting had already been

    released. Many business moguls were paying attention to Rivend news.

    Without direct connections, they could only learn about the meeting through the news. Like Lethan,

    these business figures had also watched Carlisle¡¯s interview.

    At first, they all thought Carlisle was a joke. It was when footage from Carlisle¡¯s enrollment banquet

    was released that these business moguls started to take him seriously.

    The meeting had yet to conclude at around 10:00 am. However, Lethan received a call from his

    younger

    sister, Shania Warbane.

    ¡°Lethan¡­¡± Shania¡¯s voice trembled.

    Lethan¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Is it about Riverwatch District¡¯s development?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not only will Riverwatch District be fully developed, but they will also build a subway line and a

    high -speed rail station in Rivend.

    ¡°They n to turn Riverwatch District into a special economic development zone for Rivend!¡±

    Shania¡¯s voice was filled with a deep sense of disappointment.

    Yuriel has already secured thergest piece ofnd in the Riverwatch District. Even before the news

    was

    released, he had firmly established his foothold.

    What chance did Lethan have against him?

    Lethan¡¯s hand trembled with excitement as he held the phone. Not only would Riverwatch District be

    developed, but they would also build a high¨Cspeed rail station and a subway station.

    The housing prices were going to skyrocket.

    Meanwhile, the meeting on the TV came to an end. Arge group emerged from the city council

    building. and they were immediately surrounded by journalists who bombarded them with questions.

    With Riverwatch District¡¯s development already set in stone, the political officials didn¡¯t hide anything

    They disclosed everything openly, and the news exploded like thunder on television.

    ¡°Lethan, did you really buy Riverwatch Hotel?¡± Shania suddenly asked.

    717

    Riverwatch Hotel was thergest hotel in Riverwatch District and had been a prominent presence in the

    entirety of Rivend for years. If he could acquire Riverwatch Hotel, there might be a chance for himi to

    compete for market share.

    Lethan chuckled triumphantly. ¡°How about that? Doesn¡¯t your brother have a good eye?¡±

    Shania eximed with joy, ¡°Is Riverwatch Hotel really in your hands? Did you know in advance that

    Riverwatch District would be developed?¡±

    It seemed illogical for her brother, who was in the clothing business, to suddenly buy arge hotel

    unless he had received advance notice of Riverwatch District¡¯s development.

    Lethan shrugged. ¡°If I knew Riverwatch District would be developed, wouldn¡¯t I have sold mypany

    and invested everything into it?¡±

    Shania¡¯s excitement was palpable as she eximed, ¡®Lethan, sell Riverwatch Hotel to me!¡±

    The smile on Lethan¡¯s face gradually froze. ¡°Shania, this hotel doesn¡¯t belong to me alone. Even if I

    want to sell it, I need my partner¡¯s consent.¡±

    Shania inquired, ¡°Who¡¯s your partner? I can talk to him!¡±

    After a moment of hesitation, Lethan replied, ¡°Let me discuss with him. How much can you offer?¡±

    Retuming to her desk, Shania pulled up a photo of Riverwatch Hotel on herputer for evaluation.

    After a while, she said, ¡°I can offer up to 320 million!¡±

    Lethan swallowed hard. ¡°Shania, you have quite the financial power.¡±

    Shania smirked. ¡°I still need to get 200 million from Josie and my brother¨Cinw. Your rtionship with

    your partner should be very good. I just hope your price doesn¡¯t exceed what I can afford!¡±

    Lethan said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you for 250 million. Come over and sign the contract now!¡±

    ¡°Lethan, you¡­.¡± Shania was astonished.

    Riverwatch Hotel was situated on Riverwatch District¡¯s central street. It could still be sold even at ten

    times the price based on the hotel¡¯s scale and area.

    She had slightly lowered the price because she believed Letham had a good rtionship with his

    partner. However, she never expected her brother to reduce the cost to 250 million voluntarily.

    She understood what Letham meant; he was sharing a portion of the profits he earned from the hotel

    with

    her.

 Chapter 159

    ¡°We¡¯re all family here, so there¡¯s no need to say more. Please help me talk to Josie. Lethan spoke in at

    gentle tone.

    Now that Quinn wasn¡¯t interfering anymore, he only wanted to reconcile with his family, but Josie had

    never forgiven him.

    Shania felt conflicted. ¡°Hm, I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±

    In truth, Josie had long forgiven Lethan. She was keeping her distance from him to avoid involving him

    in the business battle between her husband and Yuriel.

    Although her husband seemed to have a good rtionship with Yuriel, the two men were actually

    sitting on a powder keg

    It wouldn¡¯t just be a simple businesspetition when the day came for them to tear each other apart.

    Yuriel was sipping tea in his office at Evermore Properties. Severalpany executives were fawning

    over him.

    ¡°Mr. Gust¡¯s predictions are simply astounding! You actually foresaw Riverwatch District¡¯s development

    in advance!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gust¡¯s business acumen is beyondpare! We can¡¯t even hope to match it!¡±

    ¡°If we could secure Riverwatch District¡¯s entire market share, Evermore Properties would reign

    supreme in the real estate industry in Rivend!¡±

    Yuriel drank his tea, his face devoid of the expected joy.

    When he received the news, he immediately contacted the Evermore Properties Real Estate branch in

    Riverwatch District to acquire all the idle properties.

    However, the message from the Riverwatch branch stated that there were no idle properties in the

    entire district.

    After inquiring with the branch manager, it was revealed that someone had bought all the idle

    properties in Riverwatch District three days ago.

    This meant someone had received news of Riverwatch District¡¯s development ns three days in

    advance.

    Who could this person be?

    Thendline was ringing. Yuriel picked up the phone.

    ¡°Mr. Gust, it¡¯s a young man named Carlislel¡±

    ¡°Carlisle?¡±

    Yuriel furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°Could it be Carlisle from Rivend University?¡±

    The voice on the other end said, ¡°That¡¯s him!¡±

    Yuriel looked bewildered. ¡°How did he know about the development ns for Riverwatch District?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that he has connections in Lumina!¡±

    Yuriel was about to respond when his desktop phone screen lit up.

    Initially, Yuriel intended to ignore the call, but upon seeing the caller IDbeled ¡°Mayor¡°, he quickly

    hung up thendline.

    He then swiftly picked up his mobile phone and stood up with a smile. ¡°Mr. Ross. Why are you

    personally calling me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a bidding conference this afternoon. Can you make it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make time for

    it!¡±

    ¡°Alright, see you in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Okay, see you there.¡±

    Even over the phone, Yuriel was nodding and bowing.

    After ending the call with Harrison Ross, Yuriel searched for Carlisle¡¯s number in his contacts.

    However, he couldn¡¯t find it after searching for a while.

    He then instructed thepany¡¯s executives to contact Carlisle and ordered them to buy the properties

    from Carlisle at all costs.

    At Dragonaire Studio, Sunny was sitting in front of theputer, posting advertisements on various

    gaming forums.

    When browsing the Rivendmunity, he saw a very eye¨Ccatching post.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Latest news: Riverwatch District is about to be developed. The first subway station and high¨Cspeed

    rail station in Rivend will be built in Riverwatch District, causing property prices in Riverwatch District

    to skyrocket by more than five times¡­¡±

    Sunny suddenly stood up, muttering, ¡°Holy¡­

 Chapter 160

    Both Heath and Francis, smoking by the window, were startled. They exchanged nces and then

    walked over to Sunny.

    ¡°Sunny, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    When Francis saw the content of that post, he jumped int shock.

    Heath, unaware that Carlisle had bought properties in Riverwatch District, looked at the two of them

    with confusion.

    Sunny took deep breaths, trying his best to calm himself down.

    Riverwatch District was really going to be developed.

    Carlisle had bought properties worth eight million, and now they had multiplied by five. That meant they

    could sell for over 40 million.

    Sunny couldn¡¯t help but shiver thinking of this figure.

    He suddenly remembered what Carlisle had said to him.

    ¡°Work hard with me, and you¡¯ll earn more than four million in the future!¡±

    He hadn¡¯t taken it seriously then, thinking Carlisle was just brainwashing him.

    But now, Sunny believed it.

    Carlisle was just a freshman in college and only 18 years old, but he dared to invest all his assets.

    Moreover, he had turned eight million into 40 million within three days.

    He disyed remarkable courage and business acumen! He would surely be on par with Yuriel in the

    future.

    Francis lit a cigarette, his lips quivering as he said, ¡°It seems I didn¡¯t choose the wrong person to

    follow.¡±

    Heath, looking puzzled, said, ¡°But¡­ What does Riverwatch District¡¯s development have to do with us?¡±

    Sunny took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What if I told you that Boss bought properties worth 8 million in

    Riverwatch District?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Heath¡¯s cigarette fell to the ground, his eyes wide with disbelief. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±

    Sunny remained silent. He slowly sat down, holding onto the chair¡¯s armrest.

    Heath looked at Francis, who nodded and said, ¡°He did buy some properties.¡±

    Heath narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°No wonder he didn¡¯t even blink when I mentioned ten million!¡±

    Sunny wondered. ¡°Do you think the boss received news about Riverwatch District¡¯s development in

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    advance?¡±

    2.2

    Francis shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. Even if he did, it should be from those property developers.¡±

    Sunny continued specting. ¡°Maybe the boss has connections with the higher¨Cups?¡±

    Heath replied, ¡°If he received the news three days in advance, then his connections are quite

    terrifying!¡±

    Francis took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t pry into the boss¡® affairs. We¡¯re just

    employees. Let¡¯s focus on our own tasks. I believe the boss won¡¯t mistreat us.¡±

    Both Heath and Sunny nodded in agreement.

    When Carlisle picked up his phone at school, he saw over 30 missed calls from Lethan

    There was a hint of a smile on Carlisle¡¯s face.

    It seemed like news about Riverwatch District¡¯s development had already been released.

    He called Lethan back.

    Lethan immediately picked up the phone. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really hard to reach you!¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m in military training, so I can¡¯t contact you in time. Sorry about that.¡±

    Lethan didn¡¯t beat around the bush and said, ¡°Riverwatch District is indeed going to be developed.

    Property prices in the entire Riverwatch District have multiplied by five instantly. How much do you n

    to sell Riverwatch Hotel for?¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t seem too excited. He just smiled faintly, ¡°Multiplying by five is definitely an

    understatement.

    ¡°Riverwatch District will have a high¨Cspeed rail station and a subway station. It will be Rivend¡¯s

    central hub in the future; even the city council building will be relocated there.

    ¡°I believe property prices will skyrocket to about ten times their current value in this wave of

    development!

    ¡°So, you mean our Riverwatch Hotel can be sold for 360 million?¡± Lethan asked, narrowing his eyes.

    Shania was a real estate developer, and her final price assessment was also around 360 million.

    Could Carlisle¡¯s valuation match that of a real estate developer?

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°If it¡¯s put up for auction, I think it could sell for about 400 million!¡±

    Lethan fell silent and said, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯ve sold Riverwatch Hotel for 360 million to Shania.

    ¡°She¡¯s a real estate developer and needs Riverwatch Hotel as capital to seize market share in the

    Riverwatch District development. So, I can only offer you 180 million!¡±

 Chapter 161

    Lethan felt a bit uneasy after he finished speaking.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle¡¯s expected price was 400 million, but Lethan had only sold it for 250 million. If he gave Carlisle

    200 million, he would only have 50 million left.

    Giving Carlisle 180 million would leave him with an extra 20 million. But this seemed unfair to Carlisle.

    Carlisle was silent momentarily, then smiled and said, ¡°You probably didn¡¯t sell it for 360 million, did

    you?¡±

    He didn¡¯t believe Lethan would sell the hotel for 360 million after buying it for 36 million. He probably

    wouldn¡¯t have sold it for even 300 million.

    Lethan asked, ¡°Just tell me if 180 million is enough. If it¡¯s not, I¡¯ll give you 200 million. Anyway, I¡¯m still

    profiting!¡±

    He had thought it through. He wouldn¡¯t have earned a penny if Carlisle hadn¡¯t insisted on him buying

    the Riverwatch Hotel.

    He had already earned some goodwill by selling the Riverwatch Hotel to Shania at a low price. Giving

    Carlisle 200 million out of the 250 million, he could still earn 50 million.

    ¡°180 million is enough. It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you.¡± Carlisle smiled as he spoke, very

    satisfied with the price.

    He was just an 18¨Cyear¨Cold freshman with no influence, background, or connections.

    On the other hand, Lethan was a well¨Cknown billionaire. Even though he had amassed a fortune, he

    couldn¡¯t remain indifferent when facing hundreds of millions of dors in funds.

    Lethan could easily embezzle the money with his abilities, but he didn¡¯t. Perhaps it was out of gratitude

    or

    for other reasons.

    But no matter the reason, Lethan was someone worth befriending.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t ask for the 200 million, which touched Lethan. ¡°Give me your bank ount number, and

    I¡¯ll have Shania deposit the money directly into your ountter.¡±

    Carlisle provided Lethan with his newly opened checking ount.

    Then, Carlisle called Sunny.

    Sunny instantly picked up the phone, sounding very excited. ¡°Boss, property prices in Riverwatch

    District have already risen to 700 per square foot. Should we continue to wait or sell them now?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± Carlisle said calmly. ¡°It should rise to 900 in a few days. We¡¯ll sell once it

    surpasses 900.

    The reason for the rapid rise in property prices was because property developers had already started to

    take action.

    However, the highest price would only reach 900 this time. Later, it might even be pushed down to

    around

    600. 600.

    After finishing the call with Sunny, Carlisle received several calls from unfamiliar numbers. These were

    all property developers who wanted to buy the nearly 50 properties from Carlisle.

    After discussing prices with them, they offered as high as 780 per square foot. Carlisle rejected them

    without hesitation.

    This price was already very high and wasparable to property prices in Lumina. However, Carlisle

    was well aware of the current price surge and was unsatisfied with the offer.

    After military training ended in the afternoon, Carlisle contacted Francis to pick him up. After returning

    to the dormitory and showering, Shane suddenly stopped him just as he was about to do hisundry.

    ¡°Carlisle, let me wash your clothes from now on!¡±

    Shane¡¯s eyes were filled with enthusiasm, and he looked at Carlisle as if he were looking at a beautiful

    girl.

    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched, wondering if this guy had some issues with his sexual orientation.

    Shane snatched the hamper of clothes from Carlisle¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been doingundry since I was five

    and started doing chores at eight. Carlisle, you can rest assured!¡±

    Carlisle smiled wryly. ¡°Alright, so how much are you charging?¡±

    Shane¡¯s family was in a tight financial situation. His clothes were always patched up, and his shoes

    looked like they had been worn for years..

    He often helped out by running errands to buy snacks, charging a 50¨Ccent delivery fee. Now that he

    wanted to wash Carlisle¡¯s clothes, he was clearly trying to make some money.

    Shane grinned. ¡°One dor for summer clothes, two for winter clothes!¡±

    Carlisle took out some change from his pocket and handed a 50¨Cdor bill to Shane. ¡°Here¡¯s 50 bucks

    for you. Do myundry for a month!¡±

    Carlisle admired Shane for earning money throughbor.

    Shane took the 50 bucks and pulled out a stack of change from his pocket. ¡°There are still about 20

    days left this month. I¡¯ll give you 30 dors back!¡±

    Carlisle pushed the change back with a smile. ¡°No need for the change. You can do theundry for me

    next month, too!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Carlisle!¡±

    Shane¡¯s eyes turned red, and then he lifted the two hampers of clothes and headed to the balcony.

 Chapter 162

    ¡°Shane, I want a monthly package, too. 30 bucks, okay?¡± Daniel put down his game console and asked

    ¡°Sure, sure. Thank you, Mr. Scott!¡± Shane hurriedly responded, afraid that Daniel would change his

    mind. ¡°Shane, do myundry, too. You can wash them for free today, and I¡¯ll start paying monthly from

    tomorrow!¡± At this moment, Kelvin dragged out a suitcase from under his bed.

    Inside was a bag full of clothes. He had yet to wash his clothes since the beginning of the semester.

    Even without exercising, it was easy to sweat in them due to the hot weather.

    When Kelvin opened the suitcase, a sour smell filled the air.

    Shane grinned. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wash yours after I finish these!¡±

    I

    Carlisle nced at Kelvin¡¯s bag of almost moldy clothes and said, ¡°That¡¯s at least five days¡® worth of

    clothes. Where do you get the nerve to ask for free washing?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Shane didn¡¯t say anything. Why are you being so nosy?¡± Kelvin red.

    Carlisle told Shane, ¡°Shane, don¡¯t take Kelvin¡¯s business. I¡¯ll give you an extra 30 bucks each month.¡±

    Kelvin red at Carlisle with a dark expression. ¡°Carlisle, are you deliberately trying to pick a fight with

    me?¡±

    Carlisle casually chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just richer than you. If you have the ability, you can give him 60,

    too!¡±

    *60 it is!¡±

    ¡°Shane, I¡¯ll give you 60 bucks each month. Today.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 120¡­¡±

    Carlisle crossed his arms and interrupted Kelvin, ¡°If you¡¯re giving 120 bucks, then I won¡¯t interfere with

    this matter.¡±

    Kelvin clenched his fists, and his eyes locked fiercely onto Carlisle, who was significantly taller than

    himself. He would have pped him immediately if he could beat Carlisle.

    Carlisle smirked. ¡°Isn¡¯t your dad rich? Don¡¯t you get thousands for your living expenses? What¡¯s wrong

    with giving 120?¡±

    Kelvin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°120 bucks it is. If you have the guts, keep raising the price!¡±

    Kelvin stubbornly held his ground. 120 dors wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t afford. If Carlisle dared to

    raise the price, he would double it!

    Carlisle waved to Shane. ¡°Cofme here, Shane!¡±

    Shane approached nervously, his face tense. ¡°Carlisle, Kelvin¡­¡±

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle handed him another 50 and two tens. ¡°Kelvin and I will give you 120. But you¡¯ll charge 30

    dors

    each month for our other ssmates.¡±

    Shane stared at the money, feeling stunned. ¡°Carlisle, this¡­¡±

    120 bucks was almost half of his monthly living expenses. Were rich people always this extravagant?

    Kelvin, unwilling to admit defeat, handed Shane 120 bucks. ¡°Can today¡¯s clothes be washed for free?¡±

    ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡±

    Shane responded with a nk stare. This 120 bucks would cover hisundry expenses for several

    months. What were five days¡® worth of clothes?

    Carlisle smirked as he walked out of the dormitory.

    Francis was smoking by the roadside outside the school gates. When he saw Carlisle approaching, het

    immediately dropped his cigarette and opened the car¡¯s rear door.

    After all, Carlisle was now a multimillionaire¨Cpractically a deity to be worshiped.

    Carlisle entered the car and said, ¡°To the Commercial Bank¡¯s Riverwatch branch.¡±

    Francis returned to the driver¡¯s seat and started the car.

    Across the street, Sienna stepped out of a taxi. Watching the ck Mazda drive away, she furrowed

    her brows slightly.

    ¡°Was that Carlisle? Was I seeing things, or was that really him?¡±

 Chapter 163

    Sienna took out her phone and sent a message to Carlisle on MSN messenger.

    ¡°Carlisle, did you just get into a ck Mazda?¡±

    She didn¡¯t get a response from him.

    Sienna pursed her lips and immediately called Sarah. Just as the call connected, she saw Sarah

    walking out from the school gate.

    Sienna waved to her. ¡°Sarah, I¡¯m across the street!¡±

    Sarah wore a pure white off¨Cshoulder dress, a Hermes bag released in 2003, and a pair of Gi

    crystal sandals. Her appearance drew countless boys¡® attention.

    ¡°Wow, which course is this goddess from?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before. She must be a freshman, right?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful. Who wants to ask for her phone number or MSN messenger ount? I¡¯ll give you

    a 100 bucks!¡±

    ¡°Stop dreaming, she¡¯s Mr. Gust¡¯s girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gust? Which Mr. Gust?¡±

    ¡°Austin, who else could it be?¡±

    After Sarah¡¯s makeover, she exuded confidence as she walked, emanating a rich heiress¡® air. Hearing

    the discussions around her, she curled her lips into a hint of arrogance.

    Sienna covered her mouth and approached her, trembling as she spoke, ¡°Oh my god¡­ Sarah, it¡¯s only

    been a few days since west met, and I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    She had always felt unworthy of being Sarah¡¯s best friend. Now, she felt even more like a country

    bumpkin.

    Sarah tilted her chin arrogantly and said, ¡°So, do you think I can overshadow Wandapletely now?¡±

    Sienna nodded repeatedly. ¡°Absolutely. Are you really with Austin?¡±

    Sarah¡¯s face turned slightly red as she shyly nodded.

    Sienna¡¯s face was full of envy. ¡°Your clothes and bag must be very expensive, right?¡±

    Sarah patted the Hermes bag at her waist. ¡°It¡¯s alright. This bag is 12 thousand, and the clothes and

    shoes

    are around 15 hundred.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°T¨CThis is too extravagant, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a horn. Four Mercedes cars sandwiched a Porsche

    parked by the roadside.

    Sarah held Sienna¡¯s hand and said, ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s here. Come have dinner with us!¡±

    Sienna followed Sarah into Austin¡¯s Porsche.

    Even long after the car started moving, Sienna still felt like she was dreaming. She never imagined she

    would actually ride in a Porsche.

    She certainly never imagined that her best friend Sarah would marry into a wealthy family.

    Austin took out two gift boxes from the side. ¡°These phones are for you two!¡±

    They were both Motor V3 premium editions.

    Sarah was moved. Her voice trembled as she said, ¡°Thank you, Austin!¡±

    Sienna looked at Sarah again with envy and even a little jealousy. Why didn¡¯t she have such good

    luck?

    Sarah handed one phone to Sienna. ¡°Sienna, aren¡¯t you going to thank Austin?¡±

    Sienna took the phone and said, ¡°T¨CThank you, Austin!¡±

    ¡°Only I can call him Austin. You have to call him Mr. Gust!¡± Sarah reprimanded Sienna with a re.

    Blushing, Sienna corrected herself. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gust!¡±

    Austin smiled and nodded.

    Sarab looked at Austin happily and asked, ¡°Austin, where are we going to eat?¡±

    Austin raised his wrist to check the time and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s still early. I have some business to attend

    to in Riverwatch District first.¡±

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Sarah nodded with pursed lips, then began to open the gift box.

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 164

    Riverwatch District was particrly lively today. Many businessmen flocked to this development zone,

    which was soon to be Rivend¡¯s central hub.

    The traffic was so congested that some cars were stuck in it.

    One Porsche, escorted by a Mercedes, quickly passed through the crowded section after forcefully

    merging into traffic.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Francis pulled his head back in from the window and smiled. ¡°Boss, when will you let me drive a luxury

    car, too?¡±

    Carlisle, lounging with one leg crossed over the other, casually chuckled. ¡°Tell me, what brand of car do

    you like?¡±

    ¡°I was just kidding!¡± Francisughed awkwardly. ¡°This Mazda is already quite good. Let¡¯s keep a low

    profile.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s switch to a BMW someday! Isn¡¯t making money all about enjoying life?¡±

    Carlisle smiled dismissively. The inte wasn¡¯t as developed right now. In the eyes of ordinary people,

    Mercedes, BMW, and Audi were already considered top¨Ctier luxury cars.

    However, Carlisle only nned to switch to a BMW temporarily.

    In his previous life, he had obtained a driver¡¯s license but never bought a car. This time around, he was

    determined to experience all the luxury cars.

    Francis¡® eyes lit up when he heard about the n to switch to a BMW. He tightly gripped the steering

    wheel, saying, ¡°ver thought there woulde a day when I¡¯ll get to drive a BMW!¡±

    After a while, Austin and the others reached the Commercial Bank¡¯s Riverwatch branch.

    Austin brought Sarah to the VIP room to handle their business. Sarah¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief when

    the bank manager ced one million on the table.

    A million dors! She probably wouldn¡¯t earn this much money in her entire lifetime.

    The bank manager smiled as he said, ¡°Mr. Gust, here is one million. Please take a look.¡±

    At that moment, Austin received a call from Yuriel.

    Yuriel¡¯s voice was grave. ¡°There are also a few shops on 3rd Avenue. The price has been negotiated

    and

    is about 800 thousand or so. They only ept cash.¡±

    Austin grunted in acknowledgment, then hung up the phone and looked at the bank manager. ¡°Do you

    have cash?¡±

    ¡°We do, but¡­¡± The bank manager looked hesitant.

    There were five million in cash in the safe deposit box. However, this money was prepared for another

    Chapte 164

    client.

    Austin said calmly, ¡°Give it to me first. I need cash urgently.¡±

    The bank manager swallowed nervously. ¡°Mr. Gust, could you wait a moment? I¡¯ll call other banks to

    transfer the cash over.¡±

    Austin frowned and mmed the table, shouting. ¡°You said there¡¯s cash, why can¡¯t you give it to me?¡±

    When Sarah shivered in fear from being startled, Austin took a deep breath and held her hand gently.

    He spoke in a soothing tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did I scare you?¡±

    Sarah quickly shook her head. ¡°No, not at all. I like your domineering demeanor!¡±

    Austin smiled slightly, then turned to the bank manager and said, ¡°My family has around 300 million

    deposited in your bank. You wouldn¡¯t want us to switch banks, would you?¡±

    The bank manager turned pale with fright. ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zahn is here!¡± a staff member suddenly said.

    The bank manager¡¯s face turned even more mournful as he said, ¡°Mr. Gust¡­ to be honest, we still

    have five million in cash here, but Mr. Zahn had called in advance to reserve it.¡±

    Austin narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Who is Mr. Zahn? Maybe I know him. I can talk to him!¡±

    Meanwhile, Sienna was ying with her new phone, worth over four thousand, outside the bank.

    When she saw Carlisle stepping out of a ck Mazda, she was shocked and eximed, ¡°Carlisle, it¡¯s

    really you!¡±

    Carlisle nced at the Porsche and the four Mercedes in the parking lot, guessing that Sienna had

    come with Sarah and Austin.

    Carlisle politely smiled. ¡°Are you surprised?¡±

    Sienna pointed at the ck Mazda. ¡°Is that your car?¡±

    Almost as soon as she asked the question, she chuckled. ¡°Of course not. You don¡¯t even have a

    driver¡¯s license!¡±

 Chapter 165

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin and walked toward the bank.

    Francis took out arge suitcase from the trunk.

    Sienna stopped Francis and asked, ¡°Mister, is that car Carlisle¡¯s?¡®

    ¡°It¡¯s my car,¡± Francis replied.

    Sienna looked puzzled. ¡°Then what¡¯s your rtionship with Carlisle? I saw you opening the car door for

    him at the school gate.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Francis could tell Carlisle didn¡¯t want to engage with the girl much, so he didn¡¯t feel

    inclined to, either.

    Sienna wrinkled her nose. ¡°It¡¯s just a shitty Mazda. Have you seen those Mercedes and Porsches over

    there? They belong to my best friend¡¯s boyfriend. Do you know who my best friend¡¯s boyfriend is?¡±

    ¡°Damn, I thought they belong to your boyfriend. It turns out it¡¯s your friend¡¯s boyfriend!¡± Francis sneered

    at her, then walked into the bank.

    Sienna stomped her feet in frustration when she heard his response.

    Carlisle arrived in the bank lobby, where the manager quickly approached him. Austin and Sarah

    followed behind.

    ¡°Carlisle?¡± Sarah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Could Mr. Zahn, who the bank manager mentioned, be Carlisle? It couldn¡¯t be. How could Carlisle have

    five million?

    She had previously asked Sean how Carlisle had obtained the money to buy the phone. Carlisle said

    he had hit a stroke of luck in a game and earned 80 thousand bucks by selling impressive equipment.

    So, there was no way Carlisle could be the Mr. Zahn who had reserved five million in cash. Mr. Zahn

    must be someone else!

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, you¡¯re here?¡± The bank manager forced a smile.

    Sarah felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She stared at Carlisle in disbelief.

    He really was Mr. Zahn! Where did he get five million from?

    ¡°Um, is my money ready?¡± Carlisle didn¡¯t nce at Sarah but looked directly at the bank manager

    instead.

    The bank manager nodded. ¡°It¡¯s ready, but¡­¡± He looked cautiously at Austin. ¡°Mr. Gust urgently needs

    800 thousand in cash. Can you lend that amount to him?

    Austin narrowed his eyes. So, this was Sarah¡¯s previous pursuer. Didn¡¯t Sarah say his family was poor?

    How could he have five million stored in the bank?

    Carlisle looked at Austin, then shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t let it go. I must take the five million with me.

    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    The bank manager looked awkwardly at Austin. ¡°Mr. Gust, what do you think?¡±

    Austin snorted coldly. ¡°That¡¯s your problem. I¡¯ll give you only ten minutes!¡±

    The bank manager felt helpless.

    Carlisle was the one who reserved the cash, but Austin was a major bank client, with his father being

    the wealthiest man in Rivend. He might lose his job if he offended Austin.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, could you please give me half an hour? I¡¯ll transfer 800 thousand in cash from another

    branch!¡± the bank manager spoke nervously, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

    ¡°Is this how you do things here?¡± Carlisle sneered.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, I¡¯m really sorry. Please understand!¡± The bank manager bowed deeply.

    ¡°Forget it. Just hurry up and transfer the cash.¡± Carlisle waved impatiently. He knew how tough it was

    for ordinary workers and didn¡¯t want to make things too difficult for the bank manager.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zahn, thank you!¡± The bank manager wiped the sweat off his forehead in relief, then

    took out his phone to arrange the cash transfer.

    At this moment, Sarah stared at Carlisle and demanded, ¡°Carlisle, where did you get so much money

    from?¡±

 Chapter 166

    "What does that have to do with you?" Carlisle''s voice was cold. It was as if he was talking to a stranger.

    No matter how hard Sarah racked her brain, she couldn''t figure out where Carlisle had obtained five million.

    She snorted. "It must be dirty money. If you''ve done something illegal, I advise you to turn yourself in!"

    "Believe whatever you want." Carlisle rolled his eyes, too indifferent to engage further with her.

    "Carlisle, listen to my advice. If you need to confess, just do it. Even if not for yourself, at least consider your parents. They''ve raised you with difficulty.

    "Consider this advice from a former ssmate. I''ve said what I need to!" Sarah was making it sound as if she genuinely cared for Carlisle''s well-being.

    Carlisle sneered. "Is me having money bothering you right now?"

    His words seemed to hit Sarah''s nerves. She spared no effort in mocking him.

    "If your money were earned through legitimate means, I would only be happy for you. But your money is dirty!

    "And even if your money were clean, I wouldn''t be bothered. My boyfriend has much more money than you!

    "Do you see this bag? Do you know this brand? Do you know how much this bag costs?

    "Take a look at my shoes. They cost 800 dors. Even if you didn''t eat or drink for two months, you couldn''t afford a pair of shoes like mine!"

    Sienna also walked over. "Carlisle, Sarah is right. You''d better confess quickly. Confession may lead to a lighter sentence, but resistance will be met with strict punishment.

    "Just be honest and admit it, and you might get a few years off your sentence!"

    "Idiot." Carlisle chuckled disdainfully, toozy to pay attention to the two crazy women.

    Sarah''s eyes were wild as she picked up her phone to call the police. "Are you going to turn yourself in, or should I call the police on you?"

    Carlisle stood with his hands in his pockets, casually saying, "Go ahead."

    Sarah trembled as she was about to dial the emergency number.

    At that moment, Austin grabbed/Sarah''s hand. "Hold off on calling the police. Let me ask the bank.

    manager."

    Sarah nodded vigorously, her voice trembling. "Yes, please ask him. I''m sure his money is dirty!"

    After the bank manager finished his call, Austin asked, "How did Carlisle get that money?"

    "Well, that''s customer privacy. But I can assure you, Mr. Zahn''s money is clean," the bank manager said confidently.

    The money Carlisle had was from a check issued by Islo Clothing. He had already confirmed this with Islo Clothing''s chairman.

    However, this information was considered customer privacy and couldn''t be disclosed to others.

    Having offended Carlisle once already, the bank manager didn''t want to provoke him again.

    "Give me the cash!" Austin didn''t probe further. It was just fu borrowed.N?velDrama.Org content.

    million, and it could also have been The bank manager led Austin to withdraw the cash while his staff took Carlisle to another VIP room.

    Sarah and Sienna stood still in the lobby, dumbfounded. Even the bank manager said the money was clean. Where did Carlisle get five million dors from?

    Siennaforted Sarah, holding her hand. "Sarah, don''t worry about it. Austin is the son of the richest man in Rivend. Five million means nothing to him!"

    Sarah sneered. "I''m not worried at all.

    Does he think I''ll change my mind e

    just because he has five million?"

    Sienna''s eyes twitched slightly. She seemed to believe Carlisle would think that way.

    Suddenly, Sienna asked, "Sarah, how are Carlisle and Wanda doing now?"

    Hearing this, Sarah''s anger subsided, and she smirked. "They''ve broken up!"

    Sienna looked puzzled. "Broken up? Why?"

    Sarah took a deep breath and replied, "It should be because of Wanda''s brother meddling. Do you know who her brother is?"

    Sienna shook her head.

    "Her brother is Zachary, the son of the famous Rivend bysinessman, Shein Thompson!" "Wow... Wanda is Mr. Thompson''s daughter?"

 Chapter 167

    Sienna had only recently seen Shein in the newspaper. He was pretty remarkable, being able to sit at the same table with Yuriel at business banquets.

    Sarah sighed and said, "ver expected Wanda to be Shein''s daughter. If it weren''t for Austin, I would have a hard time holding my head up in front of her for the rest of my life."

    Sienna expressed jealousy. "Life is truly unfair. Why couldn''t I be as lucky as Wanda?"

    Just then, Austin approached them with his bodyguard carrying a briefcase.

    Sarah linked her arm with Austin''s, asking softly, "Austin, I didn''t scare you just now, did 1?"

    She had unted extravagantly to stimte Carlisle just now and knew well that she looked horrid. She was worried Austin would be disgusted.

    Austin affectionately rubbed Sarah''s head and smiled. "How could you scare me? I bought these things. for you to stand out."

    "Austin, you''re the best!" Sarah leaned into Austin''s embrace.

    Austin held her slender waist and chuckled. "Since I''m so good to you, do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?"

    Sarah''s cheeks flushed. I''m not ready yet!"

    Austin''s brows twitched slightly, but he smiled. "Alright, I have some business to attend to now. After I''m done, I''ll take you all out to dinner."

    Carlisle received a call from Logan at the bank''s VIP lounge.

    Logan said thepany''s employees hadn''t received the money and had once again blocked the road with banners.

    Carlisle instructed Logan to tell them he was withdrawing money from the bank and would be heading to thepany shortly.

    To save time, Carlisle only withdrew four million and 200 thousand in cash, leaving the remaining 800 thousand for the bank manager to deposit into his own bank ount.

    On the way to Stoneville, Francis disyed exceptional driving skills, going at 80 miles per hour throughout the journey.

    What was originally a two-hour drive was shortened to 80 minutes.

    It was already evening, and the road outside Riley Corporation was crowded with people.

    Francis honked frantically, but the people ahead ignored him as if they heard nothing.

    Someone even shouted angrily, "Damn it, do you want me to smash your car?"

    If they dared to say it, some would dare to do it. Three or five workers wielding wooden sticks marched angrily toward them.

    Carlisle got out of the car and shouted, "Do you still want your wages?"

    Several workers immediately stopped in their tracks.

    "Who''s this kid?"

    "I don''t know!"

    "He''s our new boss, right?"

    "Damn, such a young boss?"

    "Yeah, it''s him. Our supervisor said the new boss is a rich kid!"

    Kane and thepany''s management team walked over together.

    Francis dragged the luggage out from the back seat.

    Upon seeing the huge luggage, Kane breathed a sigh of relief, then loudly announced to the workers, "The boss is here to distribute sries, everyone! Don''t worry!"

    Hearing Kane''s announcement, more employees gathered around.

    Carlisle frowned at the management team and said, "Each department head should organize their employees to return to thepany and wait!"

    The management team immediately contacted their subordinates.

    Fortunately, these employees were sincere. They queued up obediently and headed toward thepany gate.

    Apanied byw enforcement personnel, Carlisle brought over four million in cash to the finance department.

    The finance department staff quickly took out the sry slips and began counting the money.

    Thepany had no counting machine, so the finance staff had to count manually.

    Unfortunately, the finance department only had five employees.

    With over 16 hundred employees''

    sries to count, how long would it take for five finance staff to be done?

    veCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 168

    Carlisle spoke up. "All employees above the team leader level shoulde to the finance department to help!

    A momentter, over 30 team leaders, more than 20 supervisors, and seven or eight managers joined the finance tea They were worried about miscounting, so they counted each batch three to four times.

    Carlisle left the finance department and found Kane to inquire about thepany transfer.

    Kane took some documents and evidence from his briefcase and said, "Riley Corporation has been forcibly deregistered.

    "The equipment in thepany is worth about two million and 600 thousand. The suppliers owe us about one million and 700 thousand.

    "If you are willing to pay off the suppliers'' debt, we can register ourselves as a newpany tomorrow. If you don''t want to bear this debt, the court will sell off the department''s equipment until the supplier''s debt is paid off!''

    Carlisle pondered momentarily and said, "I''ll pay off the suppliers'' debt. Let''s keep the equipment for now."

    Thepany still had to continue subcontracting. So, how could they continue without the equipment? Wouldn''t over 16 hundred employees lose their jobs?

    Kane lit a cigarette and said, "If Caleb is caught, you still have a chance to recover your losses."

    Carlisle smiled. "We can''t catch a wolf without sacrificing amb. My efforts and rewards can exceed the direct proportion."

    Out of nowhere, Kane choked on the smoke and coughed a few times.

    Afraid that Carlisle would misunderstand him mocking him, he quickly waved his hand and said, "I caught a cold these days, I didn''t mean anything else."

    Carlisle poured Kane a cup of hot water. "Have some water!"

    "Thank you." Kane put the cigarette in the ashtray and took a few sips.

    The two chatted for a while, during which Kane briefed Carlisle on someborws. After receiving a phone call, Kane had to leave.

    Carlisle escorted Kane to the entrance.

    As Kane got into the car, he reminded, "Settle the payment with the suppliers as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, if they go to court you won''t have peace here, either."

    Carlisle smiled slightly and said, "You can trust me to handle it."

    Kane smiled back and rolled up the car window. He started the engine and drove away.

    Carlisle then headed to the R&D department.

    The R&D department had two working departments: Department One and Department Two.

    R&D Department Two was the one managed by Logan before. With over 60 workstations, every seat was taken.

    As Carlisle entered the office, someone immediately frowned and asked, "Hey, whose kid are you?"

    All the staff turned to look at Carlisle.

    A woman in her 30s giggled. "He''s already such a big kid. He must be Elvis'', right?"

    The woman with short hair at the adjacent workstation couldn''t help but chuckle. "He could also be Gordan''s. Maybe they got married early?"

    A middle-aged man with graying hair in front nced at the woman with short hair. "Stop talking nonsense. I got marriedte, and my child just started weaning!"

    The woman in her 30s rested her chin on her hand and looked at Carlisle. "Little boy, are you here to see Elvis?"

    Carlisle smiled. "Let me introduce myself. I''m Carlisle, thispany''s boss."

    "The boss?"

    "Alright, little boss,e here. I''ll give you some candy."

    The short-haired woman rolled her eyes. "Sandy, can you not flirt with kids?"

    Carlisle approached Sandy Parker and nced at herputer screen, which disyed a semi-finished album icon.

    Most of the keyboards on the market were still ck and white, with only a few high-end brands offering color sereens.

    However, the album icon on theputer already resembled the icons on future smartphones.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    "Nice icon design!" Carlisleplimented with a smile.

    "Hehe, what a sweet talker you are, little boy. Here, let me treat you to some candy." Sandy grabbed a NOV handful of milk candies from her drawer and stuffed them into Carlisle''s hand.

    The short-haired woman whispered, "Sandy, the director is here!"

    Sandy snapped out of it and quickly sat up straight to continue working. Logan walked straight to Carlisle and greeted respectfully, "Boss..."

 Chapter 169

    Boss?

    Sandy''s body stiffened, and her hand holding the mouse trembled violently. All she could hear was Logan calling Carlisle "Boss".

    Her head was buzzing. Was this 17 or 18-year-old really her boss? She had even flirted with him earlier. Sandy''s expression turned sour. She didn''t know what kind of person the boss was. Would she be fired? The girl at the opposite workstation was also in a daze. Although she had only been at thepany for two days, she had already heard thepany''s boss was very young.

    But she hadn''t expected the boss to be this young. That youthful and inexperienced face told her that Carlisle was only 17 or 18 years old.

    The staff member who had asked whose child Carlisle was earlier didn''t dare to look up, wishing she could hide under the table.

    Carlisle unwrapped a milk candy and put it in his mouth, mumbling, "Mr. Cooper, take me to R&D Department One."

    "Of course, Boss. This way, please."N?velDrama.Org content.

    Logan gestured toward the office door.

    R&D Department One was a newly added office area. Two security guards stood at the entrance, and the opposite wall was covered with 360-degree surveince cameras.

    Logan said softly, "Mr. Zahn, Mr. Quilton has set some rules. Anyone entering R&D Department One needs his permission, and no digital devices are allowed. Please wait for a moment, I''ll call Mr. Quilton."

    "Okay, sure."

    Carlisle was satisfied with Hank''s rigorous approach to work.

    This smartphone''s independently developed operating system was thepany''s core secret, and Hank has done an excellent job with it.

    After discussing with Logan, they ced their phones in the nearby basket and stood before the security guard with their arms spread.

    The female security guard used a metal detector to check Logan from her neck down to her ankles.

    Carlisle also took out his own phone and ced it in the basket, Logan smiled and said, "You''re our boss. You can bring your phone in without a security check.

    Carlisle replied with a serious expression, "The project in R&D Department One is of utmost importance Even though I''m the boss, I cannot bring my phone in."

    After the security check, the two entered the office. There were only ten people Inside Chapter 159

    Six of them were middle-aged people in their 40s with thinning hair. The other four were young people in their 30s. They had messy hair and wore sses with heavy dark circles under their eyes.

    Carlisle and Logan entered the office without disturbing their work. It was hard to tell if their work attitude. was genuine or just for show.

    Hank pped his hands and eximed, "Let me introduce everyone. This is our boss, Mr. Zahn!"

    Everyone stopped their work and looked up at Carlisle in unison, greeting him, "Hello, Boss!"

    Carlisle smiled and nodded. "Thank you all for your hard work!"

    yo

    Logan whispered to Carlisle, "These people were all recruited by Hank, and each of them is a senior engineer in the field ofputer science."

    As she said this, Logan nced admiringly at Hank. She never m expected this scruffy man she initially. looked down upon to have such powerful connections.

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "Are they well-known?"

    Logan whispered back, "Not only are they well-known, but each of them is a household name in the inte industry to

 Chapter 170

    Carlisle''s heart raced a bit upon hearing this.

    Hank was truly a treasure!

    First, he helped him destroy Zachary''s gear. Then, he developed scripts for three-game hacks..

    Now, he had brought inputer experts from the inte industry to develop the smartphone system he needed.

    With talents like Heath and Hank under hismand, sess seemed almost inevitable.

    Hank approached Carlisle, grinning widely. His breath smelled of alcohol as he said, "We can have the system ready in just one month."

    "So soon?" Carlisle''s breath quickened. He had estimated it would take about six months to develop the system, but now Hank suggested they could do it in a month.

    It seemed he needed to negotiate quickly with the hardware suppliers.

    Logan scoffed, saying, "They''re like a bunch of immortals, never sleeping at night. I suggest getting them more insurance."

    Hank nced at Logan. "We''re just resting in the office. I don''t like to procrastinate when ites to work."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    1

    "Are you saying I procrastinate?" Logan widened her eyes.

    "I didn''t say that. Are you confessing?" Hank shrugged.

    "You..." Logan was about to retort, but then she sighed. It wasn''t worth arguing with someone like Hank.

    Carlisle noticed the tension between the two, so he smiled and said, "Are you guys hungry? Let''s go out for a meal together."

    "I just had instant noodles in the afternoon. You guys go ahead," Hank said before walking toward his office.

    "He doesn''t even respect the chairman. He weighs 100 pounds but has 90 pounds of stubbornness,"

    Logan muttered quietly.

    Carlisle chuckled softly. "Let''s not disturb their work. Let''s go."

    No boss would dislike such a work attitude.

    Carlisle couldn''t understand what Hank''s previouspanies were thinking. If someone had the skills and capital, drinking at work shouldn''t be a problem, right?

    But he also felt fortunate they didn''t let it slide. Otherwise, how could he havee across this opportunity?

    The two walked out of R&D Department One. Carlisle noticed a utility room nearby and asked, ''Is this utility room in use?"

    "Not really. If R&D Department One ns to expand the team, they could knock down the wall in the middle," Logan replied.

    "No need to knock it down. Let''s turn this utility room into a kitchen and cafeteria. R&D Department Two can have their meals here in the future."

    R&D Department One''s members were workaholics, always eating instant noodles, which were not nutritious. Their diet naturally had to be improved.

    Carlisle returned to the chairman''s office and had Logan call in the business supervisor, Kenny.

    Kenny, who had just received his three months'' sry, was in a great mood. He came to the chairman''s office with a smile. "Mr. Zahn, you called for me?"

    Carlisle gestured to the chair beside him. "Please have a seat, Mr. Chester."

    Kenny, feeling honored, sat down promptly.

    "How is the progress with the outsourcing?"

    Kenny''s expression instantly turned awkward. "We contacted three om mobile phone brands. Gloree and Borda directly refused to cooperate.

    Pr is nning to visit tomorrow for an on-site inspection."

    Gionee and Borda were familiar to Carlisle. These two brands'' products would be increasingly popr over the next five years.

    Gionee''s poprity skyrocketed after signing with Tony Mitchell as their spokesperson. Within just two years, it would be a bestseller both domestically and internationally.

    Borda phones were practically household names. With a core m

    strategy of low prices, they targeted ordinary families. From 2003 to 2008, they would dominate as the top-selling brand annually.

    However, Carlisle''s rebirth meant that history was destined to be rewritten.

 Chapter 171

    As for Pr brand phones, Carlisle was no stranger to them.

    Pr used to make radios before venturing into mobile phones. They developed their first branded phone in 1994, making them ploneers in the industry.

    However, due to intensepetition, Pr phones did not survive in the mobile market.

    Carlisle pulled his mind back to the present and smiled calmly. "Gionee and Borda are indeed big brands. They are pretty strict with contract manufacturers.

    *Our small factory of 16 hundred people may not seem impressive to them. Moreover, the news of Caleb''s embezzlement and escape has probably spread. It''s understandable that they refuse to cooperate.

    "Since Pr is willing to subcontract phones to us, let''s cooperate with them."

    Kenny smiled bitterly. "But the subcontracting price Pr offered us is too low. After deductingbor and utilities, there''s only a profit of three cents per phone." Carlisle eximed, surprised, "We can still profit from it?"

    Kenny''s lips twitched harshly. "Mr. Zahn, do you really want to make no profit at all?"

    Carlisle chuckled. "I''ve said before, our goal in subcontracting is to support our workers."

    "I''ve only calcted the workshop staff''s wages. I haven''t included the management."

    Carlisle shrugged. "Supporting those workers is enough. I''ll take care of the management team."

    With a worth of over 100 million, he spoke with confidence.

    In fact, the sries ofpany executives and managers were rtively low. The real expensey in the R&D Department.

    Of course, Carlisle wasn''t worried about that. The R&D department has always been a money-draining sector. Large enterprises would pour billions into their R&D departments.

    Mr. Zahn, I''m sorry I couldn''t find any high-quality clients," Kenny muttered with his head down. Even though Carlisle said it didn''t matter, he knew he hadn''t done the job well.

    Carlisle smiled and said, "You''ve done a great job already. Don''t me yourself. I''ll give you another task."

    "What task?" Kenny''s spirit was lifted at Carlisle''s praise.

    "ed you to contact the suppliers for Riley''s phone screens, batteries, chips, and cameras. They''re toe to my office at noon on Saturday to collect payment."

    Kenny was to them?"

    puzzled. "Is it necessary to go through all this trouble? Can''t we just transfer the funds directly Carlisle leaned back in his chair, his deep gaze fixed on Kenny''s eyes.

    "I... I''m sorry, I spoke out of turn!"

    Kenny wished he could p himself. Why did he need to say so much when Carlisle had decided? Just follow orders and spare the unnecessary talk.

    Carlisle waved him off. "You can go now."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Kenny entered the office with a smile but left with a bitter expression.

    Carlisle checked his phone and saw over 20 unread messages. He found they were all bnce change notifications from the bank.

    After military training, he had forgotten to switch his phone to standard mode, so he missed all the alerts.

    The 800 thousand dors from the Commercial Bank''s Riverwatch branch were deposited into the ount.

    The remaining 20 or so messages were transfers from Islo Clothing''s ount, each totaling 8 million dors, amounting to a total of 180 million.

    As Carlisle looked at the lengthy bnce, a smile curved his lips. In three months since his rebirth, he had gone from a student at a poor high school to a millionaire with assets approaching 200 million dors.

    The small change from selling equipment didn''t count. It only took him a week to truly start making money.

    The over 50 sets of houses he owned could probably fetch around 30. million. Meanwhile, the skating rink and karaoke were in prime locations withrgend areas, estimated to fetch around 40 million.

    Receiving these two sums would boost his assets to 250 million dors.

    However, Carlisle felt unhappy about this amount of money.

    Next, he had to invest in several suppliers. Upgrading equipment and researching new hardware would take a long time.

    During this period, his money would only flow out like and he hadn''t yet received any ie. So,

    he had to work hard to earn more money.

    Carlisle initially nned to go out for dinner. But, seeing how busy his colleagues in the finance department were, he called Francis over to help out instead.

 Chapter 172

    Francis struck up a conversation with someone in the finance department beside him. "Hey, beautiful, do your hands cramp up after counting money for so long?"

    The finance beauty rolled her eyes. "I''ve done this even longer before and never experienced hand cramps!"

    "Then maybe you haven''t counted enough!"

    "Hm," The beauty responded indifferently, seeming uninterested in engaging further.

    Francis persisted. "How long have you been doing finance?"

    "Three years."

    "Your sry must be pretty high, then."

    "Not really."

    "Do you have a boyfriend?"

    "No."

    "What kind of boyfriend are you looking for? I know..."

    "Can you please shut up?" The beauty suddenly interrupted Francis, her anger evident. This caught the attention of the other staff nearby.

    Francis instantly became nervous and stuttered, "I''m sorry, I..."

    Another finance staff rolled their eyes. "Come on, we''re counting money here. You''re distracting her, and it''s easy to make mistakes."

    Francis awkwardly scratched his head. "I''ll keep quiet from now on!"

    However, the next moment, the previously angry beauty stared at Francis in surprise and eximed, "Are you Francis?"

    Francis was stunned, then earnestly examined the woman. "Do you know me?"

    The beauty eximed, "I''m Renee Brown, Reba''s younger sister!"

    Francis'' lips twitched slightly. "Oh, it''s you!"

    Carlisle interjected, "Do you two know each other?"

    "Yeah, he''s my sister''s high school ssmate!" Renee replied.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Renee started blushing after scrutinizing Francis. "Francis, you''ve be quite sturdy after serving in the army.

    Before Francis could respond, she regained herposure and questioned him with a serious expression, "When did you retire? Why didn''t youe to see my sister?"

    22

    Francis hung his head and smiled bitterly. "Your sister is married now. I didn''t want to disturb her life..."

    Renee took a deep breath and said, "It seems she didn''t tell you anything."

    Francis looked up at Renee, his gaze sharp.

    With her eyes slightly red, Renee choked out, "My sister has been gone for four years now..."

    Francis'' eyes widened, his emotions uncontroble as he grabbed Renee''s shoulders. His voice was hoarse. "What? Say that again?"

    Tears streaming down her face, Renee exined, "My sister was diagnosed with lymphoma in her junior year, and she passed away the following summer."

    Francis was stunned, his eyes bloodshot, trembling as he muttered, "How could this happen? Why... Why didn''t she tell me?"

    At this moment, the finance supervisor frowned and said, "Renee, it''s working hours now. Can''t you catch upter after work?"

    Renee wiped away her tea and went back to work.

    Carlisle silently counted the money, not saying anything, either. Over a thousand employees were waiting to receive their sries and go home.

    Although he didn''t know Francis''

    story, he could guess the generah idea. Francis beloved had passed away, and he didn''t even know until now.

    Carlisle had seen simr plots in TV shows and novels: one person hides a terminal illness from their loved one, while the other leaves for a distant ce, unaware of the truth.

    Many yearster, the one kept in the dark was devastated after learning the truth.

    Such plots were melodramatic. Yet, reality often proved to be even more melodramatic than fiction.

    What happened between himself and Wanda was a perfect example. Wasn''t that also incredibly melodramatic?

    With tear streaks on his face, Francis choked up and said to Garlisle "Boss, 1. Carlisle nodded. "You should take F

    a trip back."

    im Bonus For Free Every Day>>

 Chapter 173

    "Thank you, Boss," Francis said with a heavy heart as he stood up.

    the table Carlisle took a stack of cash from the table and handed it over. "Take this money and buy something for her parents."

    After hesitating for a moment, Francis epted the morley.

    He hadn''t received a regr discharge from the army, so he had no severance pay. All the money he earned from driving taxis had already been given to his elderly parents.

    Carlisle then asked Renee, "Do you need to take leave?"

    Renee trembled slightly and cautiously nced at the supervisor. "Madam, I..."

    "Mr. Zahn has spoken. Can you still refuse?" The supervisor rolled her eyes.

    The finance supervisor, ddish Carter, was a woman in her 40s, wearing a pearl ne, a silver bracelet, and a gold ring. She was slightly overweight and wore heavy makeup.

    Logan frowned at ddish, and the other managers also quivered in response. One manager, who sat closer to ddish, quickly moved his chair to the side.

    They were all veterans in the workce, skilled at reading between the lines.

    "Thank you, Ms. Carter. I''lle back to fill out a leave requestter," Renee said, then grabbed Francis'' sleeve and walked out.

    Around 10:00 pm, after the sries of all employees and the management team had been paid out, there was still 760 thousand dors left from the initial 4.2 million.

    Carlisle looked at Logan and asked, "Does thepany have any positions like a factory manager or a general manager?"

    Logan shook her head. "The factory manager is Caleb''s cousin. He went on extended leave before Caleb disappeared. He probably won''t being back."

    There was a hint of anger on Logan''s face as she spoke. Several managers lowered their heads, seeming to stifleughter.

    Logan red at them. "What are youughing at?"

    The management team feared Logan, and seeing her anger, they immediately suppressed their smiles. One manager pinched his thigh hard to resistughing Carlisle chuckled. "Could it be that you have a story with Caleb''s cousin?"

    Logan''s face was full of grievances. "He pursued me for two years, and I just agreed to start dating him.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    But then he disappeared without a trace."

    22

    She was 32 this year but had never been in a rtionship. The management team had given her the nickname "Spinster Warrior".

    Just when it seemed like she was about to find her first love, her potential partner turned out to be Julian Davis, Caleb''s cousin.

    She had been happy to shake off the "Spinster Warrior" title and even unted it around thepany. Little did she know that Julian would go on extended leave within three days, and his phone would be unreachable.

    Frustrated, she even went to Caleb''s door, but all he said was that Julian had some business. He had returned to his hometown in the mountains with poor signal.

    After three days, Caleb also ran away with his mistress.

    By then, Logan had finally woken up to the reality of the situation. At the same time, she felt grateful for being cautious enough. Otherwise, she would have been deceived for money and affection.

    "Do you have a safe in your office?" Carlisle didn''t pry into Logan''s personal matters.

    His question about the factory or general manager was aimed at temporarily depositing the remaining 400 thousand dors in cash to the highest management.

    Since there was no factory or general manager, and Hank was probably toozy to deal withpany affairs, Logan held the highest position in thepany, excluding himself.

    Carlisle felt more at ease letting her store the cash. As for the finance department, Carlisle didn''t trust the finance supervisor ddish, so he wanted to take precautions.

    Logan nodded. "Yes, we have several safes in the R&D department."

    The R&D department was one of thepany''s core departments, and many documents needed to be securely stored, so they had prepared several safes

    "You take care of the remaining cash."

    Then, Carlisle took ten thousand dors from the cash pile and split it into two, stuffing it into his left and right pockets.

    Logan nced at ddish, immediately understanding Carlisle''s intention. She smiled and said, "Of course, Mr. Zahn!"

    "Mr. Zahn, shouldn''t this cash be kept in the finance department?" ddish, still unaware of the impending

    ??? ???

    disaster, sounded displeased.

    Carlisle smiled faintly. "I feel more at ease keeping the money with Ms. Cooper."

    After saying this, he walked out of the finance department, leaving behind a group of managers looking at each other in confusion.

    "Mr. Zahn is new here and not very familiar with the finance department. Once he gets acquainted with it, he''ll naturally trust me."

 Chapter 174

    ddish tried to maintain aposed facade despite the mounting pressure.

    Several managers shot her meaningful nces, silently conveying that she was on thin ice, Suddenly, Logan spoke up, "Ms. Carter, you don''t need toe to work tomorrow."

    ddish''s eyes widened in shock. "Ms. Cooper, what do you mean by this?"

    Logan was the second inmand in thepany. She had full authority to dismiss anyone.

    But had ddish offended her in any way? Why would she want to dismiss her? "Aren''t I clear enough?" Logan''s tone was indifferent yet assertive. "You''re fired."

    It was evident that Renee and Francis were friends. However, ddish seemed oblivious and dared to give Renee a hard time right in front of Carlisle. Wasn''t that a p in his face?

    "I refuse to ept this! I will speak to Mr. Zahn about this!"

    She tried to rise from her chair, only to find her legs turning jelly, unable to muster the strength to stand.

    During her 30s, she spent money to study ounting for a few years, then worked in several smallpanies to gain three to five years of work experience.

    At 38, she entered Riley Corporation based on her work experience. She had been working there for four years since Riley Corporation''s establishment.

    Now, at 42 and being dismissed, it would be difficult for her to find another position as a finance manager.

    At this moment, Kenny spoke calmly, "Ms. Carter, you''ve been in the workce for over a decade. Can''t you see why Mr. Zahn doesn''t trust you?"

    ddish pondered briefly, quickly recalling that Carlisle had just given ten thousand dors to Francis.

    "Do the boss and Renee''s friend know each other? ddish wiped away her tears, feigning innocence. "I

    .... I didn''t know!"

    -Logan remained unmoved by ddish''s tears. She turned to a staff member in the finance department and said, "Eddy, give Ms. Carter four months'' worth of sry."

    Eddy pursed his lips, trembling as he counted a stack of cash from the drawer.

    It was already 2:00 pm when Carlisle returned to Dragonaire Studio.

    Team Legendary department''s living room had two poker tables set up, filled with the pungent smell of smoke. As soon as Carlisle entered, the bustling living room instantly fell silent.

    Heath exined with a smile, "Boss, the inte is down today. Several nearby residential areas are also withoutwork."

    "What are you guys ying?" Carlisle smiled as he approached.

    "ck Jack! Do you want to y a few rounds?"

    Heath offered his seat to Carlisle.

    212Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Seeing everyone cing hundred-dor bills in front of them, Carlisle shook his head and said, "You go ahead. We''re all friends here, so there''s no need to bet so high!"

    guys Heathughed. "They won''t be satisfied if it''s small stakes!"

    Most of these people used to be his second-rate buddies, always ready to spend more than they had, especially at the gambling table.

    Carlisle checked the kitchen and found the pots and pang ready, but ve there was no gas. So, he settled for

    instant noodles for dinner.

    While eating instant noodles, he also yed a few rounds of ck Jack.

    Whether it was due to bad luck or not, he lost two thousand dors in the time it took to eat his noodles.

    "Forget it, I''m done. My luck is terrible!"

    Carlisle threw his cards onto the table and then went to bed.

    "Haha! Boss, you owe me 300!"

    "Carl, did you forget to wear your lucky color today?"

    "Oh my, Carl, your luck is terrible!"

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 Chapter 175

    The following day at 6:00 am, Heath, who had been ying cards all night, entered the bedroom to wake up Carlisle.N?velDrama.Org content.

    Carlisle sat up, yawning, and asked, "Is the inte back?"

    "Not yet."

    "Can you get a pen for me?"

    "Sure."

    Heath left the room and quickly returned with a ballpoint pen.

    Carlisle took a folded check from his jeans'' back pocket and filled in the amount.

    Heath''s eyelids twitched uncontrobly.

    Was Carlisle really going to give him ten million dors? Didn''t Sunny say those properties hadn''t been sold yet? Where did Carlisle get ten million dors from?

    "I''m giving you 15 million dors to settlen as soon as possible."

    Carlisle handed the check, filled out for 15 million dors, to Heath.

    15 million dors?

    Heath''s breath became heavy as he took the check with both hands.

    Carlisle continued, "After you integrate the underground industries, I want 50 percent of the profits."

    "50 percent... That''s too much...." Heath took a deep breath.

    Carlisle hadn''t expected Heath to have such a big appetite. He narrowed his eyes and said, "You should know that without my investment, you might never have had the opportunity to deal withn in your lifetime."

    Heath was briefly stunned. He then forced a smile and said, "Carl, you''ve misunderstood. What I meant was that you''re giving me too much. I only need 30 percent."

    He used to be Horace''s right-hand man, so he knew how profitable those industries were.

    Horace made over 500 thousand dors during his peak daily. That''s half a million a day, which adds up to 15 million a month.

    Taking 30 percent profit for himself would still mean 450 thousand dors a month. The thought of earning that amount was beyond his wildest dreams.

    Carlisle had indeed misunderstood Heath''s meaning earlier.

    Now that Heath had exined it clearly, Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "I''m providing you the money without effort while you and yourrades risk your lives. It''s only fair that you get 50 percent Charter 175

    of the profits.

    "Let''s settle on that. You take care of things at the studio here, and I''ll head to school."

    Even as Heath saw Carlisle off in a taxi, he had not fully recovered from his shock.

    23

    He had followed Horace since he was 15, living on the edge. He had seen a lot in the eight years of ups and downs, though perhaps not everything.

    But now he found himself unable to see through Carlisle at all. He even had a strange feeling that an ancient soul inhabited Carlisle''s 18-year-old body.

    At Rivend University''s entrance, as soon as Carlisle got out of the car, he saw Mike and several ssmates huddled together, munching on bread.

    Kelvin spotted Carlisle and immediately eximed, "Mike, Carlisle is here!*

    Mike threw the bread on the ground and gritted his teeth. "Damn it, today I''m going to teach him a lesson!"

    He had gone to find Carlisle for the promised moneyst night, but Carlisle wasn''t in the dormitory, leaving him waiting for over two hours.

    Kelvin incited, "I can see he doesn''t even respect you, Mike. We must teach him a lesson today!"

    Mike''s expression grew even colder.

    Carlisle noticed the hostile looks from Mike and his group and realized they must have waited for him in the dormitoryst night. Now, they were likely eager to vent their frustrations There was no other choice. He would just have to spend some money to settle the matter. After all, they wouldn''t cause trouble for long.

    With his hands in his pockets, Mike stared coldly at Carlisle as he approached. "You..."

    "Mike, here''s five thousand dors. Sorry for the dyst night. Don''t take it to heart." Carlisle handed five thousand in cash to Mike.

    Mike swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and begrudgingly took the money, stuffing it into his pocket.

    Then, he slung his arm around Carlisle''s shoulders and walked toward the school. "Carlisle, my man, you''re too kind. I like dealing with smart people like you. If you ever have trouble,e to me!"

    As Heath had said, anyone in their circle wouldn''t say no to money. These people spent money as if it

    grew on trees. Sometimes, they were even worse off financially, than their e ssmates from ordinary families

    With a resentful expression, Kelvin watched Carlisle''s back and om muttered, "Odon''t believe your money will

    never run out!"

    Kelvin''s three thousand dors monthly allowance already exceeded that of 99

    percent of college students.

    30

    He had thought he could thrive in university, but now he found himself relegated to being someone else''sckey.

 Chapter 176

    He never thought Carlisle, whom he disliked, would be so wealthy.

    When Carlisle returned to the dormitory, he received a call from Logan.

    "Boss, sorry to disturb you. Are you in ss?"

    "If it''s important, go ahead. I have to attend the military training assembly soon."

    "I have two things to report. First, I dismissed ddishst night. Second, the business manager, Victor rk, refuses to hand over his work. He holds a lot of client information."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Those don''t really matter. Handle it as you see fit."

    Carlisle trusted Logan, which is why he dared to hand over 700 thousand dors in cash to her. He was delighted with ddish''s dismissal.

    "Alright. I won''t bother you further, Boss."

    Logan was about to hang up the phone when Carlisle said, "Wait a moment."

    "What is it, Boss?"

    "Bring the documents and evidence from my office drawer to Rivend Universityter. We''ll register thepany together at noon. I''ll be done with ss at 11:00 am."

    "Okay, Boss."

    After hanging up, Carlisle headed to the assembly area.

    Suddenly, Phoebe came over with two sandwiches and a bottle of yogurt. "You haven''t had breakfast, have you? Please have some!"

    Carlisle instinctively looked toward Wanda. He saw that Wanda also had the same yogurt and sandwiches in her hand.

    Wanda noticed Carlisle looking at her, but she restrained herself from looking back at him.

    Queenie had bribed the students from both sses 3B and 3A, and they were monitoring every move Carlisle and Wanda made.

    If there were any ambiguity between Carlisle and Wanda, Queenie would inform Zachary, who would then up trouble for Carlisle.

    stir Seeing how Carlisle would face challenges head-on, Wanda couldn''t afford to be weak, either. She firmly believed there would be a bright future ahead for both of them.

    The sandwiches and yogurt Wanda bought seemed incredibly delicious. As Carlisle ate the sandwich, at faint smile appeared on his lips.

    Carlisle only had an hour of military training in the morning. Lawrence had some small games nned for them for the rest of the period.

    Chapte 176

    Carlisle sat nearby, watching, asionally ncing toward Wanda.

    Wanda was busy answering phone calls and messages. Carlisle felt confusion creeping in and sent her a message on MSN messenger.

    Carlisle: "Wanda, what are you busy with?"

    Wanda: "I''m dealing with clients."

    Carlisle: "Uh... Did you take over the family business?"

    Wanda: "No, I registered my ownpany. It has nothing to do with my family''s business!"

    Carlisle: "What kind ofpany did you register?"

    Wanda: "I established a loanpany. If you need money, you cane to me!"

    Carlisle: "Uh..."

    Carlisle was speechless, but he admired Wanda.

    A loanpany was a lucrative venture. It could be like Id be like picking up e

    money from the ground if managed

    properly.

    Carlisle''s only concern was whether Wanda would encroach on someone else''s territory, especially since many underground forces were running high-interest loanpanies.

    Carlisle: "Why did you suddenly decide to open a loan Company?"

    Wanda: "It makes money quickly!"

    Carlisle: "Are you nning to do online loans?"

    Wanda: "How did you know?"

    Wanda looked up at Carlisle, her eyes filled with curiosity.

    im Bonus For Free Every

 Chapter 177

    Wanda had done her research before deciding to start her own business.

    First, she posted on the Widetalk Community, asking what projects could make money quickly for college students who were starting a business.

    The Widetalk Community was a hidden gem, harboring elites from various fields.

    Ignoring some joking replies, she browsed through several serious responses and analyses of themercial situation.

    One senior member replied that she should either venture into the inte industry or start a short-term loanpany for quick lending.

    She could also try stock trading and futures if she had the courage.

    ich Wanda had.

    dabbled in the stock market, she had-heard warnings about its risks, so she decided to give up on stock trading.

    After some screening, she set her sights on the inte and short-term lending. After reading several articles about inte development trends, she suddenly had a bold idea. What if she couldbine the inte with a loanpany to find customers and lend money online?

    With this idea in mind, she contacted her cousin, who was studying finance at Sunnyside University. Her cousin was impressed by this idea and decided to return after graduation to join her.

    After that, Wanda came up with the name "online lending".

    This secret was only known to her cousin, Christine, and Phoebe.

    Phoebe was her dorm mate and had be her confidante. Without her consent, she would never tell anyone else about it.

    Could it be Christine?

    But that didn''t seem right. The three of them had dinner togetherst night. After a few drinks, Christine even confessed that she used to have a crush on Carlisle, but she hadpletely given up.

    Plus, she hadn''t sent Carlisle a message on MSN messenger recently.

    Just then, she received another message from Carlisle. Wanda quickly checked her phone.

    Carlisle: "I was just guessing!"

    After sending this message, Carlisle couldn''t calm down for a while.

    Carlisle had thought that only he could drive the times forward, but he hadn''t expected Wanda to also push forward an era-defining product because of his influence.

    Online lending was created in 2005 in Aviaria. The first domestic online lendingpany was established around 2007. Online lending really boomed after 2010.

    Chapter 177.

    In his past life, Carlisle had borrowed from many online lending tforms. At that time, there were countless online lending tforms avable.

    While they were convenient, the interest rates were terrifyingly high. Some hical online lendingpanies could cause harm to young people.

    For a moment, Carlisle even considered stopping Wanda from promoting online lending. But then she realized that even if he stopped Wanda, the online lending industry would still rise with the inte''s development.

    Instead of stopping her, it would be better to support her. She would grow this online lendingpany into a leader in the field and establish regtions for the online lending industry.

    Another message from Wanda came in.

    Wanda: "You''re really amazing. Could it be that you''ve also had this kind of idea?"

    Wanda felt that Carlisle, who had transformed from a poor student to a top student and was admitted to Rivend University within a month, must have a very sharp mind.

    So, it was reasonable to think he coulde up with ideas simr to hers.

    Carlisle. "I did have this idea before, but I felt the risk was too high, so I gave up on this path."

    In this day and age, there were pros and cons to doing online lending. The advantage would be that Wanda could have this piece of cake all to herself since there were still no online lendingpanies.

    The downside was that the credit system wasn''t perfect yet, and most ordinary families didn''t have smartphones. When borrowers default, how would they be tracked down?

    Wanda understood that Carlisle was warning her about this industry''s risks. She quickly edited her response and sent it.

    Wanda: "High risk, high return, right? I think doing business is like gambling. Either you make a small bet or a big one. Besides, the amount of money I''m putting in isn''t too much anyway!"

    Carlisle chuckled and replied, "Alright, then I wish you sess!"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He knew Wanda was starting her business for him. If she wanted to try, then he would let her try it out. With him backing her up, she wouldn''t fail in her entrepreneurial venture.

    Wanda: "Hehe, let''s work hard together! By the way, how''s your game studio doing?"

    Carlisle: "Very smoothly. I expect it to start turning a profit next week!"

    Wanda: "So soon?"

    Wanda was surprised, but she felt happy for Carlisle.

 Chapter 178

    It had only been about a week since they started school. Was it just her, or had Carlisle gone from starting a business to turning a profit way too quickly?

    Carlisle: "Quick, isn''t it?"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Wanda: "Yeah!"

    Carlisle: "Do you like how fast I''m going?"

    Wanda: "Sure do!"

    As Wanda finished typing her response, she suddenly looked up at Carlisle.

    Was he making sexual jokes?

    Queenie and her friends often joked around like this. Their words had anotheryer of meaning.

    Though Carlisle didn''t lift his head, Wanda could still see the mischievous grin ying at the corners of his mouth.

    Wanda''s cheeks flushed red, and she replied, "Big dummy, you''re up to something!"

    Carlisle''s smile froze on his face as he nced up at Wanda. Did she understand his teasing?

    Carlisle: "What do you mean, up to something?"

    Wanda: "Hmph, I''m not talking to you anymore!"

    Wanda snapped her phone shut and raised her fist in Carlisle''s direction.

    Sitting on the other side were several of her female ssmates.

    Ruby tugged at the sleeve of a girl next to her and whispered, "Tiffany, how did the task I asked you to do go?"

    "Oh... I''m sorry, I forgot!" Tiffany Hall seemed afraid of Ruby and quickly apologized.

    "Hmph, you really don''t take my words seriously at all!" Ruby stared coldly at Tiffany.

    "N-No, it''s not like that. I... I''ll go find him right away!" Tiffany trembled all over as she said.

    Ruby withdrew her gaze and said softly, "Calm yourself down first."

    Tiffany took a deep breath. It took a while to suppress the fear in her heart.

    Seeing that Lawrence''s attention was on the students who were engaged in the games, she walked hesitantly toward Carlisle.

    At this moment, Carlisle was about to call Sean. He was about to press the dial button when a petite, pretty girl suddenly crouched before him and whispered, "Carlisle can I get your MSN messenger ID?"

    "Why do you need my MSN messenger ID?" Carlisle looked at the girl in confusion. She seemed to be Chapter 178

    from ss 38.

    Tiffany blushed and said, "I... I''m asking for my friend."

    "Who''s your friend? Is it a guy or a girl?"

    "A girl, but I can''t tell you who she is right now."

    "But I don''t use MSN messenger."

    Carlisle refused in an indifferent tone. Since they weren''t ssmates, exchanging contact information. was unnecessary. What if Wanda got jealous?

    Tiffany''s eyes reddened. She was on the verge of crying. "Carlisle, please help me. Just this once, please!"

    Carlisle furrowed his brows. Looking up, he noticed a bruise on the corner of Tiffany''s left eye.

    It seemed that she had been bullied.

    Her request was probably out of desperation. She might get intom trouble if he didn''t give her his MSN messenger ID.

    With this in mind, Carlisle asked, "Do you have a phone?"

    Tiffany lit up and replied, "I don''t have a phone, but I can remember it. You can just delpme the ID number."

    Carlisle gave Tiffany his MSN messenger ID. It was a six-digitm number he had registered three years ago when he first entered high school, and it was easy to remember.

    "Thank you!"

    After thanking him, Tiffany quickly left.

    Carlisle kept his head down, pretending to look at his phone, but his eyes followed Tiffany''s retreating figure.

    He wanted to see who was asking for his MSN messenger ID.

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 Chapter 179

    To Carlisle''s surprise, Tiffany didn''t return to her previous spot. Instead, she walked to the outskirts of the crowd and found a vacant space to sit down.

    Carlisle''s n fell through, and he sighed to himself. Anyway, that person would message him on MSN Messenger sooner orter, and he would eventually find out who she was.

    Carlisle tried calling Sean, but his phone was turned off, most likely due to military training.

    Wanda sent him another MSN Messenger message.

    Wanda: "What were you and Tiffany talking about?"

    Carlisle admitted truthfully, "Um... She asked me for my MSN Messenger ID."

    Wanda and Tiffany were in the same ss, so even if he didn''t say anything, Wanda would have definitely found out.

    Wanda: "Did you give it to her?"

    Carlisle could sense Wanda''s slight anger even through the screen.

    Carlisle replied tentatively, "Are you jealous?"

    Wanda: "Not at all!"

    After sending this message, Wanda nced at Tiffany.

    It had been five days since Tiffany was transferred to ss 3B. During these few days, she noticed Tiffany always stood by the window, lost in thought.

    Tiffany seemed a bit aloof, and most female ssmates had distanced themselves from her.

    Why would such a withdrawn girl suddenly ask for Carlisle''s MSN Messenger ID? Could she be forced to do so?

    Wanda quickly realized that Tiffany asking for Carlisle''s MSN Messenger ount was not her intention.

    At this moment, Carlisle sent a message to exin.

    Carlisle: "The girl just now has been bullied before. She was probably doing it under duress. I''m worried she''ll be bullied if she doesn''tplete the task."

    Wanda: "Mm-hmm, I understand."

    She sighed. The only bully in her ss was Ruby. Could Ruby be behind this?

    Ruby was Yuriel''s daughter. Could Carlisle resist this temptation?

    No, she shouldn''t jump to conclusions. Carlisle was definitely not that kind of person.

    The students gathered around after school.

    Lawrence looked satisfied as he addressed the group, "Time flies, and it''s already been a week. I''m surprised and pleased by everyone''s performance. Have a good rest this weekend because next week, we''ll have a two-day outdoor training!"

    A student asked, "Mr. Hanson, where will the outdoor training take ce?" Lawrence smirked mysteriously. "Why the rush? You''ll find out when the timees."

    Another student asked, "What do we need to prepare for it?"

    "You don''t need to prepare anything. I''ve already prepared medical supplies out of my own pocket."

    "Medical supplies? Does that mean we might get hurt?" a female student panicked.N?velDrama.Org content.

    Lawrence smiled faintly. "Preparing medical supplies is just a precaution for any idents. Students, don''t worry about it."

    The students started murmuring, expressing their distress.

    "Oh no, he''s smiling. When he smiles, anything could happen."

    "We''re doomed; outdoor military training is definitely going to be tough."

    Lawrence raised his hand, signaling for the students to quiet down, and spoke with a serious tone, "Military training is not just about physical exercise, it''s also a form of mental discipline.

    "We can cultivate discipline, teamwork, and a sense of responsibility through military training. These qualities will apany us throughout our lives, ying essential roles in our studies, work, and daily lives!

    "During outdoor military training, simtedbat lets everyone experience the excitement and tension of battle.

    "Through practicalbat, students can understand and master basic military skills, enhancing theoretical knowledge and improving coordination and reaction abilities!

    "After this training, if students encounter danger in the future, they won''t be powerless!"

    Lawrence stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp as he shouted,

    "Tell me loudly, what''s our motto?"

    "Military discipline is like iron; willpower is like steel. Brave to shoulder responsibilities, strive for excellence.

    "Proud warriors in the military and elite on the campus. Marching forward bravely, who dares topete?"

    The students shouted in unison. Their voices echoed throughout Rivend University, stirring and inspiring.

 Chapter 180

    "Will you back down?" Lawrence continued to ask.

    "Challenge limits, surpass oneself, strive constantly, and uphold integrity!"

    "Very good. You can disperse now." Lawrence nodded in satisfaction.

    The students scattered.

    Wanda found Phoebe and Christine and whispered a few words to them. Then, she walked straight toward the school gate.

    Carlisle went back to the dormitory with Daniel.

    Just as they arrived at the dormitory door, Carlisle received a call from Sean.

    "Carl, did you call me?"

    "Do you have time tonight? Let''s grab a meal together." Carlisle intended to talk to Sean about SociableNet.

    "I''m busy tonight." Sean awkwardly chuckled. "I have a date with Lily. We''re going ice skating!"

    "What about tomorrow?"

    "I''m going mountain climbing with Lily."

    "The day after tomorrow?"

    "Um... We''re going to the amusement park."

    "Damn it, go to hell!" Carlisle hung up the phone directly.

    He was focused on making money, but what about Sean? He was indulging in love and couldn''t extricate himself.

    Sean was calling again.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Carlisle answered the phone and said indifferently, "Go apany Lily!"

    Sean chuckled. "Carl, don''t be like this. Why do I feel like you''re jealous?"

    Carlisle''s mouth twitched a few times. "Jealous of you? Dream on! Don''t you still want to make money?"

    "I do! Of course I do!" Sean hurriedly replied.

    But he hesitated a bit when he thought about his ns with Lily for the next few days. "But I will be busy these next few days. She just agreed to date me, and I can''t just go back on my word, right?"

    Carlisle sighed. "How about this weekend night? Otherwise, we''ll have to wait until next Tuesday."

    Time equaled money. Carlisle didn''t like beating around the bush.

    Sean chuckled. "Alright, this weekend night it is!"

    Just as Carlisle hung up Sean''s call, Sunny called.

    "Boss, we''ve got a major deal! Evermore Properties wants to buy our properties for nine thousand per square foot! For the ice skating rink and karaoke, they''re offering up to 46 million!"

    Sunny''s voice was trembling with excitement, his facial expression distorted.

    "Evermore Properties is Yuriel''spany, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s right!"

    "For the residential properties, counter them for 950 per square foot, and the ice skating rink and karaoke.

    for 50 million."

    Carlisle didn''t have much fondness for Yuriel and Austin, but he couldn''t deny their wealth. So, he thought the more he could profit from them, the better.

    It wasn''t taking advantage of them; the future development of Riverwatch District into an economic zone would surely lead to a significant increase in consumer spending.

    By capturing the market in Riverwatch District, they would quickly recoup their investment.

    The prospects would be unimaginable if they turned the ice skating rink into arge shopping Ink into a mall The karaoke, currently a two-story bungalow, could also be transformed into a 20-storymercial building.

    It wasn''t the ice skating rink and karaoke that were valuable; it was the location and themercial prospects.

    "50 million? Isn''t that too high?" Sunny asked incredulously.

    After an afternoon of negotiations, 46

    million was already Evermore m

    Properties'' limit Those residential properties prices had already exceeded all the property prices in Riverwatch District.

    Wouldn''t he offend the wealthiest man in town if Carlisle insisted on such a high price?

    Carlisle said calmly, "This is the second time, I don''t want there to be a third."

    Sunny was initially stunned, then quickly said, "Boss, I... I understand!"

    After ending the call, Sunny couldn''t help but p himself. Why couldn''t he control his mouth? Carlisle had his reasons for the decision. Why did he dare to question it?

    On the other side, Lethan called Carlisle just as he hung up. "Carlisle, do you have any other properties in Riverwatch District?"

 Chapter 181

    "I do..."

    Carlisle''s voice faltered when a female voice came from the other end. "Carlisle, I''m Wanda''s aunt. Could you do me a favor for Wanda''s sake and let go of the properties you have?"

    Carlisle was not unfamiliar with this female voice.

    She had previously called him to buy a painting. It seemed she was from Windex Corporation.

    Lethan had sold Riverwatch Hotel to Shania at a low price. Now, this woman was looking to buy from him again, indicating that she was Lethan''s third sister.

    She imed to be Wanda''s aunt, so Lethan was actually Wanda''s uncle.

    Carlisle couldn''t help but smile bitterly. He wasn''t on good terms with Wanda''s brother but was doing business with her uncle and aunt.

    "Carlisle, say something. I''ll pay you no less than Yuriel," Shania urged on the other end. She was both excited and nervous at the moment.

    Carlisle had a very rich inventory of properties. Windex Corporation would have a foothold in Riverwatch District if Shania could buy them.

    She was nervous because she worried Carlisle might have already agreed to Evermore Properties'' offer.

    "Okay, let''s meet up and talk."

    After all, she was Wanda''s aunt, and they would be family in the future. So, Carlisle was very willing to cooperate with her.

    "That''s great! You probably haven''t eaten yet, have you? Let''s have dinner together at Imperial Hotel."

    Shania was as happy as ark at the moment, showing none of the maturity andposure expected of a real estatepany''s CEO.

    Lethan shook his head repeatedly, but he could also understand. Shania had always been straightforward. Even though she was already 29 years old, she had been pampered since childhood.

    Shania smiled and said, "By the way, Carl, since you and Wanda are in the same school, why don''t you invite her, too?

    "I missed her at thest family gathering since I was on a business trip. It''s been almost a year since Ist saw her, and I really miss her!"

    Carlisle chuckled. "Our situation is a bit special. Let''s not invite her for now."

    Shania was puzzled but also knew it wasn''t the time to dig deeper into it. "Alright, then. Do you want me to arrange a car to pick you up?"

    "That would be great, thank you, Ms. Warbane. I''ll go take a shower first."

    "Okay, see youter."

    After hanging up the phone, Shania handed the phone to Lethan, her face full of excitement. "Lethan, what''s the rtionship between Carlisle and Wanda?"

    Lethan shook his head and said, "I''m not too sure either, but their rtionship should be prefly good. They even attended the same high school."

    Shania narrowed her eyes and asked, "So, who exactly is this Carlisle? How did he know that Riverwatch District would be developed?"

    Lethan lit a cigarette, then took a piece of A4 paper from his desk''s drawer and ced it on the table.

    Shania stepped forward to examine the A4 paper.

    Name: Carlisle Age: 18

    Home Address: 75 Whitewood Street 2, Harveston, Rainville, Cascade State.

    Schools attended: Harveston Kindergarten, Rainville Second Elementary School, Rainville First High School, Department of Emerce, Rivend University.

    Family Members:

    Grandfather. Herbert Zahn, 76 years old, a retired construction worker. Engaged in farming before retiring at the age of 55.

    Grandmother: Agnes Marshall, deceased at the age of 38 due to pancreatic cancer. She worked as athe worker in a garment factory.

    Father: Gordon Zahn, 42 years old, a former general worker at Rainville

    .om Water nt. He wasid off in mid-June this year and is currently unemployed, earning ie by part-time shoe sole processing.

    - Mother: Hilda Young, 40 years old, part-time hardware assembly worker.

    - Uncle: Gerard Zahn, 44 years old, made some money selling DVDs in earlier years,ter switched to operating inte cafes. Currently operates three inte cafes in the county.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Eldest aunt: Maria Davison, 42 years old, has an average family m

    background, details not specified. Gerard''s family has a son and a daughter, and conflicts have arisen. between them and Gordon''s family.

    Maternal grandfather: Lloyd Young, started working as a carpenter with his father at the age of 19. At36, he started a brick kiln factory, which went bankrupt after six years of operation due to poor business conditions. He has since continued working as a carpenter.

 Chapter 182

    The investigation showed that Carlisle''s family had no political connections.

    After reviewing the information on Carlisle''s identity, Shania took a deep breath and asked, "No political connections? How did he know about the development ns for Riverwatch District, then?"

    Lethan picked up thendline and made a call.

    "Gusto, head over to Rivend University and pick up someone for me. I''ll send you his numberter," he instructed.

    "Got it, Boss!"

    "Do Lethan promptly hung up and sent Carlisle''s phone number to the new driver he had hired, muttering, you think it''s possible that nobody informed him about the development ns for Riverwatch District?"

    "I don''t think so." Shania shook her head, rejecting Lethan''s spection without hesitation.

    She continued, "If he didn''t know about the development ns for Riverwatch District, why would he have bought so many houses and even authorized you to spend 36 million on acquiring Riverwatch Hotel?"

    Never mind an 18-year-old student, even Yuriel, the richest man in Rivend, wouldn''t dare to invest so much money without certainty about Riverwatch District''s development.

    Lethan was now filled with doubts.

    Before this, he suspected Josie had found out about the affair between Quinn and his driver.

    Due to some misunderstanding between her and Lethan, she didn''t want to deal with him directly. That was why she had Wanda warn him about it through Carlisle But now, it seemed that wasn''t the case.

    Shania was right. If Carlisle hadn''t known about Riverwatch District''s development, he wouldn''t have hoarded so many of that area''s properties.

    He, too, wouldn''t have strongly insisted on buying Verwatch Hotel.

    Carlisle had no political connections, yet he predicted Riverwatch District''s uing development.

    Lethan even suspected Carlisle possessed the supernatural ability to see the future.

    "Lethan." Shania smilingly asked, "What do you think of Carlisle?"

    Lethan pushed up his sses and replied, his expression conflicted, "Even though he''s worth billions now, he''s taken the wrong path."

    "Oh? Has he invested in other industries?"

    Lethan nodded.

    Shania continued asking. "What industry is it? It''s not smartphones, is it?" Chapter 162

    Lethan was at a loss for words. "That''s exactly it. Thepetition in the smartphone industry is fierce. How can a naive brat like himpete with other smartphone giants?"

    "Ha... It''s a bit of a pity indeed." Shania sighed, then stared at Lethan usingly. "Why didn''t you try to talk.

    him out of it?"

    "I did, but it''s no use. As the saying goes, ''Good advice falls on deaf ears,'' and Carlisle sure as hell is deafl Lethan nced at the Rolex watch on his wrist. "Let''s go. We''ll order food at the hotel first."

    At the same time, Carlisle put on clean clothes and walked out of the school gate after taking a shower.

    Parked by the roadside outside the school was a ck Mercedes with a young man in a white shirt standing beside it.

    "Carlisle. What a coincidence." A soft female voice came from his left.

    As Carlisle turned his head to take a nce, his good mood was instantly ruined.

    His tone was indifferent when he asked, "Yes?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Sienna smiled gently. "I always see you when Ie to your school."

    Carlisle, who didn''t have time for small talk, walked across the road impassively.

    Seeing this, Sienne paused for a moment, then stomped her foot angrily.

    "Carlisle, you jerk! Why are you acting so aloof?" she hissed.

    When Carlisle walked to the Mercedes, the young man with an crew cut respectfully helped him open the

    door.

    Sienna was stunned again upon seeing that.

    im Bonus For Free Every Day>>

 Chapter 183

    This wasn''t an unfamiliar scene.

    Thest time Sienna came to school, she saw Carlisle slipping into a brand-new Mazda6.

    It wasn''t umon for older students from well-off families to drive cars like this at this school.

    After all, one could buy a house in Rainville with 130 thousand dors.

    Meanwhile, it would take an average family half a lifetime to save enough money to buy a house.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    This time, Carlisle had upgraded to a Mercedes.

    Carlisle was good-looking, and he was wealthy now. Also, Sarah mentioned that Carlisle and Wanda broke up.

    Sienna felt something stir in her chest.

    Sarah didn''t want Carlisle, and Wanda didn''t want him, either.

    But Sienna could have him.

    What was Carlisle even pretending to be all high and mighty for?

    "Hmph. It''s just a crappy Mercedes anyway. Mr. Gust drives a Porsche! Siennained with her nose crinkled, her chest heaving with anger.

    At that moment, Sarah emerged from the school building. Her presence was, as always, attention-

    grabbing.

    Men couldn''t help but stare at her, while women couldn''t help but feel inferior. It was as though the world had turned colorless.

    "Enna..." As Sarah approached Sienna, she couldn''t help but ask when she noticed thetter''s displeasure. "Enna, what''s wrong?"

    Sienna huffed. "I just saw Carlisle. Hepletely ignored me when I greeted him!"

    Sarah wore a small smile. "He''s just being all high and mighty because he''s a little richer now. Stick with me; we and Carlisle will be in different worlds in the future!"

    Sienna responded with a pout, "But he''s driving a Mercedes now, and it''s worth four million dors..."

    However, Sarah wasn''t impressed at all.

    "It''s just a Mercedes. If you like riding in fancy cars, I can take you for a ride in a Porsche every day from now on."

    "Sarah." Sienna gratefully held Sarah''s hand. "You''re so kind..."

    "But unfortunately, these things aren''t truly ours, Sarah replied, her eyes narrowed. "True talent lies in having something of your own!"

    Sienne looked at Sarah in surprise. She hadn''t expected Sarah to consider this.

    Pursing her lips, she asked, "Are you thinking about starting a business to make money?"

    Sarah nodded. "I talked to Austinst night. He said he could provide 10 million to support my business."

    "T-Ten million?"

    Sienna was so shocked that she covered her mouth, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

    To her, who only had a monthly allowance of 500 dors, this astronomical figure was hard to imagine.

    "Could you stop being so surprised? You''re acting like a bumpkin!" Sarah scolded and gave Sienna a disdainful look.

    But the truth was, Sarah even screamed in her dormitory when she received the newsst night. She only calmed down after spending an entire daying to terms with the information.

    At this point, her views on money had undergone a huge change.

    From the girl who used to ride a bike to high school, she had now be a multimillionaire who wore branded goods from head to toe.

    Wanda''s family was also wealthy, and while Sarah couldn''tpare to Wanda''s family, she at least wanted to match them.

    Austin also said that the Gust and Thompson families were at odds with each other and they would eventually bankrupt the Thompson family.

    Sienna took a while toe back to her senses. Suppressing her om excitement, she stammered with a blush, "Sarah, c-can you ask Mr.

    Gust to introduce me to a man?"

    "What''s this?" Sarah smirked. "Do you want to marry into a wealthy family, too?"

    Sienna nodded, her face flushed.

    "I also want to wear nice clothes and live a good life like you..."

    Sarah pondered and then said with a sly smile, "Alright, I''ll have Austin help you find someone."

    Sienna had a decent appearance.

    One should always have their guard up, even against their best friend Since Sarah often took Sienna to ride in Austin''s car, what if Austin started liking Sienna at some point?

 Chapter 184

    When Carlisle arrived at Imperial Hotel, a 40-plus-story five-star hotel, the parking lot was full of luxury cars.

    Cars like Mercedes and BMW seemed somewhat insignificant here; Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari were the real top luxury cars.

    The customers entering and exiting the hotel were all decked out in gold and silver, adorned with luxury brands from head to toe.

    Carlisle felt out of ce in his 30-dor outfit.

    The young man with a crew cut, Gusto, led Carlisle to the hotel reception.

    Immediately, the lobby manager eagerly approached them and asked, "Sirs, do you have a reservation?"

    Gusto only replied, "Lethan Warbane."

    The smile on the lobby manager''s face brightened even more. "So you''re Mr. Warbane''s friends! I''ll take you to him right away!"

    With that, he led the two of them toward the elevator. As they reached the elevator, the doors opened slowly.

    Inside stood a group of tall, muscr men, each with tattoos on their arms.

    At the front stood a bald man in a white shirt tucked into his trousers, with a bunch of car keys hanging from his waist and a phone clipped to his belt. His face bore a menacing scar.

    "M-Mr. Carlson, have you had your meal?" The lobby manager bowed and greeted them.

    However, the bald man walked out of the elevator and led his group away, ignoring the greetings.

    The lobby manager''s demeanor changed from obsequious to disdainful when he entered the elevator.

    "What rubbish. He wouldn''t act so arrogant at Imperial Hotel if Mr. Lynch hadn''t gone abroad for vacation. these days."

    "Is hen Carlson?" Carlisle asked, to which the lobby manager nodded.

    "He is. He''s just ackey anyway. He''s nothingpared to Mr. Lynch!"

    Carlisle asked again, "When you mentioned Mr. Lynch, were you referring to Titan Lynch?"

    The lobby manager''s pupils slightly contracted.

    "My friend, you can''t just call Mr. Lynch by his name. We all call him Mr. Lynch!"

    Gusto sneered. "Is he the king or something? We can''t even call him by his name??

    The lobby manager didn''t know how to react. "You don''t know how ruthless Mr. Lynch is. He and Mr. Gust are sworn brothers. Even Mr. Lethan Warbane has to respectfully address him as Mr. Lynch!"

    Gusto wrinkled his nose and fell silent upon hearing that.

    On the other hand, Carlisle stood with his hands in his pocket impassively.

    Titan and Jalen Holder, who were known as the Heroes of Rivend, controlled 90 percent of Rivend''s gray market.

    However, these two forces would be cracked down on in 2008.

    Titan and Jalen were particrly unlucky; even their best subordinates were sentenced to life imprisonment.

    Gusto knocked on Room 8''s door on the 18th floor, Lethan''s voice came from inside. "Come in."

    At that, Gusto pushed open the door. "After you, Mr. Zahn!"

    Carlisle strode into the private room with a big smile, greeting. "Good day, sir."

    "No need to be so formal." Lethan chuckled dryly at that. "Have a seat."

    Shania''s clear eyes assessed Carlisle.

    Judging from his appearance, Carlisle stood about six feet tall and had delicate features and a confident demeanor. He would easily be considered a heartthrob at school.

    Carlisle pulled out a chair and sat down, looking somewhat bashful as he addressed Shania.

    "You must be Ms. Warbane, Windex Corporation''s chairwoman."

    Seeing Carlisle''s shy demeanor, Shania couldn''t help but chuckle. "Didn''t you already figure that out?"

    Carlisle scratched his head awkwardly in response.

    Of course, he knew who she was. He only came up with something to greet her with as he felt embarrassed under her gaze.

    Lethan coughed twice with his mouth covered.

    Shania then realized she wasn''t there to meet her nephew-inw. This 18-year-old was a businessman E

    with assets simr to hers. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    She collected her thoughts, smilingly mentioning, "Mr. Zahn, let''s not beat around the bush.

    "As far as I know, Yuriel intends to buy your properties at 900 dors per square meter. He''s also offering 46 million for the ice rink and karaoke spot. I can add an extra million on top of his offer!"

 Chapter 185

    Lethan, who had reserved the private room in advance, notified the waiter to serve their food.

    Meanwhile, Shania asked Carlisle with a smile, "What''s your major, Mr. Zahn?"

    "Please don''t call me that, Ms. Warbane. Just call me Lyle or Carl," Carlisle eximed.

    Carlisle had already set his mind on Wanda. Since Wanda''s aunt would be his family too, he felt it was best to behave for their first meeting.

    "Alright. I''m straightforward, so let''s skip the formalities. I''ll just call you Lyle or Carl from now on," Shania mentioned without holding back.

    After informing the waiter to serve the dishes, Lethan returned to his seat. "Carlisle," he smirked, "tell me honestly. How far have you gotten with Wanda?"

    Those words piqued Shania''s interest.

    "Exactly! Lyle, how did you manage to woo Wanda? She promised her mother she wouldn''t date until she finished college!" Shania eximed.

    Carlisle let out a sigh. "Wanda and I have just started dating, but we''ve encountered some obstacles."

    Shania and Lethan exchanged nces, immediately understanding what Carlisle meant by that.

    Lethan grunted, exining. "Things indeed are a little troublesome. Shein''s family has some issues."

    "What''s so troublesome?" Shania asked with a chuckle. "You''ll soon have 200 million in assets. That''s enough for you to rank among the top 100 wealthiest individuals in Rivend, no?N?velDrama.Org content.

    "I don''t think Shein would refuse such a promising young man."

    Lethan opened his mouth but hesitated to speak.

    Indeed, having over 200 million in assets could secure a spot on the top 100 list of wealthy individuals in Rivend.

    However, there was still a high chance that Shein would shut the door on Carlisle.

    The reason was simple-Carlisle hailed from the countryside. Hecked amercial foundation and connections to provide substantial assistance and support to the Thompson family.

    But Shania wasn''t worried about all that. She smilingly announced, "Carl, feel free to boldly pursue your rtionship with Wanda, I support you!"

    Despite her words, Carlisle gleaned some information from Lethan''s expression. It seemed that marrying Wanda might be more difficult than he had imagined.

    But it didn''t matter. As long as Wanda loved him, he would strive and fight for her.

    200 million was just the beginning. In the future, Carlisle would stand above all! Chapter 185

    The waiter soon began serving the dishes, presenting a table full of delicacies from both sea andnd, highlighted by a glistening roasted whole suckling pig.

    It was even more extravagant than the deluxe set menu at A1 Seafood Restaurant.

    Lethen proceeded to uncork a bottle of 1982 Lafite and poured three sses, cing them in front of himself and the others.

    Meanwhile, Shania cut a piece of meat from the roasted pork with her knife and fork before cing it on Carlisle''s te.

    "Carl," she urged, "try this roasted pig. It''s delicious."

    "Thank you, Ms. Warbane." Carlisle smiled shyly as he picked up his fork and tooka Bite.

    The crispy golden skin and aromatic vor burst in his mouth, leaving him wanting more.

    "How is it? Isn''t it good?" Shania cut herself a piece and asked with a smile.

    Carlisle nodded. "It''s excellent!" he praised.

    Lethan chuckled at his reaction. "The chef who prepared this is of national-level standard. In fact, national-level s m

    Imperial Hotel''s manager only got him to be the head chef here after several tries!"

    He then raised his wine ss. "Let''s celebrate our coboration!"

    Shania and Carlisle also raised their sses and clinked them with Lethan''s.

    Just as they were about to drink, they suddenly heard a knock at the door. Shania asked in confusion, "Are there more dishesing?"

 Chapter 186

    Lethan nced at the dishes on the table and replied, "It''s all here."

    "Did you invite anyone else?" Shania continued to ask.

    "No."

    Lethan didn''t immediately let the person in but instead stalked toward the door with a grim expression.

    As one of the hotel''s Diamond members, he was entitled to Diamond services. He shouldn''t be disturbed if he didn''t call for a waiter.

    However, Lethan''s words were caught in his throat as soon as he opened the door and saw who it was.

    He choked on his saliva and started coughing from the shock.

    "M-Mr. Gust!"

    "Lethon, you don''t mind us joining in, do you?

    Standing at the door was the corpulent Yuriel, holding a cigar while wearing a kind smile. Behind him were a group of well-dressed bodyguards and three high-ranking executives from Evermore Properties.

    Lethan''s pupils narrowed slightly.

    Yuriel''s sudden arrival likely had something to do with the properties Carlisle was handling.

    What a sharp sense of smell Yuriel had. He was just like a dog.

    As much as Lethan wanted to refuse, he couldn''t and didn''t dare to. He only forced a smile and uttered," Of course not, Mr. Gust. Wee."

    Shania''s muscles tensed the moment she heard Yuriel''s voice. As her heart rate increased, she tightened her grip on her fork, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

    Although Windex Corporation was well-regarded in the real estate industry, it paled inparison to Evermore Properties, especially when it was led by Yuriel himself.

    Carlisle continued to cut the roasted pig with his utensils, seemingly unaware of who the neer was.

    Shania whispered, "Carl, Yuriel is here..."

    Carlisle only dipped the cut pork into some sauce and smoothly popped it into his mouth, smiling.

    "Well, if he''s here, let him be. It''s not like he''s going to eat us."

    "But..."

    "Carlisle, my friend! We meet again!" Yuriel''s voice interrupted whatever Shania was about to say as he entered the room.

    Shania stood up and greeted him with an air ofposure, "Mr. Gust."

    208

    Carlisle also stood up politely. "Mr. Gust, are you here to see me?" he smilingly asked.

    Yurielughed heartily. "No need to be so formal. Let''s sit down and eat!"

    Carlisle, of course, didn''t refuse the offer and promptly took his seat. Yuriel wouldn''t bother with a young man like him.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    With a smile, Yuriel sat opposite Carlisle.

    Shania and Lethan waited until Yuriel sat down before they took their seats.

    Finally, the three high-ranking executives from Evermore Properties sat down as well.

    At that moment, the waiter brought over a few sets of cutleries.

    Yuriel turned to the waiter and instructed, "Bring us two more bottles of ''82 Lafite. Put the bill for this table under my name."

    "Yes, Mr. Gust!" the waiter responded carefully before turning to leave.

    Yuriel then ced his cigar in the ashtray and looked at Carlisle with a smile.

    "Carlisle, my friend, I didn''t think you would have such keen business insight at such a young age. You even predicted Riverwatch District''s development!"

    If Lethan could gather information about Carlisle. Then it was a given the richest man in Rivend could do the same.

    Carlisle had no political background and couldn''t have received news about Riverwatch District''s development from the county or Lumina.

    Moreover, the original n for Rivend''s development was to develop the Tristream District.

    It was only when officials from the nning bureau came to Rivend and discovered that Riverwatch District was significantly behind that they changed their ns.

    So, Yuriel thought Carlisle must have stumbled upon some good luck like a blind cat that found a dead mouse.

    Yuriel had been frustrated for a few days now. He should have thought of this himself.

    Riverwatch District was located in the downtown area and had suffered from neglect over the years.

    It had led to a loss of personnel and decline in the economy, which in turn dragged down the entire Rivend GDP. It was indeed necessary to Was develop and obtain investment as soon as possible.

    Fortunately, Yuriel had obtained a piece ofnd in a decent location With that piece ofnd as a foundation, he could still secure a significant share of the Riverwatch District market.

    As Carlisle took a bite of the fish and smiled lightly, he mentioned, "It was just good luck."

    Yuriel''s lips curved into a smile at those words.

    "I''ll stop beating around the bush. Let''s proceed with the transaction for the properties you have at the

 Chapter 187

    Shania turned pale instantly upon hearing Yuriel''s words.

    Had Carlisle already negotiated the price with Yuriel? Why didn''t he mention it earlier? He had given her false hope!

    While Shania could do without the luxury homes in Carlisle''s possession, the karaoke spot and ice skating rink held significantmercial value.

    She wanted to speak up and negotiate with Yuriel but ultimately restrained herself.

    As she knew about Yuriel''s ruthless ways, she was aware that being allowed to keep one property would already be considered a great favor.

    After knocking on the door, the waiter entered with two bottles of Lafite and asked in a gentle tone, "Mr. Gust, would you like them opened?"

    "Open them," Yuriel instructed. He picked up his cigar from the ashtray and took a puff, his sharp gaze fixed on Carlisle.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle continued to indulge in the delicacies. Although he wasn''t particrly refined, he was mindful and didn''t have a trace of grease on his lips.

    Beside Yuriel, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline tapped the table and reminded Carlisle, "Kid, the chairman is talking to you!"

    The man was Yohann Gust, Yuriel''s cousin and Evermore Properties'' vice president. He also knew about how Carlisle was from the countryside andcked power and influence.

    It was Yuriel who had spent a hefty sum to purchase that promising property from Carlisle. Carlisle wouldn''t have had money to buy those properties in Riverwatch District otherwise.

    Everything Carlisle had was given by Yuriel. Now that Yuriel had humbled himself and was personally negotiating a coboration with Carlisle, Carlisle actually dared to act so indifferently!

    "So, you do realize that your chairman is speaking to me." Carlisle took a few tissues from the tissue box to wipe his mouth.

    His gaze was piercing as he continued, "Didn''t Mr. Gust tell you that you shouldn''t interrupt during business talks?"

    "You..."

    "Shut it!" Yuriel hissed and red at Yohann who promptly closed his mouth.

    There was a hint of shock in Shania''s eyes.

    Wasn''t Carlisle being too audacious for reprimanding Yuriel''s subordinate right in front of Yuriel?

    Shouldn''t Carlisle have at least considered how Yohann was one of Yuriel''s men before he ridiculed him, especially considering that Yohann was Yuriel''s cousin?

    22

    Lethan''s heart also raced.

    Had Carlisle be too arrogant because of his wealth? Was he disregarding even the richest man in Rivend?

    However, Yuriel continued to take a puff of his cigar before he turned his gaze back to Carlisle, his face showing a genial smile.

    "It''s my fault for not disciplining him properly. I hope I didn''t embarrass myself, Carlisle."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Carlisle put on a small smile. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Gust. I have a habit of not talking during meals, which is why I didn''t reply immediately earlier."

    "Haha! I don''t mind at all. You can just answer now," Yuriel said, tapping his cigar on the ashtray.

    Taking a deep breath, Carlisle confessed, "Mr. Gust, I must om apologize. I sold all the properties I had on hand to Windex Corporation before you arrived."

    The air grew heavy the moment Carlisle said those words. Everyone at the table stared at Carlisle in disbelief.

    Hadn''t they already agreed on the price? Was Carlisle standing Yuriel up?

    Suddenly, Yohann mmed the table as he jumped to his feet in anger.

    "Carlisle Zahn, is this how you conduct your business? Let''s not talk about you raising the pricecout of nowhere our chairman personally g

    came to discuss a coboration with you, and yet you''re going back on your word!"

 Chapter 188

    Yuriel didn''t intervene this time; he merely calmly puffed on his cigar.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Shania stared at Yohann and asked in a strange tone, "Mr. Gust, how dare you question how someone does business? I''d like to ask you how you conduct yours. Is it through coercion?"

    "Shut your mouth! Did I ask for your opinion?" Yohan roared, ring at Shania.

    Shania was Windex Corporation''s CEO, whereas Yohann was Evermore Properties'' vice president.

    Despite that, Yohann didn''t show her any respect. To him, Shania was just a young upstart.

    Suddenly, Yuriel''s bodyguards charged into the room.

    Shania''s heart skipped a beat when she saw this. If only she had brought a few bodyguards with her whent she left!

    When she nced at Carlisle and noticed his slight frown, she sighed inwardly before saying to Carlisle," Carl, you don''t have to feel pressured. If you made a prior promise to Mr. Gust, you can go ahead and sell those properties to him."

    Although she desperately wanted the properties Carlisle had, she couldn''t jeopardize him.

    After all, Carlisle had no power or influence. Yuriel could easily make life difficult for Carlisle in Rivend.

    And if something happened to Carlisle, no one would be able to help him seek justice.

    Yuriel turned to look at Yohann, his tone indifferent as he scolded, "The strong bullying the weak? What kind of behavior is this?

    "Did I not tell you to control your temper during negotiations? If you don''t fix your temper, how can I entrust Evermore Properties to you in the future?"

    It was clear to everyone that Yuriel was just making empty threats.

    Hearing those words, Yohann forced a smile and sat down. He believed that his show of force would intimidate Carlisle.

    Yuriel then sat down his cigar. Elegantly picking up his wine ss, he took a sip from it and put on a small smile.

    "Carlisle, my friend, this is my cousin Yohann Gust. He''s new to his position and has a bit of a temper.

    Please don''t take offense."

    Carlisle remainedposed as he gently sipped from his wine ss.

    Shania noticed that ripples formed in the wine when Carlisle lifted his ss. It was clear that Carlisle was only pretending to be calm, Even Shanja, a 30-year-old and apany''s CEO, would feel nervous facing Yuriel, the wealthiest man in Rivend.

    After taking a sip of wine and setting down his ss, Carlisle calmly stated, "You can buy the residential properties, but the ice skating rink and karaoke spot must be sold to Windex Corporation."

    Shania''s eyes widened at his words, emotions swirling in her chest.

    While she was touched by Carlisle''s consideration for her despite the pressure from Yurief, she was also anxious because she knew Yuriel would likely refuse Carlisle''s condition.

    If Carlisle insisted on his own course of action, he could very well find himself in a dangerous situation. Neither Shania nor Lethan could guarantee his safety.

    Shein could intervene, but at this critical moment, he wouldn''t easily offend Yuriel.

    "Carlisle, we''ve worked together before; you know I''m a frank person. I must have all the properties you have!

    "How about this? Since your parents are currently unemployed, I happen to own a molding factory in Rainville.

    "If you agree to sell me your that properties, I''ll arrange for your parents to be executives at thpanypany. You attended Rainville High School, so you must have heard of Sentaur Molding Factory."

    Yuriel bore a gentle smile, and his tone and attitude were sincere as he continued to convince Carlisle Of course, Carlisle knew about Sentaur Molding Factory. It was Rainville''srgest factory which offered excellent benefits to its three thousand employees.

    Owen''s father was a supervisor there, and he made 15 hundred dors a a

    month, making him''¨¤ respected En figure in the entire Franklin Complex.

    But these were all secondary considerations. The message Yuriel conveyed was that he knew everything about Carlisle.

    If Carlisle didn''t agree to his demands, it could potentially affect his parents as well, Carlisle''s grip on the highball ss tightened. Still, he quicklyposed himself and smiled.

    "Since you''ve put it this way, Mr. Gust, it would seem like I don''t know what''s good for me if I don''t agree to it!"

    Yurielughed heartily at that. Raising his ss, he announced, "Then let''s toast to a pleasant cooperation!

 Chapter 189

    their of When Yuriel directed his gaze toward Lethan and Shania, both of them raised and forced out ufortable smiles.

    Carlisle felt equally helpless.

    It would have been better if the deal had already beenpleted.

    After all, Shania came from a prestigious family, With Shein backing her up, Yuriel wouldn''t easily mess with Shania despite his dominance.

    But life was unpredictable.

    Yuriel had chosen this exact moment to interfere.

    Carlisle wondered if Yuriel had arranged for someone to monitor him, Carlisle didn''t like this uneasy feeling, but what more could he do when his opponent was the all-powerful richest man in Rivend?

    This sucked. Couldn''t Carlisle just be left to grow stronger peacefully? He had barely started making money but had already caught a city tycoon''s attention!This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    After finishing his wine, Yuriel nced at the time and smilingly said, "I have some business to attend to. I won''t keep youpany any longer. Yohann, you can handle the transaction with Carlisle."

    His tone then turned serious as he added, "And be a bit more polite to Carlisle. Courtesy goes a long way in business."

    Yohann smiled in response. "I understand, sir!"

    With that, Yuriel left with a smile. He nced at Lethan''s driver, Gusto, as he reached the door.

    This didn''t go unnoticed by Carlisle. Something was wrong with Gusto!

    Yuriel hadn''t arranged for someone to monitor Carlisle. Instead, it seemed like Lethan and Shania were the ones being watched.

    "Mr. Zahn! When should we sign the contract?" Yohann''s earlier dominance had softened, and his face now bore a radiant smile like a sunflower in full bloom.

    Carlisle couldn''t be bothered to spare him a nce as he pulled out his phone and dialed Sunny''s number.

    "Boss..."

    "I''ve already negotiated with Evermore Properties. Bring the transaction documents to Imperial Hotel,"

    Carlisle instructed.

    "Yes, Boss!"

    After hanging up the phonie, Carlisle continued digging into the delicacies on the table.

    "Lethan, Carl, I''ll head back now to attend to some business at mypany."

    Shania had lost interest in staying any longer and left with those words.

    Lethan, on the other hand, drank his wine with a bitter expression. He regretted not bringing Carlisle to his own home. Surely, Yuriel wouldn''t have dared to barge Into the Warbane residence!

    In high spirits, Yohann looked at Lethan''s bitter expression and asked, "Lethan, what''s a fashion designer like you doing tagging along with Shania?"

    "I have a business rtionship with Carlisle. How is having a meal with him considered ''tagging along?"

    Lethan spat in return.

    While he was wary of Yuriel, he didn''t fear Yohann. Seeing Yohann''s smug look, he retorted and then squinted, asking. "Did you arrange for someone to tail Carlisle?"

    Yohann smilingly touched his mustache and chuckled, "Lethan, don''t be so quick to point fingers.

    "We all do legitimate business here.

    We utilize human reasonably.Wh we get someone to monitor a freshman?"

    w would I know?" Lethan snorted.

    "How

    Yohann shrugged off the remark and raised his ss. "As my cousin said, businessmen should be amicable to prosper, Lethan, please don''t hold grudges. Here, let me toast to you."

    Ignoring Yohann, Lethan took out a cigarette and lit it.

    Yohann only wore an unfazed smile as he finished his drink Whenhen turned to Carlisle, he found the young En man studying how to eat a king crab.

    A hint of disdain flickered in his eyes.

    As expected of a peasant from the countryside. Carlisle didn''t even know how to eat a king crab!

    About 40 minutes passed before Carlisle finished the crab under Lethan''s guidance.

    At that moment, Sunny arrived at the private room. He bought a briefcase and had styled his hair into a pompadour.

    "Boss..."

 Chapter 190

    Sunny approached Carlisle and cautiously called out to him.

    Carlisle nodded in response. "Show them the property deeds."

    "Okay!" Sunny replied, taking out the documents from the briefcase and handing them to the people from Evermore Properties.

    After the executives cross-checked and confirmed everything was in order, they nodded smilingly.

    Yohann took out the prepared contract and said with a smile, "Carlisle, take a look at the contract. If everything looks good, go ahead and sign it."

    Sunny brought the contract to Carlisle, who carefully reviewed it to ensure there were no traps before signing it with a pen.

    Yohann became even more cheerful after the contract was signed.

    "Carlisle, would you like a check, or should we transfer the money to your bank ount?" he asked.

    Hearing that, Sunny asked in a quiet voice, "Don''t we need to go to the County Recorder''s office for the transfer?"

    "You don''t need to worry about that." Yohann chuckled. "We can handle it."

    Sunny obediently remained silent after that. As the leading real estate figure in Rivend, Yohann spoke with authority.

    Next, Yohann wrote a check for the agreed amount of 87 million.

    "The original price was just over 86.9 million dors. I rounded it up for you," he exined as he ced the check on the table and rotated it so it was in front of Carlisle.

    Carlisle proceeded to hand the check to Lethan. "Mr. Warbane, could you verify this for me?"

    Given the substantial sum involved and the fact that he didn''t entirely trust the situation, caution was necessary.

    Lethan took the check and looked at it a few times beforementing with a sneer, "Although Evermore Properties can be shameless at times, they are rtively reliable when it concerns their reputation."

    Yohann also snorted. "Why didn''t you make a sound when Yuriel was here?"

    "I was showing him respect," Lethan retorted with a frown. "You''re just acting tough because of him anyway."

    Yohann smirked arrogantly at those words. "I''m lucky because I have what it takes to be arrogant. If you had the ability, you could be arrogant, too."

    The two had known each other for quite some time; they often exchanged banter at other business gatherings as well.

    222

    At the same time, Sunny was drooling over the sumptuous dishes on the table. He hadn''t had dinner, after all.

    Seeing this, Carlisle smilingly offered, "Sunny, why don''t you sit down and take a bite?"

    "Oh... A-Are you sure that''s okay?"

    Sunny nced at Lethan and Yohann.

    One was the chairman of the leading fashionpany In Rivend, Islo Clothing. Meanwhile, the other was the president of Evermore Properties, the leading real estate industry yer in Rivend.

    How could he, with his modest background, sit at the same table with them?

    Carlisle frowned slightly at his reaction. "If I tell you to sit, sit!"

    Thinking Carlisle was angry, Sunny quickly pulled over a chair and sat down.

    Carlisle then leaned over and whispered, "Let them argue. We should have our fill before we head back."

    Upon hearing that, Sunny nodded and mustered up the courage to start eating the food on the table.

    Lethan and Yohann argued for about ten minutes. It wasn''t until Yohann answered a phone call that things calmed down.

    Yohann raised his ss and took a sip of red wine to quench his thirst. "I don''t have time trgue with you today, but next time, I''ll make sure to shut you up!" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Lethan chuckled. "I''ll be ready whenever you are."

    Carlisle couldn''t help but nce at the two of them a little more.

    Did all businessmenmunicate in such a straightforward and unadorned manner?

    Yohann and his team from Evermore Properties soon departed.

    No longer containing the rage within him, Lethan mmed his fist hard on the table.

    He was so damn frustrated.

    He was supposed to be a representative figure in the Rivend fashion industry. Yet today, he had to watch as people from Evermore Properties bullied his sister.

    Sunny, who was cutting the roasted pork, was so startled that he dropped the knife on the table. Unaware of the earlier events, he thought Lethan was angry with him for hisck of manners.

    As he stood up timidly, Carlisle pressed him back into his seat.

    "Just focus on your meal," he reassured Sunny. "It''s not about you."

    Lethan then bitterly took a sip of wine, leaned back in his chair, andmented guiltily, "I''m a terrible older brother. It had been more cautious, Yuriel wouldn''t have dared to take advantage of my sister!"

 Chapter 191

    Sunny finally understood what was going on.

    It seemed Shania was interested in the properties Carlisle had. During their meeting for the transaction at Imperial Hotel, they were interrupted by Yuriel and the others from Evermore Properties. That was why Lethan felt so remorseful.

    Since it had nothing to do with him, he continued eating. After all, there was so much delicious food that shouldn''t go to waste.

    With that, Sunny sat back down and continued to enjoy his meal.

    "Gusto, you too. Lethan gestured toward the door. "Come in and have something to eat."

    Seeing Lethan invite someone else to join them, Sunny hastened his eating.

    Gusto then entered and sat beside Lethan to dine.

    Carlisle, holding a ss of red wine, smirked ever-so-slightly. "Mr. Warbane, is this your new driver?"

    Lethan nodded. "With all the social engagements, it''s more convenient to have my own driver."

    Carlisle''s lips curved in a half-joking manner. "You called him Gusto just now. He wouldn''t happen to be rted to Yohann, would he?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    With a ng. Gusto knocked over the ss in front of him.

    "Please don''t joke around, Mr. Zahn. I have no connection with the Gust family whatsoever," he blurted out, chuckling nervously.

    Lethan nodded in agreement. "He was introduced to me by a close friend I''ve known for years. He''s reliable, for sure."

    After saying this, he lit a cigarette and continued, "When you have time, I''ll introduce you to my buddy. He also enjoys connecting with young people." Carlisle only took a sip of his wine. His eyes narrowed as he smiled.

    Lethan felt uneasy under Carlisle''s smiling gaze. His heart skipped a bear.

    Could something really be wrong with the new driver he hired? But that was impossible! His buddy was like a brother to him, and he was always there to help Lethan through tough times.

    Plus, his buddy had conflicts with Yuriel in the past; they couldn''t possibly be colluding!

    Then again, Carlisle''s intuition was usually spot-on. It was as if Carlisle had a sixth sense. Should Lethan trust Carlisle''s instincts or the friend he had known for over a decade?

    After finishing his drink, Carlisle turned to Sunny and asked, "Are you full yet?"

    Sunny burped and patted his round belly, expressing his satisfaction. "I''m full!¡± Chapter 191

    "Let''s head back, then."

    Carlisle stood up from his chair and walked out without looking back.

    Seeing this, Sunny hurriedly got up I followed him.

    "Mr. Warbane, you have to believe me." Gusto looked troubled. "That dude is being too paranoid. He''sbeling everyone named Gust with the same brush."

    "I believe you," Lethan reassured with a slight smile and patted Gusto on his shoulder. "You were introduced to me by a good friend. I wouldn''t disrespect him by doubting you."

    Feeling grateful, the young man thanked Lethan. "Thank you for trusting me, Mr. Warbane!"

    "You go ahead and eat. I''ll go to the restroom," Lethan informed.

    "Alright, Mr. Warbane."

    As Carlisle and Sunny returned to the studjo, they found out Heath only took Benjamin with him.

    Before leaving, Heath rearranged the studio''s structure-Owen was was then studio head, Cameron the deputy studio head, and Sunny the business manager.

    Just as Carlisle and Sunny walked in, Owen, who was in a meeting with the employees, loudly eximed, Hey, Carlisle!"

    "Hello, Carlisle!" the dozen or so employees echoed in unison.

    Carlisle almost didn''t recognize Owen, who had silver hair and tattoos covering his arms.

    The only one with normal hair was Cameron, who had a head of flowing hair.

    As Carlisle stared at the tattoos on Owen''s arms, he recalled a scene from his past life when Owen boasted about his tattoos to him.

    "Carlisle, how cool is my Patton tattoo?"

 Chapter 192

    "Do you know who George S. Patton is? He had a badass nickname -Old Blood and Guts! Carlisle, from now on, please refer to me by my nickname, Owen "Blood and Guts!"

    When there was no response, Owen asked, "Um... Carlisle?"

    Seeing Carlisle staring nkly at the tattoo on his arm, Owen thought Carlisle also liked the tattoo. He eagerly asked, "The tattoo parlor is just around the corner. Do you want me to take you there?"

    Carlisle snapped out of his daze upon hearing that. He had an empty smile as he asked in return, "You... didn''t get a George S. Patton tattoo on your back too, did you?"

    "Holy cow, how did you know?" Owen asked, staring at Carlisle incredulously. He just got the tattoo yesterday. Also, Carlisle hadn''t been here for days.

    Cameron couldn''t have gone out of his way to do something so pointless like telling Carlisle that Owen got a George S. Patton tattoo on his back, could he?

    Owen took off his shirt and arched his back, boasting, "Carlisle, look at this. Isn''t it badass?"

    Stunned, Carlisle stared at the fierce and imposing George S. Patton tattoo on Owen''s body.

    In Carlisle''s past life, Owen got the George S. Patton tattoo in Rainville.

    In this life, Owen got the George S. Patton tattoo in Rivend.

    What was even more absurd was that his words were exactly the same as back then.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Why aren''t you saying anything, Carlisle? Are you impressed by my tattoo?"

    Owen put his shirt back on, smiling at Carlisle with satisfaction. He was pleased with Carlisle''s current.

    expression.

    It seemed he made the right choice with the George S. Patton tattoo.

    Owen turned to the employees and said in an edgy manner, "Tomorrow, all of you will get George S.

    Patton tattoos.

    "From now on, everyone at Dragonaire Studio is a god of war. Our nicknames will end with ''Blood and Guts'' followed by thest word of our names!"

    "Haha! That makes me Tyrese ''Blood and Guts!"

    "I''m Brian ''Blood and Guts!"

    "And I''m Fern ''Blood and Guts!""

    The rest of the employees kept introducing themselves before Owen enthusiastically told Carlisle, Carlisle, from now on, you are Carlisle ''Blood and Guts,'' Crimson Carnage''s leader!"

    Carlisle frowned and angrily asked, "Did I hire you to work or be a thug?" Chapter 192

    The fate trajectory from his past life once again fell upon Owen. Carlisle had to organize, or Owen might cause troubleter on.

    Startled by Carlisle''s outburst, Owen retorted with his head lowered, "You even gave money to Heath to deal with the matters in the studio. I just want to synchronize with him and the others!"

    Carlisle coldly stated, "I have my ns. If you work with me, you''ll definitely make a name for yourself in the future, provided you listen to me!"

    Owen pouted at those words. "I''m still young. It feels like I''m in jail when I stay here all the time. I want to go with Heath!"

    At that, Carlisle pped Owen across the face.

    "You asshole..." Owen exploded in anger and grabbed a stool.

    "Owen, don''t be impulsive!"

    "Owen!"

    Several employees quickly stepped in to intervene when Owen was about to strike back.

    Owen''s stool hit the ground. Instead of hitting Carlisle, it hit Cameron next to him.

    Carlisle rushed forward and pped Owen across the face again before grabbing him by the cor and mming him against the wall.

    His expression was dripping with disdain as he demanded, ¡°What do you think you can achieve in the real world with your skinny arms and legs? Do you really think the outside world is like your school?"

    Owen grabbed Carlisle''s neck with both hands, his face full of anger as he shouted, "Damn it! Let go of me! If you dare, fight me one on one!"

    In response to that, Carlisle punched Owen in the stomach.

    "Damn it!" Owen was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face. "It hurts like a bitch! I''ll kill you!"

    Carlisle punched Owen in the stomach twice more.

    Owen held his stomach, spitting bile as veins bulged on his forehead.

    "I''m going to die... I''m going to die... Take me to the hospital..."

    Carlisle only mentioned impassively, "Listen carefully, Owen. This is your final warning. If you want to make something of yourself, behave. I can promise you wealth and prosperity for your family.

    "However, if you don''t behave and think you can make it on your own, you can go and fehd for yourself. I promise I won''t bother with you anymore."

 Chapter 193

    Carlisle''s tone was cold and imposing.

    After saying those words, he turned to the employees with their hair dyed in various colors and announced, "And all of you, if you want to make money, I want you to work hard.

    "The studio is still in its development stage, but it will eventually be a bigpany. We may even develop our own games.

    "If any of you want to go out and mess around, I can let Heath take you. However, I guarantee you will regret it in the future."

    These youths older than Carlisle lowered their heads one after another.

    Money would always be king.

    Because Carlisle had money, even Heath, who had made a name for himself, respected him.

    At this moment, they believed in every word Carlisle said.

    One of them, a red-haired youth about five feet five inches, stammered, "I-I''lI dye my hair back tomorrow."

    Another young man with white hair beside him chuckled and scratched his head. "Carlisle, we''ll do whatever you say. Just tell us what to do."

    Carlisle waved his hand. "Get back to work, all of you!"

    Everyone immediately returned to their positions.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Holding his stomach, Owen stood up from the ground and red at Carlisle with resentful eyes.

    "I want to join Heath!" he insisted.

    "Request denied!" Carlisle refused without hesitation.

    Owen was Ia rebellious age. He wouldn''t even listen to his parents, let alone anyone else.

    Sunny, who stood behind him, felt the corners of his lips twitch.

    Owen''s words earlier were just empty talk!

    Owen paused for a moment before he started choking up. "I think I can handle it!" he insisted. "You don''t have to care about me!"

    "Sure. Go ahead and fend for yourself. Carlisle changed his mind again.

    Hearing that, Owen hesitated for a moment before striding straight to the door.

    Since Heath had ten million on him, Owen figured he could make something of himself by joining Heath.

    At this moment, Carlisle took out his phone and called Heath. He put the call on speaker mode.

    "Boss?"

    "From now on, stop providing Owen any help!"

    After saying this, Carlisle directly hung up.

    "Carlisle, you''re going too far!" Owen stopped in his tracks and yelled at Carlisle.

    Carlisle shrugged indifferently. "Hit me if you can.¡±

    Owen was so furious that he clenched his fists. Even so, he knew he was no match for Carlisle. It would only bring trouble to pick a fight with Carlisle.

    "Owie, trust Carlisle. He''s doing this for your own good," Cameron whispered.

    "Trust him? No way! He''s not my dad; why would I need him to tell me what to do?" Owen stormed out in anger.

    "I''ll go check on him..." Sunny said, about to follow him when Carlisle stopped him with a frown.

    "No need to bother."

    Owen hadn''t lived a difficult life before. Carlisle wanted to let him experience some setbacks in the outside world. He would surelye back one day.

    After Owen went out, he immediately called Heath. However, Heath didn''t answer any one of his calls,

    "Fuck this..."

    Owen hurled his phone onto the ground before taking out a cigarette, putting it in his mouth, and lighting

    1. it.

    Jean, who had just returned from ying card games outside, curiously asked, "Owen? What''s wrong?"

    "What''s it to you?" Owen hissed and red at her before storming out of the area.

    Jean picked up the phone from the ground and went upstairs to see Carlisle.

    When she saw Carlisle sitting in a chair emotionlessly, she asked, "Did you have a fight with Owen?"

    "We had a little disagreement." Carlisle forced a smile.

    Wrapped in a dress, Jean sat down on the opposite chair.

    "You look like you''re older than him. Why don''t you give in a little?"

    "He''s at a rebellious age. The more you give in, the more he''ll take m advantage of you. Letting him suffer abit outside might do him some good!"

    Carlisle ended his words with a sigh. He was a bit worried that Owen might get into trouble..

    After all, he had brought Owen up.

    How could he face Owen''s parents if something happened to him?

    As he thought about this, Carlisle took out his phone and called Heath again.

    "Boss, I didn''t answer his call!" Heath''s voice came from the other end of the phone.

    "You should go pick him up and bring him to your ce," Carlisle mentioned.

    "Okay. I''ll have Ben meet him."

    After ending the call, Carlisle sighed again. "If my child turns out like him, I''ll probably have a brain hemorrhage from anger!"

    Jean couldn''t help but chuckle at those words

    "You''re still young. Aren''t you thinking too far ahead?" she teased.

    "It''ste, Jean." Carlisle smiled. "Aren''t you going to sleep?"

    "What''s wrong? Can''t I sit here for a while?"

    "I didn''t mean that!"

    "What did you mean, then? Are you trying to kick me out?"

 Chapter 194

    "Of course not! Have a seat anywhere, Jean."

    The two of them chatted for a while. Perhaps Jean was feeling a bit tired, she yawned and said, "I have to go to sleep, Carl. Do you want toe to my ce for a while?"

    Carlisleined with his lips pursed, "I''m afraid I won''t even have my bones left if I go!"

    "You brat," Jean scolded out of embarrassman

    "What do you take me for?"

    Although she usually liked to flirt with young men, she had never thought deeply about it. She only enjoyed seeing the blush on their faces.

    Everyone had some kind of special preferences. Men like their women young, so what was wrong with her liking fresh-faced men?

    Carlisle apologized sheepishly, "Alright, alright. My bad."

    "Hmph, I''ll forgive you this time. I''ll castrate you the next time you get strange thoughts!"

    Jean snorted and then left, swaying her hips like a belly dancer.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Carlisle merely wore a wry smile as he downed his cup of tea.

    Suddenly, Sunny stood up excitedly from his chair and loudly informed, "Boss, we''ve got an important client who wants to contract all of our Legendary equipment!"

    Hearing that, Carlisle raised an eyebrow, got up, and walked over to Sunny.

    Theputer screen disyed the chat history between Sunny and the client.

    The client was very straightforward, promising to take all the mission materials and equipment above Rank Ten.

    However, seeing the client''s name on the screen gave Carlisle a headache.

    It was Chaos Hero.

    Wasn''t this Zachary, who Carlisle defeated and won the Heavenly Sword from?

    "I wonder if this client is legit or not. I wouldn''t want him to stand me up!"

    Sunny stuffed a cigarette into his mouth and lit it. He had just learned to smoke these past few days. He felt a bit out of ce whenever he chatted with the boys without smoking.

    Carlisle rubbed his chin, smiling. "We can trust this client. However, you can''t let them know who we are."

    Sunny looked puzzled upon hearing those words. "Why not? What if he wants to check our studio''s qualifications?"

    Carlisle showed a faint smile. "If he doesn''t trust us, he can buy what he wants elsewhere. We''ll neverck clients; we just need to find them slowly."

    "I see!" Sunny nodded in understanding. "We have the final say!"

    Carlisle only nodded in agreement. He didn''t tell Sunny about his conflict with this big client.

    Sunny then returned to her seat and continuedmunicating with the client.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle went to the second and third floors for a walk.

    Since the Mystical Journey and God of Doom 2 leveling ounts were almost done, they would start making profits next week.

    Around midnight, Carlisle went to sleep in the bedroom on the third floor.

    The next day at 9:00 am, Carlisle was awakened from his dream of kissing Wanda by the ringing of his phone.

    "Ah, fuck..."

    As Carlisle picked up his phone in frustration, he found it was a call from Logan.

    "Mr. Zahn, did I disturb your rest?"

    Today was the weekend after all. Logan thought that Carlisle would be sleeping in.

    "No... Are you in Rivend now?"

    "Why would I be in Rivend?" Logan asked in return.

    "Aren''t you going to register thepany at the Secretary of State''s office?"

    "But it''s the weekend!"

    "Then why are you calling me?" Carlisle asked extremely annoyed. His beautiful dream had been shattered by this meaningless call.

    "I just wanted to let you know that I overlooked this issue that day m Logan awkwardly mentioned.

    "Okay. I''m hanging up now if there''s nothing else. I want to go back to sleep."

    Carlisle hurriedly hung up, wrapped himself in a thin nket, and m continued sleeping. He tried to recall the

    scene from his dream.

    In a daze, he actually continued the dream he had just been in.

    Cupping Wanda''s cheeks, he was about to kiss Wanda when... His phone rang once more.

 Chapter 195

    Carlisle''s beautiful dream shattered once again.

    "Which idiot is disturbing my beautiful dream this time?"

    He clenched his fists and pounded the bed twice, cursing himself for forgetting to enable silent mode on his phone.

    Next weekend, he resolved to activate silent mode before going to sleep.

    Picking up his phone, he saw that the caller ID read "Mother Dearest".

    Carlisle felt a pang of frustration as he reluctantly answered the phone.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Mom... Why are you calling so early?"

    "You brat, what time is it? Are you still not up?" Hilda''s scolding came through the phone. However, Carlisle could hear a hint of joy in her voice.

    Curious, he asked, "Did something good happen? You sound happy."

    Hilda joyfully eximed, "Yes, there is good news! Your father and I have been requested to work at Sentaur Molding Factory!"

    Sentaur Molding Factory was one of the toppanies in Rainville.

    While other small factories only paid 400 to 500, Sentaur Molding Factory paid over 900 dors a month, with the possibility of earning more through overtime.

    Getting a job at Sentaur Molding Factory would elevate the Zahn couple''s status in the vige.

    Carlisle suddenly sat up in bed, his tone serious as he dered, "Mom, please don''t work at Sentaur Molding Factory..."

    Yuriel mentionedst night that if Carlisle agreed to cooperate with him, he would help Carlisle''s parents. get management positions at Sentaur Molding Factory.

    -Carlisle thought that it was all talk. He didn''t expect Yuriel to actually do it.

    If Hilda and Gordon worked at Sentaur Molding Factory, Yuriel would have control over Carlisle. And when Carlisle''s mobile phonepany took off, who knew what Yuriel might have in mind?

    Hilda retorted impatiently, "You brat, are you still half asleep? Do you even know how much the normal workers at Sentaur make?

    "Hayley made 985 dorsst month, and her husband made 12 hundred dors. They want us to take management positions, with a guaranteed minimum of 16 hundred a month!"

    Carlisle didn''t know how he should feel about this.

    "Mom," he sighed, "have you wondered why Sentaur is offering you such a high sry?"

    Chiscent 195

    Hilda replied, "Of course, we''ve thought about it. Your father used to work at the water nt and had a good rtionship with one of the department heads. Your father thinks it''s probably that department head who helped us out."

    Carlisle''s lips twitched slightly as he asked, "Is Dad beside you?"

    "He''s here!"

    "Please give him the phone," Carlisle said, thinking it would be better to talk to Gordon.

    Carlisle knew who that department head was.

    Back in middle school, Gordon had taken the department head, Shawn Jill, to dinner. Gordon also brought Carlisle with him back then.

    At the dinner, there were also workers from the water nt. They made Gordon imitate a pig when they got drunk.

    At that time, Carlisle thought it was just a game among adults. It was onlyter when he grew up that he realized they were actually bullying his father.

    "Hey, Carl!" Gordon''s voice was loud and filled with joy.

    On the other hand, Carlisle''s tone was serious. "Dad, do you really think it was that department head who

    helped you?"

    Gordon guffawed at those words. "Of course! Shawn and I have a gooch rtionship, just the other day, he kept speaking up for me during thepany downsizing."

    Carlisle''s nose tingled as emotions welled up inside him.

    "Dad... You were alreadyid off before my college entrance exam, weren''t you?

    Why did you lie to us?"

    The smile on Gordon''s face gradually froze.

    And since the phone was on speaker, Hilda also heard it. She could only stare at Gordon.

    "What nonsense are you on, you brat? I wasid off just three days ago!"

    Gordon''s tone turned stern.

    Hilda then forcefully pped Gordon''s arm, her eyes red.

    "You''re still lying even now! I''ve long suspected that you weren''t working at the water nt. Since when

    do state-owned enterprises work on weekends?

    Gordon could only smile awkwardly before he demanded, "How did you find out, you brat?"

 Chapter 196

    "I''m smart, that''s how!" Carlisle replied, pursing his lips.

    Gordon let out a sigh. "Let''s not talk about this anymore. I''ll have a better job soon."

    "But back to the main point," Carlisle continued. "Do you really think that department head would help you get such a high-paying job?"

    "But I can''t think of anyone who would do it besides him!" Gordon replied with a confused tone.

    He and Shawn both started working at the water nt ten years ago.

    Their rtionship was good at first. However, Shawn started to distance himself after he got to his new position. In recent years, their rtionship had be increasingly strained.

    To avoid being kicked out of the water nt, Gordon would invite him to dinner now and then.

    However, Shawn would use alcohol as an excuse to make things difficult for Gordon during the dinners.

    In order to keep his job and support his family, Gordon had to swallow his pride and fulfill all of Shawn''s requests.

    Gordon thought that Shawn would help him during theyoffs this time. To his shock, his name was on the first list ofyoffs.

    Yet, today, the people from Sentaur Molding Factory wanted Gordon and Hilda to join as managers.

    Gordon thought Shawn was helping him out after realizing his mistake. He even nned to give him a valuable gift once he settled into the new job.

    However, Carlisle''s words brought Gordon back to his senses.

    Shawn had been trampling on his dignity for years; he would have been ted to see Gordon suffer, so how could he possibly help Gordon get a high-paying job?

    Gordon reached under the couch cushion and pulled out a half-pack of Pall Mall cigarettes.

    Just as he was about to light one stick up, Hilda pped him on the face, reprimanding him, "You promised your son you wouldn''t smoke. How could you smoke behind his back?"N?velDrama.Org content.

    Carlisle, hearing his mother''s words, grew displeased.

    "Dad, you don''t keep your promises, do you? I''ll start smoking too, then. There are plenty of smokers in my dorm!"

    Gordon quickly responded, "No, I won''t smoke anymore. Please don''t start smoking!"

    Hilda promptly confiscated Gordon''s cigarette before returning to the conversation. "If it''s not the department head, could it be Sylvester?"

    Sylvester was Hayley''s husband and Owen''s father.

    -2/2

    Gordon shook his head. "Sylvester is just a team leader, and his sry is only 12 hundred dors. How could he get us a job that pays 15 hundred?"

    Hilda added, "Whoever it is, it''s good enough as long as we can get the job."

    However, Gordon didn''t think so. He asked Carlisle on the phone, "Carl, why don''t you want Mom and me to work at Sentaur?"

    Carlisle didn''t know how to exin it. He couldn''t tell them about the conflict he had with the richest man In Rivend, could he? If he did, his parents probably wouldn''t be able to sleep at night.

    "Because I''m making money now. I can make sure you and Mom will live well!" Carlisle announced with confidence and pride.

    Gordon chuckled at that. "Did you release some equipment in that game again?"

    "Not really. I''ve opened a gaming studio here. I can probably earn tens of thousands each month. Isn''t that more than enough to keep you and Momfortable?"

    "Tens... of thousands?" Gordon stuttered, almost choking on his saliva.

    Like buying the lottery, gaming equipment was just a matter of luck with very low odds of winning.

    But when Carlisle said he opened a gaming studio and could earn tens of thousands each month, wasn''t that akin to running a factory?

    "Yup! I can easily make 20 to 30 thousand."

    Knowing that it would shock his parents, Carlisle didn''t tell them about his wealth of millions.

    Moreover, this money was to be used for investment.

    Gordon''s mouth suddenly felt dry as he hesitatingly asked, "Carl... You''re not doing anything illegal, are you? can you ''you really make that much money with something like that?"

 Chapter 197

    Hilda''s expression was also one of astonishment as her heart thumped at irregr beats.

    Her son had just gone to university, but he was now earning tens of thousands every month!

    Even Sean''s father who had been doing business for over ten years only made about 7000 or 8000 a month.

    Hilda couldn''t help feeling anxious about how Carlisle might be involved in something illegal.

    At this moment, Carlisle insisted resolutely, "This is just the beginning. I can earn even more once I expand and strengthen thepany."

    Dragonaire Studio wouldn''t be limited to mundane projects. With the smartphone era approaching, Dragonaire Studio could transition to mobile games.

    Given Electronic Arts'' size and influence, it wouldn''t hurt them for Carlisle to preempt a few games, right?

    "Carl," Gordon squinted skeptically when he finally calmed down, "You''re not lying to me, are you?"

    Hearing that, Carlisleined, "See? You don''t trust me again.

    "Remember when I said I can get into Rivend University? You didn''t believe me then, either. Do we have no trust between us even though we are father and son?"

    "Hahaha!" Gordon was amused by Carlisle''s words. "Alright! I believe you, Carl!" A smile finally appeared on Carlisle''s face.

    However, Gordon continued the next moment, "But I''ve still decided to go to work at Sentaur with your mother. We''re still fit. It''s better than sitting idle at home. No oneins about having too much money."

    Carlisle''s smile disappeared in an instant. He said anxiously, "Dad, why are you so stubborn? Let me tell you this. If you and Mom go to work at Sentaur, it might affect my business!"

    Gordon was stunned. "H-How would it affect your business? You run a gaming studio, whereas Sentaur makes molds. There is no rtion at all, right?"N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Geez, can''t you just listen to your son?" Hilda rebuked, impatiently ring at Gordon.

    Gordon returned her a disdainful look. He knew how she would probably be more stubborn than himself if Carlisle hadn''t said thatst sentence.

    "Alright, we won''t go!" Gordon uttered,promising as he was worried he would affect his son''s career.

    Right then, Hilda snatched the phone and asked, "Carl, you don''t resent us, do you?"

    Carlisle was puzzled when he heard that. "Why would I resent you and Dad?" "You know. About Wanda..."

    "You and Dad are not ountable in any way, Mom."

    "But..."

    "Mom," Carlisle interrupted, "I will take care of this."

    Hilda suddenly asked then, "You''re starting your own business to make yourself worthy of thatdy, aren''t you?"

    Carlisle nodded in response. "Partly, yes."

    After a moment of silence, Hilda encouraged him. "Keep it up. You have my support. I''m sure you will win over the girl you like one day, Carl."

    Carlisle couldn''t help but smile at those words. "I''ll send you and Dad some money. If you''re bored, you can open a small shop or a teahouse."

    "Who asked for your money?" Gordon asked in a loud voice. "Keep it for yourself. We''re not short on money anyway."

    Hilda added, "You need money to start your business. We still have a lot of the money from thest celebration."

    "Alright, then, That''s about it for now. I have to get up," Carlisle said to his parents.

    "Okay! Take care of yourself at school."

    "Yeah, I will!"

    "It''s gotten colder these days. Remember to buy some warmer clothes for winter. Hilda began her role as the typical nagging mother.

    Carlisle''s pupils dted all of a sudden.

    Winter this year was, indeed, unusually cold.

    Cascade State was also located in the southern region.

    In the past, it rarely snowed during winter. And even if it did, it was m usually just sleet.

    But things were different this winter.

    Almost every city and county in Cascade State would be nketed by heavy snow, and the temperatures would drop to more than ten Fahrenheit.

 Chapter 198

    I Chapter 198

    This era''s meteorological department wasn''t advanced enough to predict this snowy disaster. The heavy snow caused many industries to copse, especially the aquaculture industry.

    "Mom, I have something to do. I''ll hang up now!" Carlisle blurted out and hung up without waiting for a response He then called Lethan..

    Lethan was also resting today. After being awakened by Carlisle''s call, he asked in a voice dripping with annoyance, "Do you know that disturbing someone''s sleep is like killing their parents?"

    0

    "I have a money-making opportunity. Are you interested?"

    "I''m wide awake now. Can we make tens of millions?" Lethan''s spirit suddenly lifted,

    "More like billions," Carlisle solemnly stated." If things go well, we might make ten billion.

    Lethan''s heart thumped, and he immediately lowered his voice, asking, "Where are you? I''lle meet you!"

    He firmly believed in Carlisle''s words. Nowadays, there was high technology to monitor phone calls. To be safe, he didn''t dare to discuss things with Carlisle over the phone.

    Carlisle told Lethan his location before he hung up and got up to wash up. When he went to Team Legendary on the first floor, he saw Francis sitting by the window, drinking tea.

    Francis eyes were mncholic, his hair was disheveled, and he had stubble. Despite the messiness, he exuded a king of rugged handsomeness.

    A song called Lc Flowers was ying on the phone on the table.

    Seeing this, Carlisle sighed inwardly and went over tofort him.

    "The dead cannote back to life. Please ept my condolences."

    With a wry smile, Francis uttered in a hoarse voice, "Her grave is under the maple tree where we had our first date. We were surrounded by her favorite lc flower... But she clearly liked roses!"

    As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes again.

    Carlisle remembered the song about lc flowers.

    The lyrics were: "The flowers before your grave were the beauty you yearned for so much. Do you still feel lonely despite seeing them everywhere you look?"

    Carlisleforted him softly, "She must have nted lc flowers in front of her grave in hopes of you seeing the flowers she liked when you visit her."

    "That''s what she wrote in her will. I regret it so much. If I hadn''t been so impulsive back then, I could have apanied her through thosest few years. Chapter 198

    "Renee said Reba was in so much pain when she passed away... Even when she was barely conscious, she kept calling my name!"

    The more Francis spoke, the more agitated he became. Tears streamed down his chin and fell onto his chest.

    People said real men don''t cry easily, but that was only until they were truly heartbroken.

    Francis, who had been in the army for several years, was definitely as tough as a nail. However, he was crying like a child right now.N?velDrama.Org content.

    Carlisle felt a prickling sensation in his eyes.

    He took a few tissues from the tissue box on the coffee table and handed them over. "Here. Wipe your tears. Do you want to go back and spend some more time with her?"

    Francis took the tissues, wiped away his tears, and shook his head.

    "No... I need to make money. I need to fulfill her unfulfilled wishes."

    Hearing that, Carlisle asked, "What other wishes did she have?"

    Francis whispered, "She wanted to build a school in her hometown and pave the road with asphalt so that the road with the children who were left behind wouldn''t have difficulty going to school anymore."

    Reba was such a kind woman. Unfortunately, fate had other ns.

    Carlisle couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.

    Francis quicklyposed himself then. "I''ll go get some rest. Call me anytime if you need the car."

    Carlisle nodded in response, saying, "Just rest well."

    Francis went to rest in one of the bedrooms.

    Meanwhile, Lethan arrived before Carlisle could even finish his cup of tea.

    He was wearing a white shirt that was neatly tucked into his pants.

    m There was an Ly bext around his NO waist, with a bunch of keys hanging from the buckle and a bulging wallet under his armpit.

    "Damn, you started a game studio, too?" Lethan fanned away the smoke with his wallet, looking

    disdainful. "Can you make money with just a fewputers? Hown about I invest five million, and we start a game developmentpany?"

 Chapter 199

    "Damn, who''s this dude? Why is he talking so big, throwing around five million like it''s nothing?"

    "He''s bluffing, isn''t he?"

    "If you''re going to brag, at least n out something better."

    "Hey, he''s Lethan Warbane, the chairman of Rivend''srgest clothing factory. He''s worth at least 100

    million!"

    Hearing that, Sunny red at the employees. At the same time, he couldn''t help but admire Carlisle.

    Had Carlisle''s reputation grown to the point that Lethan himself came to visit?

    Lethan walked over to Carlisle and looked at the shabby, cigarette-burnt second-hand couch. He hesitated to sit down.

    Carlisle smilingly asked, "Shall we move to a different ce to talk?"

    As Lethan came from a wealthy family and had been pampered since childhood, he naturally couldn''t stand the environment here.

    Carlisle hadn''t thought this through. He should have arranged to meet at a cafe.

    "Did you pick this couch up from a garbage dump?" Lethan finally sat down, albeit reluctantly.

    If Carlisle, now a multi-millionaire, could sit on it, why couldn''t he?

    Carlisle smiled and exined, "We didn''t have much money when we started, so having a couch to sit on was already good enough for us."

    Soon, Sunny came over with two cups of coffee for them.

    Lethan blinked at Carlisle. "Have you considered what I said earlier?"

    He was convinced that Carlisle''s business would definitely make money. Starting a game developmentpany with five million wouldn''t be a bad idea.

    "Starting a small studio is just a small-scale operation. It can make some money, but if you want to make big money, forget it. If you really want to invest, I don''t mind!" Carlisle grinned.

    "I won''t invest, then. I''ll stick with you and explore other business opportunities. Tell me about the thing you mentioned on the phone earlier!"

    Lethan took out a box of high-end cigarettes from his pocket and lit a stick. "You''re still young, so I won''t offer you a smoke."

    "Build a greenhouse and get into aquaculture!" Carlisle uttered just seven words.

    Lethan''s hand that held the lighter froze for a moment. He didn''t light it and left the lighter and the cigarette on the table.

    22

    With a puzzled expression, he asked, "The aquaculture market is already saturated. Isn''t getting into aquaculture a dead end? Besides, Rivend has a unique climate. We don''t need greenhouses at all."

    "What if we have heavy snow this winter?" Carlisle stared at Lethan with a sly smile.

    Lethan was left speechless.

    What if? How could there be so many "what-ifs"?

    The probability of it being one in ten thousand could bepletely ignored.

    Besides, even if it snowed heavily, it was unlikely to pierce through the bottom of theke, right?

    The water had different temperatures in different seasons.

    In summer, the temperature at the bottom of the water was lower than the surface temperature, allowing fish to move at the bottom.

    By winter, the temperature at the bottom of the water was higher than the surface temperature. Even if theke froze over, fish could still live at the bottom as long as it wasn''t frozen through.

    The aquatic ecosystem wouldn''t be greatly affected.

    Carlisle could tell that Lethan was speechless. It was as if he had just pulled Lethan over for a joke.

    Carlisle blew gently on his coffee and took a sip once it had cooled a bit.

    "Sometimes, I really wonder if you''re an adult who came back to your youthful days. I''ve lived for over 30 years and have never seen a university student as mature as you!" Lethan eximed.

    without getti After waiting for so long an exnation from Carlisle, Lethan felt somewhat frustrated.

    Carlisle was even leisurely sipping his coffee, looking so mature andposed that it was almost.

    unbelievable.

    Taking another sip of his coffee, Carlisle put the cup down and pretended to be mysterious as he asked, Do you know what geomancy is?"

    With a puzzled expression, he asked, "The aquaculture market is already saturated. Isn''t getting into aquaculture a dead end? Besides, Rivend has a unique climate. We don''t need greenhouses at all."

    "What if we have heavy snow this winter?" Carlisle stared at Lethan with a sly smile.

    Lethan was left speechless.

    What if? How could there be so many "what-ifs"?

    The probability of it being one in ten thousand could bepletely ignored.

    Besides, even if it snowed heavily, it was unlikely to pierce through the bottom of theke, right?

    The water had different temperatures in different seasons.

    In summer, the temperature at the bottom of the water was lower than the surface temperature, allowing fish to move at the bottom.

    By winter, the temperature at the bottom of the water was higher than the surface temperature. Even if theke froze over, fish could still live at the bottom as long as it wasn''t frozen through.

    The aquatic ecosystem wouldn''t be greatly affected.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Carlisle could tell that Lethan was speechless. It was as if he had just pulled Lethan over for a joke.

    Carlisle blew gently on his coffee and took a sip once it had cooled a bit.

    "Sometimes, I really wonder if you''re an adult who came back to your om youthful days. I''ve lived for over 30

    years and have never seen a university student as mature as you!" Lethan eximed.

    After waiting for so long without getting an exnation from Carlisle, Lethan felt somewhat frustrated.

    Carlisle was even leisurely sipping his coffee, looking so mature andposed that it was almost unbelievable.

    Taking another sip of his coffee, Carlisle put the cup down and m pretended to be mysterious as he asked, "Do you know what geomancy is?"

 Chapter 200

    Lethan was momentarily stunned, then his face turned dark as he asked, "Why are you talking about that mythical stuff again?"

    "I predicted that there will be a cold wave this year." Carlisle sighed with a worried expression.

    His demeanor didn''t seem like an act at all.

    "What?" Lethan sat up straight, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

    Carlisle had already surprised him by uncovering the affair between Quinn and John. He even predicted Riverwatch District''s development, which earned him millions.

    Now, bringing up metaphysics didn''t seem so far-fetched.

    "Do I look like I''m i I''m joking with you? I''m worth over 100 million. Would I be doing this if I had time?" Carlisle rolled his eyes.

    Lethan gulped at that. "Tell me about my marriage, then!"

    Carlisle''s mouth twitched.

    Why was Lethan even asking about his married life? With his wealth, he could have any woman he wanted!

    Carlisle took another sip of his coffee before replying tly, "I''m here to talk to you about a coboration. If you''re in, great. If not, I''ll find someone else."

    "Of course, I''m in! Even if you said you wanted to fill the ocean or tile the Statue of Liberty, I''d still cooperate without hesitation!" Heath exaggerated.

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow at those words. "Why do I feel like you''re trolling me?"

    "Trolling" you? What do you mean?" Lethan didn''t understand Carlisle''s use of trendy inte phrases.

    "Never mind." Carlisle shook his head. "Let''s talk about how we can coborate."

    Lethan''s expression became serious.

    "I''ll go get a map," Carlisle informed.

    There was a map of Cascade State hanging in Carlisle''s master bedroom.

    Carlisle went to the bedroom, brought back the map, ced it on the coffee table, and picked up a pencil before pointing at Cascade River,

    "Cascade State is one of the top four provinces in the country in terms of annual fishery output value. Cascade River, thergest river in Cascade State, branches out into eight cities.

    "65 percent of Cascade State''s aquatic products came from Cascade River. The cold wave will affect Cascade River''s aquatic ecosystem.

    "Now, we need to buy Cascade River and the fish from other aquatic businesses in advance.

    Chapte 200

    Lethan pinched his nose bridge. "How cold does this cold wave have to be to affect the river''s ecosystem?"

    He felt conflicted. As much as he wanted to believe Carlisle''s words, he also felt that Carlisle was being too far-fetched.

    Carlisle continued, "I n to build greenhouseplexes in Cascade State''s 13 cities. With three in each city, there will be a total of 39plexes.

    "Since we have very little time left, we need to speed up thepany''s construction. The construction cost will be high because of that. I estimate that we will need to carefully invest around three billion."

    "Three billion is nowhere near enough," Lethan mentioned as he picked up his cup and sipped his coffee.

    He continued, "Cascade State''s total fishery output value in 2003 was about 9.7 billion. The end of the year is the peak season for fishery sales, ounting for at least 30 percent of the total output value.

    "We need to invest at least ten billion. Three billion will be used to build the greenhouseplex ecosystem, and seven billion will be used to buy fish!"

    "Can you get that much investment?" Carlisle asked with a smile.

    "No... No one else other than me will believe your words."

    Lethan took another sip of his coffee before continuing, "However, can ask Shania to invest. We can put in four billion, and with your two billion, we''ll have a total of six billion.

    "I''ll ask Shania to think of other ways; she has a few pursuers who are quite e wealthy. Maybe she can bring

    in the rest of the investment!"

    However, Carlisle said, "I can only invest one billion."

    Lethan protested, "What about the other billion? Are you nning to use it for another business?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle nodded and admitted, "ed some investment for my mobiler phone factory.

    Lethan looked at him with a conflicted gaze then.

    "Will your mobile phone factory really make a profit?"

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 201

    "You definitely can!" Carlisle said while calmly filling Lethan''s cup with more coffee.

    When the cup was 70% full, Lethan mmed a hand on the table and continued to ask, "How much can I earn from your mobile phone factory?"

    While pouring more coffee for himself, Carlisle shook his head and replied, "I''m not sure. But it shouldn''t be too little."

    Phone manufacturers had just started operating. He hesitated to sound too optimistic.

    If he were to voice out his estimated profits, it would only shatter Lethan''s view of the world.

    Lethan licked his lips and tentatively suggested, "Why don''t I invest in your phone manufacturer? It''s too risky to invest in the fishing industry. If you make a wrong prediction, we could lose everything!"

    With aposed demeanor, Carlisle said, "I want to fund the phone manufacturer solely. But you must invest in Holly Fisheries. Firstly, you can earn money. Secondly, you can recuperate your economic losses in Cascade State!"

    Lethan sighed.

    "If what you''ve said is true, wouldn''t we be profiting from a national disaster?"

    The citizens would suffer from hunger and cold while he would be wealthy from stockpiling fish.

    Carlisle''s mouth twitched.

    "Even if this counts as profiting off a national disaster, someone still has to benefit from it!"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    No one w would believe such an unfounded prediction. Yet, Carlisle could not reveal his identity as someone who was reborn from another life. If he did, he might be sent to a psychiatric facility.

    From another perspective, the fish he stockpiled would be sold at market rate. As long as the prices were not outrageous, no one would care that he was earning money off a national disaster.

    "Alright, I''ll do it! Let me go back and discuss this with Shania first. I''m not even sure if I can convince her."

    Lethan stood up with his wallet in his hand.

    Carlisle stood up as well.

    "I''ll see you off."

    The two of them walked downstairs. Then, Lethan got into the car.

    Carlisle asked with a smile, "Where''s your new driver?"

    Lethan replied evenly, "Didn''t you say something was wrong with him? I already fired him,"

    "It was merely a guess. I can''t be certain whether it''s true."

    "I believe you."

    Lethan put on his sunsses. Then, he started his car and drove away.

    Carlisle watched the car disappear into the distance with a smile.

    He thought it was worth getting to know Lethan on a deeper level. After all, Lethan trusted Carlislepletely to enter into business endeavors with him.

    Lethan may in may have doubted Carlisle initially, but it was an expected response from an ordinary person.

    Carlisle headed to the bank and transferred a hundred thousand dors to Gordon. In 2004, a hundred thousand dors was already considered a lot. In fact, that money could be used to buy a secondhand house in Rainville.

    However, Gordon and Hilda were honest people. If Carlisle transferred too much, they might start overthinking Carlisle exited the bank and sent Gordon a message.

    "Dad, the money I transferred is for the household expenses. Eat and drink whatever you like. You can even go on a vacation. Don''t think about saving money. In the future, I will transfer the same amount to you monthly."

    After sending the message, Carlisle hailed a taxi at the side of the road.

    "Sir, please take me to Riley Phones Factory in Stoneville."

    "That will be 15 dors."

    "Sure, let''s go."

    As Carlisle got into the car, he received a call from Gordon. He intended to reject the call butom to reject ultimately decided to exin matters to Gordon after some thought to ease his father''s mind.

    "Dad."

    "Where''d you get your one hundred thousand dors? Didn''t you say you earn 20 to 30 thousand dors per month from the studio? You have not ¦¥¦° even gone for ten days of ss. How''d you earn so much money?"

    Gordon''s tone was filled with concern.

    Carlisle coughed twice before whispering, "I''ll tell you the truth. I found a painting at an antique store and sold it for more than eight hundred thousand!"

    "Eight... More than eight hundred thousand?"

    Gordon was so shaken that he almost dropped his phone. He had worked most of his life and had not even seen this much money.

    The total money in his ount usually maintained around three digits for years. Upon hearing Carlisle say he had earned eight hundred thousand, Gordon felt as if he were dreaming.

    "Son, you aren''t lying to me, are you?"

 Chapter 202

    The muscr man''s name was called Wade Mora. At the age of five, his family sent him to learn martial arts at a martial arts school.

    At the age of 18, Wade had witnessed a few men harassing a woman on one of his trips down the mountain. While rescuing the woman, he had gone too far and caused one of the men to be a vegetable.

    Later, the woman was unwilling to testify in court. Thus, he was sentenced to jail for six years. The martial arts school had removed his name by the time he was released.

    After returning to his vige, he learned the news of his parentsmitting suicide by drinking pesticide due to stress.

    Thus, Wade disappeared for two years until he had drained his parents'' savings. Only then did he resurface to look for work.

    Most of the legalpanies were already using the inte. As Wade had a criminal record,rgepanies often rejected him.

    Finally, he found a job as a bartender at the disco to keep an eye on the scene.

    On his second day of work at the disco, he realized the disco had a change of hands. Fortunately, Heath took a liking to him and kept him by his side as his trusted right-hand man. Wade presently made five thousand dors in sry per month.

    These days, he had be close with the other henchmen.

    He took whatever anyone told him about martial arts experts having the kindest of hearts as nonsense talk. Saving someone''s life also seemed like nothing to them.

    After Heath heard his story, he thought Wade had an excellent point to make.

    One could take either one step toward heaven or one step toward hell. He''d embrace damnation if no one would guide him to salvation.

    Heath smoked his cigarette and blew out clouds of smoke, saying, "If there''s time, I''ll introduce you to Mr.

    Zahn."

    He really admired Wade. After learning martial arts for over ten years, it was not a problem for him to beat up ten people in one go.

    Once Heath had made it, he would arrange for Wade to be Carlisle''s bodyguard. He felt that it would be a good idea.

    It was usually quiet at Fabian''s Ice Rink. Its business usually did well on the weekend. Many students from Rivend University would patron there.

    Wanda was teaching Christine and Phoebe step-by-step how to ice skate.

    She had signed her first contract the day before. The client was a contractor who required a loan of two hundred thousand dors to pay his workers since he had not yet received payment for his project.

    The loan was for 15 days with an interest of two percent. Within 15 days, Wanda could earn four thousand dors.

    Although she had not registered herpany, and the shop was not yet renovated, it was a good sign that she hadpleted her first loan transaction.

    Thus, she had taken Christine and Phoebe out to have some fun.

    "No, no, this is too hard. I need to switch to double-row skates!"

    Phoebe held onto the wall as her legs shook uncontrobly.

    Wanda smiled lightly

    1 pursed lips

    "It''s actually quite simple. You only need to find your bnce and follow the stance I taught you. Then, you''ll catch on very quickly!"

    Christine sped past the two of them, screaming, "Wanda, I can''t stop!"

    "I''ll save you!"

    Wanda swayed her body and very quickly caught up to hold Christine''s hand. Then, she led her to the wall and stopped.

    At this moment, two tattooed young men with bare chests slowly skated over.

    One of them had a cigarette in his mouth as heughed, "Youngdy, let me teach you!"

    Christine panicked and said, "No-no need!"

    "Come on. I have excellent skills!"

    The man reached out to grab Christine''s hand, Wanda frowned.

    "Go away."

    The ice rink could get quite chaotic.

    Naturally, Wanda would not have only Wanda brought Christine and Phoebe. N?velDrama.Org content.

    Knowing that Queenie was here, she became more confident.

    The man''s smile grew wider upon seeing the bookish woman before him.

    "What an innocent-looking nerdy woman! So sweet and sexy. I really weet a like you type. Come. Let me take

    you around the rink!"

    Several tall women dressed in sexy attire surrounded him The woman in the lead did not hesitate to p him in the face.

    "Fucking idiot! How dare youy your hands on my future sister-inw!

    The person was Queenie.

    When the tattooed young man saw Queenie, he craned his neck momentarily.

    "Queenie, is she your younger sister?"

    Queenie''s grandfather was the dean of Rivend University Thus, he had very strong connections in the legal force.

    In fact, society''s influential people would usually show Queenie the upmost respect.

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 203

    "Didn''t the idiotic fatty tell you?" Queenle wore a frosty expression while questioning furiously.

    The tattooed young man started crying, "Our boss and his friends went out for drinks. They really did not tell me anything. If we knew she was your friend, we wouldn''t have dared to do anything even if you paid us to do so."

    Queenie coldly ordered, "Get lost."

    "Thank you, Queenie!"

    "Thanks, Queenie!"

    The two of them turned to leave in a hurry.

    At this moment, the ice rink''s shutter door had been crashed open by a van. Immediately, 40 to 50 henchmen holding baseball bats ran inside.

    Queenie narrowed her eyes and immediately said, "Wanda, we must leave quickly. This new force has riseh quickly, which seems to be from Horace''s old gang. I''m not familiar with them!"

    Wanda nodded in terror.

    Benjamin banged the baseball bat against the metalting of the ice rink, yelling, "Everyone but those from Fabian''s gang, leave now!"

    "My gosh, there are so many people!"

    "Let''s quickly leave!"

    "I''m so scared!"

    The ice rink turned into chaos instantly.

    Wade dragged Fabian by the shoulder as they walked into the ice rink.

    Heath coldly asked, "Where''s the storehouse?"

    Fabian gestured with his chin toward a direction.

    Heath sped toward the storehouse door and violently kicked it down.

    In a dark cornery a silver-haired young man covered in blood on a pile of cardboard.

    Heath hurried over and used his trembling hand to feel Owen''s chest where the heart was. Upon feeling Owen''s heartbeat, he sighed in relief.

    "Maurice, take Owen to the hospital!"

    Maurice Vance was a man who appeared to be around 40 years old, with a knife scar at the corner of his mouth.

    He was once Horace''s trusted confidant and had gone to jail three times. Generally, everyone in the Chapter 205

    underworld would have heard of his name.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    After Horace''s downfall, Maurice changed his name and went into hiding. Upon hearing that Heath was making aeback, he returned to the scene.

    Maurice spoke to a young henchman beside him, "Maybe I should go. What do you think?"

    The young henchman awkwardlyughed before rushing over to carry Owen on his back and left the storehouse.

    An hourter, Fabian''s Ice Rink sign was smashed to pieces. Meanwhile, Fabian limped away with five hundred thousand dors in cash.

    Meanwhile, Fabian''s henchmen kneeled before Heath at the ice rink, begging to join him.

    "I don''t want any worthless traitors here!"

    Heath tilted his head as he lit a cigarette, his tone filled with disdain.

    If these men had shown a little resistance, he might have been willing to ept them. But he had not even made a move, and they had all already gotten on their knees.

    He figured that these sorts of people would betray him sooner orter.

    Besides, Carlisle had once advised, "Rely on those you trust and avoid those you don''t."

    Those who aren''t trustworthy must never be considered.

    "Prince Heath?"

    Meanwhile, at Thompson Vi, Zachary had just purchased arge amount of material and equipment ingame. He had a cigarette in his mouth as he smiled yfully.

    "Yes. He must be making aeback!" Queenie''s tone was filled with worry.

    If Heath were making aeback, he would inevitably targetn. After all, Zachary was the one who had supportedn.

    If Heath really rose to power, Zachary would gain another powerful enemy.

    "Even Horace couldn''t make it. How high can Prince Heath jump? Besides, ve.

    Queenie narrowed her eyes as she said, "Someone must be supporting Prince Heath from behind the scenes!"

    Zachary considered the matter silently before calmly saying, ''ve already sorted things out with Titan. It''ll be easy to defeat Prince Heath!"

    Hearing this, Queenie also breathed a sigh of relief.

    Then, she reminded him, "Still, I suggest that you get rid of them as soon as possible. I''m worried for Chapter 206

    Wanda''s safety if the new force is near the school!"

 Chapter 204

    Zachary''s expression grew solemn when he realized Wanda could potentially be in danger.N?velDrama.Org content.

    After speaking with Queenie, he gaven a call.

    "Zac."

    "Mr. Carlson, have you heard about Prince Heath?"

    "Yes, I''ve heard about him. He seems to be making a name for himself for the past two days!"

    "Find a way to deal with him!"

    "You don''t have to tell me twice. Tonight, I''ll cause trouble for him!"

    "Alright. Just ensure that there aren''t any casualties."

    The four suppliers had arrived in the chairman''s office at Riley Corporation.

    Kenny served drinks to them, entertaining them warmly.

    One of the middle-aged men with arge tummy said impatiently, "Wasn''t it agreed to be 12.00 pm? What time is it now?"

    Kenny gazed at the clock on the wall and said smilingly, "11:50 am. There are still another ten minutes to go!"

    The other suppliers silently rolled their eyes. For the sake of receiving payment, they would wait patiently.

    Five minutester, Logan led Carlisle to the office.

    Kenny hurriedly announced, "Mr. Zahn is here!"

    The rest of them gazed at the door, and their mouths gaped simultaneously. The chairman seemed too young.

    Carlisle smiled while speaking, "My apologies. I live quite a distance away, and there was quite a bit of traffic on the way here. Thank you all for waiting!"

    "Not a problem. It''s not even time yet!" the portly middle-aged man from earlier stood up and said with a smile.

    5

    The other three suppliers stood up as well.

    Carlisle''s gaze swept across the others, lingering for a few extra seconds on a middle-aged man who resembled Daniel.

    Kenny introduced, "This is ourpany''s new chairman, Mr. Carlisle Zahn!"

    He then began introducing Carlisle to each of the suppliers.

    First, he introduced the portly middle-aged man.

    "Edward Jarrell is the boss of Silver Solutions, our mobile phone screen supplier!"

    Carlisle shook hands with him. "Hello, Mr. Jarrell!''

    Edward beamed. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Zahn. ver expected you to be so young!"

    Carlisle grinned with a nod. "I will still need to rely on all of you for advice in the future."

    Edward''s smile widened at Edward''s politeness.

    "To take on Caleb''s mess tells me you''re not an ordinary person! I hope we can maintain a long-term coboration in the future."

    "We''ll talk more about thatter," Carlisle replied with aposed smile.

    Then, Kenny continued introducing the next supplier, "Simon Zahner is the boss of Liberty Enterprise. He is our battery supplier!"

    Carlisle extended a hand in greeting with a smile.

    "We have rather simrst names. We may even have the same ancestors!"

    Simon shook hands with Carlisle eagerly,ughing.

    "That''s what I had in mind, too! It''s good to meet you."

    Kenny also introduced a tall and skinny middle-aged man.

    "This is Terrence Scott, the boss of Wind Corporation, He is our chip ve supplier

    Terrence shook hands with Carlisle with a nk look before quickly m look befor@quickly withdrawing his hand back. He did

    not seem interested in associating with a young man like Carlisle.

    Finally, Kenny introduced thest supplier.

    "Harry Bulton is East Edge-Ventures''

    boss, our camera supplier!

    Harry politely and warmly shook hands with Carlisle.

    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Zahn!"

    "Hello, Mr. Bulton!"

    After they shook hands, Carlisle gestured for them to sit.

    "Take a seat!"

 Chapter 205

    At this moment, Terrence said unhappily, "I have many rhatters to attend to at mypany. Mr. Zahn, please transfer the payment to me as soon as possible so I can leave!"

    The other three suppliers nced at him when he said that. Terrence had shown such a poor attitude. He seemed uninterested in continuing to cooperate with Riley Corporation.

    Yet they also found it reasonable. Wind Semiconductors was argepany with over two thousand employees. Many no-name phone brands would use their chips.

    In fact, Riley Phones was the least popr of all no-name phone brands. Naturally, Wind Semiconductors would be uninterested to continue working together.

    "Mr. Scott, do you have a son called Daniel Scott?"

    Carlisle did not feel upset by Terrence''s attitude. Instead, he politely smiled while asking about Terrence''s rtionship with Daniel.

    Terrence coldly replied, "He''s not worthy to be my son. My son is at Caltopia College. Daniel is my cousin''s son!"

    Recognizing Terrence to be cut from the same cloth as Gerard, Carlisle did not think much of him.

    Instead, he asked Logan, "Do you have enough cash to pay Mr. Scott?"

    "We owe him, as the chip provider, about 650 thousand dors. I have enough cash here."

    "Then, take Mr. Scott along to settle the payment," Carlisle said evenly.

    "Alright!" Logan nodded.

    Then, she continued, "Mr. Scott, pleasee with me!"

    Terrence was slightly startled that they were not showing more courtesy to him. Without his chips, they could not manufacture their phones.

    "Brat, without my chips, you can''t manufacture phones!" Terrence said disdainfully before putting his arms behind his back and leaving the room.

    Carlisle sat in the chairman''s chair and beamed at the others.

    "Gentlemen, let us discuss our future cooperation first!"

    Edward rubbed his hands and said humbly, "Mr. Zahn, could you settle the payment first?"

    The other two suppliers also stared hopefully at Carlisle.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Edward awkwardly continued, "We are smallpanies and have not performed well for the past few years.

    ''Thepany''s capital chain is short, and the payment has been dyed far too long. Thus, we will feel at ease once we receive the payment as soon as possible."

    20

    Edward still decided to speak his mind at the risk of offending Carlisle. Carlisle picked up thendline phone and looked through the directory on the table. Then, he entered the extension number of the finance department.

    After the call went through, a woman answered carefully, "is this Mr. Zahn?"

    The chairman''s officendline number was 888888. Seeing these numbers would make anyone nervous.

    "Have Renee bring the financial statements of ourpany''s outstanding payments to the suppliers. upstairs."

    "Yes, Mr. Zahn!"

    Then, the call ended.

    Carlisle looked at the three men, who seemed ufortable, and said, "Let''s have some tea first. We can discuss our partnership after settling the payment."

    Five minutester, Renee brought the documents to the chairman''s office. She raised her hand, ready to knock on the door. Yet, she hesitated.

    It was her first timeing to the office, making her anxious. After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she finally knocked on the door.

    Carlisle politely said, "Please enter."

    Renee pushed the door open and walked toward the office desk. Her voice trembled from her uneasiness as she spoke.

    "Mr. Zahn, this is the detailed list of ourpany''s outstanding payments to the suppliers!"

    Carlisle pretended to nce it over before pushing the documents toward the suppliers.

    "Please verify this. If everything is in order, I will issue checks to each of you."

    Edward, Simon, and Harry only looked at their respective total amounts owed. After rifying there were no errors, they nodded.

    Carlisle took out the checkbook and filled in the amounts owed to each supplier.

    After they received their checks, they found excuses to go to the could washroom so they could make phone calls to confirm the authenticity of the checks.

    Once the checks'' validity was confirmed, they returned to the chairman''s office.

    Carlisle sipped his water and said calmly, "Do you feel better now?"

    Edward awkwardly responded, Please don''t feel offended, Mr. Zahn.

    As exined earlier, we are all smallpanies.

    "We can only survive on scraps. So, even though these hundreds of thousands could mean nothing to you, it means the world to us!"

    Simon and Harry nodded in agreement.

    Carlisle waved his hand and answered, "I understand. I did not consider things thoroughly and failed to prioritize you first. Since we''ve settled payment, shall we start discussing us working together?"

 Chapter 206

    Edward put the check away into his briefcase. He had now visibly perked up.

    He said with a grin, "Let''s continue our conversation. Mr. Zahn, is your new mobile phone still using the previous mobile phone essories?"

    y new mobile..."

    Carlisle was about to respond when there were sudden knocks on the door.

    Kenny immediately went to open the door. He was greeted by the sight of Hank and Logan.

    Hank, who already looked slightly thin, had looked increasingly haggard. His eye bags and bloodshot eyes indicated that he had been pulling all-nighters for the past few days.

    Logan entered the office, looking pale.

    She angrily said, "Mr. Zahn, I''ve settled Mr. Scott''s payment. He threatened us by saying he would never let us get our hands on mobile phone chips."

    This was her first time dealing with a supplier since she started working.

    Carlisle and Terrence seemed unhappy with each other. Thus, she had anticipated Terrence would terminate their partnership. Still, she did not expect he would be so harsh about it.

    Even if a deal had fallen through, a businessman should maintain his integrity.

    Everyone worked in Rivend together, after all. She didn''t think it was necessary to resort to such aggressive tactics.

    Kenny exined with a concerned expression, "Wind Corporation has be a dominant force in the semiconductor industry in Rivend. Within two years, it has already crushed over ten otherpanies,

    "At the moment, its order volume keeps increasing, which is something to be proud of. If Mr. Scott truly intends to target us, he could even make the other semiconductorpanies stop supplying to us."

    The other suppliers exchanged nces before looking at Carlisle.

    The mobile phone processor was the equivalent of a human''s brain. Without a processor, a phone could not be manufactured.

    Thus, they wanted to see how Carlisle would react to the threat.

    "We''ll make our own then!"

    Hank suddenly voiced out at this moment.

    He continued with a slightly hoarse yet energetic voice, "Our mobile phone system is too advanced.

    "There is no chip in this world that could drive our system. Therefore, we can only manufacture our own chips."

    Loganughed.

    "Based on Mr. Zahn''s concept, we need chips that are at least five years ahead of the current technology. Looking at the current standard, it''s impossible!"

    The suppliers were utterly confused by their need for chips that were five years ahead of their time. They wondered what kind of mobile phone Carlisle Intended to manufacture.

    Carlisle leaned against the couch, his hands folded against his abdomen. He narrowed his eyes while bing lost in thought.

    Logan had summed up the situation very well.

    Carlisle had always nned to develop his own SOC chips. But it was not the time to do so.

    He needed extremely advanced lithography machines to manufacture the chips he had in mind.

    However, the lithography machines on the current market were still at the micron level.

    Although he knew what kind of chips would be manufactured in the future and could give ideas, it was still challenging to develop them.

    Secondly, Carlisle had to consider the lithography machines. Even if he could develop chips within the next four to five years, he did not posess suitable lithography machines for production.

    There was always the option of building his own lithography machines. The thought amused him.

    In his previous life, he had only lived until the year 2016. By then, the country had not even developed high- precision lithography machines.

    He sighed inwardly. Then, he gestured for them to sit.

    "Take a seat first. I''lle up with something for the chips next time. Let''s discuss other hardware matters first."

    Hank and Logan pulled up chairs to sit.

    Then, Carlisle looked at the three suppliers and said, "Our new Adbile phone will be a revolutionary

    product. So, I need you to update yourpany''s hardware products.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Edward smiled bitterly.

    "If we could do that, we would have done it long ago. For example, m or Cascade State has over two hundred twopanies selling mobile phone disy screens.

    "The whole country has more than a thousand of them. Thepetition is too strong. We can only lower the price, which results in lower profits. Without enough profits, where will we get money to develop new products and upgrade our equipment and processes?"

    Harry and Simon nodded emphatically, They shared the same problem as Edward did.

    Carlisle smiled lightly and said, "What if I invest in yourpanies?"

    His words stunned the three suppliers.

 Chapter 207

    The industry was fiercelypetitive. In fact, countlesspetitors were far better than them. Thus, most venture capital firms would exclude them from investment.

    No venture capital firm would be interested in Investing unless thepany manufactured an iterative product.

    If Carlisle had enough funds, he could have considered better suppliers. Otherwise, he would not choose to invest in his ownpany.

    Carlisle continued, "I intend to support yourpany''s development for our long-term cooperation. You may all then consider it as me customizing parts for all of you.

    "However, your technology andponents currently don''t match my phone''s requirements. Hence, I want you to upgrade your products. In fact, I will be providing the funds for your upgrades!"

    Edward turned to look at Simon and Harry, who were in disbelief.

    Carlisle would be bearing all the risk. It was like a pipe dream.

    Then, Carlisle resumed speaking. "The condition is I want to hold the majority of the shares in yourpanies!"

    Harry took a deep breath and cautiously asked, "Mr. Zahn, why don''t I just sell East Edge Ventures to you?" There were plenty of phone camera manufacturers. In fact, many camera manufacturers were producing mobile phone cameras. Their camera technology far exceeded those of Harry''spany.

    East Edge Ventures was not doing well and was almost on the verge of bankruptcy. Hence, Harry wanted to exit the market.

    Edward stepped on Harry''s leather shoe with all his might and whispered, "Are you stupid? Mr. Zahn is bearing all the risk. What are you scared of?"

    Harry sighed.

    "I''m an old man and can no longer keep up with this. Our small-time brands are no match for the sessful ones."

    Simon also agreed with Harry as he listened to his exnation.

    Carlisle evenly asked, "Which sessful brand did not experience a challenging fight to seed? Isn''t the mobile phone industry verypetitive? Look where I am."

    Simon immediately dismissed his previous thoughts when he heard Carlisle''s words. He nodded firmly.

    "Mr. Zahn is right. How can we see the rainbow without a little rain? I''ve been in the battery industry for 16 years and am unwilling to give up. I ept your investment and condition!"

    Edward agreed, "Me too!"

    Harry inhaled deeply before looking at Carlisle and said, "Since you''re very confident, I will risk it all with you."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Carlisle smiled.

    He looked at Logan and Hank, asking, "Have you designed the mobile phone blueprints?"

    "At the moment, we only have a draft concept drawing.

    Logan extracted a folded paper from her bag.

    Carlisle took it over and looked at it.

    It was a full-screen design with rounded corners. Its size was simr CO to the first-generation iPhone, with three buttons retained below the screen.

    The lower half of the back of the phone had aco resembled the removable batteries that Android phones first had.

    Overall, the draft was quite close to what Carlisle had envisioned.

    Logan cautiously said, "This is an initial prototype design. WeGIO M continue designing and pick the best

    model from ten drafts!"

    Carlisle nodded, saying, "Excellent designs. It''s pretty close to what I had in mind."

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    Logan did not feel happy even after Carlisle expressed his satisfaction.

    Strictly speaking, Carlisle was the one who designed the phone. Whether it was the appearance or structure, he had drawn it all.

    They only used theputer program to recreate the drawing on the sketch paper.

    Carlisle picked up a pencil and wrote "120MP'' beside the drawing of the camera. Then, he wrote " 1400mAh nickel-cadmium battery" next to the battery. Finally, he wrote "320x480" on the phone screen.

    Then, Carlisle handed the drawing to the three suppliers.

    "Take a look at my hardware requirements. Assess how much investment you need to upgrade your equipment and develop these new products."

    The three suppliers were stunned after seeing the phone model on the drawing. If this was indeed a phone, they wondered where the buttons were and how one would use the phone without any buttons.

    They wondered if anyone would even buy such a phone.

    Carlisle took a sip of water.

    He smiled while exining, "I know you''re quite shocked and puzzled. But you don''t have to worry about all of that. All you need to do is provide me with the hardware!"

    Edward, Harry, and Simon gradually recovered from their shock and spent more than ten minutes studying the drawings.

    Then, they spent half an hour on the phone discussing with their respectivepanies.

    Edward was the first to confirm.

    His voice trembled as he said, "Mr. Zahn, I need an investment of 50 million dors!"

    The phone screen was an essential piece of hardware. The manufacturing process would be ratherplicated, thus requiring higher funds. In fact, 50 million dors was merely an initial assessment given by hispany''s R&D engineers.

    Carlisle nodded. He sipped his tea as he waited for Simon''s reply.

    After some time, Simon responded, "Mr. Zahn, I only need five million dors worth of investment. But if you want to hold majority shares, you''ll need to invest ten million!"

    Carlisle hummed and nodded again while waiting for Harry''s response.

    Ten minutester, Harry walked over before saying "ed 15 million dors!"

    Everyone in the office stared at Carlisle. They wondered if he could indeede up with 75 million dors.

    "I''ll invest in all of yourpanies!"

    Carlisle''s words stunned everyone. They took a sharp Intake of breath. They wondered which wealthy family he came from.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Only Hank was unable to calm down even after a long time. It had not been that long since theyst met. Yet, Carlisle had almost a hundred million worth of assets already.

    At this moment, Carlisle said to Logan, "Ms. Cooper, please draft an investment n!"

    He then turned to the three suppliers and continued, "Send your share transfer agreements to me by tomorrow!"

    After exchanging pleasantries, Edward, Harry, and Simon left the office, leaving only Logan and Hank.

    Hank hoarsely said, "You should have acquired theirpanies."

    Logan nodded in agreement.

    "I concur. After our smartphone is released, there will be significant changes in the mobile phone industry.

    "Smartphones will continue to emerge. In fact, those phone manufacturers will definitely approach our three suppliers to purchase their hardware!"

    Carlisle smiled faintly.

    "I don''t have enough funds and energy to control that manypanies. In fact, the batteries and cameras used for our first-generation phones are not very valuable.

    "While the price of the phone screen may be slightly higher, we don''t have the right connections in the area. In fact, Edward has no intention of transferring over hispany."

    He gazed at the time after speaking. It was 1:00 pm. Carlisle stood up and stretchedzily.

    "Come on. Let''s go for lunch!"

    The three of them went to a nearby restaurant and ordered some dishes. Hank ate as if he had not eaten for days.

    Logan could not help but say disdainfully, "Can''t you eat slowly? No one ispeting with you!"

    "It''s none of your business," Hank mumbled, ring at her.

    Logan frowned.

    "As a director, shouldn''t you pay attention to your image and manners?"

    Hank mmed his utensils on the table angrily.

    "Let''s just eat. Why spout so much nonsense?"

    Logan retorted, "It''s no wonder you have no girlfriend at the age of 26. No one would want to be with someone as sloppy as you!"

    Hank picked up his utensils and casually said, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I do have a girlfriend. Unlike someone who has not even touched a man''s hand even though she''s in her 30s. She was even almost

    cheated out of her money for lovel

    "Hank!"

    Logan was furious as she gazed at Hank through gritted teethom Meanwhile, Hankughed while continuing

 Chapter 209

    At the sight of Logan and Hank arguing, Carlisle could not help but shake his head with a smile.

    After a few sips of his soup, he suddenly asked, "Hank, aren''t you drinking?"

    "Not until I''vepleted the system."

    "Then, do you have any inspiration?"

    "You really believe that I need to drink to be inspired?"

    "I definitely do!"

    "That was just an excuse to drink!"N?velDrama.Org content.

    Carlisle was speechless.

    After finishing their meal, Carlisle returned to the game studio. Before taking his afternoon nap, he chatted with Wanda for a while.

    Wanda happily boasted about sessfully taking the first step in her entrepreneurial journey. She even asked Carlisle if he wascking money. If he was, she offered to lend some to him interest-free.

    Naturally, Carlisle was notcking money. But even if he did, a few million dors would not be enough.

    The two of them chatted for half an hour until Wanda also decided to take a nap. After ending the conversation, Carlisle closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. He had been exhausted after running many errandstely.

    Carlisle woke up in the evening and checked his phone. It was already 7:00 pm. Noticing a notification on his phone, he opened it and saw a message from Daniel.

    "Carlisle, I''ve found a decent hair salon. Do you want to go for a wash?"

    "You''re barely legal. Yet, you''re already looking for a woman?"

    "I''m only going there for a hair wash. Who cares if you''re noting along?"

    "Daniel, I''ve got something to ask you. Is your dad in the semiconductor business?"

    "Damn. How''d you know?"

    Carlisle answered when Daniel immediately called him.

    He heard Daniel helplessly sigh.

    "I only wanted to hang out with you as an ordinary person. ver expected my identity would still be exposed. Well, then. I won''t pretend anymore. I am indeed a second-generation rich kid!"

    Carlisle could not help butugh.

    "But not anymore, right? Isn''t your dad''s semiconductorpany struggling?"

    Daniel said nothing, feeling a little upset. If Terrence did not steal Ryan''s research papers, Daniel would not need to keep a low profile.

    Carlisle beamed and asked, "Shall we go for dinner?"

    Daniel said unenthusiastically, "Let''s go to A1 Seafood Restaurant. It''ll be my treat."

    Carlisle got up and washed his face. Then, he asked Francis to drive him to the restaurant.

    By then, Daniel had managed to stop feeling so miserable. Still, he was no longer as cheerful as he was earlier. It would probably take him some time to feel better.

    Carlisle shut his eyes as he roughly estimated his assets. He had about 267 million in assets.

    He had invested a hundred million in the fisheries, 75 million in the three suppliers, 15 million to support Heath, and had given Gorden a hundred thousand dors. He also had over a million in goods payments.

    He would have about 75 million dors left. That sum would be enough to purchase Daniel''s family''s semiconductorpany.

    While it may be challenging to develop high-end chips, they could begin with producing low-end chips first After all, the first step in chip development was to own a semiconductorpany.

    From his conversation with Terrence the day before, he learned that Terrence was clearly not on good! terms with Daniel''s family. As the Wind Corporation continued to expand rapidly, it would undoubtedly suppress Daniel''s family''s semiconductorpany.

    This was also why Carlisle had guessed that Daniel''s status as a second- generation rich kid was no longer valid.

    dishes and An hourter, Carlisle arrived at the private room Daniel had booked. Daniel had ordered six.

    had even invited Shane along.

    Carlisle smiled as he said, "You''ve ordered so many dishes. Daniel, you''re too generous!"

    Daniel rolled his eyes.

    "Since you already know my identity, of me. If weren''t stop making fun of me. If I weren''t short of money, I wouldn''t have invited Shane only!"

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    After speaking, Daniel''s expression turned gloomy. From elementary school until middle school, he was always the most popr kid.

    But his family''s fortunes had declined by the time he was in high school. Daniel''s mother, Milly Ludwig, had once bought eight vis for him, which were all sold off by Ryan.

    "Why don''t you invite your parents? It''ll be my treat!"

    Carlisle beamed as he sat in the chair.

    "Forget it. I''m not that close with them!"

    Daniel opened a bottle of beer and passed it to Carlisle.

    Then, he opened another one for Shane, Shane epted it with a word of thanks before gazing longingly at the dishes on the table.

    Daniel said, "Shane, don''t stand at the ceremony. Eat as much as you want!"

    "Then, I really will not hold back!"

    Shane grabbed his utensils and began eating to his heart''s content.

    Daniel poured a ss of beer and raised his ss, saying, "Cheer Carlisle and Shane also filled their sses. After clinking sses, they finished them in one go.

    Daniel set his ss down and stared at Carlisle, questioning. "How did you discover my identity?"

    Carlisle smiled and said, "That''s not important. What is important is your family''s current situation. How is it?"

    "We are 50 million in debt," Daniel answered with a bitter smile before taking arge gulp from the beer bottle.

    "What the hell? 50 million?"

    Shane was stunned, thinking he had misheard. He wondered how wealthy Daniel''s family would be if they weren''t 50 million in debt.

    Carlisle evenly said, "I can help your family get back on your feet."

    Daniel stared at Carlisle for at least ten seconds before bursting intoughter..

    "That''s not a funny joke!"

    At the peak of Ryan''s career, he had at most three million worth of wealth.

    To get the family back on their feet would require at least 50 million dors. A 17 or 18-year-old rich kid could note up with that amount of money.

    Carlisle raised his head, his dark eyes fixed on Daniel.

    He said eamestly, "Do I look like I''m joking?"

    Daniel was surprised again.

    "Carl, are you also a second-generation rich kid?"

    Carlisle did look like a second-generation child from a wealthy family. Even more so than anyone else he knew.

    Carlisle had always been very generous at the dormitory. He even remained calm and collected while facing Mike and his friends. He did not even bat an eye while paying the protection fees.

    In fact, he was always eating meals worth thousands of dors. Daniel thought Carlisle had to be a rich kid. He even thought that perhaps Carlisle could help Daniel''s family through this crisis.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Actually, I''ve always assumed Carl was that!" Shane said with a grin while he ate an Arban prawn.

    Then he continued, "ver thought I would be friends with a rich kid in my lifetime."

    "Can you shut up? Doesn''t eating food keep you quiet? Next time, I won''t bring you along!"

    Daniel red at Shane.

    Shane already knew that Daniel''s family was 50 million in debt. Yet, he still called Daniel a rich kid.

    Shaneughed sheepishly and continued eating his prawn.

    Carlisle suddenly said, "Ask your dad if he''s willing to transfer thepany."

    "He''s been wanting to do so for a long time. Yet, no one wants to take over. If no one buys it within the next few months, my dad must file for bankruptcy."

    Daniel looked worried as he downed the rest of the beer, Shane immediately opened another bottle for Daniel.

    "Dan, you drink really well!

    Daniel could not be bothered to answer Shane.

    Instead, he gazed at Carlisle hopefully and asked, "Can you find a buyer for the semiconductor business?"

    Daniel and his family could pay off their bank debts if someone would buy thepany. His family could then live a peaceful life.

    But if Ryan filed for bankruptcy, thepany''s equipment and factory could only be sold at low prices. Ryan had estimated the equipment assets to be worth around 35 million.

    The remaining 15 million debt would be challenging for the family to pay off.

    "I''ll buy it!"

    Carlisle took a sip of his beer.

    These three words hit Daniel out of nowhere.

    Shane started to speak before quickly shutting his mouth

    He had no idea that Carlisle was this wealthy Purchasing Daniel''s family''spany for 50 million dors seemed like a trivial task for har

 Chapter 211

    "I''ll buy yourpany for 55 million. Your dad can even remain as the chairman," Carlisle continued.

    He meant to use 50 million to purchase thepany, with the remaining five million to retain Ryan.

    As Daniel had said earlier, Terrence had stolen Ryan''s research papers. This proved that Ryan was an expert in the semiconductor field.

    Thus, spending five million dors to retain a promising expert like Ryan was an excellent deal for Carlisle.

    "Carl, are you sure you''re not joking?"

    Daniel''s voice trembled as his eyes reddened.

    Carlisle took his phone out and navigated to the bank bnce notification. Then, he showed it to Daniel, whose eyes widened at the sight of the nine-digit figure.

    Certain he was dreaming, Daniel pped himself. The stinging pain on his face confirmed that he was not.

    So, Carlisle had over two hundred million worth of assets. Even the wealthiest young man in Rivends, Yuriel, could note up with that amount.

    Seeing Daniel in a daze, Shane became curious about what was disyed on Carlisle''s phone. He peeked over to see, but Carlisle had already put away his phone.

    Carlisle asked, "Do you believe me now?"

    "I believe you."

    Daniel snapped back to reality. His gaze at Carlisle had changed. There was newfound fervor, reverence, and respect.

    "Carlisle, if you don''t mind, I''d like you to be my godfather! Daniel joked as he extended his hand.

    "Call your dad and discuss the matter with him first."

    Carlisle dipped a piece of French fry in mustard before chewing it.

    "Okay!"

    Daniel immediately called Ryan. However, the call did not go through.

    Daniel became anxious.

    "He''d typically immediately answer the call. What''s going on with him today?"

    Carlisle frowned, muttering, "Could he be thinking of doing something rash while under too much pressure?"

    "Damn!"

    Daniel was shocked and took off running out of the restaurant.

    Carlisle took a wad of bills from his pocket and ced it on the table.

    "Shane, settle the bill. I''m going to check on Daniel!"

    The two of them sped down the stairs. Carlisle then led Daniel to Francis'' car.

    "Xenos Factory in Cedarbrook!"

    Daniel frantically gave thepany''s location.

    Francis gripped the steering wheel as he elerated to the maximum speed. After all, Daniel''s home in Cedarbrook was over 37 miles from Rivends.

    It was pitch ck at Xenos Factory in Cedarbrook.

    A shirtless middle-aged man sat on the top floor of the eight-story building. Next to him was a nearly empty bottle of liquor and a barely touched te of braised meat.

    He was the chairman of Xenos Factory, Ryan, one of the leading semiconductor experts in the country.

    It was not an exaggeration to say that over 30% of the domestic m unbranded phones used processors developed by Xenos Factory''s technology.

    Thetest processor they developed wasparable to Nexus om Instruments'' OMAPXX10 processor. However, Terrence had stolen his research papers and preemptively filed several patents.

    Six months ago, Wind Corporationunched that processor. Within half a year, it had surpassed Xenos Factory significantly.

    Under Wind Corporation''s suppression, Xenos Factory had umted massive debts and was on the brink of bankruptcy.

    This was Ryan''s third time on the rooftop contemting suicide, He had chickened out the previous times. But that day, he refused to retreat.

    Ryan finished thest drops of his liquor and stood up shakily.

    He gazed at the pitch-ck sky and murmured, "Terrence, I will continue to haunt you after my death!"

    "Dad!"N?velDrama.Org content.

    Just as Ryan was about to leap off, a ck car crashed through the retractable gate and sped toward him.

 Chapter 212

    Francis executed a perfect drift and stopped the car right in front of the entrance of the building. Carlisle and Daniel then exited the vehicle.

    Daniel yelled up toward the rooftop. "Dad,e down!"

    Ryan''s body stiffened.

    He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at Daniel on the ground, saying, "Daniel, I''m so tired!"

    He was 50 million in debt and had no way to repay it. Thepany had to be sold, but no one was willing to take over. The court was about to enforce its judgment, and Ryan did not have the courage to face the situation.

    Daniel noticed that Ryan had been drinking. Thus, he did not dare to continue yelling to avoid agitating him further.

    Instead, he spoke gently, "Dad, this is my ssmate, Carlisle. He wants to take over the retain you as the chairman. Could you pleasee down first?"

    "Daniel, you''ve grown up so much. I''ve been so useless. I couldn''t give you a good future. I''ve let you and your mother down!"

    Ryan choked as tears streamed down his cheeks.

    "Dad, please calm down. Everything I''ve said is true. Carl has money. He has two hundred million!"

    Daniel was so frightened that he was trembling.

    He turned to Carlisle and pleaded, "Carl, please tell my dad I''m not tying to him!"

    Carlisle raised his head and shouted, "What''s the point of jumping off?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Daniel shuddered. He had no idea what Carlisle was up to. Carlisle was supposed to help him advise Ryan, not tell him off.

    It would be all for nothing if Ryan became agitated and jumped.

    "Your debt will be passed on to your Daniel''s shoulders.

    con. Even if you die, the 50 million dors worth of debt will fall on

    "It''ll be over for you once you''re dead. But what about your son and wife? Your family? How will they survive? Don''t you want to take revenge on Terrence? Even if you''re dead, he will stillugh in his dreams!"

    Carlisle put his hands in his pockets as he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty building.

    Ryan clenched his fists on the rooftop. He detested Terrence and wished he could destroy him. But he could not seek revenge in his current state.

    "Don''t be foolish. Death won''t solve anything. It''s the act of a coward. Daniel isn''t lying to you. I will purchase yourpany.

    "If I''m lying to you, may I be struck by lightning as soon as possible!"

    Carlisle swore upon his life to reassure Ryan.

    Daniel''s eyes welled up with tears of gratitude.

    "Carl, thank you!"

    But he ignored Daniel and kept his eyes fixed on Ryan.

    Finally, Ryan took a few steps back from the edge.

    Carlisle had already made his points, and most of them were true.

    Ryan thought Carlisle was right. Death would not solve any problems. Ryan had not even seen Daniel start

    his own family yet.

    He could not die now.

    Seeing Ryan retreat made Daniel rx.

    Ten minutester, Ryan looked despondent as he exited the building.

    "Dad!"

    Daniel ran up to hug Ryan.

    "I was so foolish!"

    Ryan patted Daniel''s back and sighed. They embraced for a moment before parting.

    Ryan then awkwardly turned to Carlisle and said, "Young man, thank your, Ryan Scott, owe you my life!"

    Carlisle''s words earlier had hit home, alerting Ryan of his foolishness.

    "Then, you must repay me well!"

    e Carlisle replied with a smile. Are you really going to buy mypany?"

 Chapter 213

    Ryan still had some doubts.

    After all, the young man appeared to be the same age as his wn son, likely just 18.

    "Let''s discuss this in your office," Carlisle sald, sounding too exhausted to borate further.

    The most convincing evidence would be to ce the check on Ryan''s desk. However, he wanted to better understand thepany before doing so.

    Ryan brought them to his office.

    Daniel pulled out a chair for Carlisle, saying, "Carl, take a seat."

    Carlisle settled into the chair without hesitation. Meanwhile, Ryan upied his own desk.

    With a smile, Carlisle extended his hand and said, "Let''s reintroduce ourselves. I''m Carlisle Zahn, the new chairman of Riley Phones."

    Daniel looked at Carlisle in astonishment.N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Wait. He''s the chairman of a phonepany?" Daniel muttered to himself, processing the name.

    While he hadn''t heard much about Riley Phones, his admiration for Carlisle remained undiminished.

    As Daniel gazed at Carlisle in astonishment, he couldn''t help but wonder, "Carl''s a billionaire, leading a phonepany, and still in his first year of college. How on earth had he aplished so much at such.

    a young age?"

    "Riley?"

    Ryan shook hands with Carlisle. His expression shifted at the mention of Riley Phones.

    Thepany was supposed to be his client, but they had suddenly backed out and partnered with Terrence instead.

    "Yeah, I acquired Riley Phones, Carlisle replied nonchntly.

    He sat and asked, "Do you have any issues with Riley?"

    "Not really." Ryan shook his head.

    "We were discussing a coboration, but they backed out and teamed up with Terrence instead. Can''t me them, though. I saw iting when Wind Corporationunched their new processor."

    Carlisle didn''t dwell on the topic further. Instead, he nced at the disy case behind Ryan.

    "May I take a look at your processors?"

    Behind Ryan''s chair was a disy case with several processor models.

    "Of course..." Ryan replied, reaching into the disy case to retrieve histest developed processor.

    The processor was rectangr and housed four different types of chips along with numerous electronicponents.

    "This processor is getting close to Nexus Instruments'' new OMAP1710, consuming even less power. The only thing we''re missing is their advanced packaging technology," Ryan said, sounding proud as he leaned back in his chair.

    Nexus Instruments was a big name in the chip Industry. Most Nokia phones were using their chips.

    Daniel scoffed.

    "Carl doesn''t know anything about the OMAP1710. Why are you telling him this?"

    Ryan shot Daniel a look.

    *Do you really think Carl is clueless like you? If he''s in the business of making phones, he definitely knows his stuff about processors!"

    Carlisle was indeed familiar with the OMAP1710 processor.It was presently a hotmodity in the smartphone market.

    Running at an ARM frequency of 220 MHz, this upgraded processor was poised to dominate the multifunctional phone market for the next three years.

    Moreover, it could even support the Symbian system.

    Carlisle was surprised to learn that a processor of this caliber was being produced domestically.

    He couldn''t understand why such an important project wasn''t receiving support from the government.

    Adding to his confusion, he noticed that high-end domestic phone m brands weren''t opting for these

    processors.

    In fact, Carlisle had never even heard of these twopanies.

    It dawned on Carlisle that Ryan might have connections at Nexus Instruments.

    "This processor just isn''t good enough," Carlisle said, handing it back to Ryan.

    At Carlisle''s critique, Daniel''s expression subtly shifted.

    His father was usually reserved and had a good temperament. But Ryan ButRyan could lose his cool regarding

    criticism of his processor.

    Daniel looked nervously at his dad and saw him staring hard at Carlisle.

    "Dad... Please, don''t get angry," Daniel cautioned.

    "Carl just saved your life!"

 Chapter 214

    Worried his dad might use the ashtray in anger toward Carlisle, Daniel swiftly moved it away from Ryan''s hand.

    With thepany relying on Carlisle''s help, Daniel made sure to prevent any potential conflict.

    Then, Ryan changed his tone, saying, "My processor works with almost all phones out there. I''ve seen Riley Corporation''s products. Trust me, they''ll work great with my processor."

    Despite his bold im, he secretly doubted that Riley Corporation''s phones could evene close to matching his processor''s capabilities.

    Ryan thought that perhaps Daniel had a point. Carlisle didn''t seem to grasp much about phones, let alone processors.

    At that moment, Carlisle took out his phone and called Hank.

    "Boss..." Hank''s hoarse voice came through the phone.

    Carlisle casually asked, "Could you send me our smart system concept book?"

    "To your

    "Yeah."

    Messenger inbox?" inquired Hank.

    After ending the call, Carlisle got up and turned to Ryan, asking, "Do you mind if I use yourputer?"

    Ryan stood up from his chair to amodate him. Carlisle then opened theputer, logged into his MSN messenger ount, and essed his email. Ryan hovered behind Carlisle, peering over his shoulder at theputer screen.

    As Carlisle refreshed the inbox, Hank''s email appeared promptly. He clicked to open the attachment. Inside was aprehensive manual detailing the functions of the Smartphone''s smart system. The document also included designs for the phone''s appearance and user interface.

    These designs were crafted based on Carlisle''s descriptions.

    However, the feasibility of bringing them to life depended on the manufacturing capabilities of the hardware. Hank''s cleverness was evident from his extractions of the core technology from Carlisle''s descriptions.

    Carlisle stood up and said, "Mr. Ryan, take a look at these blueprints. I''m curious if your processor can handle powering my phone."

    With that said, he settled back in and took a sip from his cup.

    "My processor can handle Nokia and Motor, let alone your obscure phones," Ryan shot back.

    He grew increasingly irritated with the incessant provocation from someone barely older than his son.

    Daniel chimed in, urging. "Come on, Dad, Give it a chance before you judge."

    He wouldn''t have easily trusted Carlisle before. But ever since he saw Carlisle''s bank bnce, he had not reason to doubt him now.

    Ryan narrowed his eyes at Carlisle, asking. ¡°Are you ying games with me, or are you genuinely interested in buying mypany?

    "If you''re just here tofort me on behalf of my son, then consider your mission aplished."

    With a resigned sigh, Carlisle retrieved a checkbook from his pocket and wrote a 55 million-dor check.

    It was worth noting that at that time, 55 million would be of equal value to five hundred million in the next ten years or so.

    Ryan and Daniel both widened their eyes simultaneously, their expressions nearly identical.

    Carlisle tore off the check and casually slid it across the table with a smile.

    "You might be skeptical about the legitimacy of this check, but you''re wee to verify its authenticity."

    With decades of business experience under his belt, Ryan could easily distinguish between real and fake.

    checks.

    He flicked the deskmp on and inspected the check under its glow.

    "Dad, Carl really has two hundred million. I''m not joking, Daniel insisted.

    He was slowly feeling frustrated by his father''s skepticism.

    Daniel worried about the consequences if they upset Carl, and he backed out of buying the Enpany.

    Carlisle remained calm and showed Ryan the bank text messages on his phone.

    As Ryan scrolled through the notifications of bnce changes his eyes widened dramatically upon seeing over 20 transactions from Islo Clothing transferring funds.

    He looked up at Carlisle and asked, "What''s your connection to Lethan?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Islo Clothing had transferred 180 million dors to him.

    Ryan couldn''t help but wonder if Carlisle could possibly be Lethan''s illegitimate child.

 Chapter 215

    Ryan thought about it and felt it couldn''t be right. Lethan was only in his early 30s. Even if he had an illegitimate child, the child couldn''t be that old.

    "We''re just business partners, Carlisle said with a smile.

    "Then who are your parents?"

    Anyone who could partner with a business mogul like Lethan must be of considerable standing.

    Carlisle was losing patience.

    "Do I really need to go into all this with you?"

    It was just a business deal, yet Ryan was prying into his personal life.

    "Carl Daniel nced anxiously at Carlisle, then back at his father.

    "Dad, Carl''s already written the check. What else do you want?

    Ryan took a deep breath and settled into his chair, focusing on the document on hisputer screen.

    "Multi-touch screen interaction functionality!"

    The first feature alone hooked Ryan instantly.

    He was stunned as he read through the three pages describing this concept. The idea ofunching phone. apps by simply touching the screen seemed straight out of science fiction.

    While touch screens were not unheard of, they were mainly used in imported CNCquipment.

    However, the concept of applying touchscreen technology to phones baffled Ryan. No phone manufacturer had even considered it yet.

    As Ryan examined the diagrams of the phone models, he couldn''t help but be impressed by the full-

    screen design.

    The document ran over hundreds of pages. As Ryan sifted through it, he couldn''t help but visualize operating a full-screen phone.

    After flipping through nearly 20 pages, Ryan felt like his entire outlook had been shaken to its core.

    His heart pounded, his breath quickened, and excitement surged through him.

    Compared to this revolutionary phone, those big-name brands on the market seemed like ants.

    "Dad... You don''t look too good. Are you feeling unwell?"

    Noticing his father trembling with a pale face, Daniel couldn''t help but feel concerned.

    Ryan shook his head and gestured to his son.

    "Daniel, could you step outside for a moment?"

    Daniel appeared cautious.

    "I''m not leaving. I''m worried you might lose your temper, and things could get physical.

    Ryan''s lips twitched with a mix of amusement and exasperation:

    "I won''t lose my temper. Just step out for a bit, I need to discuss something important with Carl."

    Daniel furrowed his brows, hesitating as he nced at Carlisle.

    Carlisle nodded reassuringly.

    "Go on, Daniel."

    Daniel reluctantly rose from his seat.

    Casting a watchful nce at his father, he urged, "Keep your cool!"

    After delivering his message, he left the office, leaving the door slightly open behind him.

    Outside, Daniel remained vignt, prepared to step in if things got out of hand between his father and Carlisle.

    Inside the office, Ryan lit a cigarette and then spoke in a low voice, "This phone you''re proposing will revolutionize the entire era. Who''s the genius behind this design?"

    Carlisle brushed it off, saying. "That''s not your concern. I just need you to develop the chip I want."

    Ryan chuckled and shook his head, "I can''t do it. It would be challenging to produce even with the most. advanced technology from Nexus Instruments. It''s at least two years out of reach."

    The phone Carlisle envisioned was too powerful. It required a chip withputer-level capabilities to achieve all its functions.

    It was like turning a phone into a miniatureputer.

    And not to mention, even if chip development were possible, them current phoneponents on the market wouldn''t meet the requirements of this phone.

    Carlisle smiled nonchntly.

    "I just want you to explore this direction. I''m not asking for immediate results."

    "1N?velDrama.Org content.

    He knew how challenging chip development could be.

    Even powerhousepanies like Ember; their first processors were based on CRM chip technology.

    Bothpanies were global tech giants that had dominated the tech era since the 90s and were expected to thrive for decades toe.

    All smart chip manufacturers would need to license architecture technology from CRM in the future.

    Ryan did a quick cost estimate and looked at Carlisle.

    "Do you know how much investment it would take to develop the chip for this phone?"

 Chapter 216

    "No matter, I will make it happen no matter how much money it takes. Whether it''s ten billion or a hundred billion..."

    Determination was written all over Carlisle''s young face.

    He was dead set on seeding in the smartphone industry, no matter how difficult it would be. With memories from a past life, he felt a duty to give back to his country and people.

    He even nned to establish a real estatepany to develop Wenninson town in Caulitorna, in preparation for the inevitable disaster four yearster.

    From Carlisle''s expression and words, Ryan sensed a solid determination to seed at any cost.

    Hence, even as a neer to the mobile phone industry, he opted to take a bold leap.

    "Also... your phone needs a 3Gwork to really shine, but our country isn''t even considering it yet."

    Ryan lit another cigarette. He was convinced Carlisle''s n to create this phone was simply unrealistic.

    "Don''t worry about that. Just focus on developing the chip," Carlisle replied calmly as if he had everything under control.

    Although the current era was dominated by 2G, numerous countries were already transitioning to 3G.

    The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) nned to save costs by skipping the 3G phase and moving directly to 4G.

    It wasn''t until smartphones became widely adopted in the country that the MIIT issued 3G licenses in

    009. 2009.

    The establishment of 3G signal stations took several years.

    Just as the 3Gwork became prevalent, the MIIT issued 4G licenses in 2013.

    The advent of the 3Gwork marked the true onset of the Inte era.

    If smartphones had been developed earlier, the 3Gwork would have been established sooner.

    However, one would need a considerable reputation to advocate for the issuance of 3G licenses.

    So, Carlisle had to make a big name for himself within two years to have the social capital to negotiate with the MIIT.

    "You''re the boss now, so it''s your decision!"

    Ryan still doubted Carlisle could pull it off, but since Carlisle had already bought thepany, it was no longer Ryan''s decision to make.

    Ryan reviewed the project proposal on hisputer again and asked, "How much do you know about this chip? Can you go over the details with me?"

    Carlisle checked the time. It was alreadyte, but he wasn''t tired since he''d taken a long nap in the afternoon.

    Smiling, he said, "It''s prettyte. I don''t mind, but-"

    "Don''t worry about me. I''m used tote nights," Ryan interrupted.

    "Alright. I''ll tell my driver to take a break,¡± Carlisle said, pulling out his phone to call Francis.

    Ryan left to send Daniel out for drinks, alcohol, and snacks.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    The lights in the chairman''s office at Xenos Factory stayed on all night.

    Carlisle exined the features of future smartphones, while Ryan, like an eager student, wrote down almost everything Carlisle said.

    Before they knew it, it was already 10:00 am the next day.

    Carlisle finished thest bottle of water and looked at Ryan, who was still full of energy.

    "Mr. Ryan, do you have any more questions?" he asked.

    Ryan looked at Carlisle with aplex expression.

    "You''ve told me so much. Aren''t you worried I might run off with these ideas?"

    This chip was revolutionary. Once developed, it would drive significant technological advancements.

    Carlisle gave a slight smile.

    "What do you think of Motor and Nokia?"

    Ryan thought for a moment before replying, "They''re giants."

    Bothpanies were leaders in the phone market with long histories and vast influence.

    Facing them felt like a kid going up against a giant.

    Carlisle continued, "They are powerful. But if we develop this m En phone, surpassing them is just a matter of time."

    "Wow...

 Chapter 217

    Ryan couldn''t help but take a sharp breath.

    He thought Carlisle was absolutely right-foreign technology was far more advanced.

    Most of the current local high-tech products were imported.

    Nokia and Motor held nearly 60% of the global mobile phone market.

    If anyone else had said that, Ryan would have dismissed them as crazy. But his opinion changed since it wasing from Carlisle.

    After their long conversation the night before, Ryan had gained a fresh appreciation for Carlisle. His perspective had been thoroughly shaken.

    So, he believed that what Carlisle was suggesting was entirely possible.

    Ryan took a gulp of his now lukewarm tea.

    He cleared his throat before speaking earnestly, "But you must mentally prepare yourself.

    "Developing this chip will require a huge investment, and there''s no guarantee of sess."

    "Where there''s a will, there''s a way. I believe we''ll make it! Don''t worry about the money. If we need more, just let me know anytime."

    Carlisle naturally understood the difficulties of developing a chip from-scratch.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    And once the chip was developed, dealing with the intricacies of lithography machines would be another challenge.

    Orion only established their chippany that year, but it wasn''t until 2009 that they came out with their first chip.

    To put it into context, Orion was already achieving 15 billion in annual sales four years ago.

    Yet, even with that kind of sess, it took them five years to develop a chip.

    As for the investment, it was an iprehensible sum.

    But they built everything from scratch, doing it all on their own.

    In contrast, he was at least giving Ryan a roadmap for chip development.

    In fact, Carlisle had considered sharing the chip development direction with Orion.

    If he were to reveal the concept and functionalities of future chips to Orion, it would be like giving them a head start-they''d be able to develop it in no time.

    However, that also meant giving up his hold on the mobile phone market.

    "We''re strapped for cash at the moment. The 50 million you provided will barely cover our bank debts. I Chapter 220

    want to reserve the remaining five million to bring in a few old allies..."

    Ryan had several friends in the chip development industry. But they were all working for apany.

    overseas.

    Carlisle figured Ryan''s contacts were probably at TI, so he grinned and said, "Sure. Once thepany is officially in my name tomorrow, I''ll inject some funds into it."

    It wasn''t that he doubted Ryan-after all, he had already divulged the core secrets of the chip-but it never hurt to be cautious.

    "Okay, it''s gettingte. We''ll head to the business registration office together tomorrow," Ryan said, his eyes betraying a hint of sadness.

    Having to hand over apany he''d worked hard on for over 20 years wasn''t something he''d be thrilled about.

    "Alright. I''ll head back to sleep," Carlisle said.

    Despite picking up on Ryan''s reluctance, Carlisle needed to secure control of Xenos Factory.

    He felt that if Ryan performed well, he could always give him some sharester.

    Carlisle left Xenos Factory. He was about to call Francis when he spotted §Ü§Ö

    him smoking across the street.

    Francis looked well put together as if he''d had a haircut recently it recently He wore a crisp white shirt, ck trousers, and polished dress shoes.

    Carlisle crossed the street and approached the car, smiling.

    "When did you get the haircut?"

    Francis smiled faintly.

    "Last night. Do I look good?"

    Carlisle nodded with a smile and then got into the car.

    Francis drove them back to Rivend.

    In the car, he nced at Carlisle through the rearview mirror andm asked, "Did you end up acquiring that semiconductorpany too?"

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 220 Ryan couldn''t help but take a sharp breath. He thought Carlisle was absolutely right-foreign technology was far

    more advanced. Most of the current local high-tech products were imported. Nokia and Motor held nearly 60% of the global

    mobile phone market. If anyone else had said that, Ryan would have dismissed them as crazy. But his opinion changed since it

    wasing from Carlisle. After their long conversation the night before, Ryan had gained a fresh appreciation for Carlisle. His

    perspective had been thoroughly shaken. So, he believed that what Carlisle was suggesting was entirely possible. Ryan took a

    gulp of his now lukewarm tea. He cleared his throat before speaking earnestly, ¡°But you must mentally prepare yourself.

    ¡°Developing this chip will require a huge investment, and there¡¯s no guarantee of sess.¡± ¡°Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. |

    believe we''ll make it! Don¡¯t worry about the money. If we need more, just let me know anytime.¡± Carlisle naturally understood the

    difficulties of developing a chip from-scratch. And once the chip was developed, dealing with the intricacies of lithography

    machines would be another challenge. Orion only established their chippany that year, but it wasn¡¯t until 2009 that they

    came out with their first chip. To put it into context, Orion was already achieving 15 billion in annual sales four years ago. Yet,

    even with that kind of sess, it took them five years to develop a chip. As for the investment, it was an iprehensible sum.

    But they built everything from scratch, doing it all on their own. In contrast, he was at least giving Ryan a roadmap for chip

    development. In fact, Carlisle had considered sharing the chip development direction with Orion. If he were to reveal the concept

    and functionalities of future chips to Orion, it would be like giving them a head start-they¡¯d be able to develop it in no time.

    However, that also meant giving up his hold on the mobile phone market. ¡°We''re strapped for cash at the moment. The 50 million

    you provided will barely cover our bank debts. | Chapter 220 want to reserve the remaining five million to bring in a few old

    allies...¡± Ryan had several friends in the chip development industry. But they were all working for apany. overseas. Carlisle

    figured Ryan¡¯s contacts were probably at TI, so he grinned and said, ¡°Sure. Once thepany is officially in my name tomorrow,

    I''ll inject some funds into it.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he doubted Ryan-after all, he had already divulged the core secrets of the chip¡ªbut it

    never hurt to be cautious. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s gettingte. We''ll head to the business registration office together tomorrow,¡± Ryan said, his

    eyes betraying a hint of sadness. Having to hand over apany he¡¯d worked hard on for over 20 years wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d

    be thrilled about. ¡°Alright. I''ll head back to sleep,¡± Carlisle said. Despite picking up on Ryan¡¯s reluctance, Carlisle needed to

    secure control of Xenos Factory. He felt that if Ryan performed well, he could always give him some sharester. Carlisle left

    Xenos Factory. He was about to call Francis when he spotted him smoking across the street. Francis looked well put together as

    if he¡¯d had a haircut recently. He wore a crisp white shirt, ck trousers, and polished dress shoes. Carlisle crossed the street

    and approached the car, smiling. ¡°When did you get the haircut?¡± Francis smiled faintly. ¡°Last night. Do | look good?¡± Carlisle

    nodded with a smile and then got into the car. Francis drove them back to Rivend. In the car, he nced at Carlisle through

    the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Did you end up acquiring that semiconductorpany too?¡±

    The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 220 Ryan couldn''t help but take a sharp breath. He thought Carlisle was absolutely right-foreign technology was far

    more advanced. Most of the current local high-tech products were imported. Nokia and Motor held nearly 60% of the global

    mobile phone market. If anyone else had said that, Ryan would have dismissed them as crazy. But his opinion changed since it

    wasing from Carlisle. After their long conversation the night before, Ryan had gained a fresh appreciation for Carlisle. His

    perspective had been thoroughly shaken. So, he believed that what Carlisle was suggesting was entirely possible. Ryan took a

    gulp of his now lukewarm tea. He cleared his throat before speaking earnestly, ¡°But you must mentally prepare yourself.

    ¡°Developing this chip will require a huge investment, and there¡¯s no guarantee of sess.¡± ¡°Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. |

    believe we''ll make it! Don¡¯t worry about the money. If we need more, just let me know anytime.¡± Carlisle naturally understood the

    difficulties of developing a chip from-scratch. And once the chip was developed, dealing with the intricacies of lithography

    machines would be another challenge. Orion only established their chippany that year, but it wasn¡¯t until 2009 that they

    came out with their first chip. To put it into context, Orion was already achieving 15 billion in annual sales four years ago. Yet,

    even with that kind of sess, it took them five years to develop a chip. As for the investment, it was an iprehensible sum.

    But they built everything from scratch, doing it all on their own. In contrast, he was at least giving Ryan a roadmap for chip

    development. In fact, Carlisle had considered sharing the chip development direction with Orion. If he were to reveal the concept

    and functionalities of future chips to Orion, it would be like giving them a head start-they¡¯d be able to develop it in no time.

    However, that also meant giving up his hold on the mobile phone market. ¡°We''re strapped for cash at the moment. The 50 million

    you provided will barely cover our bank debts. | Chapter 220 want to reserve the remaining five million to bring in a few old

    allies...¡± Ryan had several friends in the chip development industry. But they were all working for apany. overseas. Carlisle

    figured Ryan¡¯s contacts were probably at TI, so he grinned and said, ¡°Sure. Once thepany is officially in my name tomorrow,

    I''ll inject some funds into it.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he doubted Ryan-after all, he had already divulged the core secrets of the chip¡ªbut it

    never hurt to be cautious. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s gettingte. We''ll head to the business registration office together tomorrow,¡± Ryan said, his

    eyes betraying a hint of sadness. Having to hand over apany he¡¯d worked hard on for over 20 years wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d

    be thrilled about. ¡°Alright. I''ll head back to sleep,¡± Carlisle said. Despite picking up on Ryan¡¯s reluctance, Carlisle needed to

    secure control of Xenos Factory. He felt that if Ryan performed well, he could always give him some sharester. Carlisle left

    Xenos Factory. He was about to call Francis when he spotted him smoking across the street. Francis looked well put together as

    if he¡¯d had a haircut recently. He wore a crisp white shirt, ck trousers, and polished dress shoes. Carlisle crossed the street

    and approached the car, smiling. ¡°When did you get the haircut?¡± Francis smiled faintly. ¡°Last night. Do | look good?¡± Carlisle

    nodded with a smile and then got into the car. Francis drove them back to Rivend. In the car, he nced at Carlisle through

    the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Did you end up acquiring that semiconductorpany too?¡±

    The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220 Ryan couldn''t help but take a sharp breath. He thought Carlisle was absolutely right-foreign technology was far

    more advanced. Most of the current local high-tech products were imported. Nokia and Motor held nearly 60% of the global

    mobile phone market. If anyone else had said that, Ryan would have dismissed them as crazy. But his opinion changed since it

    wasing from Carlisle. After their long conversation the night before, Ryan had gained a fresh appreciation for Carlisle. His

    perspective had been thoroughly shaken. So, he believed that what Carlisle was suggesting was entirely possible. Ryan took a

    gulp of his now lukewarm tea. He cleared his throat before speaking earnestly, ¡°But you must mentally prepare yourself.

    ¡°Developing this chip will require a huge investment, and there¡¯s no guarantee of sess.¡± ¡°Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. |

    believe we''ll make it! Don¡¯t worry about the money. If we need more, just let me know anytime.¡± Carlisle naturally understood the

    difficulties of developing a chip from-scratch. And once the chip was developed, dealing with the intricacies of lithography

    machines would be another challenge. Orion only established their chippany that year, but it wasn¡¯t until 2009 that they

    came out with their first chip. To put it into context, Orion was already achieving 15 billion in annual sales four years ago. Yet,

    even with that kind of sess, it took them five years to develop a chip. As for the investment, it was an iprehensible sum.

    But they built everything from scratch, doing it all on their own. In contrast, he was at least giving Ryan a roadmap for chip

    development. In fact, Carlisle had considered sharing the chip development direction with Orion. If he were to reveal the concept

    and functionalities of future chips to Orion, it would be like giving them a head start-they¡¯d be able to develop it in no time.

    However, that also meant giving up his hold on the mobile phone market. ¡°We''re strapped for cash at the moment. The 50 million

    you provided will barely cover our bank debts. | Chapter 220 want to reserve the remaining five million to bring in a few old

    allies...¡± Ryan had several friends in the chip development industry. But they were all working for apany. overseas. Carlisle

    figured Ryan¡¯s contacts were probably at TI, so he grinned and said, ¡°Sure. Once thepany is officially in my name tomorrow,

    I''ll inject some funds into it.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he doubted Ryan-after all, he had already divulged the core secrets of the chip¡ªbut it

    never hurt to be cautious. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s gettingte. We''ll head to the business registration office together tomorrow,¡± Ryan said, his

    eyes betraying a hint of sadness. Having to hand over apany he¡¯d worked hard on for over 20 years wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d

    be thrilled about. ¡°Alright. I''ll head back to sleep,¡± Carlisle said. Despite picking up on Ryan¡¯s reluctance, Carlisle needed to

    secure control of Xenos Factory. He felt that if Ryan performed well, he could always give him some sharester. Carlisle left

    Xenos Factory. He was about to call Francis when he spotted him smoking across the street. Francis looked well put together as

    if he¡¯d had a haircut recently. He wore a crisp white shirt, ck trousers, and polished dress shoes. Carlisle crossed the street

    and approached the car, smiling. ¡°When did you get the haircut?¡± Francis smiled faintly. ¡°Last night. Do | look good?¡± Carlisle

    nodded with a smile and then got into the car. Francis drove them back to Rivend. In the car, he nced at Carlisle through

    the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Did you end up acquiring that semiconductorpany too?¡±

    The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 221

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Carlisle rubbed his eyes and gave a nod.

    ¡°Damn, that''s impressive!¡±

    Francis sighed quietly and nced out the window at the reasonablyrge semiconductorpany. He was convinced that acquiring apany of this scale would have cost him a fortune.

    In just a couple of weeks, Francis had seen Carlisle go from scraping by to bing a billionaire and snapping up twopanies in the process.

    He wondered why Carlisle, who was already swimming in cash, would bother with running businesses. He figured it would be easier to keep the money in the bank and live off the interest.

    Carlisle returned to school and ran into Wanda, Phoebe, and Christine, who were all beaming joyfully. ¡°Hey, Carlisle,¡± Phoebe greeted him with a big smile.

    Carlisle turned to Wanda with a grin and joked, ¡°You guys look very pleased. Did you receive another order or something?¡±

    Wanda nodded, then nced around. Spotting Mike and his friends ying basketball on the field, she quickly tugged at Phoebe''s sleeve.

    ¡°Let''s go. We can¡¯t keep our clients waiting!¡±

    ¡°Wanda asked me to tell you...¡± Phoebe yfully teased Carlisle, her tone flirtatious. ¡°Come on, Carlisle. You better hurry up. Someone''s waiting for you to marry me!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Carlisle responded, taken aback.

    ¡°Phoebe, are you out of your mind?¡±

    Blushing bright red, Wanda tightened her fists, clearly upset.

    ¡°Oh, help me!¡± Phoebe screamed as she fled off the school grounds.

    After noticing Carlisle¡¯s dark circles, Christine gently remarked, ¡°While making money is important, your health matters more. After all, health is the cornerstone of everything.¡±

    Without waiting for Carlisle¡¯s reply, she briskly walked away.

    Carlisle smiled and made his way toward the dorms.

    ¡°Carlisle...¡±

    Mike¡¯s voice echoed from the nearby field.

    Carlisle stopped in his tracks and turned to look.

    Mike gestured impatiently.

    (Chanote 221

    ¡°Hey! Are you gonnae over here, or must | go to you?¡±

    Carlisle calmly walked toward the field.

    Approaching Mike with a smile, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s up, Mike?¡±

    In a nonchnt tone, Mike asked, ¡°Are you still hanging out with Wanda?¡±

    Carlisle was quick to say, ¡°Nah, man. I¡¯m not.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    But Mike wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°Damn, | saw it myself. Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡±

    Then Carlisle, smooth as butter, handed over some cash, saying, ¡°Hey, get everyone some drinks!¡± He pulled out five hundred dors with a grin.

    Taking the money, Mike said, ¡°Just be more careful next time. I''ll cover this for you just this once. Now, off you go.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Thanks, Mike!¡±

    Carlisle chuckled, then headed back to the dorms.

    As soon as he turned away, his smile faded.

    Carlisle quickly called Heath when he returned to his room.

    ¡°Boss...¡± Heath''s voice was faint and weak.

    Carlisle frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you?¡±

    Heath croaked out, n¡¯s guys showed up at the ice rinkst night and started a fight. They outnumbered us, and we were pretty beat up.¡±

    ¡°Are you badly hurt?¡±

    ¡°Not too bad...¡±

    ¡°Which hospital are you at?¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry about it, Carl. It¡¯s merely cuts and bruises... ty fuckcat yeu ibe gentler?¡± The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!

    Heath hadn¡¯t even gone to the hospital. He had the staff at his bar patch him up instead. Carlisle wasn¡¯t fooled. He knew Heath was more injured than he was letting on. Squinting, he asked, n¡¯s already making moves?¡±

    Heath¡¯s tone grew serious.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s weird. He brought over a hundred guys, caused a hu eS gene, and ev ggtithe-dobs volved Both sidesen I need up with people getting arrested.¡± The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!

    Carlisle took a deep breath.

    ¡°Think about this carefully, Heath. Maybe we should focus on legitimate business if this path isn¡¯t working Chapter 221

    out.

    Heath clenched his jaw.

    ¡°No way. I''ve got to see this through. I¡¯m striking back tonight!¡±

    He believed that once someone wasmitted to a pa th¨¦y wauld¡¯'' ve toyfoliow/ irs gh, even if it €ant persevering against all odds. The content is on ! Read thetest chapter there!

    With many of his men arrested and having suffered a cut on his arm, Heath couldn''t just let it go.

 Chapter 222

    *Focus on your recovery first. We can talk about everything elseter.¡±

    After ending the call, Carlisley on his bed. Staring up at the bunk above, he was lost in thought.

    He didn¡¯t really mean it when he told Heath to give up that path earlier.

    wanted a normal rtionship with Wanda.

    As for Zachary, once Heath became more powerful, it would be Zachary¡¯s turn to fear him.

    Carlisle slept until 8:00 pm. Sean¡¯s call woke him up.

    ¡°Carl, where are you? Let¡¯s grab dinner! It¡¯s on me,¡± Sean sounded exhausted.

    One day of hiking left himpletely worn out.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the dorm. Where are we eating? I¡¯ll head over.¡±

    ¡°How about A1 Seafood Restaurant?¡±

    ¡°Sounds great.¡±

    Carlisle called Francis before getting up to get ready.

    After freshening up and stepping out of the school gate, Francis arrived shortly after.

    Just as they were about to get into the car, they suddenly spotted Lawrence passing by with some everyday items.

    Spotting Carlisle, Lawrence smiled and asked, ¡°Is this your car?¡±

    ¡°Lawrence?¡± Francis suddenly widened his <b>eyes </b>and eximed.

    Lawrence was slightly taken aback.

    Are you

    He looked at Francis and asked, Sergeant Gable?¡±

    Now Carlisle was the one who seemed shocked.

    He was surprised to learn that Francis had actually been a sergeant. Who would have thought?

    Lawrence approached Francis and gave him a tight hug.

    His voice filled with emotion as he said, ¡°Sergeant, it¡¯s so good to finally see you!¡±

    Returning the embrace, Francisughed and said, ¡°Wow, what a small world! Never thought we¡¯d meet here!¡±

    With a tearful gaze, Lawrence shared, ¡°I¡¯ve been serving as an instructor at Rivend University for two <b>years</b>.¡±

    Francis looked genuinely surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯ve barely retired, and here you are already. Are you teaching?¡±

    Lawrence nodded with a smile.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Once this task ispleted, I can return and be a sergeant!¡±

    ¡°Way to go, buddy! I always knew you had it in you,¡± Francismended while giving Lawrence a friendly pat on the shoulder.

    Admiration shone through his eyes.

    At that moment, Lawrence nced at the car behind Francis, then back at Carlisle, and quietly asked, What¡¯s your rtionship with Carlisle?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my boss,¡± Francis admitted confidently, showing no shame about his role as a chauffeur.

    With a sigh filled with various emotions, Lawrencemented, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been so impulsive back.

    then, you¡¯d probably be a master sergeant by now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the past,¡± Francis replied.

    ¡°I have no regrets,¡± he added with conviction.

    Francis chuckled casually, then turned to Carlisle, saying, ¡°Boss, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Hearing their earlier conversation, Carlisle smiled and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we all grab dinner together? It¡¯s been two years since you guys caught up.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Lawrence, any other familiar <b>faces </b>around the school?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, two more¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get them to join us!¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll give them a call!¡±

    Lawrence took out a PHS phone and called the other tworades.

    Two sturdy, confident men with crew cuts came running out of the school in just five minutes.

    Like Lawrence, they both embraced Francis and exchanged a few words.

    Not wanting to waste time, Francis opened the car door and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Ca

    waiting!¡±

    Lawrence wasted no time and hopped into the driver¡¯s seat.

    ¡°Sergeant, let me drive!¡±

    After all, Francis was their sergeant. It wouldn¡¯t be fitting for the sergeant to y chauffeur.

    keep my boss

    Francis, wanting to save time, didn¡¯tContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    object.

    3A

    Carlisle took the front passenger seat while Francis and the other tworades sat in the back, catching

    up on old times.

    Carlisle texted Sean, asking him to book a private room and add a few extra dishes to the order.

 Chapter 223

    Lawrence¡¯s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as his gaze flickered nervously to Carlisle in the

    rearview mirror.

    Who would¡¯ve thought the newbie he disciplined on the first day of training was Francis¡® boss?

    He worried if there were repercussions, they¡¯d be aimed at Francis. Or perhaps Carlisle would settle scores with him in front of Francis.

    Lawrence wondered if he should take the initiative to apologize to smooth things over.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Mr. Hanson¡­¡± Carlisle turned and abruptly called out to Lawrence

    Lawrence was already worrying about Carlisle possibly confronting him in <b>front </b>of Francis, so his heart raced when Carlisle called out to him.

    ¡°Mr¨CMr. Zahn¡­ Do you need something?¡±

    Feeling like he was facing Francis¡® superior, Lawrence was on edge.

    Carlisle noticed Lawrence¡¯s tension and couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a bit of business to attend to tomorrow morning, so I need to ask for some time off from military

    training.

    With the recent acquisition, Carlisle now controlled fivepanies. However, paperwork at the business registration office could only be handled on weekdays, leaving Monday as the only option.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Lawrence replied, feeling relieved that Carlisle wasn¡¯t there to settle any scores.

    Although freshmen were generally only allowed sick leave during military training, exceptions could be

    made<b>.</b>

    To ensure Carlisle treated Francis well in the future<b>, </b>Lawrence was willing to bend the rules a little and

    offer some assistance.

    Carlisle grinned.

    ¡°Thanks a lot, Mr. Hanson.''¡±

    Lawrence chuckled warmly.

    ¡°No problem at all. Just make sure to take good care of Sergeant Gable for me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let my people down,¡± Carlisle replied with an innocent smile.

    In truth, Carlisle would have treated Francis well even without knowing he was connected to Lawrence.

    But having this connection certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt. He figured it probably meant he wouldn¡¯t face any more punishments during the rest of military training.

    <b>2/2</b>

    Half an hourter, they arrived at A1 Seafood Restaurant.

    Sean and Lily met Carlisle¡¯s group downstairs. After exchanging pleasantries in the private room, Carlisle <b>and </b>Sean got down to business.

    Carlisle skipped past the early version of SociableNet, formerly known as SchoolSpace, <b>and </b>delved into exining the integrated SociableNet model. Sean listened with keen interest and was clearly intrigued by Carlisle¡¯s visio

    Sitting near Carlisle, Lily¡¯s eyes widened with amazement as she heard his ideas and the business potential within the online realm.

    ¡°Carlisle, your imagination is incredible! I can¡¯t believe you thought of a website like this!¡±

    Taking a sip of his beer, Carlisle smiled calmly.

    ¡°Having ideas is one thing, but we must bring this to life and make it work.¡±

    Creating the tform wasn¡¯t the hard part. The real challengey in its sessful operation.

    With Electronic Arts recently going public and Messenger¡¯s user base still growing, Carlisle knew his socialworking tform had to seize the market quickly.

    Sean licked his dry lips and whispered, ¡°This idea is really solid. It creates an online tform for college. students to connect and also brings in ad revenue. If we can expand this nationwide, our site will be a talent hub in just a few years.¡±

    Back in the day, there weren¡¯t as many college students. However, with industrial growth and improvements in education, even students from rural areas could attend university. The present day college students were the ones who would drive future economic growth.

    Sipping his soup, Carlisle continued, ¡°In the next few weeks, you should recruit a few talented seniors from your school to form apany. Let¡¯s get this website up and running as soon as possible.¡±

    Sean¡¯s school specialty was inputer science.

    Locating a few seniors with decentputer skills shouldn¡¯t pose a challenge.

    With some guidance from Carlisle, they would perform just as well as any top engineering graduate from a prestigious university.

    It was akin to untangling a knotted ball of yarn¨CCarlisle would show them how to find the loose end and straighten everything out.

 Chapter 224

    Sean enthusiastically lifted his ss and eximed, ¡°Carl, you¡¯re a genius!¡±

    Carlisle clinked his ss with Sean¡¯s andughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me too much credit. I just pieced this idea together from some online posts. Whether it¡¯ll actually work, who knows.¡±

    SchoolSpace initially failed due to ack of investment. Later, it was acquired, and its <b>school </bwork was integrated into another social tform, thus forming SociableNet.

    Over the next ten years, SociableNet¡¯s value would soar to over six hundred billion. But unfortunately, it eventually fell into the hands of Electronic Arts.

    Therefore, to ensure the longevity of their own project, they must create a product that could rival the prestige of Electronic Arts.

    Running a business was like ying chess¨Cwhen you made <b>a </b>move, you always had to think three steps

    ahead.

    Without a long<b>¨C</b>term business vision, any venture was bound to decline.

    Despitecking previous business experience, Carlisle excelled as apany marketer.

    -Effective marketers must also possess sharp business intuition.

    Francis and hisrades only managed to finish a bottle of beer before switching to non¨Calcoholic

    beverages.

    Meanwhile, Sarah <b>and </b>a group of ssmates gathered for dinner in another corner of the restaurant.

    The girls were visibly flushed from drinking.

    With a slightly intoxicated tone, Sienna praised, ¡°Sarah, you¡¯re truly impressive! A loanpany must be quite profitable. There are so many financially struggling students at our school!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Sarah! You¡¯re awesome! And you¡¯re willing to share the wealth with us!¡±

    ¡°Sarah, you¡¯re practically family to me now!¡±

    Sarah¡¯s ssmates all chimed in, trying to tter her.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Coming from modest backgrounds, they naturally didn¡¯t want to miss out on this opportunity to make

    money.

    Moreover, Sarah had chosen them precisely because she knew about their financial struggles.

    She believed that only those who were financially struggling would be easy <b>to </b>control <b>and </b>prioritize her needs.

    She wasn¡¯t keen on her <b>team </b>members questioning or arguing with her.

    Since she decided to venture into entrepreneurship, she knew she needed absolute authority.

    Sarah lifted her chin confidently and said, ¡°Once mypany is up and running, you guys will be the managers, and I¡¯ll be the chairperson<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    In a low voice, Sienna asked, ¡°Have you chosen a CEO?¡±

    Sarah nced at Sienna and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be too ambitious. I¡¯m reserving the CEO position for my cousin. She¡¯s been a business manager at a big loanpany for years. You don¡¯t have the experience. If I gave you the CEO role, could you really make thepany profitable?¡±

    Sienna chuckled awkwardly and admitted, ¡°Fair point¡­

    Another ssmate jumped in, asking, ¡°Sarah, what if they don¡¯t repay the loans?¡±

    Sarah chuckled and replied, ¡°My clients are college students. If they refuse to pay, they can kiss their graduation goodbye!¡±

    Impressed, Sienna nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s a clever strategy. Most students wouldn¡¯t give up their

    education for a loan.¡±

    With a narrowed gaze, Sarah replied, ¡°By keeping the interest rates high, we¡¯ll put a lot of pressure on them to repay. I¡¯ll have them all working part¨Ctime jobs to cover their debts. It¡¯s like they¡¯ll be working for

    me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a genius, Sarah!¡± Sienna eximed, gazing at Sarah with admiration.

    ¡°I bet you¡¯ll be making tons of money in college.¡±

    Then, she joked, ¡°I bet Carlisle regrets ignoring you now. He won¡¯t even have a chance with you in the

    future!¡±

    Sarah scoffed, taking a sip of her wine.

    ¡°I want Carlisle to realize what <b>kind </b>of woman he gave up. He wasn¡¯t good enough for me before, and he definitely won¡¯t be in the future. He¡¯ll only be worthy of admiring me from afar.¡±

    After finishing their meal, Sarah and her friends went to the front desk to settle their bill.

    Coincidentally, they bumped into Carlisle and his group descending from the other side.

    Sean couldn¡¯t help but gasp as he looked at Sarah, who seemed even more pretty now.

    ¡°Carl, is that stunning woman Sarah?¡±

 Chapter 225

    Sarah was wearing a light yellow sundress that day. The hem was rtively short, ending just above her knees.

    Her legs, fair and lovely, were really glistening under the lights.

    Just as Carlisle looked up, Sarah happened to nce his way, too. She gave him a slight smirk, then quickly looked away. It was as though she couldn¡¯t stand to look at him for another second.

    Carlisle remarked nonchntly, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her¡­¡±

    Lily, with a light scoff, muttered, ¡°Who¡¯s she trying to impress dressed like that?¡±

    Silently, Carlisle made his way to the front desk to pay their bill.

    After the cashier calcted the total, she smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s 1,985 dors. But since you¡¯re a regr, let¡¯s round it down to 1,900 dors.¡±

    Carlisle pulled out some cash, counted out two thousand dors, and ced it on the counter, saying, Keep the change as your tip.¡±

    The cashier¡¯s eyes widened with excitement.

    ¡°Thank you so much, sir.¡±

    She was used to seeing tips go to the servers or those working the private rooms, but she almost never

    got any as a cashier.

    This was the first time she had ever received a tip. A hundred dors was a significant portion of her part-

    time wages.

    Nearby, Sarahmented, ¡°Carlisle, just because you have some extra cash doesn¡¯t mean you should. throw it around. At this rate, you¡¯ll burn through it all in no time!¡±

    Carlisle smiled calmly.

    Don¡¯t worry about it. The more I spend, the more I earn.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s bill was just 1,300 dors.

    <b>She </b>pulled out 1,500 dors from her designer handbag and ced it on the counter, saying, ¡°Keep the extra two hundred dors as a tip.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    The cashier was stunned.

    A1 Seafood Restaurant kept operating 24 hours a <b>day</b>.

    Most of the staff worked <b>two </b>shifts, but the cashiers rotated through three.

    Her part¨Ctime job only <b>paid </b>four hundred dors a week.

    That day, these two customers alone had tipped her three hundred dors.

    ¡°Were all the customers here this generous?

    ¡°No wonder the servers who worked the private rooms all had tens of thousands in savings,¡± the cashler mused Inwardly.

    Once she overcame the shock, the cashier quickly thanked Sarah, ¡°Thanks a lot! You¡¯re so sweet <b>and </b>generous¡­¡±

    Sarah didn¡¯t spare her a second nce before turning to Carlisle and saying, ¡°Carlisle, do you secretly think that in the past, I ignored you, and now I¡¯m <b>out </b>of your league?¡±

    Carlisle, with his hands in his pockets, <b>shrugged</b>.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, sure.¡±

    Sienna and her friends burst intoughter.

    ¡°Sarah, you hit the nail on the head! He actually thinks that!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, dude. Sarah is about to start her ownpany. You should drop that silly ideal¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen confidence before, but this is on another level!¡±

    Sean finally lost his patience and stepped forward, asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Are you looking for trouble?¡±

    Sienna noticed how close Sean and Lily were and jeered at Lily, ¡°Lily, are you two together now?¡±

    Lily replied nonchntly, ¡°Mind your own business. Who I¡¯m with is none of your concern.¡±

    Lily was Wanda¡¯s close <b>friend</b>, and Sienna <b>and </b>Sarah <b>had </b>always had issues with Wanda. As a result, Lily

    had never been fond of the duo since high school.

    Seeing Lily fire back, Sienna naturally had nothing nice to say. She clucked her tongue.

    ¡°With your looks, you could at least snag a rich kid at school instead of being with Sean,¡± Sienna continued sarcastically.

    Shut the fuck up!¡± Sean couldn¡¯t hold back and swore angrily, even raising his hand as if to p her.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Suddenly, a cold voice intervened from the doorway.

    It was Austin, apanied by a few stylish rich kids.

    Sean¡¯s gaze bore into Austin as he asked with a scowl, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    The two rich kids beside Austin couldn¡¯t help butugh at Sean¡¯s question.

    Apparently, someone didn¡¯t recognize the son of Rivend¡¯s wealthiest man.

    Even if college students didn¡¯t have their ownputers, surely they had phones to keep themselves updated, <b>right</b>?

 Chapter 226

    Even without a phone, the school had newsletters coveting local news in Rivend, right? They wondered

    If Sean had ever read one.

    Austin was momentarily surprised, thenughed and turned to a nearby rich kid, saying, ¡°Tell him who <b>I</b>

    am!¡±

    Before the rich kid could speak, Sarah quickly said, ¡°Sean, this is my boyfriend, Austin.¡±

    Sean sneered, ¡°I thought he was-¡±

    Lily tugged on Sean¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Austin¡¯s the son of the richest man in town<b>!</b>¡±

    Sean¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes went wide.

    ¡°The wealthiest man¡¯s son? Sarah actuallynded him?

    ¡°Holy crap! Why didn¡¯t Carlisle say anything earlier?¡± Sean groaned inwardly.

    Sienna shot Sean a disdainful look and taunted, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you chickening out of throwing a punch now?¡±

    Sean was seething with anger but remained silent

    Sienna was Sarah¡¯s best friend. Sarah¡¯s alliance with Austin, the town¡¯s most powerful figure, gave significant influence.

    More importantly, Sean couldn¡¯t risk dragging Lily and Carlisle into trouble over a moment of anger.

    Carlisle stepped in, saying, ¡°Sean, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Sean nodded and followed Carlisle out.

    Sienna, however, refused to let the matter go.

    She blocked Sean¡¯s path, taunting, ¡°Leaving already? Not so fast!¡±

    Sean looked down, visibly shaking. He couldn¡¯t muster any bravado in front of Austin.

    Carlisle asked calmly, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    With her arms crossed, Sienna demanded, ¡°I want him to apologize to <b>me</b><b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    With a smile, Carlisle asked, ¡°Did he hit you?¡±

    ¡°He insulted me.¡±

    Sienna looked up and locked eyes with Carlisle.

    Carlisle nced at Austin and mouthed something. Sienna understood. It was <b>two </b>words.

    She immediately turned to Sarah and blurted out, <b>¡°</b>Sarah, Carlisle insulted me!¡±

    her

    Sarah looked at Carlisle calmly, demanding. ¡°Apologize to my friend.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± Carlisle challenged.

    ¡°You gonna call the cops on me?¡±

    This time, Carlisle decided to have his friend¡¯s back.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    When Sean was severely beatenst time, Carlisle had simply kept quiet. But now, he couldn¡¯t stand by and watch Sean be mistreated again.

    Sarah, feeling helpless, turned to Austin with a frustrated plea.

    ¡°Austin, do something¡­¡±

    Austin narrowed his eyes at Carlisle.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve bought Riley Phones?¡±

    Carlisle grinned insincerely.

    ¡°You¡¯re well¨Cinformed, Mr. Gust.¡±

    Austin lit a cigarette and said, ¡°If you apologize to Sienna, we¡¯ll let this go. Otherwise¡­ your phonepany might run into some issues<b>.</b>¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and he stepped forward, whispering to Carlisle, ¡°Maybe we should <b>just </b>swallow our pride and say sorry. We can always pick our battles another day.¡±

    With his hands in his pockets, Carlisle walked over to Austin with a smile and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

    Austin¡¯s hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly. A cold glint flickered in his deep eyes.

    Carlisle¡¯s lips curled into a sly grin.

    ¡°Sean, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sean was caught off <b>guard</b>.

    He couldn¡¯t believe they could leave just like that and wondered what Carlisle had said to Austin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lily pulled Sean toward the exit.

    ¡°Austin, should we stop them?¡± asked two rich kids next to Austin.

    ¡°Let them go,¡± Austin narrowed his eyes <b>and </b>said through clenched teeth.

 Chapter 227

    Sarah, with a pout on her <b>red </b>lips, said intively, ¡°Austin¡­¡±

    Austin, feeling frustrated, remarked, ¡°A few insults won¡¯t do any harm.¡±

    Sarah looked at him sadly.

    Seeing her reaction, Austin softened his tone a bit.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s remember this forter. Once my dad sorts out the Thompson family, I¡¯ll help you get your revenge.

    Sarah could only nod quietly in response.

    Outside, Sean persisted in his questioning, but Carlisle wouldn¡¯t reveal said to Austin.

    Carlisle gged down a taxi for Lily and Sean.

    ¡°Drop me a message when you reach school.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Carl. Catch youter!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Carl!¡±

    They waved goodbye to Carlisle, who waved back with a grin.

    At that moment, Lawrence received a call from Wanda.

    She needed to take some time off from school.

    Lawrence had to reject her request due to the rules of military training.

    Because of the noise outside, Lawrence switched to speakerphone mode.

    thed

    Carlisle casually draped his arm over Lawrence¡¯s shoulder when he heard Wanda¡¯s voice and Lawrence¡¯s

    refusal.

    He said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Hanson, Wanda and I were high school buddies. We¡¯re really close.¡±

    Lawrence hesitated for a moment. He nced at Francis standing on the roadside and noticed Francis! face was filled with mncholy as he smoked. Lawrence picked up his phone and called Wanda back.

    ¡°Mr. Hanson¡­¡± Wanda¡¯s soft voice came through the phone.

    Lawrence spoke calmly, ¡°Um¡­ Is your matter really urgent?¡±

    Wanda thought for a moment before timidly saying, ¡°Not really¡­ It can wait until after the military training.

    At the sound of Wanda¡¯s meek tone, Lawrence softened his stance and replied, ¡°I <b>can </b>give <b>my </b>approval on my end, but it¡¯s ultimately up to your counselor and the principal.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Wanda was thrilled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken with them, and they¡¯ve both approved!¡±

    Lawrence¡¯s mouth twitched at her words.

    He pondered when Susan and the principal were so easy to persuade.

    ¡°Could it be that Wanda has some special status? Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but wonder

    After ending the call, Lawrence shed a grin at Carlisle. Her leave¡¯s sorted!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hanson Carlisle grinned in gratitude.

    Lawrence shrugged and leaned in, saying. ¡°Take care of my sergeant. He¡¯s a real hero.¡±

    Carlisle asked in a hushed tone, ¡°What kind of hero?¡±

    With a chuckle, Lawrence replied, ¡°Can¡¯t spill the beans on that one. Even if his own parents asked, he

    wouldn¡¯t say a word!¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°I understand. It must be the confidentiality agreement and all¡±

    Lawrence remained silent as he and his tworades hopped into a taxi

    Since Francis had a few drinks and couldn¡¯t drive, he and Carlisle hailed a taxi back to the studio.

    In the taxi, Francis couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did you tell Austin earlier?¡±

    One would expect that Austin¡¯s background as the son of Rivend¡¯s wealthiest would have him ustomed to all sorts of situations. Yet, Carlisle¡¯s words seemed to catch him off guard.

    1 basically told him that investing all my money with his biggest business rival is akin to the underdog challenging the top dog. It was enough to make him break a sweat! Carlisle shared

    ¡°But isn¡¯t he supported by Yuriel? Why would he back down?¡±

    Francis still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it.

    ¡°Austin hasn¡¯t fully taken over the family business yet. He probably has his own smaller ventures. I¡¯ve pumped tens of millions of dors into his mainpetitors in those ventures. It¡¯ll definitely keep him tossing and turning at night!¡± Carlisle exined with a <b>sly </b>grin.

    ¡°What if Yuriel decides to ssh a load of cash? I mean, he¡¯s the richest guy around. Itd makeplete sense for him to throw in tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, for his own son, right?¡±

    ¡°With Riverwatch District development looming. Yuriel¡¯s directing his investments there. He won¡¯t be bothering with Austin¡¯s small businesses,¡± Carlisle confidently remarked as he lounged back in his seat with legs crossed.

    Francis gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°Impressive. I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re some sort of ageless wizard, having Austin¡¯s psyche all figured out like that!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, how many drinks have you guys <b>had</b>?¡±

    The taxi driver couldn¡¯t resist butting in.

    ¡°Tens of millions? Hundreds of millions? You¡¯re talking about Yuriel, the richest guy in Rivend!

    ¡°You guys talk big, yet you¡¯re taking a taxi home.¡±

    Carlisle and Francis wisely kept quiet.

    There wasn¡¯t much point in exining it to him anyway.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 228

    In one of the luxurious private suites at Zachary¡¯s hotel, Zachary was seated at hisputer, immersed in The Legendary Tale.

    His phone vibrated on the desk. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he picked up the call.

    ¡°Zac¡­ This one¡¯s proving to be quite challenging,¡±n¡¯s voice sounded strained.

    ¡°Is it our strategy, or are they just that tough?¡± Zachary¡¯s tone was icy.

    Zachary frowned.

    ¡°How many men did we send?¡± ¡°How many m

    ¡°Over a hundred,n replied promptly.

    ¡°And how many does Prince Heath have?¡±

    ¡°They have just over 50¡­ About 30 of our men were caught this time, along with seven from Prince Heath¡¯s side. Security¡¯s going to be very tight for a while.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s hold off for now <b>and </b>just apply pressure on their hangouts, Zachary said, ending the call in frustration.

    He scowled and dove back into the game. Everyone outside his guild fell under his de.

    The next morning, Carlisle didn¡¯t wake up until 9.00 am.

    As he finished his morning routine, Francis and Owen walked in, Carrying bags of takeout from outside.

    Carlisle asked, ¡°Did you drive the car back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I brought it back safe and sound,¡± Francis replied.

    Francis was an early riser. He usually got up around 6:00 am for his morning jog.

    After breakfast, Carlisle headed straight to the Secretary of State¡¯s office.

    On the way there, Logan gave him a call. Carlisle informed her he was already on his way.

    Half an hourter, he arrived at the office.

    As they parked, Carlisle spotted Logan stepping out of a taxi.

    Dressed in a ck dress with her hair in a ponytail, she greeted Carlisle with a smile, ¡°Mr. Zahn, good morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Carlisle acknowledged with a nod.N?velDrama.Org content.

    Logan handed Carlisle a folder and asked, ¡°Have you decided on a name for the newpany yet?¡±

    Carlisle rubbed his nose and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go with Govan Technology Limited.¡±

    Logan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I like it! It sounds much better than Riley.¡±

    Just as Carlisle was about to enter the lobby, his phone rang.

    He answered it while leading Logan inside..

    It was Ryan calling. Carlisle told him he was at the Secretary of State¡¯s office.

    Then, Carlisle started the process of registering thepany.

    He registered threepanies: Govan Technology Limited, Dragonaire Game Company, and Skyline Holdings Venture Capital Company.

    At that time, there was no subscribed capital system in ce. They needed to provide proof of funds.

    So, Carlisle had to make a trip to the bank..

    Just after Carlisle left, Lethan showed up with Wanda at the Secretary of State¡¯s office.

    Wanda was unfamiliar with registering apany, so she brought Lethan along to help.

    They

    decided to use an ounting firm for the financial verification part of the

    process.

    As they were leaving, they bumped into Sarah and Austin, who were just getting out of a Porsche.

    Sarah noticed Wanda and nced at Lethan beside her, asking, ¡°Who¡¯s this guy, Wanda?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my uncle,¡± Wanda replied.

    ¡°Seriously? I find that hard to believe. He couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Sarah¡¯s voice trailed off.

    ¡°Mr. Warbane, hello!¡± Austin interrupted with a smile.

    Lethan shot Sarah a stern look.

    ¡°What about me?¡±

 Chapter 229

    Sarah started feeling uneasy as she watched Austin be very polite to Lethan.

    More so with how Lethan stared at her¨Cit was intimidating.

    Lethan cut in coldly, ¡°Well? Go on. What were you about to say?¡±

    Even without Sarah finishing her sentence, Lethan seemed to already know what she was thinking.

    He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to bully his niece.

    Sarah cowered behind Austin, trembling<b>.</b>

    Austin forced a smile and said, ¡°Mr. Warbane, please, calm down. My girlfriend didn¡¯t mean any harm. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t hold it against her, right?¡±

    But Lethan remained unmoved.

    He responded in a t tone, ¡°Either your girlfriend apologizes to my niece, or your dad cane fetch her.

    With a deep breath, Austin pulled Sarah forward with a nk face.

    ¡°Mr. Warbane is indeed Wanda¡¯s uncle, Please apologize to Wanda.<b>¡±</b>

    Tears welled up in Sarah¡¯s eyes.

    She had thought Wanda¡¯s dad was the supposedly tough one. She wondered why even her uncle was

    someone Austin couldn¡¯t mess with.

    She hadn¡¯t managed to humiliate Carlislest night and couldn¡¯t sleep a wink because of it.

    That day, she tried to humiliate Wanda but ended up with an egg on her face instead.

    Hands behind her back, Wanda looked at Sarah with a smirk and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Just

    apologize already.¡±

    Wanda realized Sarah¡¯s behavior had be even more ruthless than in high school.

    She knew there was no need to tolerate it anymore. It was time to fight back.

    Lethan was furious seeing Sarah in tears. He demanded<b>, </b>¡°Say you¡¯re sorry.¡±

    Sarah, visibly shaken, quickly muttered, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Lethan pressed further, ¡°Is that apology for me?¡±

    Sarah wiped her tears and turned to Wanda, saying, ¡°Wanda, I¡¯m sorry¡­

    It was simply too humiliating for Sarah. She wondered when she would finally gain the upper <b>hand </b>over Carlisle and Wanda.

    <b>¡°</b>Sarah, remember, words can bring trouble. It¡¯s about time you learned to show some respect Wanda

    advised before heading over to her uncle¡¯s car.

    Lethan shot a look at Austin and remarked, ¡°Keep your girlfriend in check<b>.</b>¡±

    Austin smiled slightly.

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Warbane. I¡¯ll have a talk with her.¡±

    With a disdainful snort, Lethan climbed into his car, started the engine, and drove off.

    Not too far away, Logan chuckled to herself, ¡°Austin¡¯s got himself a young girlfriend, but she doesn¡¯t seem too bright.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

    Austin swiftly smoothed things over for Sarah, thanks to his father¡¯s connections.

    As they settled into the Porsche, Sarah pouted and grumbled, ¡°Austin, when are you guys going to take down the Thompson family finally?¡±

    Clearly frustrated, Austin gripped the steering wheel tightly and muttered, ¡°That day¡¯s not too far off. Trust

    me.¡±

    ¡°When it happens, I want them to have nowhere to hide in Rivend!¡±

    Sarah¡¯s face was filled with cold determination.

    As Austin drove the Porsche out of the parking lot, he turned to Sarah and said, ¡°Sarah, just a heads up- let¡¯s try to keep things low¨Ckey for now. My dad¡¯s in the thick of dealing with the Thompsons<b>, </b>so we can¡¯t stir up any major trouble.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Sarah nodded<b>.</b>

    ¡°Also, loaning can be a risky business. I¡¯m thinking of getting you a <b>financial </b>advisor and awyer. You¡¯ll need to heed their advice,¡± Austin added.

    ¡°Well, that might not be necessary. I¡¯ve already got my cousin on board. She¡¯s been working at another loanpany for three years,¡± Sarah replied cautiously while keeping an eye on Austin¡¯s reaction.

    Austin steered with one hand while the other rested on Sarah¡¯s smooth leg.

    His voice was deep and maic as he said, ¡°Thepany is yours, so it¡¯s your call. But now that yourpany is established, don¡¯t you think you owe me something<b>?</b>¡±

    Sarah¡¯s face flushed even redder, and she lowered her head.

    She whispered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m <i>on </i>my period¡­¡±

    A smirk yed across Austin¡¯s lips. ¡°There are other ways, you <i>know</i><i>.</i>¡±

    Baffled, Sarah asked, ¡°What other ways do you mean<b>?</b>¡±

    Austin shed a wicked smile as he drove towards his mansion.

 Chapter 230

    Carlisle returned to the Secretary of State¡¯s office with the capital verification report. Ryan showed up

    around the same time.

    After they wrapped up the paperwork, the office staff couldn¡¯t help but sneak a few looks at Carlisle.

    They were amazed by how someone so young could set up so manypanies at once and even acquire a big semiconductorpany. Some even joked if he could be Yuriel¡¯s long¨Clost son or something or

    other.

    Carlisle and Ryan walked out of the Secretary of State¡¯s office together.

    The suppliers Carlisle had invested in also showed up.

    As they spotted Ryan, all three paused in surprise.

    ¡°Could it be that Carlisle had also invested in Ryan¡¯spany?¡± they couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    With Terrence¡¯s Wind Semiconductors reigning supreme in the Rivend market, the chances of Ryan¡¯s Xenos Factory making aeback seemed slim.

    Ryan greeted the three with a big smile, saying, ¡°Hey guys! It¡¯s been ages!¡±

    Edwardughed, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while!¡±

    Simon couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did Mr. Zahn invest in yourpany too?¡±

    Ryan shook his head.

    ¡°Nah, he actually bought mypany.

    These suppliers were all hardware providers forpanies, but they had all been struggling due to marketpetition. They shared a mutual understanding of each other¡¯s challenges.

    With a thoughtful look, Simon asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s your n now? You¡¯re still young. You can¡¯t be thinking of retiring already, right?¡±

    Ryan chuckled.

    ¡°No way. Thanks to Mr. Zahn¡¯s support, I¡¯ll be taking charge as CEO at Xenos Factory,¡±

    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Ryan excused himself, saying he needed to get back to thepany and start the process of getting things back on track.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle registered the equity transfer details with Edward and Simon.

    Their three standalonepanies transitioned Into a joint¨Cstock limited liabilitypany

    After finishing up around nogh, they were simply waiting on the final business licenses. Hungry from all the work, Carlisle took the group to grab lunch at a nearby restaurant.

    PA

    Wanda wore a frustrated expression as she followed Lethan around at the ounting firm.

    She said, ¡°Uncle Lethan, if we had just gone to the bank, we¡¯d have the capital verification report by <b>now</b>.¡±

    either.¡±

    slightly embarrassed, Lethan responded, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect their meeting to go on for this long

    Then, with a teasing smile, he asked, ¡°Are you in such a rush because you¡¯re hoping to meet up with Carlisle?¡±

    Wanda blushed immediately.

    She stuttered, ¡°U¨CUncle Lethan¡­ What are you talking about?¡±

    Truth was, she did entertain the thought. She went to school to request leave that morning and didn¡¯t see Carlisle. She learned Carlisle had also taken the day off when she messaged Phoebe.

    She wasn¡¯t sure why Carlisle had decided to skip school, but it meant that she might at least get a chance. to hang out with him alone.

    Lethan chuckled.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even trust me, huh?¡±

    Just as Lethan finished speaking, his phone rang. After checking it, his smile disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s your dad calling,¡± he said.

    Wanda widened her eyes and shook her head urgently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I¡¯m with you,¡± she whispered.

    Lethan answered the call on speakerphone.

    Shein¡¯s voice came through.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send Wanda back to school.¡±

    Wanda frowned, giving Lethan a war look.

    She suspected Lethan had spilled the beans.

    ¡°Got it,¡± Lethan replied.

    Lethan was always on his best behavior around his brother¨Cinw.

    After all, his brother¨Cinw could go toe¨Cto¨Ctoe with Yuriel, the wealthiest man in Rivend.

    At that moment, Wanda blurted out, ¡°Dad, I want to go to Aunt Shania¡¯s!¡±

    After a brief pause, Shein <b>said</b>, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give her a call.¡±

    And with that, he hung up.

    Wanda was furious. Her dad calling Shania himself meant Shania would be keeping an eye on her.

    She pondered how she was supposed to hang out with Carlisle now.

    But Lethan¡¯s eyes

    litThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    <ol>

    <li>up.</li>

    </ol>

    ¡°Your dad actually agreed? This makes things easier¡­¡±

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward

 Chapter 231

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Wanda was a bit lost at what Lethan meant.

    Lethan was about to exin when the conference room door suddenly swung open. Out stepped his old

    high school friend, Yvonne Holder<b>.</b>

    She quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting!¡±

    Lethan smiled and said, ¡°No problem. Let me exin. This is my niece. She urgently needs a personal

    capital verification report, and I need one, too.¡±

    Earlier at the Secretary of State¡¯s office, he had registered a limited liabilitypany called Holly

    Fisheries.

    Yvonne nodded and gestured. ¡°Please, follow me to my office.¡±

    Lethan and Yvonne went to her office to talk.

    Meanwhile, Wanda was sitting nearby, texting Carlisle on her phone.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Wanda: ¡°Carlisle, why did you take the day off today<b>?</b>¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Oh, I¡¯m actually busy registering apany.¡±

    Carlisle was having lunch with a few suppliers when he received Wanda¡¯s message on MSN Messenger

    and replied immediately.

    Wanda: ¡°Wow, what a coincidence! I¡¯m going through the same process. How¡¯s it going for you?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°All good on my end. I¡¯m just waiting to get the business license.¡±

    confusion with a

    Wanda expressed her puzzled emoji.

    Wanda: ¡°How did you manage to get it done so quickly? Doesn¡¯t obtaining the capital verification report

    take time?¡±

    Lethan had previously mentioned that acquiring the capital verification report was quite cumbersome and typically required several days unless one had connections.

    Carlisle replied with a toothy grin emoji.

    Carlisle: ¡°I have some connections at the bank.¡±

    Wanda let out a frustrated sigh/

    Wanda: ¡°Ugh, I should¡¯ve tagged along to the bank with you!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°With your family¡¯s connections, getting the capital verification report should be quick, right?<b>¡±</b>

    <b>Wanda</b><b>: </b>¡°Yeah, but the ounting department is tied up in a meeting, <b>so </b>it¡¯s taking a bit longer.

    Wanda: ¡°So¡­ what are you doing this afternoon?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle¡¯s heart raced when he saw her message.

    Carlisle: ¡°I¡¯m pretty free this afternoon.¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Oh.¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°What¡¯s with <b>the </b><b>¡®</b>oh¡®?¡±

    Wanda silently called him a big dummy and typed back, ¡°Guess.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled softly and replied, ¡°How about we go for a walk this afternoon?¡±

    Wanda had been hoping he¡¯d suggest something like that and eagerly responded.

    Wanda: ¡°Yes, yes, yes! That sounds perfect!¡±

    Lethan and Wanda finally got their hands on the capital verification reports at 2:00 pm.

    They headed over to the Secretary of State¡¯s office to wrap up the paperwork.

    Wanda immediately messaged Carlisle.

    Carlisle quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m across the street from the Secretary of State¡¯s office, about two blocks down at the convenience store. I¡¯lle meet you.¡±

    Stepping out of the Secretary of State¡¯s office, Wanda blushed as she asked Lethan, ¡°Uncle Lethan, do you really think you can handle things with Aunt Shania?¡±

    Lethan reassured her confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Shania and I are on good terms.¡±

    Reflecting on it, he realized he owed Carlisle gratitude. Without Carlisle¡¯s Riverwatch Hotel, his

    rtionship with Shania would still be strained.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m gonna go find Carlisle then¡­¡±

    With that, Wanda hurried off in the direction Carlisle had mentioned.

    Carlisle and Francis sat outside a nearby convenience store, sipping drinks and snacking. As soon as Carlisle sent Wanda the message, he got up to meet her while Francis went to get the car.

    A little whileter, Carlisle and Wanda met in front of a shop called ¡°Blossom Bridal¡°. Besides wedding dresses, the shop also offered photography and printing <b>services</b>.

    Wanda was wearing a white silk dress that hugged her waist and flowed down to her calves. Her hair was styled in twin braids cascading over her shoulders.

    Blushing<b>, </b>she looked down and softly asked, ¡°So, where are we headed?¡±

    Carlisle took a step closer and wordlessly pulled her into a hug.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

 Chapter 232

    Wanda couldn¡¯t believe they were really hugging on the street in broad daylight.

    She couldn¡¯t ignore the curious stares from passersby. Some cars even honked loudly.

    Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that avoiding eye contact would make the situation less

    awkward.

    Carlisle held Wanda close.

    His tone was gentle as he murmured, ¡°Wanda, I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±

    Despite seeing each other daily during military training, they <b>had </b>to maintain a distance. It felt even more

    difficult than not seeing each other at all.

    Wanda reached out to encircle Carlisle¡¯s waist with her arms.

    Her voice was choked with emotion as she whispered, ¡®I missed you too.¡±

    She felt Carlisle¡¯s strong heartbeat and suddenly giggled.

    ¡°Why is your heart racing?¡±

    Carlisle paused, then smiled. ¡°Because my heart only races for <b>you</b><b>.</b>¡®

    Looking up at Carlisle, Wanda asked, ¡°Is that your way of confessing your feelings?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°Not exactly¡­¡±

    Frowning and pouting. Wanda said, ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore!¡±

    She pushed Carlisle away and turned around.

    Wanda couldn¡¯t help but find Carlisle clueless in love.

    Carlisle approached Wanda with a yful grin. ¡°Are you secretly hoping I¡¯ll confess to you?¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Wanda retorted, turning away again.

    Wanda¡¯s observation of Carlisle as the archetypal straight guy was evident.

    ¡°Why do I even need to say it myself?¡± she pondered. ¡°As a girl, shouldn¡¯t I maintain some dignity?¡±

    At that moment, a sophisticated¨Clooking man, Leon<b>, </b>emerged from the bridal shop. There was a friendly grin on his face as he approached.

    ¡°Are you <b>guys </b>here for wedding photos?¡±

    A glint of interest sparkled in/Wanda¡¯s eyes, but she shook her head.

    ¡°We¡¯re still students¡­¡±

    With a warm smile, Leon suggested, ¡°You two are the first young couple I¡¯ve seen since I opened. How

    about this? Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±

    Intrigued, Carlisle asked, ¡°What kind of deal?¡±

    With a genial grin, Leon offered, ¡°If you both are still together after college, I¡¯ll gift you a set of <b>wedding </b>attire I¡¯ve personally crafted, and I¡¯ll capture your wedding moments for free!¡±

    As Carlisle nced at the elegant wedding dresses on disy, a hint of surprise shed in his eyes.

    ¡°Did you design all of these dresses?¡±

    The wedding dresses showcased were unparalleled in beauty, boasting styles that far exceeded the domestic fashion design standards of the time. Carlisle found himself particrly intrigued by several sets of the slim¨Cfit suits.

    Leon first scrutinized Carlisle¡¯s attire before turning his attention to Wanda¡¯s dress.

    With a slight furrow of his brows, Carlisle took Wanda¡¯s hand and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±

    Wanda also noticed Leon staring at her waist. She nodded and followed Carlisle as they prepared to leave.

    Leon quickly stepped in front of them, his tone gentle and sincere.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean to offend your girlfriend!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Then what did you mean?¡±

    Carlisle stared at Leon with an intensity that was slightly unsettling.

    Despite his casual clothes, it was clear he wasn¡¯t just an ordinary college student.

    Leon also found his girlfriend to be even more remarkable. Her dress was a unique design by Leon¡¯s

    mentor overseas, crafted for a lesser¨Cknown brand. The brand partnered with premium fabric suppliers to honor his mentor¡¯s reputation.

    This particr dress had only been on the market for three months, but its price had already shot up from

    three hundred dors to over two thousand dors.

    Leon¡¯s face softened with an apologetic smile.

    ¡°The dress your girlfriend is wearing was designed by my mentor. That¡¯s why I took a closer look. I <b>hope </b>you understand and forgive my curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Is this dress expensive?¡± Wanda asked.

 Chapter 233

    As Wanda nced down at her dress, memories flooded in.

    It was a memento from her dad¡¯s trip abroad, supposedly bought from a street vendor.

    She had mild social anxiety, so she preferred keeping a low profile at school.

    She even rarely used the phone her brother had bought for her.

    Leon appeared puzzled as he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know the price?¡±

    Wanda shook her head and replied, ¡°This dress was a gift from my dad when he returned from overseas.

    ¡°He mentioned he bought it from a street vendor<b>. </b>But just by looking at it, I can tell this dress must be worth quite a lot of money.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Leon smiled warmly and remarked, ¡°It seems like you usually keep a low profile, which is why your dad was concerned about adding any pressure on you.¡±

    Eager for an answer, Wanda persisted, ¡°So, how much is this dress really worth?¡±

    I

    However, Leon hesitated and said, ¡°Since your dad kept it from you, I won¡¯t disclose the price. Just remember, your dad cares for you deeply.¡±

    Wanda¡¯s expression soured slightly as she pursed her lips in displeasure.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You seem to be a fashion designer, so why open a bridal shop?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s dress was strikingly modern. It seemed like something that would stay fashionable for years toN?velDrama.Org content.

    Based on Leon¡¯s earlier remarks, Carlisle estimated that her dress was worth a hefty sum, likely in the

    thousands.

    A designer capable of producing such a masterpiece couldn¡¯t be just anyone. Their students would be

    eligible to work at big fashionpanies

    But in that day¡¯s tough economy, how many people would actually shell out thousands for a wedding

    dress?

    ¡°My shop just opened. If you two don¡¯t mind, would you like toe in <b>and </b>have a look?¡± Leon suggested.

    He was eager to wee these

    potential customers warmly.

    Carlisle turned to Wanda, seeking her opinion

    Wanda responded softly, ¡°I¡¯ll go with whatever you decide.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go inside and have a look around.¡±

    It seemed like the perfect opportunity since it was still early, and Carlisle was also interested in getting to know this designer, perhaps even considering having a suit tailored by him in the future.

    2/2

    The two followed Leon into the shop.

    Near the window, they spotted a small round table with chairs arranged around it.

    ¡°Please, have a seat. Let me go grab some water for you<b>,</b>¡± Leon said with a slightly awkward smile as he

    fetched two bottles of water from the fridge.

    ¡°We¡¯ve just opened, so there¡¯s not <b>much </b>to offer you. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Carlisle reassured him.

    Carlisle took the two bottles of water and handed one to Wanda.

    Leon introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Leon Quin. I graduated from Clindon College of Fashion, where I

    majored in fashion design and photography.

    ¡°After that, I got a job at Laneir as an assistant chief designer, thanks to my mentor¡¯s rmendation.

    But I decided to quit and return to the country for personal reasons.¡±

    Carlisle noticed a hint of resentment in Leon¡¯s eyes as he spoke. He guessed that Leon might have had some issues with the higher¨Cups at thepany.

    ¡°I¡¯m Carlisle Zahn, a freshman studying emerce at Rivend University. This is my girlfriend, Wanda Thompson, who¡¯s also in the same department, Carlisle said, feeling it was only polite to introduce himself and Wanda since Leon had done so.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first and second people I¡¯ve met since returning to the country. It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡±

    Leon smiled and extended his hand for a handshake.

    Carlisle shook his hand and replied ¡°Nice to meet y

    at you too.¡±

    After all, connecting with a senior designer could be beneficial.

    Considering Wanda was Carlisle¡¯s girlfriend, Leon didn¡¯t offer his hand to her but politely nodded in her

    direction.

    With her big, puppy¨Cdog eyes, Wanda asked, ¡°Running a bridal shop like this must be tough to turn a profit. Have you thought about joining a clothingpany instead?¡±

    Carlisle scratched his nose and then unscrewed the cap of his mineral water bottle to take a sip.

    He understood Wanda¡¯s implication. She was subtly suggesting connecting Leon with Lethan¡¯spany.

    While it was a good idea, the chances of it happening were slim.

    After all, Leon had studied at the prestigious Clindon College of Fashion and had experience as an assistant chief designer for an international brand.

    Islo Clothing might have been a major presence in the domestic fashion scene, ranking in the top 20, but breaking into the international market was still a distant possibility.

 Chapter 234

    Leon shook his head, smiling gently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really into all the scheming and plotting that goes with joining a fashionpany. I think a simple

    life is what I want.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re still young. Your mentor would be disappointed to see you settle like this!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s voice held a mix of admiration and concern as she persisted.

    She believed Leon¡¯s talent could propel Islo Clothing to international <b>fame</b>.

    Despite Wanda¡¯s eamest pleas, Leon¡¯s smile remained unwavering.

    ¡°My mentor supports my decision.¡±

    Visibly deted, Wanda sighed.

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll respect your choice as well.¡±

    Carlisle, lounging in his chair, chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re going <b>to </b>stick to what you said earlier, right?¡±

    Leon nodded.

    ¡°Of course. I always keep my word.¡±

    A mischievous smile yed at the corner of Carlisle¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re definitely going to lose because we¡¯re never breaking up!¡±

    A blush tinged Wanda¡¯s cheeks. Her heart swelled with a newfound sweetness.

    Although Carlisle hadn¡¯t explicitly confessed, his words clearly implied that he embraced her as his girlfriend.

    Leon¡¯s grin broadened.

    ¡°I hope I¡¯ll be taking your wedding photos in four years!¡±

    His words sparked a vision in both Carlisle and Wanda. Their eyes were drawn to the bridal gowns in the shop window.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes lit up, already envisioning herself in a wedding dress.

    ¡°Hold on a moment, you guys. I¡¯ll grab you a gift!¡±

    Leon picked up a DSLR camera/from the counter and disappeared into the workroom, closing the door

    behind him.

    ¡°What kind of gift do you think it is? Wanda asked excitedly.

    Carlisle shrugged.

    ¡°I have no idea¡­¡±

    As Wanda admired the stunning photographs adorning the walls, she suddenly turned to Carlisle.

    ¡°Where should we go for a walkter?¡±

    Carlisle was caught off guard and hesitated before asking, ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±

    His previous corporate life had left little room for romantic outings. Thus, he felt out of <b>his </b>depth in suggesting locations.

    Chewing on her finger thoughtfully, Wanda¡¯s eyes danced with mischief before she suggested shyly, ¡°How

    about¡­ Yearning Ind?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yearning Ind?¡±

    Observing her <b>bashful </b>manner, Carlisle couldn¡¯t resist teasing, ¡°Who are you yearning for?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s cheeks deepened in color, and she yfully brandished her fist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me to hit you! You can believe it or not!¡±

    ¡°I believe you! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Carlisle quickly capitted with a sincere tone.

    Smoothing her hair behind her ear, Wanda managed a small smile.

    <b>¡°</b>Seeing how well¨Cbehaved you are, I guess I¡¯ll just have to forgive you.¡±

    Almost immediately, Carlisle leaned in again.

    He provoked her, ¡°I dare to do it again!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you dare¡­¡±

    Wanda stood, hands on hips, her posture defiant.

    With a brazen nce, Carlislemented, ¡°Puff it up a bit more¡­¡±

    ¡°Pervert!¡± Wanda shrieked<b>, </b>covering herself.

    The door to Leon¡¯s workroom creaked open, and both quicklyposed themselves as if their yful exchange had never urred.

    Leon approached with a collection of photos and a broad grin.

    ¡°I took some photos of you two while shooting the wedding dresses!¡±

    Carlisle epted the photos. The photo on the top of the pile caught his eye immediately.

    It captured him and Wanda gazing deeply into each other¡¯s eyes, resembling a poignant close¨Cup from a

    romantic film.

    It pictured a scene of the young couple <b>standing </b>entranced by one another on a bustling street.

    In the photo, Wanda tilted her head slightly, meeting Carlisle¡¯s tender gaze as he looked down at her.

    Their <b>eyes </b>locked, creating a bubble of intimacy that shut out the bustling street and passersby. The artfully blurred background emphasized how they existed solely for each other at that moment.

    Wanda leaned closer, her eyes widening with awe.

    ¡°This photo is stunning!¡°

 Chapter 235

    Joy sparkled in Carlisle¡¯s eyes as he admired the photos.

    Even Leon¡¯s candid shots held an artistic ir and showcased his keen eye for photography

    The second photo showed Wanda and Carlisle in an embrace.

    Wanda¡¯s arms were wrapped around Carlisle. Her body was nestled into his chest <b>as </b>she faced the bridal shop. A gentle smile yed on her lips, clearly content in the moment.

    Four photos were shot in total, but only two distinct scenes were captured.

    Leon chuckled awkwardly,

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I took these without asking¡­¡±

    Wanda shook her head enthusiastically.

    ¡°Not at all. These are amazing!¡±

    The photos were not only beautifully taken but also managed to capture tender moments between her

    and Carlisle.

    She couldn¡¯t object to that.

    Carlisle praised Leon, ¡°Your photography skills are excellent. When Wanda and I visit Yearning Indter, we¡¯d love to hire you to take more photos for us!¡±

    Wanda looked at Carlisle. She was surprised and pleased. He had voice

    her thoughts after seeing the

    photos on the wall precisely.

    Leon hesitated slightly.

    ¡°Well, my rates are a bit on the higher side!¡±

    Carlisle inquired, ¡°How much?¡±

    Leon held up his hand, syed his fingers, and dered, ¡°Five hundred dors! Plus, you¡¯d cover the

    travel expenses.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a bit.¡±

    Wanda frowned slightly, tugging at Carlisle¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°Maybe we should just forget about it. Other photographers from photo studios only charge about two hundred bucks for a session!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go with five hundred dors!¡± Carlisle responded without hesitation.

    He knew that even though modern cell phones were equipped with cameras, their 3000¨Cpixel resolution often resulted in less¨Cthan¨Cideal image quality.

    To him, spending five hundred dors to capture their beautiful moments clearly was worth the

    investment.

    Leon hadn¡¯t actually been keen to take on the <b>shoot</b>, so he had <b>quoted </b>a higher price, hoping to deter

    them.

    Surprised by Carlisle¡¯s quick eptance, he smiled reluctantly.

    ¡°Alright. Give me a moment to get ready.¡±

    He stood up to gather his equipment.

    Wanda pouted, looking at Carlisle incredulously.

    ¡°His rates are really high. Are you crazy?<i>¡±</i>

    Carlisle took her hand gently.

    ¡°We¡¯re creating beautiful memories, and their value transcends money.¡±

    Charmed by his perspective, Wanda gazed into Carlisle¡¯s deep eyes and agreed with a resigned nod.

    ¡°Fine. You¡¯ve convinced me.¡±

    She then pulled out her phone and began snapping pictures of the photos on the table, herughter filling.

    the air.

    ¡°Lily bombarded me with rtionship goalsst night, so today it¡¯s my turn!¡±

    As they waited, Carlisle took out his phone and texted Lethan.

    ¡°Mr. Warbane, when is Wanda¡¯s birthday?¡±

    A n was forming in his mind.

    He had initially intended to confess his feelings to Wanda that day and enlist Cameron and Owen¡¯s help

    to create a special setting.

    However, he realized that circumstances wouldn¡¯t allow them to be together immediately, even if he

    confessed now.

    Opting for a more memorable asion, he decided to wait and confess his feelings on Wanda¡¯s 18th birthday instead.

    He decided to confess at Rivend University, wanting to make it known to everyone there that Wanda <b>was </b>his girlfriend.

    This second chance at life had taught him to seize every moment.

    Lethan¡¯s reply came soon after.

    ¡°November 9th. If you¡¯re considering celebrating her birthday, I¡¯d advise you to drop that idea. Hering- of¨Cage ceremony is going to be a big event at Rivend.¡±

    Carlisle texted back, ¡°Alright. Thanks, Mr. Warbane!¡±

    Lethan then shifted gears, sending another message.

    ¡°I¡¯ve established Holly Fisheries. I¡¯m currently nning to invest ten billion. You hold 20% of the shares

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need that many shares. I might only invest 50 million,¡± Carlisle texted his exnation to <b>Lethan</b>

    His funds were limited. After this investment, he¡¯d have only about 76 million left.

    He also nned to spend 55 million to acquire <b>the </b>Xenos Factory, which would then require another 50 million for research and development.

    He needed to reallocate 50 million from his initial investment In Holly Fisheries.

    Lethan¡¯s reply came after a brief pause.

    ¡°No problem. We will give you 20% of the shares regardless of your investment.¡±

    He left the underlying condition of this arrangement unspoken¨Cthe cold wave Carlisle predicted would

    significantly impact the southern fishing industry this year.

    This was a massive investment, with all three investors nearly leveraging all their assets.

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll invest another 50 million once I¡¯ve sorted out my finances!¡± Carlisle typed back, feeling a surge of gratitude.

    Lethan had clearly maintained his offer of 20% under considerable pressure from the other investors, solidifying his value as a trustworthy friend.

    ¡°Alright, lovebirds. We¡¯re ready to go!¡± Leon called out after having packed his equipment.

    He was now equipped with a DSLR camera around his neck and a backpack.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle led the way to where Francis had parked the car.

    Leon climbed conscientiously into the passenger seat, settling in.

    Carlisle opened the car door for Wanda and chivalrously said, ¡°Princess, please get in.¡±

    Wanda blushed deeply when Carlisle gantly called her ¡®Princess¡°. Her annoyance was evident as she climbed into the car, her face turning a deeper shade of red.

    Once inside, Carlisle announced, ¡°To Yearning Ind.¡±

    Wanda recognized Francis and couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Carlisle, is your driver now driving unlicensed?¡±

    Francis replied with a deadpan tone, ¡°I¡¯m your boyfriend¡¯s personal driver now.¡±

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to Carlisle.

    ¡°He¡¯s not joking, right?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head and smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s no joke. He really is my personal driver now.¡±

    Curious about Carlisle¡¯s newfound financial freedom, Wanda inquired, ¡°How much did you sell that

    painting <b>for</b><b>?</b>¡±

    Carlisle <b>responded </b>with a grin, ¡°About eight million

    Wanda was taken aback, her expression one of astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you spend so freely. You didn¡¯t even blink at five hundred bucks!¡±

    Carlisle pulled Wanda into his arms and chuckled softly, ¡°So you see, you don¡¯t need to start a business to make money. I can take care of you.¡±

    Wanda stiffened slightly in his embrace and whispered with her <b>eyes </b>downcast, ¡°Can you behave when we¡¯re out in public? There are people around.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­<b>¡±</b>

    Yearning Ind, nestled on the outskirts of Rivend and in the middle of Cascade River, is a scenic spot essible by boat <b>and </b>free to the public.

    work or

    It was <b>a </b>favorite among Rivend residents who often strolled along Cascade River Road after w <b>for </b>couples to bring their partners for romantic outings.

    That day was a quiet Monday. Cascade River Road was less busy <b>than </b>usual, with students in sses and office workers

    at their desks, making the half¨Chour drive to the ind smooth and uneventful.

    When they arrived, Francis parked the car <b>and </b>said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you guys outside.¡±

    Ever polite, Wanda suggested, ¡°Why not join us for a walk since you¡¯re free?¡±

    However, Francis lit a cigarette and silently walked toward the park outside without responding.

    Wanda <b>was </b>feeling a bit flustered as she turned to Carlisle.

    ¡°Did¡­ did I say something wrong<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle gently squeezed her hand, offering reassurance with a soft voice.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Francis simply has his own issues.¡±

    Wanda intuitively felt that it might be rted to personal matters <b>and </b>sighed softly.

    ¡°Then I must have touched a nerve. I¡¯ll go apologize to himter!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. He¡¯s not that easily offended.¡±

    With that, he led Wanda by the hand toward the entrance of the attraction.

 Chapter 237

    Even on a weekday, the park on Yearning ind buzzed with activity. It was predominantly frequented by groups of elderly people.

    The old men s

    sat on benches, intently listening <b>to </b>the news on their radios, while clusters of elderly women engaged in lively gossip.

    Several of the women nced at Carlisle and Wanda as they entered, their interest piqued..

    ¡°Oh! What a pretty youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Her dress looks nice. I wonder where she bought it. I want to get one for my granddaughter¡­¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask? I want to buy one for my granddaughter too!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s attire was a <b>hit </b>among the older crowd. Her conservative dress had a high neck covering her corbone, hem falling to her calves, and sleeves reaching her elbows. It resonated with the vintage aesthetic preferences of these women.

    Feeling the weight of their stares, Wanda withdrew her hand from Carlisle¡¯s and blushed deeply.

    Her cheeks turned the color of ripe apples.

    Observing the scene, Leonmented with a smile, ¡°Folks here are still quite conservative. In other countries, couples would openly embrace and hold hands on the streets.¡±

    Carlisle responded with a wry smile.

    He knew that public disys of affection would be moremonce within the next decade.

    However, he mused, it wouldn¡¯t even take ten years. Within four or five years, the attitudes of non- mainstream youths would shift to bing very open about their rtionships.

    Despite the impending change, he found charm in the current, more reserved expression of young love.

    ¡°Youngdy, where did you buy that dress?¡± one of the elderly women asked Wanda, her <b>tone </b>friendly and

    -curious.

    ¡°Oh, m¨Cmy <b>dad </b>bought it for me from abroad!¡± Wanda replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, then say that you don¡¯t. What¡¯s with this ¡®bought from abroad¡® excuse? Acting like your dad is so rich!¡±

    The woman¡¯s demeanor changed abruptly, her face souring as her words took on a biting tone..

    Wanda tightened her grip on Carlisle¡¯s hand and remained silent, feeling the tension rise.

    Carlisle bristled at the remark and was about to defend Wanda when she gently tugged at his hand.

    ¡°Let it go. There¡¯s no need to argue!¡±

    Leon chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that older women here can be pretty harsh when they argue. They have

    nothing better to do and all the time in the world to quarrel with you.¡±

    Carlisle reluctantly held back his retort as he remembered Leon¡¯s advice.

    He had witnessed Hayley in simr disputes with neighborhood women. They could sit for hours, exchanging insults without a pause.

    He had initially thought such relentless arguments were limited to vige life, but Hayley¡¯s experiences proved otherwise.

    ¡°Falling in love at <b>such </b>a young <b>age</b><b>, </b>they <b>have </b><b>no </b>shame¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly, if my granddaughter dared to date in school, I¡¯d break her legs!¡±

    The women continued, bing more vocal in their disapproval. Carlisle and Wanda refrained from

    responding.

    The harsh words started to affect Wanda, her eyes beginning to redden with distress.

    She wondered why these women were so concerned.

    There were plenty of couples at the university. She didn¡¯t think they were doing anything out of the

    ordinary.

    ¡°Carlisle, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Having had enough, Wanda took the lead, firmly grasping Carlisle¡¯s hand and steering them toward the

    park¡¯s entrance.

    Carlisle gave onest expressionless look back at the women.

    Their afternoon had been dampened by this encounter.

    Suddenly, Carlisle noticed a kiosk next to the entrance.

    A smile tugged at his lips.

    ¡°You guys go on ahead. I¡¯m going to buy some water.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you¡­.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

    Wanda also stopped walking.

    Carlisle gently insisted, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You two go ahead!¡±

    He then exchanged a knowing nce with Leon.

    Guessing what Carlisle was up to, Leon smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost closing time now, so it¡¯ll get busier

    soon. Let¡¯s go in!¡±

    Wanda nodded.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wait for you inside!¡±

    Once inside the park, Leon urged, ¡°Let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡±

    Chapter

    Wanda was slightly annoyed.

    ¡°Why are we rushing? Carlisle won¡¯t be able to keep up with us.<b>¡±</b>

    Meanwhile, Carlisle bought some snacks and bottled water. He then entered a nearby stationery store and bought a bottle of carbon ink.

    He poured out some of the water and added some carbon Ink to the bottle, shaking it to mix it evenly. Carlisle then picked up the bottle and threw it toward the group of elderly women.

 Chapter 238

    Carlisle deliberately aimed the bottle toward an open area to avoid hitting anyone.

    One of the elderly women, puffing up with pride, boasted to the others, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many of those

    like that young couple we saw that I¡¯ve lectured. What future can they have without focusing on what¡¯s

    Important at such a young <b>age</b><b>?</b>¡±

    ?

    Just then, a ssh of waternded near her, sttering onto the ground with a startling crash.

    ¡°Is it raining?¡± she muttered, touching her head, only to find her hand covered in ck ink.

    Realizing she was targeted, she turned toward Carlisle with a re.

    ¡°You delinquent! You¡¯re in big trouble now!¡± she shouted, advancing toward him.

    Carlisle threw another water bottle, but <b>as </b>the woman covered her head and crouched down, the bottle

    The ink¨Cwater mixture sshed onto her face and stained her newly bought white blouse with ck splotches.

    Furious, she stood up and pointed at Carlisle.

    ¡°You scoundrel! Is there now in thisnd?¡±

    Her friends joined in the chorus of outrage, rising to their feet.

    Carlisle continued to lob water bottles, sending the group into further panic. After the fifth bottle, het grabbed his snacks and ran.

    ¡°Stop, you scoundrel!¡± the woman yelled, giving chase.

    Meanwhile, Wanda was about six hundred feet ahead. She paused to wait for Carlisle.

    Leon urged, ¡°We should keep moving¡­This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    But Wanda shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wait for him¡­¡±

    It was their first official date, and she wanted to stay by his side.

    Carlisle soon came into view, sprinting around the corridor¡¯s corner and ncing back at his pursuers.

    The elderly woman, not giving up so quickly, had even called over several security guards.

    As Carlisle approached, he shouted breathlessly, ¡°Wanda, run!¡±

    Wanda was puzzled and unmoved.

    drun.

    She wondered why she should run.

    Chapte: 230

    She soon understood his instruction when she noticed the group of ink¨Csmeared women chasing after

    Carlisle.

    She figured that Carlisle had retaliated against them.

    ¡°This fool¡­ but an endearing one,¡± she thought.

    Carlisle caught up to Wanda and grabbed her hand, urging, ¡°What are you waiting for? Run!¡±

    Holding down her skirt with her other hand, Wanda sprinted alongside Carlisle as he pulled her along, with Leon jogging to <b>keep </b>up with them.

    Seizing the moment amidst the chaos, Leon took out his DSLR camera and almed to capture the rather absurd spectacle unfolding.

    Ultimately, the difference in age and physical condition proved significant.

    The elderly women couldn¡¯t keep up with the younger, quicker strides of Carlisle and Wanda, nor could they match Leon who maintained <b>a </b>steady jog ahead of them.

    After a quick photo, Leon looked back and noticed the woman in the white blouse making another determined effort to catch up.

    If word got out that the former assistant to the chief designer at Chanel was being chased by <b>a </b>group of elderly women, his reputation in this life would be utterly ruined.

    Earning this five hundred dors was proving to be quite a challenge.

    Being a young woman, Wanda ran out of breath after less than 1500 feet. She stopped and bent over with

    her hands on her knees.

    She gasped, ¡°Carlisle, I can¡¯t run anymore.¡±

    Carlisle was out of breath as well. He looked back <b>and </b>saw they had gained some distance from their

    pursuers.

    He retrieved a water bottle from his carrying stic bag and opened it.

    He then handed it to Wanda.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break!¡±

    As they caught their breath, Leon crouched down on one knee and snapped a photo.

    Wanda gratefully took the water bottle, gulping down a few sips.

    She looked up at Carlisle, who was visibly sweating from the chase and couldn¡¯t hold back a burst ofughter.

    She quickly covered her mouth, directing any stray water to the ground instead of spraying it on him.

    Carlisle was sipping his water. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

 Chapter 239

    ¡°I¡¯mughing because you look ridiculous!¡±

    Wanda managed between giggles, crouching down in a fit ofughter.

    Her earlier annoyance <b>had </b>dissipated entirely.

    Watching her, Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. He took sips of his water to hydrate after their unexpected sprint.

    Their moment of respite was interrupted by Leon, who approached with a serious expression.

    ¡°We need to go. They¡¯re catching up!¡±

    Carlisle and Wanda quickly turned around to see the group of elderly women resuming their charge. They all wore expressions of determination. Two security guards were among them, batons in hand.

    Wanda¡¯sughter faded into concern.

    ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore. Maybe we should just apologize?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you¡­¡± Carlisle offered immediately, handing her the bag of snacks before crouching down in

    preparation.

    Wanda hesitated, biting her lip nervously at the thought of being carried..

    Leon interjected with a chuckle, ¡°He¡¯s your boyfriend. What are you afraid of? I¡¯m just a photographer, pretend I¡¯m not here¡­¡±

    Encouraged by Leon¡¯s words, Wanda finally moved forward and carefully leaned onto Carlisle¡¯s back.

    Carlisle felt a surge of energy when he felt her softness pressing into his back..

    Leon found the perfect angle and snapped a couple of photos.

    Suddenly, they heard the elderly women¡¯s angry curses behind them.

    ¡°You scoundrel! Damn, you! Stop right there!¡±

    Leon nced back and spotted one of the women wielding a brick.

    His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly picked up his pace. He then jogged ahead to catch up to Carlisle

    and Wanda.

    When Carlisle and Wanda reached the dock, they hurried onto a diesel¨Cpowered wooden boat bound for

    Yearning Ind.

    As Leon boarded, Carlisle urgently addressed the boatman.

    ¡°Please start the boat.¡±

    The <b>boatman </b>was unfazed<b>, </b>saying, ¡°I can¡¯t set off with just three people. We usually wait for seven or eight passengers before leaving. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer.¡±

    Frustration flickering across his face, Carlisle pulled out 30 dors and said, ¡°I¡¯m chartering the <b>boat</b>, Start

    it now!¡±

    The boatman took the money but began to Inspect each bill meticulously.

    Carlisle¡¯s anxiety peaked.

    ¡°Stop checking! The money is real!¡±

    Assured, the boatman grinned and finally agreed.

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯m starting it up now!¡±

    He leaned over, grabbed the crank attached to his waist, and began theborious process of starting the engine.

    The boat rocked side to side, causing Wanda to grip Carlisle¡¯s arm tightly, fearful of falling into the water.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start the boat!¡±

    The woman in the white blouse had caught up to them. She thudded down the steps toward them.

    Carlisle looked at the boatman, desperation evident in his voice.

    ¡°Quick, start the boat!¡±

    Frowning, the boatman muttered, ¡°How did you guys get mixed up with this lot?¡±

    ¡°Come on! Start the boat! Do you want the money or not?¡± Carlisle said, having no time to exin further.

    The elderly woman was too persistent. If they got caught, there would be no good end.

    He was less worried for himself and more for Wanda.

    Reacting quickly, the boatman grabbed the rope that tethered them to the shore<b>, </b>gave it a sharp tug to

    release the boat, and fired up the engine.

    Only after the boat had moved a few yards did Carlisle finally breathe a sigh of relief.

    He then stood up and taunted the elderly woman, ¡°Olddy, you¡¯re up in age. Try to umte some

    good karma!¡±

    Wanda <b>was </b>sitting on a bench and couldn¡¯t suppress augh.

    Although Carlisle¡¯s actions were harsh, she found his protectiveness endearing.

    Leon sat across from them, hooking his foot around the legs of a bench fixed into the boat, Leaning back slightly, he snapped another photo.

    ¡°You delinquent! I¡¯ll be waiting right here on the shore. Let¡¯s see if you daree back!¡±

    The elderly woman was so furious she nearly had a high blood pressure attack. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at the river, she cursed so loudly that her voice cracked.

    Leon pivoted his camera to focus on the elderly <b>woman¡¯s </b>enraged figure, capturing her in full tirade.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Chapte: 239

    The boatman guided the boat further into the river. He then turned to Carlisle with a smirk.

    ¡°You¡¯ve <b>really </b>done it now, young man. That woman is notoriously stubborn, and her son is a known tough guy. Don¡¯t even think about returning to shore!¡±

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 240

    ¡°Darn, are you serious?¡± Carlisle asked as he <b>stared </b>in disbelief,

    He had realized <b>that </b><b>the </b>elderly woman was stubborn, but the extent of her obstinacy was unexpected.

    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she really would go to such lengths

    ver their altercation.

    Meanwhile, Wanda inquired quietly, ¡°Is there another ce <b>we </b>can disembark?¡±

    The boatman shook his head,

    *This is the only entrance and exit!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s face tightened with worry as she weighed their options.

    Her <b>mind </b>raced to the possibility of arranging for an escape via helicopter through Shein, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

    The repercussions of Shein discovering their date were too severe, especially for Carlisle.

    She then contemted reaching out to Lethan and Shania. She pulled out her phone and hovered over

    Lethan¡¯s contact.

    Seeing her actions, Carlisle gently took her hand.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Calling Uncle Lethan for help,¡± Wanda replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to involve him. I can handle this,¡± Carlisle asserted.

    ¡°How are you going to handle it?¡±

    ¡°I have connections in that world, too,¡± he said calmly.

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to hang out with those people!¡±

    She remembered the menacing thugs she had seen at the ice rink a few days earlier and feared Carlisle was getting too close to such elements.

    Carlisle reassured her gently while holding her close.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be spending time with them.¡±

    His involvement with Heath¡¯s underworld connections was not a matter of choice but necessity, intended

    only for self¨Cprotection and nothing more.

    The sun began to set, casting a rosy glow over the river that bathed everything in warm light.

    Wanda snuggled deeper into Carlisle¡¯s arms. Her eyes were fixed on the twilight beauty of the western

    horizon.

    Upon reaching Yearning Ind, which was about the size of a <b>ser </b>field and equipped with a damOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    downstream to prevent flooding, Carlisle led Wanda up the stairs onto the ind.

    Leon carried his camera and trailed behind them, capturing moments Intermittently.

    222

    The ind¡¯s atmosphere was lively. With a wide asphalt road lined with vendors selling treats like cotton candy, lollipops, popcorn, and freshly squeezed juices. Even bike rentals were avable.

    Lanterns and fairy lights were strung from the trees. They were already lit even though it wasn¡¯t fully dark yet, creating a festive and inviting scene.

    ¡°Carlisle, I want some cotton candy.¡±

    Wanda¡¯s eyesnded on the colorful cotton candy.

    A nostalgic memory surfaced of a simr outing with her mother, who had refused to buy her cotton

    candy, deeming it unhygienic.

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go check it out!¡±

    Carlisle led Wanda to the cotton candy stand, where the spinning machine, though looking a bit worn and dusty on the outside, produced pristine fluffy cotton candy.

    The vendor was a seasoned man in his 50s. He expertly twirled a stick, wrapping the sugar strands around it before cing the finished product on a nearby hay bale.

    Carlisle approached the vendor, noticing the absence of any price signage.

    He decided not to inquire about it and instead requested, ¡°Sir, two cotton candies, please!¡±

    The vendor queried. ¡°How much do you want to spend?¡±

    Carlisle asked curiously, ¡°What are the options<b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a dor, two dors, five dors, <b>and </b>the most expensive one is ten dors,¡± the vendor

    exined.

    Intrigued by the pricing structure, Wanda asked, ¡°Does the price determine the size of the cotton candy?¡±

    The vendor nodded in affirmation.

    Wanda smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have the three¨Cdor one.¡±

    Carlisle stroked his chin thoughtfully and then suggested, ¡°How is a three¨Cdor one enough? Let¡¯s get

    two ten¨Cdor ones!¡±

 Chapter 241

    <b>Chapter </b><b>241</b>

    <b>Five </b><b>minutes </bter, Wanda was holding a massive <b>cotton </b>candy<b>. </b>Its size was <b>akin </b><b>to </b>a washbasin.

    She felt <b>a </b><b>wave </b><b>of </b>embarrassment as she caught the amused nces of other tourists, wishing she <b>could </b>disappear for a moment.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle seemed utterly unfazed by the attention. He happily munched on his equallyrge <b>cotton candy</b>, savoring its sweetness.

    Wanda struggled with the size of her treat and voiced her concern in a intive tone.

    ¡°I told you the <b>three</b>¨Cdor one was enough, yet <b>you </b>insisted on the ten¨Cdor one. How should I eat <b>this </b>huge cotton candy?¡±

    <b>Carlisle </b>responded with <b>a </b><b>hearty </bugh, ¡°Watch and learn<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    He then stretched his neck and skillfully curled some cotton candy into his mouth`using his tongue.

    Wanda wrinkled her nose but followed his example, trying to manage the unwieldy mass of sugar.

    Carlisle watched her, his smile broadening as he saw her cheeks flush red.

    ¡°Is this what being in love feels like? It¡¯s quite wonderful,¡± he mused within.

    A mischievous glint appeared in Wanda¡¯s eyes.

    She held her cotton candy to Carlisle¡¯s mouth and sweetly said, ¡°Take a bite.¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t hesitate, opening his mouth toply.

    Just as he bit down, Wanda yfully pressed one hand against his head and smeared the cotton candy

    across his face.

    ¡°Um¡­ Wanda¡­¡±

    With his face sticky from the cotton candy, Carlisle watched as Wanda sprinted away.

    She nced over her shoulders, sticking out her tongue and teasingly chanting.

    Carlisle chuckled, quickly devoured the rest of his cotton candy, and dashed after her.

    Hearing his footsteps closing in, Wanda quickened her pace, her eyelids twitching in mock terror.

    However, Carlisle¡¯s longer strides quickly closed the distance between them.

    He reached out and grasped the back of her neck, halting her escape.

    ¡°I was wrong¡­ Forgive me!¡± Wanda pleaded.

    Amused by her antics, Carlisle replied with a sly grin, ¡°Tell me, how will you make <b>it </b>up to me?¡±

    Her reply was barely audible, as soft as a whisper, ¡°How do you want me to make it up to <b>you</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Chapte 241

    With a yful glint in his eye, Carlisle responded, ¡°Give me a kiss!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red.

    Taking a deep breath, she fluttered her eyshes and instructed with a hint of mischief, ¡°Close your eyes.¡±

    Carlisle eyed Wanda¡¯s lips briefly before he swallowed hard. He then obediently closed his eyes and

    leaned in.

    ¡°Come on, Darling.¡±

    In the background, Leon snapped a photo of the yful chase.

    Carlisle waited for the touch of Wanda¡¯s lips, but nothing came. Confused, he opened his eyes only to find

    that Wanda had slipped away once more.

    Annoyed and embarrassed, Carlisle took off after her again.

    Carlisle thought to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you, or I¡¯ll kiss you until your lips swell.¡±

    Wanda stopped before a legless disabled man.

    The man, in his 20s, wore tattered clothes andy on a wooden board cart. On the ground in front of him, his pitiful life story was written in chalk.

    The man had lost his mother at three and his father at five. At seven years old, a truck had run over his legs. The driver had fled the scene, and he had been begging on the streets ever since.

    The disabled man was pale. His lips were cracked.

    He looked up at Wanda weakly, saying, ¡°Miss, please help. I haven¡¯t eaten in three days!¡±

    Wanda typically avoided giving money to beggars, but she feltpassion for the disabled. She felt that the man trulycked the means to work, having no legs.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    She pulled out 20¨Cdor bills from her bag.

    The man¡¯s eyes widened, and he quickly began to cry out in gratitude, ¡°Thank you, beautifuldy. You are as kind as you are beautiful. Blessings of health and prosperity upon you and your family!¡±

    Wanda smiled gently and ced the money in the box beside the beggar.

    Just then, Carlisle grabbed Wanda¡¯s wrist.

    Wanda looked at him, puzzled.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Carlisle smiled and asked, ¡°Did you really believe his performance?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Is he pretending? But he has no legs!¡± she protested, her gaze darting to the space beneath the cart where the man¡¯s legs should have been.

    Carlisle reached forward, his hand moving toward the man¡¯s pant legs.

    The man¡¯s reaction was swift and defensive.

    His face contorted in anger as he snapped, ¡°What are you trying to do, you brat?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle responded calmly and probingly, ¡°It¡¯s scorching today, yet you wear long pants. I¡¯m just trying to cool you down¡­¡±

 chapter 242

    <b>Chapter </b><b>242</b>

    ¡°Fuck off. Believe it or not, but I¡¯ll kill you!¡± the disabled man snarled, his fury palpable.

    Carlisle, worried that the man might be part of a group, said, ¡°You can deceive others, but not my girlfriend!¡±

    The man nced at the 20¨Cdor bills still in Wanda¡¯s hand.

    He gritted his teeth in frustration and said with a hint of menace, ¡°Take your girlfriend and get out of here. Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±

    With the end of the workday approaching and schools about to let out, more tourists would soon be on the ind. To avoid losing his begging opportunities, he chose to back down.

    As Carlisle and Wanda walked away from the tense situation, Wanda was still troubled by doubts.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have legs. How could he be faking it?¡±

    Carlisle exined, ¡°They are trained to tuck their legs under themselves.¡±

    He knew of the deceptive techniques that exploited sympathetic passersby, having be aware of such frauds through his experience.

    Wanda was curious about Carlisle¡¯s discernment and asked, ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±

    With a knowing smile, Carlisle borated, ¡°He wore long pants on a sweltering day, a clear sign he was hiding something. If he were genuinely disabled, he wouldn¡¯t have a reason to hide his legs.¡±

    He even warned that future con artists might employ realistic prosthetics to further their deceit.

    Wanda expressed her frustration, ¡°These people are despicable. We should have exposed him right there.¡±

    Carlisle shook his head.

    ¡°They likely operate in a small group. If we mess with their livelihood, we could have troubleing our way!¡±

    ¡°I wonder how many kind¨Chearted people have been deceived. I simply don¡¯t understand these people. They have hands and feet, so why can¡¯t they find a legitimate job?¡± Wandained, wrinkling her nose.

    Carlisle stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked ahead.

    He murmured, ¡°This is just the tip of the iceberg. Once the Inte develops further and smartphones be widespread, inte scams and telephone fraud will be rampant.¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips.

    ¡°They may think they can get away with this, but karma will catch up with them eventually.¡±

    The evening grew darker as they continued their walk, the path illuminated by twinkling fairy lights strung along the trees.

    <b>Carlisle </b>discreetly texted Heath, who quickly grasped the situation and instructed Wade to deploy a team to Yearning Ind.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle and Wanda arrived at a za¨Clike tform at the end of the road.

    An old man was fishing off the edge, and the couples nearby were participating in the romantic activity of

    releasing skynterns into the night sky.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes sparkled with delight.

    ¡°Carlisle, I want to release a skyntern, too.¡±

    Responding to her wish, Carlisle purchased twonterns from a nearby stall.

    He then crouched to light the wax block inside Wanda¡¯s skyntern.

    ¡°Remember to make a wish when it goes up!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Wanda nodded.

    As the skyntern slowly began its ascent, she sped her hands together, closed her eyes, and whispered her wish into the quiet of the night.

    ¡°I hope Carlisle and I can have a perfect future together.¡±

    Carlisle joined Wanda in the ritual, bringing his hands together.

    He silently wished, ¡°I hope Wanda will have quite a few of my kids.¡±

    This moment did not escape Leon¡¯s keen eye.

    He captured several photos of the couple making their wishes, theny on the ground to capture a more dramatic shot with thentern¨Cfilled sky as a backdrop.

    When the two opened their eyes, Wanda asked, ¡°What did you wish for?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯te true if I tell you.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯sunch another skyntern!¡±

    They lit anotherntern, watching it ascend as they closed their eyes and made more wishes.

    Wanda wished, ¡°I hope that my family and Carlisle¡¯s family will always be safe and get along well in the

    future<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle wished, ¡°I hope that my family and Wanda¡¯s family will be healthy and live long lives.¡±

    Their wishes intertwined, reflecting not only their personal desires but also their deep care for each

    other¡¯s loved ones.

    As they wrapped up their activity, they encountered a magician performing tricks in the za.

    After observing the act for a while, Wanda tugged at Carlisle¡¯s clothes.

    <b>¡°</b>Carlisle, I¡¯m hungry<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle nced at Wanda¡¯s t stomach with affection.

    He teased, ¡°Shall we go out for a meal?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to spend more time with you.¡±

    Carlisle suggested, ¡°Then let¡¯s find a ce to snack.¡± ¡°Sounds good!¡± Wanda agreed.

    im Bonus For Free Every Day>>

 Chapter 243

    <b>Chapter </b><b>243</b>

    Under the soft glow of the scattered streetmps, Carlisle and Wanda settled onto a bench along the riverfront promenade to enjoy their snacks.

    Carlisle spread out the snacks and fruits he had purchased, creating a small feast between them.

    As they began to eat, Wanda whispered, ¡°Should we invite Leon to have some<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle nodded in agreement and called out, ¡°Leon, would you like some?¡±

    Leon approached briefly, grabbed two bananas from the assortment, and returned to his chosen spot,

    keen to capture the night from the best possible angle.

    Wanda appreciated his dedication.

    ¡°Leon truly is dedicated. I can¡¯t wait to see the photos<b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re sure to be stunning,¡± Carlisle responded, confident in Leon¡¯s skills.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity he doesn¡¯t want to work at Uncle Lethan¡¯spany.¡±

    Wanda sighed with a hint of regret in her voice.

    ¡°Everyone has their own dreams. He¡¯s well¨Coff and free to pursue what he loves.¡±

    Wanda directed the conversation toward him.

    While munching on a chip, she asked, ¡°What kind of life do you want?¡±

    Carlisle grinned and dered, ¡°A life with you in it!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Can you be serious?¡±

    ¡°How is that not serious? I¡¯m speaking from the heart!¡±

    After their snack, Carlisle finished his water in one gulp.

    Wanda only managed half of hers before rubbing her stomach contentedly and eximing, ¡°I¡¯m so full. I haven¡¯t eaten this many snacks in a long time!¡±

    Carlisle carefully gathered all the trash into a stic bag and disposed of it in a nearby garbage bin.

    He returned to find Wanda engrossed in a conversation with Phoebe and Christine about their recent

    endeavors.

    After securing their first client, Wanda treated them to new mobile phones to enhance theirmunication capabilities.

    She chose the Nokia 6260 flip phone, a newly released model that month.

    The phone was equipped with the Symbian system and supported MSN Messenger. It was pretty advanced for its time and had aunch <b>price </b>of five hundred dors.

    Christine was her high school ssmate, and Phoebe was the first friend she had made in university.

    Since they were now working together, Wanda felt it was only fair not to skimp on them, opting for <b>a </b>better business phone to help them look for clients online.

    Carlisle watched Wanda as she engaged enthusiastically in her conversation. Not wanting to interrupt her, he pulled out his phone and began browsing the Rivend forum.

    Just then, a notification chimed.

    It was a message from Sean on MSN Messenger.

    Sean: ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯ve got everyone together. Should I register thepany tomorrow?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Yeah, go ahead and register!¡±

    Sean: ¡°We¡¯re short on cash, Carlisle. We don¡¯t even haveputers!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Come see me after school tomorrow.<i>¡±</i>

    Sean: ¡°Hehe, sure, Carlisle. How much are you nning to invest?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°A million!¡±

    Sean: ¡°Holy shit!¡±

    Sean almost dropped his phone in shock at the substantial investment.

    Carlisle¡¯s initial goal had been to earn one million. Now, he was casually investing that same amount.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    He continued browsing the forum, seeking the next lucrative opportunity.

    Dragonaire Studio¡¯s profits were too small.

    The mobile phonepanies were only burning through cash at the moment and weren¡¯t profitable yet.

    Holly Fisheries wouldn¡¯t start showing returns until at least next March. Carlisle only owned 20% of the shares. <i>So</i>, even if they made a billion, he would only receive two hundred million.

    While it seemed like a lot, it would quickly be consumed by the expenses at Xenos Factory.

    Carlisle squinted at theke and sighed.

    At the sound of Carlisle¡¯s sigh, Wanda put down her phone and looked at him curiously, ¡°Carlisle, what¡¯s

    wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±

    Carlisle offered a dismissive smile.

    ¡°Nothing, my foot. Is it something to do with business?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then why the sigh? You must have something <b>on </b>your mind. Spill it¡­¡± Wanda urged, setting aside her

    Chapte 243

    phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing¡­¡± Carlisle maintained a lighthearted tone.

    He didn¡¯t want to burden Wanda with his financial worries, especially since they were beyond minor cash flow issues.

    He figured that even Shein probably couldn¡¯t sustain his chippany.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me or not?¡±

    Wanda was relentless, pinching Carlisle¡¯s leg yfully as if to threaten him.

    Carlisle took her hand, his smile turning mischievous.

    ¡°Do you really want to know?<b>¡±</b>

    She nodded earnestly.

    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re good friends. I want to share your worries!¡±

    Carlisle then hung his head.

    ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you something. But I¡¯ve been too afraid to ask. That¡¯s why I sighed!¡±

 Chapter 244

    <b>Chapter </b>244

    Wanda couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Carlisle¡¯s words.

    ¡°Is there really something you¡¯re afraid to ask? Go ahead!¡±

    Carlisle gazed at Wanda¡¯s youthful face and asked solemnly, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Wanda looked at Carlise expectantly, nodding her head.

    ¡°Just¡­ just¡­ never mind!¡±

    Carlisle hesitated for a long time, then deliberately yed coy.

    ¡°Oh,e on. You¡¯re just teasing me. Tell me.¡±

    Wanda was starting to get annoyed.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Here it goes!¡±

    Carlisle seemed to muster a lot of courage before looking at Wanda.

    He asked earnestly, ¡°Wanda, may I kiss you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Wanda looked at Carlisle in shock, her cheeks blooming with a deep blush.

    Carlisle pursed his lips and said, ¡°I told you I shouldn¡¯t ask, but you insisted¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Wanda managed only a whisper, a soft confession meant only for herself.

    Her heart raced, and her breathing quickened.

    ¡°What?¡± Carlisle echoed, genuinely stunned.

    He had only meant to divert the conversation so Wanda wouldn¡¯t probe into his affairs.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Who would have thought Wanda would actually agree to his request?

    ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s head back to school.¡±

    Wanda got up and started walking ahead. She regretted it.

    Leon was nearby, watching her and Carlisle.

    He wondered how she could have agreed to such a request.

    Wanda didn¡¯t dare to continue walking as she walked through the lit area under the streetmp. She nced back to see if Carlisle was following.

    As she expected, Carlisle was right behind her, his expression intense and focused.

    Wanda felt anxious.

    ¡°Carlisle, just calm down-¡±

    But before she couldplete her sentence, Carlisle closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips to hers.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Her mind went nk as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

    And just like that, her first kiss was gone.

    Carlisle was also very nervous at that moment.

    After two lifetimes, he had finally experienced his first kiss.

    As Carlisle sought to deepen the kiss, Wanda pushed him away gently and took a deep breath.

    Carlisle was still caught up in the excitement.

    He chuckled, ¡°Wanda, your lips are so soft!¡±

    ¡°You even dare to say it aloud¡­¡±

    Wanda then stomped her foot, visibly flustered and blushing.

    ¡°Who said you could kiss me?¡±

    Her tone wasn¡¯t angry but carried a hint of jest.

    At the sight of Wanda¡¯s adorable reaction, Carlisle reached to kiss her again.

    She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, causing Carlisle to kiss the back of her hand instead.

    A

    Wanda¡¯s muffled voice emerged from behind her hand.

    ¡°Next¡­ Let¡¯s kiss next time!¡±

    <i>¡°</i>Alright. As you wish!¡±

    Carlisle was content with her response. He understood the importance of pacing their advances to keep their budding rtionshipfortable for both of them.

    Internally, he harbored hopes for a more intimate kiss the next time, though he wondered when that might

    <ol>

    <li>be.</li>

    </ol>

    He sighed softly and continued walking, holding Wanda¡¯s hand gently.

    Wanda walked beside him, her thoughts swirling with their recent encounter.

    She was confused and questioned her reaction to their kiss.

    She contemted the experience should have felt more profound, given it was her first kiss.

    The thought lingered that perhaps she should have embraced the moment a little longer.

    She scolded herself for being too hasty.

    As they exited Yearning Ind, <b>they </b>reached the dock to take the boat back to the <b>maind</b>.

    The boatman greeted them with rming news.

    ¡°You really dared toe back? I just saw dozens of thugs with iron rods on the shore. It looks like they

    might be that olddy¡¯s son and his gang!¡±

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading<b>>></b>

 Chapter 245

    <b>Chapter </b><b>245</b>

    Wanda¡¯s face paled slightly, and she looked anxiously at Carlisle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>worry</b>. I¡¯ll make a call and check!¡±

    Carlisle took out his phone and dialed Heath¡¯s number.

    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve already sent people,¡± Heath informed him.

    ¡°What¡¯s his number?<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°I¡¯ll text it to you!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Carlisle hung up and received a text momentster.

    He quickly dialed the number.

    On the other end, Wade answered, ¡°Who¡¯s this<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle replied, ¡°This is Carlisle. Is it safe by the dock?¡±

    Wade immediately perked up when he learned it was Carlisle.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe. That bunch of cretins ran off scared when they saw us<b>.</b>¡±

    Carlisle then asked, ¡°So, the people by the shore are your guys?<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You can head back now.¡±

    ¡°Alright, boss!¡±

    After ending the call, Wade motioned for his gang to retreat.

    Wade felt a tinge of disappointment in being unable to meet the elusive boss Heath had mentioned.

    As they exited the park¡¯s main gate, Wade wiped his bald head and squinted.

    ¡°Everyone, stay hidden for now. I don¡¯t think those punks are gone yet!¡±

    More than 30 men dispersed, disappearing into the surroundings.

    Wade stopped by a small shop to buy a can of Red Bull and a pack of cigarettes, then settled onto a

    bench to smoke.

    About half an hourter, Carlisle, Wanda and Leon appeared at the park gate.

    A weary Leon said, ¡°<b>I¡¯ll </b>take a cab back now. The photos will be ready tomorrow. I can deliver them to

    you, or you can pick them up yourself<b>.</b>¡±

    Carlisle handed Leon six hundred dors.

    ¡°Five hundred bucks for the photos and the extra for your taxi fare and a meal!¡±

    The extra cash was quite generous, especially considering Leon¡¯s shop was nearby<b>, </b>and the cost of food <b>in </b>the area was modest.

    Leon pocketed the money without hesitation and handed out two business cards.

    ¡°If you need any design work or custom clothing, please contact me.¡±

    After a brief exchange, Leon departed.

    Francis pulled up in his car at the entrance just as two vans abruptly surrounded them.

    The doors swung open before the vehicles had even stoppedpletely, and over 20 thugs wielding baseball bats leaped out.

    Francis stepped out, his eyes narrowing sharply as he faced the group of young men in their 20s.

    ¡°What do you want?<b>¡±</b>

    Bruno, a burly man in his 30s with a mohawk, stepped forward.

    ¡°Mind your own business. Get lost while you still can.¡±

    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± Francis¡® tone was icy, his body tensing like a coiled spring.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    Bruno sized Francis up and scoffed.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll get beaten too!¡±

    But when their eyes met, the man shivered uncontrobly.

    He cussed inwardly and wondered what was happening. He questioned if he was genuinely feeling

    intimidated by just a look.

    Shaking off the unease, Bruno dropped his cigarette.

    He stamped it out and turned to Carlisle.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who messed with my mom?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Carlisle replied with a cool detachment, ¡°Your mom was out of line.¡±

    The man¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°I admit my mom can be overbearing, but did you really get hurt just because she reprimanded you a

    little? Didn¡¯t your parents teach you to respect your elders?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle chuckled.

    ¡°Did Iy a hand on your mom<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hit her, but you did ssh her clothes with ink and water. Moreover<b>, </b>that was her favorite

    <b>outfit</b>.¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>was just a little dirt. She didn¡¯t lose a limb, did she<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Damn it. I don¡¯t have time to reason with you. A big fist is the only logic I know!¡±

    In a swift motion, Bruno grabbed a baseball bat from one of his thugs and swung it <b>at </b>Carliste.

    Wanda screamed in fright and instinctively shut her eyes.

    <b>In </b>a sh, Carlisle pulled Wanda into his arms and shielded her with his back to the man.

    Francis wasn¡¯t about to let Carlisle take a hit.

    He sent Bruno flying six feet back with a swift and decisive kick.

    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡±

 Chapter 246

    Bruno¡¯sckeys stood bewildered.

    Groaning from the ground, Bruno barked, ¡°What are you all standing there for? Didn¡¯t you see me get <b>hit</b>?¡±

    Hisckeys exchanged nervous nces.

    One of them stammered, ¡°Boss, that guy seems pretty skilled¡­¡±

    ¡°Skilled, my ass! There are so many of us. Are you guys afraid of one guy?¡± the man shouted angrily.

    Francis stood protectively in front of Carlisle.

    ¡°You guys get in the car. I¡¯ll deal with these punks.¡±

    a car.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Carlisle urged as he shielded Wanda and helped her into the

    He climbed in after her.

    Emboldened by their numbers, Bruno¡¯sckeys raised their baseball bats and charged at Francis.

    ¡°Stop<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Wade appeared with over 30 men, surrounding the attackers.

    Bruno¡¯s subordinates froze.

    They wondered who the other men were.

    Wade¡¯s men were a uniformly imposing crew, d in ck vests with muscles bulging and tattoos peeking out. Some even carried wrapped weapons.

    Bruno was stunned.

    He wondered what was going on. He thought Wade and his men were supposed to be at the dock.

    He didn¡¯t know that Wade was there to support Carlisle.

    About three hours earlier, Bruno had received a call from his mother, saying she had been bullied at the park. He immediately gathered his gang and rushed over.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Initially, he nned to head straight to Yearning Ind to confront the guy who¡¯d bullied his mom. But a <b>bald </b>guy with a crew of tough¨Clooking men had shown up first.

    His small¨Ctime crew couldn¡¯tpare to the gang of really tough guys.

    Bruno and his gang fled before the <b>bald </b>guy¡¯s crew even arrived to avoid a confrontation.

    Determined not to let the incident go, he had waited outside the <b>park </b>for the couple his mother had described.

    When he spotted them, he Immediately surrounded them <b>with </b>his gang!

    He hadn¡¯t expected the guy¡¯s driver to be a martial artist.

    However, he didn¡¯t think it was a significant issue. After all, weapons trump martial arts.

    Despite his confidence in numbers, he hadn¡¯t anticipated these tough guys intervening in his business.

    Bruno shakily rose to his feet.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. Who do you work for?¡±

    He was answered with a swift p.

    Blood instantly poured from his nose and mouth. His head buzzed, and his ears rang. He suspected <b>his </b>eardrum had been ruptured.

    Wade said calmly, ¡°Listen up! I roll withn Carlson.¡±

    Bruno squinted.

    ¡°Well, go back and telln Carlson that he¡¯s made an enemy of me.¡±

    Wade delivered a swift kick, knocking Bruno to the ground.

    He sneered, ¡°We already have plenty of enemies. Who the hell do you think you are?¡±

    Brunos¡®ckeys trembled in fear.

    They thought Wade and his men were ruthless and wondered if they were even human.

    Wade walked over to the car with a smile. He then knocked on the window.

    Carlisle rolled down the window and said, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Wade nced at Wanda in Carlisle¡¯s arms. A wide smile grew on his face.

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Carlisle then rolled the window back up, respecting Wanda¡¯s wish to keep some distance.

    Wade approached Francis, squinting as he said, ¡°Your legwork is impressive. How about a sparring match

    sometime<b>?</b>¡±

    Francis nced at Wade nonchntly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t learn martial arts to show off.¡±

 Chapter 247

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m a man of peace, too. I¡¯m not in it for the fight. It was just a joke,¡± Wade quickly rified.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Francis said calmly before getting into the car and starting the engine.

    Wade bent down, smiling and waving at Carlisle.

    Wade¡¯s smile vanished as the car drove away. He slowly approached Bruno and stomped hard on his knee.

    With a sickening crack, Bruno screamed in agony, clutching his knee.

    Wade looked at Bruno¡¯s subordinates and smiled.

    ¡°Remember, I roll withn Carlson.¡±

    Terrified, theckeys nodded vigorously.

    This incident earned Wade the nickname ¡°Smiling Demon¡± in Rivend.

    Wanda snuggled into Carlisle¡¯s embrace in the car.

    Carlisle held her gently.

    Neither of them spoke, simply enjoying the warmth of each other¡¯s presence.

    Francis drove quietly, not disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.

    As they neared the school, Wanda finally spoke, ¡°Carlisle, I had a great time today!¡±

    Carlisle looked down at Wanda in his arms, his eyes filled with affection.

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    Despite a few unpleasant moments, the day had been exciting and ultimately safe.

    Wanda yed with Carlisle¡¯s thumb and murmured, ¡°I wonder when the next time will be.¡±

    Carlisle held Wanda¡¯s hand and <b>said </b>softly, ¡°If you like, I can take you out this weekend!¡±

    He had already managed to get Lethan and Shania to cover for them, so he felt that he should be able to

    take Wanda out.

    Wanda shook her head gently.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a long¨Cterm solution. We must earn money quickly to escape my dad and Zac¡¯s control.¡°.

    They only had Saturdays and Sundays avable for work because of school, and she didn¡¯t want to miss out on those days.

    Just as Wanda finished speaking, her phone rang with a pleasant ringtone.

    She sat up and took a look at the caller ID.

    It was Zachary.

    Wanda¡¯s face instantly changed<b>, </b>and she quickly shushed Carlisle.

    Carlisle instructed Francis, ¡°Pull over.¡±

    Francis parked the car by the roadside.

    Only then did Wanda dare to answer the phone.

    She pretended to be sleepy and saidzily, ¡°Zac¡­ I was sleeping.¡±

    Zachary sounded puzzled, ¡°Aunt Shania said you just returned to school. How did you fall asleep so fast?¡±

    Wanda bit her lip, her mind racing as she quickly replied, ¡°I went to register thepany today and followed Uncle Lethan around, so I fell asleep as soon as I got back.¡±

    Zachary replied coolly, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯m at the school gate:Come out and have somete¨Cnight snacks. I¡¯ll have Queenie go get you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened in rm.

    ¡°No¨Cno need. I¨CI ate a lot of snacks before bed¡­¡±

    Sensing her nervousness, Zachary¡¯s tone grew stern.

    ¡°That¡¯s settled. Change your clothes quickly. I¡¯ll send Queenie to get you.¡±

    He hung up before Wanda could respond.

    Wanda anxiously grabbed Carlisle¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Zac wants to take me for ate¨Cnight snack, and he¡¯s sending Queenie to my dorm to fetch me!¡±

    Carlisle felt a headacheing on.

    ¡°Francis, take us to the school gate quickly.¡±

    ¡°No. Zac is at the gate¡­¡±

    Wanda shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears.

    ¡°What do we do? What do we do?¡±

    Francis shifted gears and floored the gas <b>pedal</b>, speeding away.

    Wanda¡¯s voice trembled,

    ¡°Where¡­ where are you taking us?¡±

    Carlisle was equally confused.

    ¡°Francis, what are you doing?¡±

    Francis calmly replied, ¡°I know a ce where we can climb over the wall, right by the female dormitory!¡±

    Wanda was overjoyed at this news.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Drive faster.¡±

    Francis nodded, shifting into fifth gear and flooring the elerator.

    Meanwhile, Zachary sat in his BMW at Rivend University¡¯s entrance.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    He smoked with his legs crossed while calling Queenie.

 Chapter 248

    Zachary had already called three times, but no one answered. It was his fourth attempt.

    Finally, Queenie picked up.

    ¡°Hello? I was in the shower,¡® Queenie exined.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the school gate. I want to treat you and Wanda to ate¨C<b>night </b>snack. Come out together!¡± Zachary said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe yesterday on Sunday? Now, you show up on Monday night for ate¨Cnight snack? What are you thinking?¡±

    Queenie¡¯s voice was quite exasperated.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today!¡± Zachary said cheerfully..

    ¡°Oh? Did you get some rare equipment in your game or finally close that deal?¡®

    Queenie put him on speakerphone as she dried her hair at her vanity.

    ¡°We merged with another guild in the game, and I closed the deal. How could I not be happy?¡± Zachary said, swinging his legs with a smile.

    ¡°How did you manage to close that deal? I heard even Austin couldn¡¯t do it,¡± Queenie asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about itter. Juste out already. I¡¯ve been waiting for over ten minutes!¡± Zachary coaxed. her patiently.

    Queenie agreed. She hung up and started doing her makeup.

    Zachary flicked his cigarette butt out the car window.

    Suddenly, a ck <b>sedan </b>sped by like a rocket.

    The speed was so fast that a small stone was kicked up and hit Zachary¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Ouch, damn it!¡± Zachary cursed, clutching his stinging forehead.

    His driver opened the car door and got out, but the ck sedan had already disappeared.

    Zachary followed, angrily ring down the road and shouting, ¡°Are you in a rush to meet your maker of

    something?¡±

    He lowered his hand, seeing blood on his palm. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw that his foreheadOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    <b>was </b>scraped.

    The driver asked with a stern/face, ¡°Do you want to track down that car?¡±

    Zachary waved it off.

    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m in a good mood today, I won¡¯t stoop to their level!¡±

    2/2

    Zachary was indeed in a good mood. He had stayed up all night, merging his game guild with another.

    He then sessfully bought into Wind Semiconductors during the day.

    Wind Semiconductors was the leader in Rivend¡¯s semiconductor industry. With Wind Semiconductors as his cornerstone, he even felt ready to venture into the mobile phone industry.

    He was meeting Queenie that night to discuss whether they should enter <b>the </b>mobile phone market.

    Meanwhile, Francis drove to the back of the female dormitory near Rivend University¡¯s west gate and

    stopped.

    He pointed to a gap in the wall.

    ¡°You can climb in there.¡±

    The wall was about nine feet high, with a three¨Cfoot section broken down.

    Wanda quickly opened the car door <b>and </b>got out, followed by Carlisle.

    Wanda pouted as she looked at the remaining six feet of the wall.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get up there!¡±

    Carlisle crouched down and said, ¡°Step on my shoulders to get up.

    After hesitating for a moment, Wanda held her skirt and tried to lift her leg to step onto Carlisle¡¯s

    shoulders.

    However, holding her skirt restricted her movement. She couldn¡¯t lift her leg high enough.

    Reluctantly, she had to lift her skirt a bit higher, just above her knees.

    Then, she ced one hand on the wall and stepped onto Carlisle¡¯s shoulder.

    With both feet now on Carlisle¡¯s shoulders, she blushed and whispered, ¡°Carlisle, I¨CI¡¯m ready.¡±

    Carlisle slowly stood up.

    Wanda grabbed the top of the wall with one hand, then used her other to hold onto the wall as well.

    With her hands upied, her skirt fell, draping over Carlisle¡¯s head,

    ¡°Whoa, what a view!¡± he thought.

    In those days, leggings or tights were not a thing.

    Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but look up, feeling a surge of excitement.

 Chapter 249

    Wanda managed to mber over the wall.

    The drop on the inside was only about three feet, making it easy to jump down.

    Looking back at Carlisle, she said, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯m going now.¡±

    Seeing Carlisle¡¯s somewhat disappointed expression, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Carlisle forced augh.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just be careful when you jump down!¡±

    Wanda nodded and jumped off with a light hop.

    Carlisle pouted, feeling a bit let down.

    ¡°She was wearing denim shorts under her skirt. Who¡¯s she protecting herself from?¡±

    Still, her white, smooth legs were quite a sight.

    Carlisle got back into the car with a smile.

    Francis asked, ¡°Are you returning to the dorm or the studio?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle yawned as he reclined in the seat.

    ¡°Back to the dorm, but only after Zachary leaves.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a small hole near the male dormitory¡­

    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m in a hurry?¡±

    Wanda returned to her dorm.

    On the <b>bed </b>was a set of casual clothes Phoebe had prepared for <b>her</b>.

    Wanda took her clothes and headed into the bathroom just as there was a knock on the dormitory door.

    The roommates exchanged nces, and then all eyes turned to Phoebe.

    Phoebe cleared her throat before asking, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Queenie. I¡¯m here to see Wanda!¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡¯s in the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then open the door,¡± Queenie sald casually

    ¡°Alright. La, can you open the door?¡± Phoebe asked one of the roommates near <b>the </b><b>door</b>.

    The girl named La got out of bed and opened the door.

    Wearing a sexy off¨Cshoulder dress and perfectly done makeup, Queenie walked into the dormitory with her long legs striding gracefully.

    Phoebe¡¯s eyes widened in admiration.

    ¡°Wow, you look stunning!¡±

    A roommate from a nearby bed chimed in, ¡°Oh my gosh! Is this Rivend University¡¯s top beauty?¡±

    ¡°I wish I had even a fraction of your beauty.¡±

    I

    ¡°Can I get your messenger username?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated. There are plenty of girls prettier than me here,¡± Queenie said, feeling a bit embarrassed by thepliments from these sweet girls.

    She would have been annoyed if thepliments hade from a group of <b>guys </b>because they would only be interested in her for her looks.

    But these were innocent girls. They couldn¡¯t possibly have any ulterior motives, right?

    Wait¡­

    She was here to find Wanda!

    Queenie gathered herself and walked toward the bathroom.

    ¡°Wanda, are you almost done?¡±

    Wanda responded from inside, ¡°Almost ready.¡±

    Hearing Wanda¡¯s voice, Queenie returned to continue chatting with the girls.

    Wanda finished changing.

    She washed her face and returned to the room as sheined, ¡°What¡¯s with Zac? He didn¡¯t treat usst night and only shows up on a Monday!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I said the same thing to him just now! Let¡¯s go. We shouldn¡¯t keep him waiting. We can¡¯t disappoint his kind gesture,¡± Queenie said as she linked arms with Wanda and started walking out.

    ¡°Yeah<b>!</b>¡±

    4152

    Wanda nodded, then asked her roommates if they wanted her to bring back any <b>food</b><b>.</b>

    The roommates shook their heads, knowing Wanda came from a wealthy family and had recently <b>started</b>

    apany. They didn¡¯t dare to trouble someone like her.

    It was already 11:00 pm, and the school gates were closed. However, Queenie¡¯s status made it a <b>non- </b>issue.

    The security guard eagerly opened the gate for Queenie.

    The two got into Zachary¡¯s BMW.

    Chapter 249YA

    Queenie noticed the band¨Caid on Zachary¡¯s forehead and asked, ¡°What happened to your forehead<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Don¡¯t even ask. I encountered some bad luck today!¡±

    Just thinking about it made Zachary fume.

    ¡°Some idiot was driving at least 65 miles. They probably hit a small stone with their tire, which hit <b>me</b>.¡±

    Queenie couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°Were you sitting in your car?¡±

    Zachary replied with a dark expression, ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I said it was bad luck!¡°

 Chapter 250

    Sitting in the passenger seat, Wanda blinked when she heard Zachary¡¯s encounter.

    Driving at 65 miles per hour?

    She wondered if it was Carlisle¡¯s car.

    After all, Carlisle¡¯s car had just passed by the school entrance.

    Wanda had <b>seen </b>Zachary¡¯s car and even ducked onto Carlisle¡¯sp to avoid being seen.

    ¡°Drive to the barbecue ce in South City,¡± Zachary instructed the driver.

    Then he put his arm around Queenie¡¯s waist and smiled.

    ¡°You look stunning today. Give me a kiss¡­¡±

    Queenie raised her hand to block Zachary¡¯s approaching lips, blushing as she yfully scolded, ¡°Knock it off! Wanda¡¯s right here.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Wanda pursed her lips and said, ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Zachary, worried about provoking Wanda and rekindling her rtionship with Carlisle, decided to tone it down.

    ¡°Wanda, may I borrow your phone for a second?¡± Zachary suddenly asked.

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Wanda handed her phone to Zachary

    Anticipating that Zachary might check her phone, Wanda had already deleted all her chat history with Carlisle and the two photos in her album, knowing she could get them from Lily or Phoebeter.

    Zachary took the phone, first checking the call logs and messages. There was no contact with Carlisle.

    He then opened MSN Messenger and clicked on Carlisle¡¯s chat, but there was no history of any conversation.

    Zachary nodded in satisfaction.

    He was about to open the photo album when Queenie smacked his leg hard.

    Zachary looked up to see Queeie staring at him coldly.

    Realizing he had crossed a line by inspecting a girl¡¯s photo album, he returned the phone to Wanda with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not talking to Carlisle anymore?¡±

    Wanda said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause him any trouble.¡±

    Zachary rubbed his nose and sighed<b>..</b>

    ¡°Dad and I are doing this for your own good. The both of youe from different worlds.¡± Wanda retrieved her phone and turned her head away.

    23

    Francis drove Carlisle to the school gate when Zachary¡¯s BMW drove off.

    Seeing the closed gate, Carlisle sighed.

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll sleep at the studio tonight.¡±

    Francis turned the car around and headed to the studio<b>.</b>

    They bought somete¨Cnight snacks and two cases of beer on the way back.

    A new desk had been added to the studio¡¯s living room, equipped with aputer andndline phone.

    Sunny was sitting at the desk, handling business calls.

    When Carlisle entered the room, Sunny immediately stood up and called out, ¡°Boss.¡±

    Carlisle nodded.

    ¡°I registered Dragonaire Game Company today. Let¡¯s celebrate with everyone.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Sunny cheerfully went up the stairs to gather everyone.

    Soon, everyone gathered on the first floor, eating snacks and drinking beer.

    Sunny asked quietly, ¡°Is Owen really noting back?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head while drinking his beer

    ¡°He¡¯s going through a rebellious phase. He¡¯lle back eventually.¡±

    Cameron then asked, ¡°Are we still nning to expand the gamepany?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t be taking any money from the studio for now. It will be used to buy moreputers. By next year, we¡¯ll get a bigger ce! Carlisle replied, finishing a bottle of beer before stumbling off to

    sleep.

    The following day, Carlisle woke early and headed to school. His roommates were still slumbering in their

    dorm.

    He changed into his military uniform and sat on his bed for a while.

    Noticing a few creamy candies by his pillow, he pocketed them. Sandy from the R&D department had given them to him while yfully teasing him.

    Just then, his phone chimed with an MSN Messenger notification.

    Thinking it was Wanda, he quickly looked at his phone.

    It was a friend request from someone with the username ¡°Beauty_Like_Jade¡°.

    Carlisle quickly remembered the mysterious person who had asked for his messenger username.

    After a moment¡¯s thought, he epted the request. The person promptly sent a message.

    Beauty_Like_Jade: ¡°Hi, Carlisle!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Who is this?<b>¡±</b>

    Beauty_Like Jade: ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a secret!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°That¡¯s childish!¡±

    Beauty_Like_Jade: ¡°Why is it childish? Keeping a little mystery isn¡¯t a bad thing, is it?¡±

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 251

    Carlisle was toozy to reply.

    But the user, Beauty_Like_Jade persisted and asked, ¡°Do <b>you </b>have <b>a </b>girlfriend?¡±

    Carlisle replied, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    He thought about removing Beauty_Like_Jade from his friend list but hesitated, fearing she might take. her anger out on someone else.

    Beauty Like Jade replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be so aloof. We <b>can </b>be friends!¡±

    Carlisle responded, ¡°Ha, friends? With all this mystery?¡±

    He also added, ¡°If you genuinely want to be friends, be honest!¡±

    He sent a string of messages, hoping to figure out who this woman was. However, Beauty_Like_Jade didn¡¯t reply.

    Meanwhile, Daniel¡¯s rm red, jolting him awake. He silenced it and tried to return to sleep, but his

    other roommates¡® rms soon followed

    Daniel reluctantly opened his eyes

    Turning over, he saw Carlisle getting out of bed and immediately perked up. ¡°Morning, Carlisle!¡±

    Aware of Carlisle¡¯s new position as his father¡¯s boss, Daniel knew maintaining a good rtionship with

    him was crucial.

    Carlisle politely responded, ¡°Good morning. Hurry up and get ready. I¡¯ll wait for you to head down together.

    Daniel jumped out of bed, wearing red shorts, and headed to the bathroom.

    The other roommates got up one by one, each greeting Carlisle with respect, ¡°Morning, Carlisle.¡±

    Carlisle noticed the newfound respect in their eyes, likely because Daniel had revealed some of his

    secrets.

    No wonder Ryan had wanted to get rid of Daniel when they had theirte¨Cnight conversation.

    Carlisle nodded in response to each greeting.

    Even Kelvin, who was usually a bit of a coward, greeted him nervously, ¡°Good morning, Carlisle!¡±

    Carlisle nced at him briefly and then looked away. He had no fondness for someone who bullied the

    weak.

    Seeing that Carlisle wasn¡¯t interested in him, Kelvin kept smiling apologetically. ¡°Carlisle, I was wrong before. If I offended you in any way, I apologize. I <b>hope </b>you can forgive me!¡±

    <b>2/2</b>

    He even lowered his head toward Carlisle.

    Daniel had informed the other roommates of Carlisle¡¯s millionaire status<b>, </b>a im they initially met with.

    disbelief.

    Daniel also revealed his own background and mentioned that Carlisle had spent 55 million dors to acquire his family¡¯s Xenos Factory.

    The roommates remained skeptical, dismissing Daniel¡¯s ount as an exaggeration.

    Frustrated, Daniel took them to visit Xenos Factory yesterday.

    Even then, the roommates only believed Daniel¡¯s family background, not the story about Carlisle¡¯s

    acquisition.

    In desperation, Daniel had called his father to confirm it.

    Ryan, who had juste back from the Secretary of State¡¯s office, showed them the documents proving the change of ownership.

    At that point, everyone fell silent.

    Kelvin couldn¡¯t ept this reality and almost hit his head against the wall in frustration.

    He finally realized that Carlisle¡¯s earlierment, ¡°I have more money than you¡°, was no joke.

    While brushing his teeth, Daniel walked to the door and mumbled through a mouthful of foam, ¡°Kelvin, your apology doesn¡¯t seem sincere!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Kelvin was dumbfounded. He had even lowered his head, wasn¡¯t that enough? Did they expect him to

    kneel?

    Carlisle shot Daniel a disapproving look. ¡°Seriously, must you always say whatever¡¯s on your mind?¡± Feeling guilty, Daniel shrugged and went back to the washroom to finish brushing his teeth.

    Kelvin trembled and said, ¡°Carlisle, if you¡¯re still not satisfied, I¡¯ll kneel and apologize!¡±

    Carlisle lounged with his legs crossed <b>and </b>looked up indifferently. ¡°Why do you need to apologize to me? With Mike <b>backing </b>you up, you can do whatever you want at school, right?¡±

    Kelvin¡¯s family was well¨Coff, and he didn¡¯t need to curry favor with Carlisle as he had Mike¡¯s support.

    ¡°Mike <b>doesn¡¯t </b>respect me at all. He just asks for money and never helps me with any problems!¡± Kelvin said, looking miserable.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to hang out with him anymore. I¡¯d rather follow you, Carlisle!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s wealth was undeniable.

 Chapter 252

    12

    Even someone like Mike wouldn¡¯t dare provoke such wealthy individuals. After all, those individuals could simply hire others to deal with the problem if angered.

    Mike wasn¡¯t the only school bully around. This <b>was </b>something Mike <b>had </b>told Kelvin himself.

    ¡°Scared now, huh?¡± Carlisle got up from the bed <b>and </b>walked over.

    He whispered in Kelvin¡¯s ear, ¡°If it were just me you offended, I might have forgiven you. But you bullied Wanda, and that¡¯s something I can¡¯t forgive.¡±

    Kelvin paled, his lips trembling as he struggled to speak.

    He deeply regretted harassing Wanda because of Sarah. He hadn¡¯t won <b>Sarah </b>over, <b>and </b>now he was in

    serious trouble.

    Carlisle continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause you trouble. I just won¡¯t protect you. We¡¯re from the same

    county, so let me give you some advice. Stay away from Mike.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go, Carlisle,¡± Daniel said as he entered, now dressed in his military uniform.

    Carlisle patted Kelvin¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Take care.¡± He then put his hands in his pockets and left with

    Daniel.

    Seeing it was still early, the two

    Daniel bought two portions.

    went out to buy breakfast.

    Carlisle <b>asked </b>curiously, ¡°Why did you buy two breakfasts?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°One is for my goddess!¡± Daniel replied, blushing while scratching his head.

    ¡°Your goddess?¡± Carlisle looked puzzled.

    ¡°Wanda, of course! She¡¯s the prettiest girl in our ss now!¡±

    ¡°Uh. Daniel, maybe you should consider someone else.¡±

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t think I have a chance? With my looks, <b>I </b>could easily be the school heartthrob!¡± Daniel flipped his side¨Cswept bangs confidently.

    Carlisle sighed. ¡°To be honest, I like her too.¡±

    Daniel was a bit loose¨Ctongued, so Carlisle kept his rtionship with Wanda secret.

    ¡°No way, Carlisle! I won¡¯t give up on Wanda. We can have a fairpetition!¡± Daniel red at Carlisle with determination.

    He never had a crush in high school, only nning to date after graduation. But the moment he saw Wanda, he was smitten.

    He was determined to win her over at all costs.

    <b>¡°</b>Suit yourself,¡± Carlisle said with a smile, biting into his bun as they walked into the school.

    Since starting university, Wanda had be quite stylish, her elegant outfits adding to her charm.

    It was normal for her to attract admirers.

    Carlisle had tried to warn Daniel for his own good, to prevent him from getting hurtter on.

    The students were already gathering at the assembly point.

    After yesterday¡¯s tiring outdoor training, <b>most </b>looked exhausted.

    As the majority arrived, Carlisle found his spot.

    Wanda and Phoebe arrived a littlete, <b>and </b>a small smile formed on Daniel¡¯s lips.

    Wanda probably hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast. If he brought it to her now, she would surely be touched, right?

    He walked over with the bun and blocked Wanda¡¯s path, smiling gentlemanly. ¡°Wanda, you haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, have you? Here, I brought you some.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Wanda politely declined.

    She then walked past Daniel and headed to the assembly point.

    Phoebe teased, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Wanda already has her eyes set on someone!¡±

    Hearing Phoebe¡¯s words, Daniel felt like he had been struck by lightning.

    He asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Phoebe said, leaving him standing there as she walked away.

    Daniel stood frozen, feeling as if the world had turned gray.

    After a long while, he finally came to his senses and walked over to Carlisle, looking dejected.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Carlisle asked with a smile.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading

 Chapter 253

    *She turned me down!¡± Daniel said with his head down, his eyes dull and lifeless.

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°Told you, but you wouldn¡¯t listen!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t gloat. Phoebe said Wanda already has someone she <b>likes</b>, so you¡¯re out of luck too!¡± Daniel felt a little better realizing that even a billionaire like Carlisle didn¡¯t stand a chance either.

    ¡°Mr. Hanson ising.¡± Carlisle noticed Lawrence approaching and gave a quiet warning.

    Daniel quickly stuffed the bun into his pocket, and the students scrambled into formation.

    ¡°Attention!¡± Lawrencemanded from the front, and all the students snapped to attention.

    ¡°Dress right, dress!

    ¡°Ready, front!

    ¡°At ease!

    ¡°Yesterday¡¯s field training went well, and I hope you all continue to perform well today!¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Lawrence¡¯s sharp gaze swept across the students.

    He then barked, ¡°Right, face!¡±

    Everyone turned to the right in unison.

    ¡°Forward march!¡±

    The students marched toward the school bus assembly point.

    Upon arrival, Lawrence instructed, ¡°Get on the bus ording to the groups and seats assigned yesterday!¡±

    The students filed onto the buses. Soon, only Carlisle and Wanda remained.

    Lawrence walked over <b>and </b>said, ¡°You two take the bus at the back!¡±

    Carlisle and Wanda exchanged nces and then boarded the bus one after the other.

    ¡°Wanda, over here.¡± Phoebe waved to Wanda as soon as she got on the bus.

    Christine who walked down the aisle ahead of Wanda, however, plopped down next to Phoebe.

    Phoebe was momentarily puzzled. ¡°Christine, what are you doing? Mr. Hanson said to sit in the same seats as yesterday.¡±

    The back of the bus was mostly empty, and no one <b>had </b>sat next to Phoebe yesterday. Christine had also sat alone in a row at the back.

    Christine leaned over and whispered something in Phoebe¡¯s ear.

    Phoebe nced at Carlisle and then smiled awkwardly. ¡°How could I forget about that!¡±

    2/2

    Wanda and Carlisle had no choice but to take the row behind Phoebe and Christine.

    As the bus started moving, Wanda almost lost her bnce due to the sudden inertia. Fortunately, Carlisle quickly steadied her.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Carlisle asked with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Wanda shook her head and sat in the window seat, holding onto the seat in front of her.

    Despite their growing closeness, sitting next to Carlisle in front of so many ssmates made her feel uncontrobly nervous.

    Carlisle sat on the aisle seat, noticing Wanda¡¯s nervous demeanor from the corner of his eye. He found it

    amusing.

    He reached into his pocket and then extended his hand toward Wanda.

    Wanda looked at him curiously. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Carlisle opened his hand, revealing a creamy candy.

    Blushing, Wanda took the candy from his hand and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Across the aisle sat Tiffany from ss 2, with Ruby by the window next to her.

    Since Carlisle had boarded the bus, Ruby had been sneaking nces at him. She had noticed when Carlisle gave Wanda the candy and was puzzled by the sight.

    Both Carlisle and Wanda had been absent yesterday. Now, Carlisle was giving Wanda candy.

    Were they dating?

    ¡°Ugh¡­

    Suddenly, Tiffany who sat next to her clutched her chest and let out a <b>gagging </b>sound.

    Ruby¡¯s face changed instantly. She was ready to snap, but quickly controlled her emotions.

 Chapter 254

    Ruby gently patted Tiffany¡¯s back and softly asked, ¡°Tiffany, are you feeling carsick again? Would you like to switch seats and sit by the window?¡±

    As soon as Ruby¡¯s hand touched Tiffany¡¯s back, Tiffany flinched like a startled bird and quickly shook her head. ¡°No.. no, it¡¯s fine. I can handle it!¡±

    ¡°Sitting by the window and getting some fresh air might help,¡± Ruby insisted, her tone still soft. But her other hand pinched Tiffany¡¯s waist hard.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Tiffany let out a yelp.

    Carlisle turned his head and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Tiffany shook her head but said, ¡°Y¨CYes, I¡¯m just having some stomach difort.¡±

    Ruby coaxed again, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to switch seats<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Tiffany quickly stood up, feeling both aggrieved and touched.

    Yesterday, she had been sitting by the window, but Ruby had forced her to switch seats. So when Ruby suggested switching again, Tiffany was afraid Ruby would retaliateter.

    But now, it seemed Ruby genuinely wanted to switch seats with her.

    And so the two switched seats. Tiffany opened the window a crack and took deep breaths of fresh air, her face <b>close </b>to the ss.

    Ruby now sat in the aisle seat, keeping an eye on Carlisle and Wanda out of the corner of her eye, looking. for any signs of intimacy.

    Wanda calmly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked Carlisle, ¡°Do you get carsick too? Would you like to sit by the window?¡±

    ¡°1¡±

    Carlisle was about to say he didn¡¯t get carsick, but seeing Wanda¡¯s slightly threatening gaze, he nodded. Thanks, Wanda!¡±

    They too switched <b>ces </b><b>and </b>Carlisle settled into the window seat.

    Wanda took the aisle seat, unwrapped a creamy candy with her delicate fingers, and popped it into her

    mouth.

    The rich, milky vor filled her mouth with sweetness.

    Ruby was fuming inside.

    She had finally managed to get closer to Carlisle, but now Wanda had swapped seats with him. Did <b>this</b>

    woman have a death wish?

    She red at Wanda with a look of resentment.

    With her cheeks appearing puffed out from the candy, Wanda noticed Ruby¡¯s re and looked back in confusion.

    All she had done was switch seats with Carlisle, why <b>was </b>Ruby so angry<b>?</b>

    Could it be¡­?

    Wanda suddenly remembered Tiffany asking Carlisle for his messenger username.

    It all clicked into ce¨CRuby had feelings for Carlisle!

    She had instructed Tiffany to switch seats with her just to be closer to him.

    At this moment, Ruby shakily stood up and walked to the front of the bus. She quickly returned with

    several bottles of water.

    First, she handed a bottle to Tiffany, then offered one to Wanda with a smile. ¡°Wanda, have some water.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wanda responded with a sweet smile.

    ¡°Car-

    Ruby started to hand a bottle to Carlisle, but Wanda quickly offered her bottle to him, ¡°Here, have some

    water.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± Carlisle said with a warm, <b>maic </b>voice.

    Ruby¡¯s hand froze, and her expression turned stiff.

    She had initially taken four water bottles, intending to give one to Carlisle. However, she worried it might be too obvious and he wouldn¡¯t ept it, so she brought extra to appear casual.

    Now, Wanda had shamelessly given him her bottle to seem generous!

    ¡°Ruby, is that extra bottle for me?¡± Wanda asked, blinking her big, innocent eyes.

    Ruby forced a smile. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s for you¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± Wanda said, her eyebrow arching into a crescent moon shape.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± Ruby returned to her seat, staring at the water bottle in her hand.

    Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she stood up again.

    Addressing Carlisle, she said, ¡°Carlisle, I hurt my hand during training yesterday. Could you help me open.

    the bottle?¡±

    She raised her right thumb to show Carlisle. It was indeed slightly scrapped.

    With Carlisle¡¯s good vision, he had to squint to see the small injury.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Wanda quickly twisted open her bottle and handed it over. ¡°Here, let¡¯s switch bottles!¡±

 Chapter 255

    ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± Ruby almost spat out the words.

    THE

    12

    She was increasingly suspicious that something was going on between Wanda and Carlisles

    After switching the water bottles, Ruby felt lost and returned to her seat.

    On the other hand, Wanda was quite pleased with herself.

    However, her smugness was short¨Clived as Harvey Cook from ss 1 approached.

    Standing around 5¡¯8¡± with a trendy haircut, he smiled and said to Wanda, ¡°Wanda, can we switch seats? I¡¯d like to chat with Carlisle.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°No.¡± Wanda refused without hesitation, suspecting that Harvey might know Ruby.

    Harvey smiled and said calmly, ¡°Queenie is my cousin.¡±

    Wanda froze, then reluctantly stood up and moved to a seat in the row behind, her expression now nk.

    Harvey took the seat beside Carlisle and closed his eyes to rest.

    Carlisle nced at him briefly but didn¡¯t say anything

    His intentions were clear. It was as if he was tantly telling Wanda, ¡°We¡¯re watching you<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Meanwhile, Ruby was full of confusion. She couldn¡¯t understand why Wanda would listen to Harvey.

    Queenie wasn¡¯t even married into the Thompson family yet!

    Even if Queenie did marry Zachary, Harvey would only be a distant rtive. What right did he have to order Wanda around, the treasured daughter of the Thompson family?

    An hourter, the school bus arrived at its destination.

    They had reached arge,prehensive training base withplete facilities, including a live¨Caction training field.

    The instructor¡¯s whistle signaled the students to disembark and assemble promptly.

    ¡°Attention! Dress right, dress! Ready, front! At ease!¡±

    After a week of training, the students executed themands wlessly.

    Lawrence finished giving themands and then said, ¡°Wanda <b>and </b>Carlisle, step forward. The rest of you<b>, </b>get ready for a warm¨Cup ruh!¡±

    Carlisle and Wanda stepped out of the formation.

    ¡°Right, <b>face</b><b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Once the students had turned to the right, Lawrencemanded, ¡°Begin running!¡±

    The students started running in unison.

    The drill instructor, Adam Patterson from ss 2, jogged alongside the formation as he shouted, ¡°One, two, three, four!¡±

    The rest of the students echoed him in unison.

    Since Carlisle and Wanda had been absent the previous day, Lawrence took the opportunity to exin the

    day¡¯s training exercises and important points to them.

    As the students began their secondp, Lawrence signaled Carlisle and Wanda to rejoin the group before heading inside the base to coordinate the preparation of the simtion training.

    Afterpleting fiveps, Lawrence gathered the students to distribute imitation firearms¨Cfake replicas of training guns.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t satisfied with yesterday¡¯s simtion. Youcked teamwork, which caused the mission to run over time. Today, you must correct those mistakes!

    ¡°Just like yesterday, teams thatplete the mission within the allotted time will be rewarded with meat stew for lunch. Those who don¡¯t will only have oatmeal!

    ¡°Carlisle, you join Team 2. Wanda, you¡¯re with Team 5. Team 1, step forward!¡±

    Lawrence held a megaphone <b>and </b>a walkie¨Ctalkie.

    The megaphone was for directing the battle, while the walkie¨Ctalkie was formunicating with the base

    staff.

    At Lawrence¡¯smand, about 20 students stepped forward, wearingbat uniforms and holding fake

    <b>guns</b>.

    Lawrence spoke into the walkie¨Ctalkie, ¡°We are ready.¡±

    ¡°Roger that,¡± came the reply.

    Over a dozen staff members, armed and wearing ck headgear, emerged from a warehouse carrying two boxes of props to obstruct the students¡® progress.

    Lawrence put away the walkie¨Ctalkie and took out a stopwatch from his pocket. Lifting the megaphone, he shouted, ¡°Begin the operation!¡±

    The staff raised their fake guns and pulled the <b>triggers</b>, emitting bursts of electronic gunfire.

 Chapter 256

    Team 1 immediately dropped to the ground and began crawling forward.

    After roughly 60 feet, a stic smoke grenade fell from above; its acrid smoke caused the students to cough¨Cas theyy on the ground.

    With the experience from the previous day, some students rolled to the side. However, a few impatient

    ones stood up and charged forward.

    The staff on the opposite side aimed a stic rocketuncher and fired a projectile made of paintThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    powder into the air.

    The projectilended at the feet of the standing students and exploded, covering them in paint powder.

    Lawrence¡¯s voice boomed through the megaphone, ¡°Anyone with over 20% of their body covered in pain,

    step out!¡±

    The students who had stood up and charged dejectedly left the training area.

    The remaining team members continued to crawl forward.

    As long as they crawled through the first stage, the staff wouldn¡¯t fire paint projectiles but would only use smoke to hinder their progress.

    The students rolled to avoid the <b>falling </b>smoke grenades and crawled through the thinning smoke.

    Five minutester, they passed the first stage.

    The second stage demanded finding cover and charging forward while staff members threw paint

    grenades.

    This stage tested reaction speed. Running fast enough ensured avoiding the paint.

    Teams 1 through 4 were allposed of boys, while Team 5 was made up of girls. The difficulty level for

    Team 5 was lowered.

    The boys had enough stamina to more effectively evade the dense attacks.

    Paint grenades exploded one after another, while the staff fired paint bullets, creating a chaotic scene of

    color and movement.

    These staff members were former soldiers <b>and </b>had undergone special training, aiming their shots at the

    students¡® feet.

    The paint bullets weren¡¯t very powerful. Getting hit merely felt like being struck by a piece of chalk.

    Finding cover, the studentsunched a counterattack, forcing the staff to the ground.

    Under the cover of fire, some students dashed to the second set of barricades.

    There were five stages in total. With their persistent efforts, the students finally reached the fourth stage.

    <b>2/2</b>

    ¡®Time¡¯s up, mission failed,¡± Lawrence announced through the megaphone.

    ¡°Man, these staff don¡¯t cut us any ck!¡± one student grumbled.

    ¡°And their firepower seems stronger than yesterday,¡± added another.

    ¡°Well, looks like it¡¯s cereal and bread for lunch!¡± someone else remarked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just one <b>meal </b>without meat, we¡¯ll survive!¡± another chimed <b>in</b><b>.</b>

    Team 1 returned to Lawrence¡¯s side<b>.</b>

    Lawrence said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve improved <b>a </b>lot since yesterday.¡±

    Yesterday, Team 1 had been eliminated in the third stage. Today, they reached the fourth stage with about 10 students remaining.

    One studentined, ¡°Mr. Hanson, this is too hard. 20 minutes isn¡¯t enough!¡±

    Lawrence replied coolly. ¡°Why did Team 5 seed yesterday, then? They¡¯re all girls, and the difficulty

    wasn¡¯t that much lower.¡±

    The students fell silent.

    Lawrence picked up the megaphone <b>and </b>called out, ¡°Team 2, get ready.¡±

    Carlisle held his fake gun and followed his team to the starting point.

    The base staff began clearing the paint from the field.

    Lawrence said calmly, 10 minutes for preparation!¡±

    Carlisle turned to his teammates and announced, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss our strategy!¡±

    The others looked at him in confusion. Wasn¡¯t it just a matter of charging <b>forward</b><b>? </b>What strategy?

    Carlisle pointed to the right¨Cside barricades of the second stage and exined, ¡°We¡¯ll split into three groups. One group will go for the cover on the right, another for the left, and the third will provide cover fire from the center. When the second and third groups reach the third stage, they¡¯ll initiate an attack!¡±

    Seeing Carlisle¡¯s confident manner, Harvey spoke up. ¡°Fine, us ss 1 guys will take the middle and provide cover for you.¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡®Alright, we¡¯ll split into two groups then, attack from both sides<b>!</b>¡±

    ss 1 was grouped, while ss <b>2 </b>divided themselves into two.

    Observing from a distance, Lawrence saw Team 2 forming three distinct groups. A gleam of approval shed in his dark eyes.

 Chapter 257

    The difficulty of this simtedbat training wasn¡¯t actually very high.

    Lawrence had covered extensivebat theoryst week, yet none of the students seemed to apply it in practice.

    Witnessing Team 2¡¯s strategic discussion and division Into groups, Lawrence felt confident they couldplete the task within the allotted time.

    The base staff quickly cleared the field.

    Once the opposing side gave an OK signal, Lawrence picked up the megaphone and shouted, ¡°Team 2,

    At themand, Team 2¡¯s three groups surged forward.

    As soon as they reached the first stage, they dropped to the ground and crawled forward.

    The staff on the opposing side began tossing smoke grenades to interfere with them.

    Carlisle, who had been closely observing, shouted before the smoke grenades <bnded</b>, ¡°Iing attack

    from the north, avoid the smoke!¡±

    The central group immediately rolled to the sides.

    The smoke grenades hit the ground, releasing their choking smoke.

    All three groups sessfully evaded the obstacle and even elerated their pace.

    A faint smile crossed Lawrence¡¯s lips as he picked up his walkie¨Ctalkie and calmly instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s raise

    the difficulty for these kids.¡±

    Three staff members on the opposing side grabbed their fake rocketunchers from the prop boxes and prepared to fire paint projectiles.

    The students of Team 2 were almost ready to curse.

    ¡°Damn, but none of us stood up!¡±

    ¡°Big L is messing with us!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, I curse him to never get married!¡±

    Harvey and Daniel were getting anxious. Staying down made them easy targets.

    The field was already filled with smoke, so their only option was to stand up and <b>run</b>.

    But even if they stood up, the smoke made it impossible to see where the paint projectiles would <bnd</b>

    ¡°Stand up and charge, I¡¯ll call out the positions for you!¡± Carlisle suddenly stood up and <b>ran </b><b>back</b>.

    The other students stared in disbelief. Then came a chorus ofints.

    Chapte <b>257</b>

    ¡°Carlisle is <b>such </b>a coward, running away in the middle of it?¡±

    ¡°If this were a real battlefield, he¡¯d be executed on the spot!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s embarrassing our ss!¡±

    ¡°Thank God he¡¯s not on our team!¡±

    Over on the Team 5 side, the girls were also looking at the retreating figure with disdain.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that student from ss 2?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. His name is Carlisle, the one who took leave yesterday!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, he was just pretending to discuss strategy, now he¡¯s the first to run away!¡±

    ¡°Stop it! Carlisle must have a n!¡± Ruby red at the gossiping girls, silencing them.

    Christine and Phoebe nced at Wanda. They saw that Wanda was just staring intently at Carlise.

    Wanda firmly believed that Carlisle wouldn¡¯t run away. She deduced he was probably running out of the smoke to call out positions for his teammates.

    When Lawrence saw Carlisle running back, he immediately understood his intention and quickly ran over.

    Carlisle reached the starting point just as Lawrence arrived, handing the megaphone to Carlisle.

    Carlisle took it and immediately shouted, ¡°Group 3, iing fire from the north!¡±

    The Team 2 members were still crawling through the smoke. Hearing Carlisle¡¯s call, they immediately

    rolled to the sides<b>.</b>

    Carlisle continued, ¡°Group 1, northeast!¡±

    Group 1 reacted quickly, rolling to the left.

    Carlisle shouted again, ¡°Group 2, northwest!¡±

    Group 2 swiftly rolled to the right.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    The opposing side fired three rounds of paint projectiles.

    Thanks to Carlisle¡¯s timely call¨Couts, none of the students were hit by the paint. All of them had already advanced to the second stage.

    C

 Chapter 258

    hapter 258

    1/2

    Carlisle handed the megaphone back to Lawrence.

    He then charged into the smoke¨Cfilled area with his fake gun in hand.

    The opposing staff members decided to target the student directing the battle first.

    Three of them aimed their rocketunchers into the smoke and fired paint pro

    Daniel frowned and shouted, ¡°Charge, everyone!¡±

    Group 3 immediately ran toward the right¨Cside cover.

    ¡°Cover our teammates!¡± Harveymanded, <b>and </b>Group 1 opened fire on the opposition.

    Group 2 joined the attack, forcing the staff to take cover and abandon their rocketuncher assault.

    One of them pulled the pin on a paint grenade and hurled it forcefully.

    Harvey noticed this and quickly yelled, ¡°Scatter!¡±

    Group 2 and Group 3 members hurriedly moved to the sides.

    Carlisle sessfully passed the first stage.

    His shoes were covered in paint, picked up while passing through the obstacles, but the area covered

    didn¡¯t exceed 20%.

    After Carlisle regrouped with the members of Group 2, the three groups fully implemented their pre- discussed strategy and charged forward.

    With the left and right group providing cover, Carlisle¡¯s group advanced seamlessly through the second

    stage.

    The roles then reversed, with Carlisle¡¯s group now providing cover for the other two as they pushed forward, effectively pinning down the opposing staff.

    The staff could easily overpower the students if they took the exercise seriously, but given this was just a simtion, there was no need to use high¨Cintensity professional tactics.

    In just nine minutes, Team 2 sessfully cleared all five stages andpleted the mission.

    Daniel was ecstatic as he waved his arms wildly. ¡°We get meat for lunch! Carlisle, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    Harvey was puzzled as he asked, ¡°You weren¡¯t here for the training yesterday. How do you seem to know

    the course better than us?¡±

    Carlisle responded calmly, ¡°It¡¯s everyone¡¯s effort that made it happen.¡±

    It was clear he was only addressing Daniel.

    Harvey realized Carlisle wouldn¡¯t engage with him, so he didn¡¯t press further. After all, they had seeded and earned meat stew for lunch.

    Next, it was time for Group 3.

    As they prepared, Team 3 huddled together to discuss their strategy, nning to use Tearn 2s approach.

    However, Lawrence interjected, ¡°The battlefield is constantly changing. If the enemy suffers from a sessful attack, they will adjust their strategy. You must be adaptable,Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The students immediately fell deted.

    Lawrence¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Throughout history, losing morale before a battle proved to be a grave mistake. Buck up, all of you!¡±

    Team 3 immediately stood taller, puffing out their chests,

    Lawrence pulled out a stopwatch and raised his megaphone. ¡°Team 3, move out!¡±

    Team 3 began their advance. They crawled on the ground, moving forward.

    The opposition threw just two smoke grenades.

    As the smoke spread, the students immediately grew tense.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything. Are they firing paint rounds at us<b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell, Should we just stand up and <b>charge</b>?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one calling out positions!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You guys keep moving forward!¡± A student volunteered to run back and report positions.

    Those crawling in the smoke continued to advance.

    The student who returned to report positions reached the starting point, only to realize the opposing side wasn¡¯t firing any paint bullets.

    Confused, he wondered if they were intentionally holding back. The student tasked with calling out positions was utterly confused.

    A voice shouted from the smoke, ¡°Marcus, hurry up and call out the positions!¡±

    Marcus responded loudly, ¡°It looks like they¡¯re not firing paint rounds at all!¡±

    One of the students in the smoke said, ¡°Let¡¯s take it as ites. Stand up and charge!¡±

    With that, everyone stood up and rushed toward the second stage.

    They reached the second stage without any attacks from the opposition,

    Smiles spread across their faces. They cleared the first stage faster than the previous teams. It <b>appeared </b>the opposing staff were indeed going easy on them.

    However, their smiles froze in the next moment.

 Chapter 259

    <b>Due </b>to Team 3 not immediately seeking cover upon entering the second stage, the opposing staff with about 10 people strong, directly stormed the field. Theyunched an attack from the sandbags in the third

    stage.

    Caught off guard, the students stood frozen as paint bullets exploded around their legs. Within <b>seconds</b>, seven or eight students were eliminated.

    ¡°Find cover, quick!¡± one student finally shouted, but it was toote. Several paint bullets hit their mark,

    coating the remaining students in bright yellow paint..

    Marcus made it through the smoke to the <b>second </b>stage, only to find his teammates looking dejected and

    cursing.

    ¡°What-¡± <b>Marcus </b>started to say but was immediately hit in the chest with several paint bullets from the

    other side.

    Lawrence rubbed his forehead in frustration.

    Meanwhile, students from the other teams wereughing hysterically.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t even get past the second stage. What a joke!¡±

    ¡°They totally froze when the other side changed tactics!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to talk big. You guys would freeze too if you were out there!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. They had a good 10 seconds to react when they reached the second <b>stage</b>. It¡¯s their

    <b>own </b>fault for not reacting.<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Team 3, leave the field. Team 4, get ready!¡± Lawrence announced loudly through his megaphone.

    Team 3¡¯s students left the field, grumbling and dejected.

    Learning from Team 3¡¯s mistakes, Team 4 nned to quickly clear the first stage and immediately seek

    cover.

    After 10 minutes of preparation, Team 4 began their mission,

    They quickly cleared the first stage and sessfully pushed back the staff at the second stage. The third and fourth stages were simrly manageable.

    However, they faced about 10 staff members standing their ground at the fifth stage.

    ¡°Open fire, guys!¡± the team leader shouted excitedly. But when he pulled the trigger, he realized his <b>paint </b>bullets had already run out.

    ¡°Fire! Why aren¡¯t you firing?¡± The leader turned to his teammates.

    They all shook their heads.

    ¡°I¡¯m out of ammo!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    2/2

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! We should have conserved ammo at the second stage!¡±

    The leader could only manage a bitterugh. They had aimed to learn from Team 3¡¯s mistakes and seed but had failed at the final hurdle.

    Suddenly, a fist¨Csized paint grenade flew toward them. Team 4¡¯s students didn¡¯t even bother to dodge<b>.</b>

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Lawrence sighed, picking up the megaphone.

    Through gritted teeth, he announced, ¡°Team 4, mission failed. Team 5, get ready!¡±

 Chapter 260

    As Team 4 left the field, the girls of Team 5 huddled to strategize.

    Ruby naturally took on the role of team leader, her expression serious. ¡°We need to learn from Team 4¡¯s failure. Don¡¯t waste any bullets at the second stage. We managed to pass yesterday, and we can do it again today!¡±

    The other girls nodded in agreement. After all, it was thanks to Ruby¡¯s leadership that they had sessfully passed the course yesterday and enjoyed lunch with meat stew.

    However, Wanda frowned and asked, ¡°Did you face any bullet attacks at the second stage yesterday?¡±

    Phoebe nodded. ¡°Yes, but only three staff members were shooting, and they were positioned at the fourth stage. We had plenty of time to avoid their attacks.¡±

    Wanda continued, ¡°Yesterday¡¯s training difficulty must¡¯ve been lower than for the first four teams, right?¡±

    Ruby was displeased and retorted, ¡°That has nothing to do with the difficulty level. We¡¯re just as good as

    the boys!¡±

    Wanda smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s because yesterday, the first four teams all failed, so the difficulty was lowered. Today, since Team 2 has already passed, the difficulty will definitely be higher. We shouldn¡¯t be

    A glint of scorn shed in Ruby¡¯s eyes as she challenged, ¡°Wanda, how about we y a game?¡±

    ¡°What game?¡± Wanda asked, her clear eyes looking directly at Ruby.

    Ruby suggested, ¡°We¡¯ll split into two groups. You and the girls from ss 2 in one group, and the rest of us in the other. If fewer of your group members make it through than ours, you give up your meat stew at

    lunch to us.¡±

    Phoebe quickly interjected, ¡°ss 1 has 15 girls, and our ss only has 12. That¡¯s not fair!¡±

    Buby was f

    of confidence as she replied, ¡°Then let¡¯s see who has fewer eliminations. The losing group

    sacrifices their meat stew!¡±

    Wanda hesitated, worried about jeopardizing her teammates¡® lunch.

    Noticing her concern, Phoebe said firmly, ¡°Wanda, agree to it. I believe in you!¡±

    Christine nodded in agreement, adding, ¡°I believe in you too. Even if we lose, I don¡¯t mind missing <b>lunch</b>.¡±

    The other girls from ss 2 also hodded, showing their support. They had been bullied by Ruby yesterday, but knowing she was the daughter of Rivend¡¯s richest man, they had to endure it silently.

    Seeing the trust her ssmates had in her, Wanda felt a surge of gratitude and determination. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s

    a deal!¡±

    Team 5 split into two groups, and each group huddled together to discuss their strategy.

    Wanda divided her 12 ssmates into two subgroups, instructing Phoebe and Christine to lead one to the central cover at the second stage while she led the other to the right cover.

    ¡°Phoebe, stay behind at the first stage to report positions. In the second <b>stage</b>, match the number of shooters to the number of our attackers, the rest save your ammo. At the third and fourth stages, leave two people behind <b>to </b>provide cover.¡±

    ¡°Team 5, begin your operation!¡± Lawrence¡¯s voice echoed.

    The 10 minutes passed quickly.

    With Lawrence¡¯smand, the girls of Team 5 charged toward the first stage.

    Their speed matched that of the boys from the previous teams.

    Each group left one person behind to report positions.

    Once the opposing team released smoke, they also began throwing a barrage of paint grenades.

    Yesterday, they had only thrown three paint grenades at the first stage. Today, they threw seven or eight, just as Wanda had predicted.

    The difficulty had indeed increased significantly, nearly matching that faced by the boys¡® teams.

    Crawling through the smoke, Ruby felt a twinge of panic. Several of her teammates began to mutter that Wanda had jinxed them.

    Phoebe and another ssmate from ss 1 shouted out position updates.

    With their timely reporting, both groups managed to pass the first stage within the time <b>limit</b>, albeit justProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    barely.

    Ruby¡¯s group had two members eliminated so far due to slow reactions, while Wanda¡¯s group had zero.

    ¡°You guys are slower than pigs! What are you even doing?¡± Ruby grumbled, clutching her fake <b>gun </b>as she sprinted toward the left barricade.

    Taking shelter, she directed two teammates to provide cover fire.

    Ruby¡¯s group advanced quickly, reaching the end of the second stage in under two minutes.

    Wanda¡¯s group also progressed smoothly following their previously discussed strategy, reaching the third stage without any teammates being eliminated.

    In the distance, Carlisle sat on the parallel bars, watching the slender figure of Wanda with a faint smile

    on his lips.

    Despite her wealthy background, Wanda didn¡¯t exhibit any signs of being <b>spoiled</b>. Instead, she seemed well¨Cacquainted with such outdoor activities.

    <i>outdo</i>

    Daniel joined Carlisle on the parallel bars <b>and </b>asked, ¡°Carlisle, do you think they¡¯ll make it <b>through</b><b>?</b>

    Carlisle chuckled lightly. They won¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 261

    1/2

    <b>Chapter </b><b>261</b>

    ¡°Why? They¡¯re doing well right now. They¡¯re faster than Team 2 in the first two stages!¡± Daniel questioned with a puzzled expression.

    At this rate, Team 5 would definitely make it through.

    <b>Carlisle </b>smiled faintly. ¡°Just a guess.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s eyes twinkled with mischief. ¡°Since we¡¯re idling here, how about a bet?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle turned to Daniel. ¡°Sure, what do you want to bet <b>on</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Daniel thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bet you 100 dors that they¡¯ll definitelyplete the mission<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    He nced at the field again. Wanda was almost through the fourth stage, and he felt much more confident.

    Carlisle smirked. ¡°Alright, if I win, I don¡¯t want your 100 dors. Just give me your meat stew at lunch.¡±

    ¡°A gentleman¡¯s word is his bond!¡± Daniel agreed without hesitation.

    Harvey who had been exercising nearby, suddenly said, ¡°Carlisle, I want to bet too!¡±

    Harvey was Queenie¡¯s cousin, and he knew Wanda well.

    Zachary took Queenie and Wanda for outdoor training every summer and winter. He was unsure about Ruby but confident in Wanda¡¯s ability to lead ss 2 to victory.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s bet!¡± Carlisle agreed.

    Harvey asked, ¡°Same rules as Daniel¡¯s? Lunch if I lose, cash if you lose?¡±

    Carlisle smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. It¡¯s up to you.¡±

    A smirk crossed Harvey¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re going to lose for sure. Just make sure you keep your word.¡±

    Daniel shot Harvey a nce. ¡°Harvey, be more respectful toward Carlisle. He has plenty of¨COw, damn!¡±

    Before he could finish, Carlisle had kicked him off the parallel bars.

    Marcus rubbed his hands together as he approached Carlisle. ¡°Carlisle, I want to bet <b>too</b><b>.</b>¡±

    As Harvey¡¯s friend, <b>he </b>saw an easy opportunity to win some money. Betting <b>some </b>lunch <b>against </b>100 <b>dors </b>seemed like a sure win.

    Carlisle <b>nodded </b>with <b>a </b>smile. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bet <b>with you</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    With this, more students gathered around, eager to ce their bets.

    However<b>, </b>Carlisle refused to bet 100 dors against <b>lunch </b>with <b>the </b>others. He would <b>only </b><b>bet </b><b>100 </b><b>dors </b>against 100 dors.

    The <b>reason </b>for this was <b>simple</b>. Three bowls <b>of </b>meat <b>stew </b><b>were </b><b>enough </b><b>to </b><b>share </b><b>with </b><b>Wanda</b>, <b>Christine</b>

    and Phoebe<b>.</b>

    At <b>this </b><b>point</b>, Team <b>5 </b>had sessfully reached the fourth stage.

    The fourth stage required climbing over a 500¨Cfoot¨Chigh barrier made of sandbags.

    <b>2/2</b>

    Wanda merged her two groups. After a quick discussion, she decided to leave four people behind to provide cover fire from the sides of the sandbags. Christine and Phoebe each selected a teammate <b>to </b>stay <b>as </b>well.

    Wanda led the rest of the team to <b>crouch </b>low, and they ran toward the trench from multiple directions.

    Meanwhile, Ruby led her team in a charge.

    Their strategy was to have half of the groupy down suppressive fire whenever the opposition showed themselves.

    The staff threw two smoke grenades and then startedunching paint rockets.

    Wanda immediately shouted, ¡°Iing fire from the north! Everyone, take cover<b>!</b>¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The ss 2 girls quickly scattered.

    Ruby also warned, ¡°Northeast, be careful!¡±

    Half of her group reacted quickly, dodging the iing paint rockets.

    <b>Soon</b><b>, </b>both groups reached the sandbags.

    Once they climbed over, they would reach the fifth stage. Victory was within sight.

    Seeing that Wanda¡¯s team was already starting to climb the sandbags, Ruby narrowed her eyes and

    whispered, ¡°We can¡¯t let them get ahead. Let¡¯s overtake them.¡±

    The narrow sandbag path only allowed four people at once<b>. </b>Unwilling to fall behind, Ruby decided to y

    dirty.

    Tiffany hesitantly said, ¡°Mr. Hanson will punish us if he sees this!¡±

    Ruby¡¯s eyes darted around before she smirked. ¡°You go kick the smoke grenade over here.¡±

    Tiffany shook her head fearfully.

 Chapter 262

    <b>Chapter </b><b>262</b>

    Tiffany nched. She would be establishing herself as ss 1¡¯s enemy if she kicked the smoke grenade

    over.

    Ruby¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If you want to keeping to school here, do as I say.¡±

    A shudder ran down Tiffany¡¯s spine. She swallowed, her eyes turning red with tears as she dove into the smoke and kicked the smoke¨Creleasing grenade toward the sandbag.

    At once, smoke obscured Lawrence¡¯s vision.

    Seeing the cloud of smoke in the sandbag area, he raised his walkie¨Ctalkie to his lips and demanded, ¡°A smoke grenade at the fourth stage? What were you guys thinking?¡±

    The staff members on the other side were equally bewildered.

    The person in charge frowned and asked, ¡°Whounched the smoke grenade?¡±

    The crowd shook their heads. One of them said, ¡°I saw three female students kicking the smoke grenade

    from the third stage over to the sandbag¡­¡±

    The person in charge immediately ryed the information to Lawrence through the walkie¨Ctalkie.

    Lawrence replied, ¡°Hold the attack while I check things out.¡±

    Amid the smoke, ss 1 and ss 2 were fighting for positions. Wanda and Tiffany tried to break fight but to no avail.

    It wasn¡¯t until Lawrence showed up that the brawl came to a stop and Team 5 was eliminated.

    up

    the

    Lawrence¡¯s face was stormy as he led the fallen team away and punished them to stand at attention with

    a bottle of water bnced on their heads.

    Meanwhile, Harvey, Marcus, and Daniel were rendered speechless by the sudden fight that had broken out among the female students, who turned out to be much more savage than their male counterparts.

    Daniel shot Carlisle a despairing look. ¡°Did you know they were going to fight, Carlisle?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it. I thought they would get into a scuffle at worst.¡±

    Wanda had been transferred to ss 1, but she was still assigned to the teamprising ss 2

    members¨Cclearly an intentional move on Ruby¡¯s part to sideline her.

    As such, Carlisle had predicted that Ruby would pull a dirty move during a crucial moment to keep Wanda from taking the lead. However, he never expected a fight to break out.

    Daniel pped his hand over his forehead and moaned, ¡°Oh, man. There goes my lunch!¡±

    Harvey and Marcus sighed in disappointment as well.

    Presently, the sun shone overhead as the girls from Team 5 stood under its blistering rays. Carlisle¡¯s heart tightened when he saw how miserable Wanda looked.

    212

    Knowing Wanda, she couldn¡¯t have been the first one to start the fight.

    Unfortunately, she could not be separated from her team, which was collectively deemed to be at fault

    and punished as a whole. Such were Lawrence¡¯s rules for building a team with integrity.

    Not even a half hour had passed before one of the weaker students fainted from the heat.

    Lawrence did not let up and instead had one of the staff members on¨Csite carry the unconscious girl to

    the infirmary while the other students continued their punishment.

    As the boys gathered under a tree to hide from the sun, they couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for the girls, most

    of whom were already drenched in sweat.

    Daniel rubbed his chest and said, ¡°Poor Wanda. An angel like her doesn¡¯t deserve to be treated like this!¡±

    Marcus countered, ¡°Ruby¡¯s the angel here. She¡¯s twice as hot as Wanda.¡±

    There was a loud smack as Harvey swatted the back of Marcus¡® head. ¡°Shut up, will you?¡±

    Rubbing the back of his head, Marcus muttered incredulously, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got the hots for

    Wanda, Harvey.¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just asking for a beating.¡± Harvey frowned and raised his hand to smack Marcus again.

    Marcus kept his arms over his head as he scurried off.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Harvey walked up to Carlisle and said, ¡°You won, Carlisle. But I won¡¯t be giving you my lunch.¡±

    Daniel taunted from behind Carlisle, ¡°Come on, Harvey. Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s unseemly for a big, grown man like you to go back on your word?¡±

    Lifting a brow, Harvey retorted, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡±

    Seeing Harvey¡¯s irritated expression, Marcus quickly stepped forward with two other male students nking him. ¡°Watch how you speak to Harvey, Daniel,¡± he warned.

    Daniel swallowed and hid behind Carlisle.

    At that moment, Carlisle looked up at Harvey and asked, ¡°So you intend to go back on your word?¡± ¡°No.¡± Harvey shook his head, exining, ¡°I was thinking about giving my lunch to Wanda, that¡¯s all.¡±

    X

    <b>Act </b>Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 263

    <b>Chapter </b><b>263</b>

    <b>Daniel </b>nudged Carlisle and hissed, ¡°<b>Don¡¯t </b>say yes, Carlisle!¡±

    Harvey might have lost his lunch, but instead of giving it to Carlisle as promised, he wanted to give <b>it </b><b>to</b>

    Wanda in hopes of gaining her attention.

    Carlisle wouldn¡¯t let another man romantically pursue Wanda even if he didn¡¯t stand a chance himself.

    After a moment of thought, he chuckled and said to Harvey, ¡°In other words, you¡¯re backtracking.¡±

    Harvey frowned. ¡°I lost the meat stew, <b>so </b>I won¡¯t be eating it. It¡¯s not backtracking if I give it to someone

    else.¡±

    Carlisle scoffed. ¡°Technically, I won the stew. I don¡¯t think you get a say in what I <b>do </b>with it.¡±

    Narrowing his eyes, Harvey seethed, ¡°Are you looking for trouble, punk?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one looking for trouble, you <b>piece </b><b>of </b>shit,¡± Daniel retorted, stepping out from behind

    Carlisle and facing off Harvey like a defensive guard dog. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met anyone as shameless

    as <b>you</b>!¡±

    The vein near Harvey¡¯s temple throbbed as he looked at Daniel mutinously, the urge to p thetter

    written on his face.

    At that moment, Carlisle interjected, ¡°You can give the meat stew to Wanda, but only if you tell her that

    you lost it in a bet against me.¡±

    Harvey snorted. ¡°As <b>if</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Queenie had given him specific orders to keep an eye on Wanda and Carlisle. He couldn¡¯t let Carlisle get into Wanda¡¯s good books with this.

    Shrugging, Carlisle repliednguidly, ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid we have no deal. Give me the meat stew, <b>or </b>I¡¯ll tell everyone in Rivend University you¡¯re a sore loser who refuses to hold up his end of the bet.¡±

    Harvey gritted his teeth as he glowered at Carlisle. ¡°You <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>dare!¡±

    ¡°Feel free to test me,¡± Carlisle said, his expression calm as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away with maddening nonchnce.

    Acting <b>confident</b><b>, </b>Daniel <b>threatened</b><b>, </b>¡°I¡¯d tell everyone about this even if Carlisle wouldn¡¯t<b>, </b>Harvey<b>!</b>¡±

    With that, he imitated Carlisle and shoved his hands <b>into </b><b>his pockets</b><b>, </b>looking equally nonchnt as he

    bounded after <b>Carlisle</b>.

    Harvey¡¯s fists clenched at his sides as cold fury shed in his eyes.

    He <b>might </b><b>simmer </b>down if he were dealing <b>with </b>upperssmen, whom he <b>would </b><b>think </b><b>twice </b><b>before</b>

    crossing. However, Carlisle was <b>in </b>his year; <b>he </b>had no <b>right to </b><b>act </b><b>like </b>he was better <b>than </b>Harvey.

    <b>Marcus</b>¡® brows <b>furrowed</b><b>. </b>¡°<b>Harvey</b>, should <b>we </b><b>teach </b><b>them </b><b>a </b><b>lesson </b>when <b>the </b><b>opportunity </b><b>presents </b><b>itself</b><b>?</b>¡±

    ¡°We have plenty <b>of </b>time

    To think of ways <b>to </b>make him suffer,¡± Harvey said in a hushed tone,

    despite </b>his rage.

    Harvey had gotten into Rivend University only after his grandfather pulled some strings. His grandfather had, in turn<b>, </b>warned him that if he caused any trouble on campus, he would be left on his own.

    At lunchtime, all the students packed into the training base cafeteria.

    Only those on Team 2 had meat stew with their meals. As for the rest of the teams, they weren¡¯t even entitled to pasta. Their lunch was made up of a simple oatmeal with brown sugar.

    A few of the male students from ss 2 who had been assigned to Team 2 were fighting to give Ruby

    their chicken drumsticks.

    Despite Ruby¡¯s polite rejection, they persisted.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Aw, you guys are so sweet! Thanks,¡± she relented in a cheerful voice, batting her eyshes.

    The male students were grinning from ear to ear at her eptance.

    Ruby proceeded to split the meat pieces among a few of her close friends.

    Tiffany swallowed, thinking Ruby might give her a piece for all the work she had done. She was even contemting turning her down if Ruby offered it since her aplishments weren¡¯t exactly something to be proud of.

    But a momentter, Tiffany realized she had overestimated Ruby, <b>for </b>thetter never nned on giving her anything at all.

    Disappointed, Tiffany lowered her gaze and continued eating her oatmeal.

    Meanwhile, the other female students from ss 2 had a table to themselves. When they saw the bowls of meat stew in front of Ruby, they looked down in silence.

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    1/2

    Phoebe scooped up a mouthful of oatmeal heaped with brown sugar and pouted as she said, ¡°Those

    bowls of meat stew could have been ours if those bitches hadn¡¯t yed dirty.¡±

    Wandaughed. ¡°Cheer up. Let¡¯s grab some kebabs tonight and have all the meat we want. My treat.¡±

    She was moved when the students in ss 2 had defended her during the fight earlier even though she

    had already been transferred to ss 1.

    Just then, Harvey walked toward their table carrying his food tray, which he set down in front of Wanda.

    He said quietly, ¡°Here, you can have the stew¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± a few of the girls mused enviously in unison.

    Only Phoebe and Christine frowned as they cast a sharp look in Carlisle¡¯s direction, who did not so much

    as nce in their direction.

    Wanda shook her head. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll just stick to oatmeal.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ lost this meat stew to Carlisle,¡± Harvey admitted with some difficulty as color crept into his cheeks.

    ¡°Oh! So, this bowl is from Carlisle?¡± Wanda asked, her eyes sparkling.

    ¡°No. I lost it to him, but I¡¯m giving it to you,¡± Harvey reiterated.

    ¡°You can¡¯t give Wanda something that you lost to Carlisle; it doesn¡¯t belong to you anymore,¡± Phoebe pointed out, seemingly baffled by Harvey¡¯s line of argument.

    Harvey picked up the bowl and ced it on Wanda¡¯s tray. He red at Phoebe and demanded, ¡°Did you

    see that? I just gave Wanda the stew.¡±

    Phoebe gaped at him incredulously. ¡°You-¡±

    She had never felt like someone was insulting her intelligence more than at that moment. She even wondered if Harvey only got into Rivend University through connections.

    Marcus and Daniel were making their way over to Wanda¡¯s table with their food trays. Marcus exined, I lost my bowl to Carlisle too, and he told me to give it to Phoebe.¡±

    Phoebe did not hesitate before taking the bowl from Marcus¡® tray and cing it on her own. She beamed

    at him. ¡°Thank Carlisle for me, would you?¡®

    Daniel asked, ¡°Which one of you is Christine?¡±

    Christine looked up in surprise. ¡°That would be me.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s breath hitched when his gaze met Christine¡¯s. She had the most stunning eyes he had ever seen.

    With her delicate features, Christine¡¯s beauty was on par with Wanda¡¯s¨Cthough she was not quite as elegant and her skin was not as wless.

    Christine blushed when she noticed Daniel staring at her. She looked down and muttered, ¡°Stop staring.¡±

    ¡°1

    2/2

    Only then did Daniel snap out of his daze. Embarrassed, he exined, ¡°I lost my lunch to Carlisle as well. I was told to give it to you.¡±

    ¡°Y¨CYou don¡¯t have to,¡± Christine stammered. She didn¡¯t want Wanda to get the wrong idea.

    While Phoebe and Carlisle were practically strangers, Christine was his fellow high school alumnus. To make matters worse, she had a crush on him back in the day.

    ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, just take the food!¡± Phoebe prompted, grabbing the bowl from Daniel¡¯s tray and transferring it onto Christine¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯d be insane to turn it down.¡±

    Daniel nced at Christine once more before returning to Carlisle¡¯s table and sitting down.

    Carlisle ate his stew at a leisurely pace, savoring the herb¨Cinfused and smoky vors appreciatively.

    When he saw Daniel sitting down on the bench across the table, he asked curiously, ¡°Interested in

    Christine?<b>¡±</b>Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Daniel turned to look at Christine, and a goofy grin spread across his face when he saw her eating the stew he had given her. ¡°Carlisle, do you believe in love at first sight?¡±

    Carlisle raised a brow and countered in amusement, ¡°When ites to you, I think it¡¯s more like lust at first sight.¡±

    Daniel rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m serious. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Christine just now. I felt like I was staring at my future wife!¡±

    One of the students next to Daniel cursed, ¡°Shit, could you not be so corny about it?¡±

    Quirking his lips, Daniel said, ¡°I bet you¡¯ll be single for the next three years.¡±

    The student scoffed. ¡°So what? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m looking for love on campus. I actually care about graduating.¡±

    Daniel refused to entertain the other student¡¯s retort and instead asked Carlisle, ¡°Do you think I have a

    shot with Christine?¡±

    §¯

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡±

    1

 Chapter 265

    <b>Chapter </b><b>265</b>

    Carlisle¡¯s response was as blunt as it was brutal.

    Daniel¡¯s smile slipped from his face. ¡°What<b>, </b>is it because of my looks?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled and said, ¡°No, you¡¯re actually pretty good¨Clooking.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you make it sound like my looks are my downfall?¡± Daniel demanded in puzzlement.

    Rolling his eyes, Carlisle pointed out, ¡°Because looks aren¡¯t all that matters.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m rich too, if that helps. Aren¡¯t chicks into rich and handsome men?¡± Daniel asked in exasperation.

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Carlisle said solemnly. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised that most of them value love more than anything else. If you¡¯re serious about Christine, you could try and pursue her.¡±

    In an era where the Inte had yet to be advanced<b>, </b>love was a straightforward matter and untainted by worldly views.

    Once the inte started gaining traction alongside modern movies and novels, women might have different standards for love.

    When that happened, women would either fantasize about fictional men or envision themselves as the

    lead character of a romance novel or movie.

    In all fairness<b>, </b>not all women would develop such oundish expectations, at least not in the present age.

    More importantly<b>, </b><b>the </b>women in this present age <b>might </b>not even want love. Some of them¨Clike Sarah-

    might seek materialfort instead.

    Birds of a feather flocked together<b>, </b><b>as </b>the saying went. Sarah and Sienna were more likely than not <b>to</b>

    want the same things out of a rtionship.

    Daniel swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal and said with determination, <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>convince Christine to go out

    with me.¡± He then grinned mischievously at Carlisle as he asked, ¡°Would you mind passing her a note forOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    me?¡±

    Carlisle countered dryly, ¡°Where¡¯s the romance <b>in </b>that? She might <b>think </b>youck sincerity if you have me

    deliver the note for you. Do it yourself if you¡¯re serious about pursuing her.¡±

    Daniel froze. ¡°Really? But¡­ who even delivers their own love notes these days<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Why are you following the masses<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Carlisle argued<b>, </b>¡°Everyone has their own way of dealing with

    romance. And if you want to show your sincerity at all, you should deliver the note yourself!¡±

    ¡°Fine, then,¡± Daniel eded. He thought Carlisle made a rather good point.

    He was already thinking about the content he would put into that note and how he could deliver <b>it </b><b>to </b>Christine without humiliating himself.

    <b>2/2</b>

    That afternoon, Lawrence <b>rallied </b>the <b>students </b><b>for </b>a hiking <b>trip</b>.

    The military training that morning had left the students exhausted; and now<b>, </b>they wouldn¡¯t <b>stop </b>moaning as they trudged their way up the mountain.

    <b>To </bmemorate the asion, Lawrence took a photo of the students with a camera he had borrowed. They did not begin their descent until it was around 6:00 pm.

    The drive back to Rivend University was quiet. Most of the students had fallen into a deep slumber from exhaustion.

    It was at that moment <b>that </b>Carlisle received a call from Sean. ¡°Carlisle, sorry about yesterday. I got caught up with some stuff, but I¡¯m free to drop by your ceter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me,¡± Carlisle replied.

    After hanging up the phone, he closed his eyes and slept.

    It was past 8:00 pm when the students reached campus.

    Carlisle dragged his aching and exhausted body to the dorm. Having washed up and put on a change of

    clothes, he wrote a check and went <b>out </b>of campus to meet with Sean.

    They agreed to meet at a nearby diner. After ordering a couple of things off the menu, Carlisle handed

    Sean the check and said, ¡°We¡¯re racing against time here, so get the job done as soon as possible.¡±

    Sean reached for the check with both hands, his grip tentative as he stared at the figure. He swore his

    heart nearly leapt out of his throat when he counted the zeroes.

    ¡°Impressive as ever, Carlisle. I don¡¯t know how you could so casually hand over a huge sum of money like

    this,¡± he praised.

    Carlisle helped himself to the dishes and said through a mouthful of food, ¡°Go and incorporate thepany tomorrow. I want 51% of the shares, and the remaining 49% is yours to distribute as you like.¡±

    Sean¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Carlisle, are <b>you</b>¡­¡±

    The check was for a million dors. By giving Sean a 49% stake in thepany, Carlisle was as good as

    offering him 490 thousand dors!

    Sean suddenly grew ashamed of whining about Carlisle not being a good friend.

    Carlisle looked up at him and said inly

    Sean¡¯s eyes turned red

    ¡°<b>I </b>truly think of you as a friend, Sean.¡±

    everything <i>you </i>ask of <b>me </b>tears as he choked out, ¡°I won¡¯t go against you anymore, Carlisle. I¡¯ll <b>do</b>

    even if it means dying. I don¡¯t deserve to live after what I did to you!¡±

 Chapter 266

    Carlisle <b>said</b>, ¡°Stop giving me all that sentimental nonsense and start eating.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say, Carlisle!¡± Sean grinned. He shoved the check into his wallet and picked¨Cup a fork as he

    fell into afortable conversation with Carlisle.

    They were halfway through their meal when Carlisle received yet another call, this time from Lethan.

    ¡°Hey, Carlisle. Are you free tonight? Let¡¯s grab a meal with a few other stakeholders so that we can go over the work to be carried out,¡± Lethan suggested.

    ¡°You guys go ahead without me. I¡¯m a little tied up at the moment,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°Alright. Also, I¡¯m going to need you to rustle up the 50 million dors. I¡¯ve already <b>put </b>in the remaining 50

    million dors,¡± Lethan informed.

    Carlisle proposed, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be done with sses by lunchtime tomorrow. Why don¡¯t youe over then

    and I¡¯ll hand you the check?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll leave you to your business then. See you.¡±

    Inside a private dining lounge at Imperial Hotel, Lethan was having dinner with Shania and Nathan when

    he made the call to Carlisle.

    After hanging up, he shrugged and addressed hispanions. ¡°Carlisle won¡¯t be joining us this evening. Guess it¡¯s just the three of us.¡±

    Shania asked, ¡°Lethan, where did you get the 50 million dors?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Lethan sounded exasperated as he exined, ¡°I demanded a couple of payments in advance. You have no idea how many clients I¡¯ve pissed off just to get the money.¡±

    Shania sighed. ¡°Go big or go home, huh? I hope this gamble works out because the alternative means suffering Josie¡¯s wrath,¡±

    Taking a sip of his red wine, Lethan said in a steely voice, ¡°Like I said, I trust Carlisle. The man¡¯s pulled off some amazing stuff.¡±

    Slicing through his rib¨Ceye steak and popping it into his mouth, Nathan savored its tenderness as he asked, ¡°Do we have a business proposal?¡±

    ¡°Yes. <b>You </b>can take a <b>look </b>at it and see if you have any questions. Shania pulled out the proposal from her backpack and handed it to Nathan.

    He took it and read its contents, musing. ¡°It seems we <b>need </b>an aquaculture expert.¡±

    Shania drew a sharp breath. ¡°Ipletely forgot about that!¡±

    She wanted to bury herself in a <b>hole </b>somewhere.

    They couldn¡¯t very well raise fish in any random fish pond; they needed an expert to oversee the temperature and quality control of the water.

    Nathan went on to say, ¡°Weck manpower for the construction, especially if we have only a month to finish building works

    Pursing her lips, Shania said in dismay, ¡°We still have time, don¡¯t we? We could save costs if we avoid

    hiring too many workers, especially in this stifling hot weather.¡±

    *The northern region would start snowing by November, and since we can¡¯t predict when the cold wave

    <b>would </b>arrive, we should probably make haste.¡± Nathan countered.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll add a few more construction teams to our current manpower,¡± Shania agreed.

    Never one to dawdle once a n had been set, she couldn¡¯t be bothered with finishing her dinner and

    immediately called up thepany¡¯s project department.

    ¡°Ms. <b>Warbane</b>?¡± the person on the other line greeted.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a guy by the name of Gerard Zahn who wanted a contract with us? Do we know how his constructionpany is faring? Shania asked

    ¡°It¡¯s subpar at best, with only about 30 employees. I don¡¯t think he could aplish any work we give him on time,¡± came the project manager¡¯s reply

    ¡°In that case, have him reach out to two other constructionpanies so that they could form something of a coalition. The work must be delivered in a month¡± Shania said.

    ¡°Roger that, Ms. Warbane

    Shania asked, ¡°Also, I need about eight more teams for our current project. Could you make the arrangements?¡±

    The person on the other line stammered, ¡°Eight is.¡±

    ¡°Can you or

    r can you not make the arrangements? Shania demanded icily. ¡°If not, you¡¯re fired.¡±

    ¡°I can.¡± the person on the other line said cautiously. ¡°But I need three days.

    ¡°You only get one,¡± Shania countered

    Chapte: 267

 Chapter 267

    1/2

    The project manager on the other line had broken out in <b>a </b>cold sweat as he replied shakily, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    It was nearly impossible for him to rally eight more construction teams <b>in </b>a day, but he had no choice other than to agree to Shania¡¯s request for now.

    After ending the call, Shania turned and asked Nathan, ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°None for now,¡± Nathan replied. ¡°Let our brother take a look at the proposal.

    He handed the proposal back to Shania, who epted it. Bted realization dawned upon her as she

    gaped at Nathan incredulously. ¡°Wait, what did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Let our brother take a look at it. As in, let Lethan read the proposal,¡± Nathan answered innocently.

    ¡°Lethan¡¯s not your brother! He¡¯s mine!¡± Shania snapped.

    Nathan scrunched up his nose, chuckling as he said, ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve known you for long enough to see him

    as my brother too.¡±

    As Lethan took the proposal from Shania, he eyed them with amusement and pointed out, ¡°You¡¯re both

    old enough to start going out, I think.¡±

    Shania shoveled food into her mouth as she grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Nathan isn¡¯t my type; I like

    them manly.¡±

    Lethanughed and lowered his head as he scanned the contents of the proposal.

    Nathan¡¯s face darkened as he said in hushed tones, ¡°How am I not manly? I¡¯ve got abs for <b>days </b>and the

    height of a supermodel!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re so princely and meek, Shania countered.

    ¡°I can change all that!¡± he argued.

    ¡°Oh? I look forward to it then,¡± she said.

    ¡°If I seed, does that mean I¡¯ll have a shot with you?¡± Nathan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Shania groused.

    Nathan¡¯s gaze darkened as he looked down and continued eating. Shania let out a quiet breath of relief.

    All she wanted was to work on her career; she wasn¡¯t looking to date anyone. She saw no reason to rush

    into marriage even before Lethan had

    Carlisle went back to the dorm and called it a night after grabbing dinner with Sean.

    However, he had only justy down in bed when Lawrence showed up at the dorm entrance with a notebook in hand.

    Chapte: 267

    <b>2/2</b>

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Hanson.¡± Daniel was sitting up in bed and massaging his swollen calves, shing Lawrence a grin as he asked, ¡°Are you here to tell us we <b>get </b>a day off tomorrow?¡±

    Lawrence said unsympathetically, ¡°We¡¯ll be training as usual tomorrow.¡±

    Carlisle sat up in bed as well <b>and </b>greeted, ¡°Good evening, Mr. Hanson.¡±

    Nodding in acknowledgment, Lawrence said, ¡°The bonfire party¡¯s next Monday. Your guidance counselor wanted me to ask you guys if you¡¯d like to perform that night.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s eyes lit up. This was his chance to showcase his talent and gain Christine¡¯s attention. At the thought of this, he told Lawrence, ¡°I can dance, Mr. Hanson!¡±

    Lawrenceughed and asked, ¡°Breakdancing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve been learning since I was in grade school,¡± Daniel said. ¡°I was even dance champion in a few city¨Cwidepetitions!¡±

    ¡°Pretty impressive,¡± Lawrence praised as he jotted down Daniel¡¯s name in his notebook. ¡°In that case, from tomorrow onward, you can get off training two hours before the rest of your peers.¡±

    Hearing this, Daniel said arrogantly, ¡°Come on, Mr. Hanson, I <b>was </b>a dance champion! I don¡¯t need to rehearse.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Regret filled him instantly, and he wanted to pull out his own tongue. If he could get off training earlier, he could at least take a nap in the dorm. Why did he let his stupid pride get baited like that?

 Chapter 268

    Daniel quickly changed his mind when he saw the amusement on Lawrence¡¯s face. ¡°I think rehearsing might be a good idea. I haven¡¯t danced in a while. Might have gotten rusty.¡±

    Lawrence nced at Carlisle. ¡°What about you, Carlisle?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Carlisle said. He had picked up the <b>guitar </b>in his past life to impress Sarah. He even took formal lessons up until the tenth grade.

    However, making money was his priority now, and he had no intention of showing off <b>his </b>guitar skills,

    ¡°Ms. Lowe speaks highly of you. With no one else from your ss volunteering as performers for the bonfire party, I figured you and Daniel could do a little breakdance sequence together,¡± Lawrence suggested.

    He was sure an excellent student like Carlisle was talented, and he wanted to see thetter take his rightful ce on center stage.

    *Come on, Carlisle, we can practice together for three hours every day. I guarantee you¡¯ll pick up the basics in no time. You¡¯ll look so damn cool!¡± Daniel encouraged with a grin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sign up then, Carlisle relented. ¡°But I won¡¯t be dancing. I¡¯d like to perform an old song.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t about to let Susan down if she had such high expectations of him.

    Lawrence raised a brow, seemingly impressed. ¡°You y the piano?¡±

    *Guitar, Carlisle corrected.

    ¡°Well, then, I look forward to your performance. You and Daniel can get off training two hours earlier from tomorrow onward and practice your act, Lawrence said, jotting down Carlisle¡¯s name in his notebook before leaving the room.

    Shane came into the room after airing hisundry and shed Carlisle a mischievous grin. ¡°Are you looking to get a guitar for the performance, Carlisle?

    ¡°I have a friend who runs a music shop. Want me to ask him for suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Nah, just take me to the shop tomorrow.¡± A yawn escaped Carlisle as <b>he </b>added, ¡°Keep your voices down. I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡±

    The other students in his dorm who were chatting among themselves fell quiet. Even Kelvin, who had been talking to his father on the phone, hung up <b>in </b><b>a </b>hurry.

    Training went on as usual the next morning. At lunchtime, Carlisle went back to the dorm and wrote a check for fifty million dors. He then went to the bank and withdrew ten thousand dors.

    Lethan drove to Rivend University and pulled up outside the gates. Carlisle promptly handed him theThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    check.

    After that, Carlisle left for the music shop with Shane.

    The most expensive guitar in the shop cost five thousand dors. Carlisle tested out its acoustics and decided he liked them enough to buy the guitar.

    Courtesy of Shane, the shop owner very generously took 500 dors off the final price. Carlisle ended up paying 4500 dors for the quitar.

    Carlisle handed Shane a hundred bucks to thank him for his effort, over which Shane couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    For the next few days, Carlisle got off training two hours early to practice his song. There was barely enough space in the rehearsal room for him to practice, so he imed the dorm rooftop <b>as </b>a rehearsal space instead.

    Daniel wore baggy clothes and had his cap on backward as he danced to a catchy beat. Carlisle, on the other hand, perched on the bench and strummed his guitar in earnest.

    When Daniel stopped for a drink and listened to Carlisle y, he didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what song thetter was ying.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see you listening to music a lot, Carlisle. How about I give you ideas of songs you could y? The one Copperhead releasedst year was pretty good.

    ¡°I bet all thedies on campus will go crazy over you if they hear an acoustic version of ¡°Someday,¡± Daniel suggested brightly, sipping water.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need them to go crazy over me¨CI already have someone I like,¡± Carlisle said with a smile as he plucked out the opening notes for Copperhead¡¯s ¡°Someday¡°.

    Daniel was a huge fan of Copperhead. His jaw went ck when he heard the familiar melody. ¡°Dude, don¡¯t you need to look at a music sheet or something? Even if you don¡¯t, you¡¯re still ying remarkably well. This is some grade¨Cfive¨Cand¨Cabove quality!¡±

    Carlisle closed his eyes and hummed the tune. He wouldn¡¯t be performing ¡°Someday¡± at the bonfire party, but he saw no harm in amusing Daniel while thetter was taking a break from dancing.

    Daniel was right. Copperhead had made a rather strong impression in the noughties with their

    discography.

    Carlisle could win over plenty of youngdies on campus if he yed even one of their songs.

    However, he didn¡¯t want the otherdies¡® attention. He had already decided on the song he wanted to y, and performing it once on stage was enough.

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    1/3

    On Friday, Lawrence bid goodbye to the students when training officially ended. After spending half a month with the students, he had be something of a friend to them.

    He might be tough and built like a stone wall, but he could never help tearing up during the farewell ceremony for each year¡¯s training <b>program</b>.

    The students were also moved to tears by Lawrence¡¯s passionate and motivational speech, at the end of which he concluded in a breaking voice, ¡°Everyone, dismissed!¡±

    His <b>voice </b>rang through the campus. This was followed by <b>raucous </b>cheering from the students, some of

    whom looked crestfallen.

    A few of the female students gathered around Lawrence to <b>ask </b>for his contact details, but he turned

    them all down,

    He said emotionally. ¡°<b>This </b>is thest time I¡¯ll be in charge of training. I¡¯ll be reporting <b>back </b>to base

    tomorrow, and if all goes well, we won¡¯t be seeing each other again.¡±

    The female students were crushed once more.

    Meanwhile, Wanda, Phoebe, and Christine were discussing work not too far away.

    Christine clutched Wanda¡¯s wrist and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have dance rehearsalter, Wanda? Phoebe and I

    can meet the client without you.¡±

    For thest two days, a huge client of theirs had applied for a loan of 50 thousand, but negotiations were still ongoing as they had yet to work out the installments and interest rates.

    Wanda had signed up to perform at the bonfire party and had been practicing for thest couple of days. With the party on Monday, thest thing Christine wanted was for Wanda to be distracted by work.

    ¡°Something¡¯s fishy about this client. He wants a low interest and a long repayment period but demands that the funds be released right away. He probably thinks he can push us around because we¡¯re so young,¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Phoebe groused.

    ¡°We can bring Ms. Robson with us to the negotiations. If the client insists on his terms, we won¡¯t offer him <b>a </b>deal,¡± Wanda said expressionlessly, looking every bit an intimidating leader.

    After Lawrence managed to escape from the gaggle of youngdies vying for his attention, he made his way over to Carlisle.

    Carlisle and Daniel were going over their dinner ns when thetter noticed Lawrence approaching. He looked heartbroken as he wailed, ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you, Mr. Hanson!¡±

    Lawrence gave him a withering look. ¡°Really? Could have fooled me with all the cursing andining you did behind my back.¡±

    Daniel¡¯s eyes widened as he demanded, ¡°Which bastard told you? I need names!¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want me to find out, you shouldn¡¯t have been so loud with theints. I heard you

    2/3

    badmouthing me on four asions,¡± Lawrence pointed out with a wicked grin.

    ¡°What? No. I think you¡¯ve got it all wrong, Mr. Hanson. I wasn¡¯t badmouthing you; I was praising you! For your dedication and hard work! I have nothing but love <b>and </b>respect for you,¡± Daniel lled as he stepped behind Carlisle and bolted.

    ? ?

    ask

    Lawrence did not go after him and instead turned to Carlisle. ¡°Mr. Zahn, if it¡¯s not too much for me to as this of you once again, please be kind to our sergeant.¡±

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s practically a brother to me.¡±

    After all, how bad could a retired sergeant be?

    Before Lawrence could respond, Carlisle added, ¡°How about we grab a meal together? I can invite Francis.

    Lawrence shook his head, chuckling as he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Farewells are hard enough as they are. Besides, I have a date with my girlfriend.¡±

    Carlisle pointed out teasingly, ¡°I think you¡¯re lying about the whole farewell thing just so you can go on your date.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t announce it to the world,¡± Lawrence said, ring at Carlisle.

    The two made idle small talk before Lawrence¡¯s ringtone interrupted them. He pulled out his phone, and Carlisle caught a glimpse of the name shing on <b>the </b>screen: Susan,

    Lawrence walked away from Carlisle before putting the call through. When he conversed with Susan, he cupped his hand over his mouth as if terrified someone might hear him.

    Carlisle did not hang around and instead made his way back to the dorm where Daniel was waiting for him downstairs.

    When he saw Carlisle, he bounded up to him and asked, ¡°Carlisle, want to go get a haircut this evening? I heard a lot of freshmen are working at the hair salon part¨Ctime.¡±

    Carlisle eyed him with faint amusement. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to pursue Christine romantically? I don¡¯t <b>think </b>going to the hair salon is a wise move.¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t made a move on Christine yet, have 1?¡± Daniel rubbed the back of his neck, mumbling, ¡°I figured I could try out some of my flirting moves and see which ones I could use on her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Carlisle snorted. ¡°If you go to one of those shady salons, I¡¯ll tell your dad.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay! I won¡¯t go!¡± Daniel felt his knees go weak at the threat, knowing he might not survive his father¡¯s wrath if thetter knew he went to one of those ¡°hair salons¡°.

    Upon returning to the dorm, Carlisle saw Shane lying stomach¨Cdown on the bed and flipping through a photo album.

    Most of the photos were of a beautiful youngdy in her school uniform, and Shane was in a few photos with her too.

    ¡°What the hell? Is that your girlfriend, Shane?¡± Daniel demanded, looking like he had just stumbled upon a

    treasure trove as he snatched the album away from Shane and flipped through the pages.

 Chapter 270

    Shane beamed proudly. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s pretty, huh<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°Not bad at all, you punk. She¡¯s a total babe!¡± Daniel said. He smiled as he handed the alburg back to Shane. But in that instant, he thought about something and pulled out his phone to go through a few messages in his inbox<b>.</b>

    It didn¡¯t take him long to find the photo of a female high school student dressed in her uniform¨Cwho looked exactly like Shane¡¯s girlfriend in the photo album.

    The photo in the MMS message was captioned with the price: 1800 dors.

    Carlisle saw the photo on Daniel¡¯s phone. ording to the time stamp, the photo had been sent around lunchtime.

    At that moment, Carlisle and Daniel turned to look at Shane.

    ¡°Why are you both staring at me?¡± Shane asked, meeting their gazes in confusion as he shoved the photo album under his pillow.

    Daniel¡¯s expression was inscrutable, but before he could speak, Carlisle bumped his knee against the side of Daniel¡¯s leg and said, ¡°Step out to the balcony with me.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Daniel said.

    He did as he was told and followed Carlisle out to the balcony, where he immediately asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should tell the poor guy that his girlfriend is selling her body?¡±

    ¡°Call the hair salon and tell them to hold off any transaction that concerns her,¡± Carlisle ordered. When he saw the MMS message earlier, he had guessed that Shane¡¯s girlfriend must have run into some sort of trouble.

    There was no need for Shane to know about this, lest he thought any lesser of his girlfriend.

    Daniel called the number that sent him the MMS message.

    It took only seconds before his call went through and he said inly, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m calling about that youngdy in the school uniform. I¡¯m interested in the offer. How about I go over in a while?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so sorry, but another client has shown interest in that youngdy,¡± came the voice of an older woman.

    Daniel looked up at Carlisle in rm as he whispered, ¡°She¡¯s been booked by someone else.¡±

    Carlisle snatched the phone away and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay double.¡±

    The older woman on the other line was audibly conflicted <b>as </b>she said, ¡°Listen here, handsome. Money isn¡¯t the problem here¡­¡±

    ¡°Triple, then,¡± Carlisle pressed.

    ¡°<b>Look</b>¡­¡±

    ¡°<b>Make </b>that five times the original selling price, Carlisle drove home his bargain.

    The <b>older </b>woman was convinced. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the other guy then.¡±

    She <b>ended </b>the <b>call </b>after that.

    <b>¡°</b>Let¡¯s go over to that hair salon now, Daniel,¡± Carlisle said. He didn¡¯t bother showering as he put on a change of clothes and called Francis.

    Daniel had put on a change of clothes as well. They left the dorm in a hurry, and Shane followed them..

    Noticing this, Daniel stopped in his tracks and asked, ¡°Why are you following <b>us</b>?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we grabbing dinner?¡± Shane countered.

    <b>¡°</b>Go do ourundry. We¡¯ll bring takeout for you,¡± Daniel offered.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Shane muttered. His gaze darkened as he felt his confidence shrivel up. He was not as well¨Coff as Daniel and Carlisle. He would never be able to keep up with their fancy lifestyle.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t try to understand how Shane must have felt at that moment as he and Daniel quickly made their way out of the school gates.

    Five minutester, Francis¡® car pulled up.

    Immediately after getting into the car, Daniel said, ¡°We need to get to Gale¡¯s Hair Salon at Whitebox Avenue!¡±

    Francis was incredulous. ¡°Come again?¡±

 Chapter 271

    <b>Francis </b>thought he had misheard Daniel and nced at the two young men in the backseat.

    Carlisle nodded in confirmation and repeated Daniel¡¯s words, ¡°Gale¡¯s Hair Salon on Whitebox Avenue.

    Without asking any more questions, Francis backed his car up before shifting <b>his </b>gear back into drive and speeding off.

    At that moment, Daniel¡¯s phone rang with a call from the number earlier.

    ¡°Give me the phone,¡± Carlisle said as he reached for the phone and put the call through.

    ¡°Hey there, handsome. I spoke to the first client who booked the youngdy and he refuses to let her go. Sorry,¡± the madam said on the other line.

    ¡°What was his price?¡± Carlisle demanded.

    ¡°I told you, this isn¡¯t just about money. The client runs in underworld circles and we can¡¯t afford to cross him,¡± the madam exined, sounding frustrated.

    ¡°Do you know which underworld organization he belongs to?¡± Carlisle pressed.

    ¡°The man¡¯s name is Luke Carlson. Whitebox Avenue is his territory.¡±

    Hearing this, Carlisle probed further, ¡°Carlson. Is he rted ton Carlson?

    The madam replied, ¡°Yes. Ian is his older brother.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Carlisle said, ending the call. He was in deep thought for a moment before he dialed Heath¡¯s number.

    ¡°Hey, Mr. Zahn,¡± Heath greeted.

    ¡°Rally up the gang and meet us at Gale¡¯s Hair Salon on Whitebox Avenue, Carlisle instructed.

    There was a long silence on Heath¡¯s end.

    Whitebox Avenue was Luke¡¯s territory, and until Heath had fully established his forces, he didn¡¯t have the numbers to face the former in conflict.

    However, he couldn¡¯t ignore Carlisle¡¯s orders, either. Without Carlisle, Heath and his subordinates would likely starve on the streets.

    Having considered his options, Heath said, ¡°We¡¯ll be right over.¡±

    When the call ended, Heath walked up to Wade¡¯s poker table and kicked it over. ¡°Rally up the gang!¡±

    In the car, Francis couldn¡¯t keep his curiosity at bay anymore as he asked, ¡°What are you both up to anyway?¡±

    At first, he thought Carlisle and Daniel were heading to the hair salon to indulge in whatever vice it <b>had </b>to

    offer, but it didn¡¯t seem likely.

    Carlisle filled him in on the situation, after which <b>Francis </b>felt a newfound sense of admiration for the

    former.

    The fact that Carlisle was willing to risk his neck and go into a viper¡¯s den just to save his roommate¡¯s girlfriend spoke volumes of <b>his </b>character.

    ¡°Carlisle, who did you call earlier?¡± Daniel asked.

    ¡°Heath.¡±

    ¡°Damn, you know Heath, too?¡± Daniel felt a chill run down his spine. The infamous Prince Heath had been active recently, and anyone who knew anything about the underworld knew of him.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re pretty close,¡± Carlisle said with a <b>nod</b>.

    ¡°But Prince Heath¡¯s forces aren¡¯t strong

    ugh to take

    on Luke and his men!¡± Daniel countered inThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    despair. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think this is worth our effort¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Carlisle rolled his eyes, clearly disagreeing with Daniel.

    Daniel exined gravely, ¡°We¡¯re not that close to Shane, and it¡¯s not like we stand to gain anything by being friends with him. I don¡¯t see why we should get into trouble with Luke because of Shane¡¯s girlfriend.¡±

    Carlisle asked, ¡°If you were in Shane¡¯s shoes, do you think I should help you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Daniel faltered.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worth more than Shane?¡± Carlisle cut him off brusquely.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Daniel lowered his head in shame.

    His family business had been sold to Carlisle. In addition, his father was Carlisle¡¯s employee now, no longer the chairman who enjoyed the glory of running Xenos Factory.

    As things were, Daniel was just the son of a man who reported to Carlisle.

    Daniel could very well be of lesser standing than Shane in terms of how close they were to Carlisle.

    Carlisle pped Daniel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°With friends, it¡¯s always quality over quantity. I think of you and Shane as my buddies, and I would help if either of you ever run into problems like this.¡±

    Daniel quietly said, ¡°We should¡¯ve brought Shane alone. He should know how much you¡¯re sacrificing to save his girlfriend¡¯s virtue.¡±

 Chapter 272

    Carlisle smiled, but before he could say anything else, his phone rang.

    This time, it was a call from Leon. ¡°Mr. Zahn, I¡¯ll be going abroad tomorrow. I could deliver the photos to you if you¡¯re too busy to pick them up.¡±

    Only then did Carlisle remember it had been four days since he came <b>back </b>from Yearning Ind. He said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was so caught up with work that Ipletely forgot about the photos. I¡¯ll have someone pick them up for me right now.¡±

    After that, Carlisle sent Cameron a message through MSN messenger.

    Whitebox Avenue was about a 30¨Cminute drive away from Rivend University. It was home to anContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    obscene number of arcades and disco bars.

    Within the more remote parts of the city were alleyways lined with hair <b>salons</b>.

    The hair salons looked like legitimate business joints. They even had their facade down to an art form by including the proper upholstery like barber chairs and mirrors in their decor.

    The only thing amiss was the row of young women dressed in skimpy clothes who looked like life had beaten them down one too many times.

    Gale¡¯s Hair Salon was one of the more famous salons in the remote city, having made its name specializing in youngdies who were still in school.

    The madam of the hair salon was on a phone call at the counter, nodding eagerly and looking like a simpering fool as she agreed with the person on the other line.

    Just then, Carlisle appeared outside the shop with Daniel and Francis in tow.

    A few of the alluring youngdies immediately slinked out the door and purred, ¡°Hey, big guy. Looking for a haircut?¡±

    Daniel suddenly felt parched at all the skin on disy, the woman¡¯s tank top doing little to cover her modesty. He swallowed.

    Even Francis, who had never touched a woman before, gulped.

    Carlisle was unaffected as he asked, ¡°I¡¯m here to see your madam.¡±

    The woman licked her crimson <b>lips </b>and said in a soft, high voice, ¡°Beth is on the phone right now. Why don¡¯t youe <b>inside</b>?¡±

    The three men stood at the door, looking dubious.

    The woman¡¯s hand fluttered to her mouth as she giggled. ¡°Come in. We don¡¯t bite.¡±

    Daniel nced at Carlisle and Francis for help.

    Carlisle drew a slow breath and said, ¡°Fine, then.¡±

    The trio headed into the hair salon, which smelled like cheap perfume. The youngdies on the <b>couch </b>greeted simultaneously in their suggestive voices, ¡°Wee to Gale¡¯s Hair Salon¡­.¡±

    ¡°Wow, color me happy! Aren¡¯t you two hot studs?¡± one of the women crooned.

    <b>¡°</b>So hot, I might just give them a free hair wash,¡± another one purred.

    ¡°Come with me, old man, I can teach an old dog some new tricks¡­¡±

    The whispers and sultry promises stirred up Daniel¡¯s urges. He had been wanting to visit a hair salon for the longest time, but he could never find anyone toe with him.

    Unfortunately, he doubted he was getting a hair wash today, which was a shame.

    Francis had to light a cigarette and take a long drag of it just to calm down.

    Beth Kowalski, the owner of the hair salon, finally ended her phone call and came out from behind the counter. She eyed Carlisle inquisitively as she asked, ¡°Here for a hair wash?¡±

    Carlisle said, ¡°I called you earlier. I was the one who offered five times the price you named for one of thedies.¡±

    Recognizing him, Beth gave him a wide smile and said, ¡°Lucky for you, we¡¯re getting two youngdies inter,¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°I only want the one in the MMS message.¡±

    ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, handsome. Didn¡¯t I already tell you that she¡¯s been booked?¡± Beth said impatiently The two youngdies who areing inter are new and just as good.¡±

    ¡°What is it about my request do you not understand?¡± Carlisle countered sharply, his brows knitting together.

    Beth froze. A tight smile tugged on her lips as she remarked, ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a fuse for someone so young.¡±

    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s even hotter when he¡¯s demanding! I¡¯m swooning,¡± one of thedies gushed.

    ¡°Look at that height and those shoulders! Do you think he¡¯s still a virgin?¡± another mused.

    ¡°Hey, handsome. How about you and I go to the back and I¡¯ll give you a free hair wash?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea! We could all wash your hair for free!¡±

    The women on the couch enjoyed a spot of drama every now and then. They shed Carlisle meaningful smiles as they teased him.

    Normally, they were made to perform their services on oily, middle¨Caged men. It was understandable that they were starved for betterpany, and they couldn¡¯t help drooling over the handsome men dow standing <b>in </b>their parlor.

    At that moment, a fleet of ck Santanas pulled up outside the shop and honked.

    A man who looked to be in his 30s got out of one of the cars, his ck wifebeater tank showing off the

    tattoos that ran up his skinny limbs and every patch of exposed skin.

    He had a slight build and dark shadows under his eyes, his <b>face </b>sallow, and his steps light. There was sheer nonchnce¨Cor boredom¨Cwritten on his face.

    Seeing this, Beth hurried to greet the man with a smile. ¡°Wee, Mr. Carlson<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Good day, Mr. Carlson. The young women in the hair salon stood up at once.

    Daniel¡¯s heart dropped to his stomach while Francis and Carlisle stepped to one side.

    93/3

    Beth whispered something into Luke¡¯s <b>ear</b><b>, </b>prompting thetter to narrow his eyes as he surveyed Carlisle viciously. ¡°You¡¯re trying to steal my womaN

 Chapter 273

    1/2

    Carlisle politely reasoned with Luke, ¡°Mr. Carlson, that woman happens to be my friend¡¯s girlfriend. I believe she ran into financial trouble and had no choice but to do this¡­¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Luke asked, eyeing Carlisle with interest.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m taking her with me,¡± Carlisle said firmly.

    Luke¡¯sckeys immediately burst intoughter. ¡°Do you even know who you¡¯re speaking to, you wimp?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m speaking ton¡¯s younger brother,¡± Carlisle answered with a <b>smile</b>.

    Theckey who taunted Carlisle earlier seethed at the mention ofn. ¡°Who the fuck are you to call Mr. Ian Carlson by his first name?¡± He turned to Luke for instructions. ¡°Do we beat them up?¡±

    Luke shot him a withering look. ¡°I¡¯m here to have fun, not get into a fight with children.¡±

    Theckey had the decency to chuckle sheepishly before cutting Carlisle a warning look.

    He then pointed at the door and said, ¡°Did you hear that? Mr. Carlson here is kind enough to overlook your

    insolence. Now, scram!¡±

    Carlisle did not even spare theckey a look. He continued smiling at Luke as he offered, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Luke. How about you let me take that young woman for 30 thousand dors?¡±

    The young women in the shop were stumped to hear that figure. They hadn¡¯t expected Carlisle to be

    loaded.

    They couldn¡¯t even begin to count the number of men they had to entertain to be paid 30 thousand dors.

    ¡°Are you loaded or something?¡± Luke asked as he stuck a cigarette between his lips while hisckey hurried to <b>light </b>it for him.

    Carlisle answered, ¡°Not really, but I have 30 thousand dors to spare.¡±

    Luke took a drag of his cigarette. Smoke unfurled from his mouth as he asked, ¡°And you think id be tempted by 30 thousand dors?¡±

    Carlisle suddenly broke into a wide grin. ¡°Does that mean we have no deal?¡±

    Instead of answering him, Luke addressed Beth, ¡°Bring the young woman out.¡±

    Beth nodded and obediently went to the private lounge in the back.

    When she passed by Carlisle, she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t start trouble here, handsome. The Carlsons are the kings of Whitebox Avenue.¡±

    Her advice fell on deaf ears, for Carlisle truly couldn¡¯t be bothered by this tense exchange. Beth shook her head and headed toward the private lounge.

    Daniel asked in a hushed tone, ¡°When¡¯s the gang getting here, Carlisle?¡±

    2/2

    ¡°Soon,¡± Carlisle promised. He nced at Francis and asked, ¡°If this esctes into a fight, be careful.¡±

    Francis nodded grimly. ¡°I know what to do.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Daniel eyed the three dozen men hovering outside the shop and mumbled, ¡°Are you sure you can handle them, Francis?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for Beth to emerge from the private lounge with a young woman in tow. She was dressed in her white and blue school uniform.

    Her eyes were red¨Crimmed, and her gaze was hollow. She was no better than a walking corpse.

    When she walked past Carlisle, he reached out to grab her arm.

    ¡°You piece of shit!¡± Luke¡¯sckey cursed, rushing forward to beat up Carlisle.

    Luke, however, grabbed hisckey¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Go away.¡±

    *But Mr. Carlson-¡± theckey protested.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself,¡± Luke warned, his gaze so icy that hisckey immediately backed away.

    Olivia White stared at Carlisle in confusion. ¡°What are you doing?<b>¡±</b>

    Daniel interjected, ¡°We¡¯re here to save you.¡±

    ¡°Olivia, the man you¡¯re supposed to entertain today is Mr. Carlson,¡± Beth prompted, pulling Olivia by the arm to lead her away.

    Olivia made to pull away from Carlisle, only to realize she could not shrug off his vise¨Clike grip. She snapped, ¡°Let go of me!¡±

    Carlisle finally grated, ¡°Don¡¯t you know you¡¯ll break Shane¡¯s heart if you continue with this?¡±

    Olivia stiffened. She turned to look at Carlisle in disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shane¡¯s roommate,¡± he exined mildly.

    ¡°Let go of me! I don¡¯t know who Shane is!¡± Olivia cried. She looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown as she tried to pull away from Carlisle maniacally.

    Worried that he might hurt her, Carlisle relented and let her go.

    She walked over to Luke and muttered, ¡°They have the wrong person.¡±

    Satisfied with Olivia¡¯s actions, Luke smiled at Carlisle as he said smugly, ¡°See? She doesn¡¯t even know

    you. Don¡¯t me me for being rough on you if you keep up this nonsense.¡±

 Chapter 274

    Carlisle hissed, ¡°Do you know how much work Shane takes on in the dorm just to make enough money for you? He runs our errands for 50 cents and does our dailyundry for a dor!¡±

    At first, Carlisle thought Shane <b>needed </b>the money to help out his family.

    However, after discovering Olivia was trying to sell her virginity to the highest bidder, Carlisle figured she must be desperate. In other words, Shane had done all that cheapbor to help her.

    Tears welled up in Olivia¡¯s eyes when she heard Carlisle¡¯s admonishment. She closed her eyes as the tears streaked past her cheeks, saying, ¡°Then <b>please </b>tell him I don¡¯t like him anymore and to leave me

    alone from <b>now </b><b>on</b>.¡±

    Carlisle sighed in exasperation. ¡°Come with me. I can help you <b>if </b>it¡¯s money you need¡­¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I owe Shane far too <b>much </b>already. I can¡¯t bring myself to put more burden on him..¡±

    Before Carlisle could speak, Olivia reached for Luke¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Luke wrapped an arm around Olivia¡¯s slender waist. She stiffened at his touch, and her tears did not stop.

    Carlisle pulled Daniel back just as <b>a </b>loud thud resounded through the room.

    Francis charged forward like a bolt of lightning toward Luke and hisckeys.

    One of theckeys next to Luke cursed, ¡°Damn it, this guy¡¯s just asking for a beating!¡±

    He lifted his leg to kick Francis, but thetter dodged it and mmed his elbow into theckey¡¯s chest.

    Theckey fell onto the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

    Luke nched at this and turned to make a run for it, but Francis moved faster. He stuck a foot out and tripped Luke, who staggered forward and fell t on his face<b>.</b>

    The otherckeys had gotten out of their cars, armed to the teeth with baseball bats and steel batons they grabbed from their trunks.

    Francis grabbed Luke by his cor and lifted him like a helpless pup.

    Unexpectedly, Luke produced a dagger that he must have kept hidden. He twisted the weapon, aiming for Francis¡® chest.

    Francis reacted quickly enough to grab Luke¡¯s wrist and twist it.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Luke cried out, dropping the dagger as his voice reached a wailing pitch.

    & Their

    ¡°Fuck, let go of Mr. Carlson!¡± one of theckeys warned outside<b>. </b><b>Some </b>of them even pulled out their phones to calln.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Francis eyed them icily and growled, ¡°Step aside or I¡¯ll snap his neck!¡± He then turned to Carlisle. ¡°Grab her and we¡¯ll leave now!¡±

    Chauter 274

    Carlisle tugged on Olivia¡¯s arm, leading her forward so they could leave the ce.

    Olivia struggled as she cried, ¡°Forget about me and go!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Carlisle snapped at her irritably. She quieted at once and let him pull her out of the hair <b>salon </b>with Daniel following closely behind.

    Luke¡¯s men had blocked their exit.

    Stomping on the hilt of the fallen dagger and flipping it into the air, Francis grabbed it and pressed the de against Luke¡¯s throat. ¡°Get them to move,¡± he growled viciously.

    ¡°Kill me if you dare,¡± Luke threatened with a feral grin.

    ¡°You wanna test me?¡± Francis pressed the de further into Luke¡¯s skin until he drew blood.

    Luke was unfazed as he mocked, ¡°Go on, slice my throat open¡­¡±

    Francis¡® brows furrowed. He couldn¡¯t very well kill a man even if thetter asked for it, could he?

    Daniel trembled as he asked, ¡°C¨CCarlisle, what do we do?¡±

    Panicking, Carlisle looked at Francis and ordered, ¡°Think you could pave the way?¡±

    Without another word, Francis hit the side of Luke¡¯s head with the hilt of the dagger and knocked him out. After he cast Luke¡¯s limp body aside, he turned the de forward and charged into the crowd.

    ¡°Damn it. Kill him!¡±

 Chapter 275

    Luke¡¯s men rushed forward and swung their steel bats at Francis. There <b>was </b>a loud ng as Francis blocked their attacks with the dagger and <b>kicked </b>the man before him down.

    Before theckey could get up on his feet, Francis brought the dagger down and sliced through the man¡¯s ankles in one swift move.

    ¡°Aargh!¡± theckey shrieked in pain while the rest of hisrades exchanged hesitant looks.

    Francis brandished the dagger from left to right as he charged forward, forcing Luke¡¯s men back. At that moment, Carlisle yelled, ¡°Daniel, run!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, Francis subdued anotherckey and reached for the fallen baseball bat. He tossed it to Daniel and shouted, ¡°Catch!¡±

    Daniel¡¯s eyes lit up. He raised his hand to catch the baseball bat but missed. The bat <b>struck </b>him on the head instead, and his vision ckened momentarily <b>as </b>he struggled to stay upright.

    When Luke¡¯s men surrounded him, Daniel quickly picked up the baseball bat and swung it wildly, cursing as he did so.

    Conversely, Francis gripped the dagger tightly as he walked up to theckeys who approached him, forcing them back.

    Carlisle seized the opportunity to flee the scene, pulling Olivia along with him.

    Behind him, Daniel rushed out of the melee with the baseball bat still in hand.

    Francis kept theckeys back, the dagger glinting menacingly as he held it out toward them like a silent threat. None of the three dozen men before him dared to step forward even though they were itching for a fight.

    When the men had backed off and left Francis with enough distance to make a break for it, he bolted. He

    didn¡¯t think he could take on all three dozen men if they were to charge forward all at once.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The man whose ankles had been cut cried out angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there gawking! Go after them! Mr.

    Carlson will have our heads if he finds out we let them get away!¡±

    The men snapped out of their daze and hurried to catch up with Francis and the others.

    Once Carlisle and the others were out of the remote city, they were greeted by a motley crew who were

    dressed in ck..

    Daniel felt his knees go <b>weak </b><b>as </b>he wailed, ¡°Oh, crap. They¡¯ve got us surrounded!¡±

    thou

    Olivia was badly shaken as well. She took in therge group of men and reckoned there were bout 180

    of them.

    She began to regret her decision. Not only had she caused Shane trouble, but she had also put his roommates¡® lives in danger.

    7/2

    ¡°Go on without me,¡± she said to Carlisle, her voice breaking. ¡°Run!¡±

    Carlisle sounded nonchnt as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Those men are on our side.¡±

    Daniel scrambled to his feet when he heard this. ¡°What? They¡¯re on our side? We¡¯re saved!¡±

    At this point, Luke¡¯sckeys had caught up to them. They skidded to a halt when they saw therge group of men across the road and asked among themselves, ¡°Are those Mr. Carlson¡¯s men?¡±

    ¡°<b>Shit</b>. T¨CThose are¡­ Prince Heath¡¯s men! Damn it, we¡¯ve got to get out of here!¡±

    Luke¡¯s men turned around and fled into the alleyways.

    Just then, the rumbling of motorcycles and screeching tires from approaching vans came from the other side of the road. When the vehicles pulled up, about 180 more men came out.

    ¡°Mr. Ian Carlson¡¯s here,¡± one of theckeys whispered in relief.

    ¡°Damn it, let¡¯s go back and kill them all!¡± Now that their morales were boosted, Luke¡¯s men turned around and charged in Carlisle¡¯s direction.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle and the others came to a stop in front of Wade.

    Wade grinned at Carlisle and said, ¡°Sorry we¡¯rete, Mr. Zahn.¡±

    ¡°Good day, Mr. Zahn,¡± the hundred¨Csomething strong men greeted in unison, their voices deafening.

    Daniel¡¯s jaw dropped open so wide, it was a wonder it hadn¡¯t hit the sidewalk. He couldn¡¯t believe the men were addressing Carlisle with such respect. He could only assume Heath was working directly under Carlisle.

    It was at that moment that Daniel realized how little he knew about Carlisle. Whatever he had learned about thetter was but the tip of the iceberg.

    Presently, Carlisle led Francis and the others through the crowd.

 Chapter 276

    <b>Chapter </b>276

    Heath, Benjamin, and Owen were standing in front of a BMW parked nearby, Heath¡¯s arm was in a <b>sling</b>. and Owen was sporting bruises on his face. Thetter also looked like he had lost weight since <b>a </b><b>week</b>

    ago.

    Benjamin gave Carlisle an earnest smile as he said, ¡°Hey, Carlisle. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Carlisle returned his smile. ¡°Tell your men to fall back.¡±

    He had only just said this when the sound of fighting broke out behind him. Carlisle shook his head in exasperation as he made his way to his Mazda.

    ¡°Carlisle,¡± Owen called out, catching up to him. ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought, and I figured I¡¯m better off

    working at the studio.¡±

    Carlisle slid into his car and asked Indifferently, ¡°Why the change of mind?¡±

    Benjaminughed as he interjected, ¡°Because he almost died<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Assessing the bruises on Owen¡¯s face, Carlisle asked, ¡°Who did that to you?¡±

    Owen flushed red. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Can we talk about something else?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s lips curled. ¡°I saved you a spot at the studio. You can go back anytime.¡±

    After exchanging pleasantries with Heath and the others, Carlisle had Francis drive away.

    They had driven quite some distance before Daniel snapped out of his daze <b>and </b>eximed, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve got Prince Heath working for you! You¡¯re amazing, Carlisle!¡±

    Carlisle ignored him and instead turned to ask Olivia, ¡®Do you need money that badly?¡±

    Olivia pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°My mom¡¯s suffering fromte¨Cstage uremia and requires dialysis to stay alive. The medical expenses pile up every month.¡±

    ¡°I doubt 1800 dors is enough to cover them,¡± Carlisle pointed out after a beat of silence.

    ¡°It covers two months¡® worth of medical bills,¡± Olivia retorted, her voice breaking as tears streaked down her face and dropped onto the backs of her hands.

    Daniel sighed. ¡°I have a cousin¨Cinw who has uremia. It¡¯s not exactly curable. Unless the patient undergoes a kidney transnt, dialysis is the only way for them to stay alive.¡±

    Olivia wiped away her tears. ¡°After my mom <b>was </b>diagnosed with uremia, my dad divorced her and left the family.

    almy

    ¡°The money from Shane and thy wages from my part¨Ctime job aren¡¯t enough to cover the cost olmy mom¡¯s dialysis.¡±

    Carlisle had assumed responsibility over Olivia the moment he stepped into that hair salon to rescue her. You should focus on your studies. Let me worry about your mom¡¯s treatment costs.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    1800 dors was equivalent to two months¡® worth of medical bills, then Olivia¡¯s momte dialysis <b>would </b>cost just over ten thousand dors a year. Carlisle could afford to help.

    ¡°You¡­ Olivia gaped at Carlisle. ¡°Are you serious about this?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Carlisle¡¯s lips twitched into a smile.

    Olivia shook her head in disbelief. This man before her had risked his life to save her¨Cshe doubted he was the type to joke about <b>these </b>sorts of things.

    ¡°Thank you! I promise to pay you back after I graduate and get a job!¡± Olivia lowered her head and let her tears fall. The thought that she nearly sold her virginity filled her with shame.

    She owed Shane far too much, and now, she was indebted to his roommate as well. Carlisle wouldn¡¯t have offered to help her if he weren¡¯t Shane¡¯s friend.

    ¡°Where to, Boss?¡± Francis asked from the driver¡¯s seat.

    *A1 Seafood Restaurant,¡± Carlisle answered. ¡°Daniel, call Shane and have him meet us there for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡± Daniel pulled out his phone and gave Shane a call.

    Olivia felt uneasy as she said, ¡°Could you guys let me off at that corner over there? I need to go to the hospital to see my mom.¡±

    Carlisle said nothing, and as such, Francis kept driving.

    Olivia gave Carlisle a pleading look. ¡°I want to get off.¡±

    Carlisle smiled at her humorlessly <b>and </b>questioned, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of seeing Shane, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t ever make it up to him for what I did.¡± Olivia sobbed. ¡°How am I supposed to face him<b>?¡± </b>¡°He doesn¡¯t know about this. Besides, it¡¯s not as if you actually sold yourself,¡± Carlisle reminded. ¡°Wait, he doesn¡¯t know? How did you guys find out about it then?¡± Olivia asked.

    Neither Carlisle nor Daniel offered her an exnation.

    Upon arriving at A1 Seafood Restaurant, Carlisle was told by the receptionist that the private dining rooms were all upied.

    With two universities recently finishing their orientation programs, many students had gathered at the restaurant to blow off some steam,

    As such, Carlisle had the staff set up a table outside.

    Meanwhile, Wanda was dining with one of her clients in a private dining room on the second floor.

    The client was a man in his 40s, and next to him was a plump woman.

    Christine couldn¡¯t stop staring at them. The man looked somewhat familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it.

    Wanda suddenly looked up and asked him, ¡°Is your surname Zahn?¡°

 Chapter 277

    Wanda pressed, <b>¡°</b>Do you happen to know Carlisle?¡±

    Recognition flitted across Gerard¡¯s features as he asked, ¡°He¡¯s my nephew. Do you know him?¡±

    Phoebe and Christine were taken aback by this sudden Information: Christine<b>, </b>in particr, finally understood why she found Gerard so familiar.

    She had never met Gerard before, but he shared a lot of resemnce with Carlisle¡¯s father, hence the elusive simrity.

    ¡°Carlisle and I went to the same high school, and now <b>we¡¯re </b>ssmates in college,¡± Christine exined frankly. She then gestured to Wanda and began to say, ¡°And she¡¯s his-¡±

    ¡°I went to high school with him as well. We¡¯re in the same college now, but we¡¯re in different sses,¡± Wanda interrupted.

    She knew Christine intended to introduce her as Carlisle¡¯s girlfriend, and she would have allowed it if they were dining with Carlisle¡¯s father instead of his uncle.

    Wanda had missed out on Carlisle¡¯s college entrance celebration due to being abroad, but she had Lily take photos and send them to her. If she remembered correctly, Gerard hadn¡¯t been present at the celebration.

    More importantly, Gerard didn¡¯t seem like he had taken care of the rest of his family despite owning a constructionpany. This alone hinted at some sort of family rift.

    If that were the case, Wanda wouldn¡¯t treat Gerard any differently than she did her other customers.

    Gerard and Maria brightened up when they heard that Christine and Wanda were friends of Carlisle¡¯s.

    Maria grinned as she said, ¡°Well, what a coincidence! Seeing as you¡¯re both Carlisle¡¯s ssmates, could you waive the loan interest for us and extend the repayment period by a year? Oh, make that three years!¡±

    She was smiling so much that her plump face dimpled with the effort. She was starting to regret the cruel way she spoke about Carlisle and his family.

    But just because Carlisle was useless to her, it didn¡¯t mean the same was true of his ssmates.

    Christine faltered when she heard Maria¡¯s ridiculous requests. She parted her lips to protest, but no words

    came out.

    She owed Carlisle for saving his life, and she couldn¡¯t very <b>well </b>repay him by being so uptight with his family.

    Phoebe lowered her gaze and took a sip of her drink, knowing it wasn¡¯t her ce to get involved in this

    matter.

    Wanda was silent for a moment before she said slowly, ¡°We can¡¯t waive the interest, but we¡¯ll dly

    extend the loan repayment by two months<b>.</b>¡±

    She <b>had </b>set up thispany to make a profit.

    <b>She </b>doubted she had anything to gain from getting Into Gerard¡¯s and Ma¡¯s good books. <b>This </b><b>was </b>especially true if they were on bad terms with Carlisle and his family.

    SwiftFunds Financial Investment gave out short¨Cterm loans with repayment periods that ranged <b>from </b><b>a</b>

    <b>week </b>to a month.

    In other words, Wanda was already doing Gerard a huge favor by extending the loan repayment <b>by </b><b>two</b>

    months.

    Maria¡¯s face fell when Wanda refused to budge. She snapped, ¡°What¡¯s a two¨Cmonth repayment <b>period </b>going to do for <b>us</b><b>? </b>The money for our project wouldn¡¯t evene in by then!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Carlisle¡¯s friend from high school, and this is the best you can do for us?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Gerard took a sip of his wine and then asked, ¡°Did Carl pick on you at school?¡±

    Christine and Wanda shook their heads in unison.

    ¡°I can only assume that he had a bad streak at school and you both hate his guts, then,¡± Gerard said tly.

    Wanda retorted, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough conjectures from you, Mr. Zahn. Carlisle was an excellent student, and everyone wanted to be his friend.¡±

    Gerard froze. He was about to say something when Wanda continued, ¡°That aside, let me reiterate that I¡¯m granting you the one¨Cmonth extension because you¡¯re Carlisle¡¯s rtives.¡±

    Maria sneered, ¡°How is that doing us a favor? Other loanpanies could offer up to two or three months of extension without making a fuss over it. Some of the extensions even go up to a year!¡±

    Jenny, who was silent the whole time, couldn¡¯t help pointing out defiantly, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go and ask for a loan from thosepanies?¡±

    The interest rates for loanpanies were naturally higher than those offered by the banks. The interest that came with <b>a </b>short¨Cterm loan extended by two or three months or even a year¨Cwas terrifying at best.

 Chapter 278

    Maria glowered at Jenny icily and snapped, ¡°I was speaking to your boss, not you! Don¡¯t act so high and mighty when you¡¯re just a subordinate!¡±

    Jenny was made of tougher stuff, so she smiled and kept quiet.

    ¡°We¡¯re not the ones asking for a loan here,¡± Phoebe said angrily, her patience running thin. ¡°What gives you the right to talk down to any of us?¡±

    Maria did not back down. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? Is this the way you speak to your elders? Didn¡¯t you ever learn <b>basic </b>manners at school? With that attitude, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re on the honor roll at Rivend University at all!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Phoebe was so furious that she was shaking, her eyes brimming with tears.

    ¡°What? Cat got your tongue? It¡¯s not like you own this loanpany or anything!¡± Maria carried on viciously, extremely pleased to see how riled up Phoebe was. ¡°Keep quiet, your opinions aren¡¯t wanted.¡±

    Maria had never lost an argument before. She had far too much pride to let some youngdy speak to her so condescendingly.

    As the vicious words rang in Phoebe¡¯s ears, she looked down and let her tears fall.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Christine gently squeezed Phoebe¡¯s hand and said soothingly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Phoebe. We won¡¯t be doing business with them!¡±

    Maria raised a brow. She was about to admonish Christine when Wanda said, ¡°I believe we¡¯re done here. We won¡¯t be doing business with you, and that¡¯s final.¡±

    ¡°Fine, then! See if I care! It¡¯s not as if you¡¯re the only loanpany in Rivend, Maria spat, emboldened by her temper as she smacked her palm on the table.

    ¡°Will you tone it down?¡± Gerard snapped, ring at Maria.

    There were plenty of loanpanies in Rivend, indeed, but the loans they offered came with an extremely high interest. SwiftFunds Financial Investment offered loans at half those rates.

    Besides, the other loanpanies were only willing to approve loans of up to 200 thousand. Gerard

    would have to seek out multiple <b>loan </bpanies if he wanted to make up the remaining 300 thousand he

    needed.

    More importantly, these loanpanies were run by those in the underworld. One of Gerard¡¯s friends had jumped off a rooftop after failing to repay the high¨Cinterest loans taken out from one of thosepanies

    SwiftFunds Financial Investment was a licensed moneylender, and the interest rates it offered were lower than those offered by the loan sharks.

    }

    Windex Corporation was in desperate need of funds. If Gerard didn¡¯t improve his ownpany¡¯s financial situation in time for the uing project, he would have to kiss a huge business opportunity goodbye.

    Maria was expressionless <b>as </b>she gritted out, ¡°I¡¯ll <b>leave </b>you to talk to them in private. Excuse me while I

    use the restroom<b>.</b>¡±

    Gerard heaved a sigh of exasperation. ¡°I apologize for my wife¡¯s rude behavior, Ms. Thompson. I have no objection to the terms you proposed for the loan. Shall we proceed ordingly?¡±

    Wanda repeated calmly but firmly, ¡°Mr. Zahn, I¡¯ve made it clear just now that we don¡¯t want to do business with you.¡± She turned to Jenny and asked, ¡°Ms. Robson, would you mind getting the check?¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± Jenny said with a smile. She took her purse and made her way to the front desk to pay for the

    meal.

    ¡°Allow me to get the check,¡± Gerard said, hurrying to his feet to block Jenny¡¯s way.

    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s bad form if we stuff you with the check after a deal falls through, Jenny said pleasantly. ¡°The

    meal¡¯s on us.¡±

    ¡°No, I insist. These youngdies are my nephew¡¯s friends, and I should be the one getting the check. I¡¯m older, after all,¡± Gerard said.

    He knew he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at getting his loan from SwiftFunds Financial Investment if he let these young women pay for the food.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Jenny nced over her shoulder at Wanda.

    ¡°Ms. Thompson, please give me another chance,¡± Gerard pleaded:

 Chapter 279

    Wanda couldn¡¯t help softening at Gerard¡¯s pleading gaze. ¡°If you insist on getting the check<b>, </b><b>you </b>may do so, Mr. Zahn.¡±

    Jenny sat down in quiet reluctance.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Gerard gave Wanda a grateful look and returned to his seat.

    He pulled out his phone and said with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy these days that I forgot to invite Carlisle to join us for a meal. How about I give him a call right now and you can have an impromptu get¨Ctogether?¡± He decided to use Carlisle as his safety. Surely Carlisle¡¯s presence would make Wanda and the others more amiable.

    Wanda saw through Gerard¡¯s motives but did not stop him. She figured this was a <b>good </b>chance to assess if Carlisle was on good terms with him and Maria. If they were close, Wanda wouldn¡¯t mind going easy on the terms of the loan.

    Ten minutes ago elsewhere, Carlisle sat with Daniel, Francis, and Olivia at a table set up outside A1 Seafood Restaurant.

    Shane had yet to arrive, and the dishes had yet to be served.

    Olivia had told everyone the story of how she and Shane became a couple. As it turned out, they came from the same vige.

    Their parents also worked in the same quarry, but there was a terrible rockslide six years ago. Instead of taking ountability, the owner of the quarry ran off without offering any bereavement payouts to the families of those affected by the incident.

    Shane¡¯s grandparents were so heartbroken by the loss of his parents that they ended up passing away from grief themselves. Shane had raised himself since then, making a living by tending to his family¡¯s orchard.

    Olivia¡¯s father was a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing phnderer who didn¡¯t bother looking for a job in the vige. Her grandparents probably died out of anger and disappointment in him.

    Olivia¡¯s mother, on the other hand, had to do all sorts of odd jobs to make ends meet. However, her measly ie was barely enough to put food on the table.

    When it came to harvest season, Olivia and Shane would take days off from school just to toil away on the farnds and orchards. They would work through the day and study in the evenings by candlelight.

    Shane had managed to get into Rivend University through his excellent grades and discipline, Olivia got into a second¨Crate university.

    while

    Just as Olivia thought things were looking up for her, her mother was diagnosed with uremia. She thought her life was falling apart the moment she read theb report.

    When she begged her father on her knees to save her mother, <b>he </b>beat <b>her </b>up and threw <b>both </b><b>mother </b>daughter out of the house.

    Burdened by astronomical medical bills and the expenses that came with lifelong dialysis, Olivia¡¯s <b>mother </b>had attempted to take her own life on a few asions.

    Shane took them both in before they were ovee with devastation, and he even brought Olivia¡¯s mother for her treatments. It was then that Olivia learned Shane had <b>sold </b>his family¡¯s orchard, the source <b>of </b>his livelihood<b>.</b>

    He had only just turned 18 then. Having lost his only source of ie, he worked through the summer toe up with his and Olivia¡¯s college tuition that year.

    Daniel¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re telling me that he made ten grand in two months? How did he do it?¡±

    Olivia said through sobs, ¡°He never told me, but I saw needle marks on his arms. I suspect he might have sold pints of his blood toe up with that money.¡±

    Daniel handed her a couple of tissues. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He must have done something else toe up with that money, blood isn¡¯t worth that much.¡±

    Olivia wiped her tears with the tissues <b>and </b>said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever it is he did, it couldn¡¯t have been

    anything illegal. He¡¯s too good for that.¡±

    ¡°Carlisle, Dan!¡±

    Shane walked up to them at that moment. When he saw Olivia at the table, he was taken aback. ¡°Olivia?¡±

    Olivia looked up at him and her tears fell even more rapidly down her cheeks.

    Francis rose to his feet and gave up his seat for Shane, who took it and asked, ¡°Olivia, what are you doing

    here?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help it anymore. She threw herself into Shane¡¯s arms and sobbed. ¡°Shane!¡±

    Just then, Carlisle¡¯s phone rang with a call from an unknown number. He put it through and asked politely, ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Carl, it¡¯s me¨Cyour Uncle Gerard,¡± came the warm reply from the other line.

    ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± Carlisle asked tly.

    Gerard chastised good¨Cnaturedly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were studying in Rivend? You could have at least given me a call after all this time.¡±

    One might think they were on good terms if one didn¡¯t know better.

    However, Carlisle put all such conjectures to rest when he sneered, ¡°Stop beating around the ush or I¡¯ll hang up.¡±

 Chapter 280

    Gerard frowned. As displeased as he was at Carlisle¡¯s brusque response, he forced a smile and said amiably, ¡°I¡¯m in Rivend for a couple of days to oversee things at my constructionpany here. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m at A1 Seafood Restaurant with a few of your friends. Why don¡¯t you join us for a meal?¡±

    ¡°Friends?¡± Carlisle repeated, wondering if he meant Wanda.

    ¡°Yes. A certain Ms. Thompson. She said she went to high school with you,¡± Gerard borated with a chuckle.

    ¡°Are you looking to take out a loan from herpany?¡± Carlisle asked. This was the only reason he could think of as to why Wanda might be there with Gerard.

    It was highly likely that Gerard phoned him because the deal was on the verge of falling through.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over and we can talk?¡± Gerard suggested, worried that Carlisle might not show up if he gave too much away. He didn¡¯t want to admit Carlisle was right, either.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make it. I¡¯ve got something <b>lined </b>up,¡± Carlisle said.

    ¡°Gotten stubborn, have we? Do you want me to call your father and have him make youe over?¡± Gerard drawled in a hushed tone, implying that he would not hesitate to give Gordon a call.

    ¡°Which dining room are you in?¡± Carlisle spat out icily,Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Thest thing he wanted was for Gerard to bother his parents, and he only agreed to meet with Gerard because of Wanda.

    Carlisle would never try and interfere in any of Wanda¡¯s business matters.

    ¡°Room 302,¡± Gerard answered with a grin. He then added, ¡°Remember, Carl, we¡¯re a family no matter what. Be on your best behavior and don¡¯t embarrass us, all right?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Carlisle said before hanging up.

    After that, he said to Daniel, ¡°I¡¯ve got to run an errand. Go ahead and eat without me.¡±

    Daniel nodded.

    Francis stood up and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± He was Carlisle¡¯s driver and bodyguard, after all.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know these people,¡± Carlisle said.

    Meanwhile, in Room 302, Gerard returned to his seat after his call with Carlisle ended. He wore a pleasant smile as he said, ¡°Shall we dig¡¯in before the food gets cold?¡±

    ¡°Be my guest, Mr. Zahn, I¡¯m not that hungry,¡± Wanda answered politely. Neither Christine nor Phoebe made to touch their utensils, either.

    Gerard shed them all a sheepish smile but remained unmoving in front of the food as well.

    Outside, Carlisle walked down the corridor until he located Room 302. He was about to knock on the door when Maria saw him and cried out in surprise, ¡°Carlisle?¡±

    Carlisle turned to regard her with tant disgust, which Maria did not miss. She glowered at him and seethed, ¡°How dare you look at me that way! Don¡¯t you know how to greet your elders?¡±

    Carlisle ignored her and knocked on the door of the private dining room.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, you useless mongrell Are you deaf?¡± Maria screeched, giving Carlisle a hard shove.

    Carlisle did not budge as he looked up at her. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±

    ¡°Talking back, I see,¡± Maria snapped. She stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Even your parents know better than to be rude to me, yet here you are being downright insolent!¡±

    ¡°Touch me again and I might just punch you,¡± Carlisle warned inly. His parents were good and honest folks, which made them the target of Gerard and Maria¡¯s constant bullying.

    Normally, he would have ignored Maria if she were just running her mouth. He simply didn¡¯t want to entertain her hysterics.

    However, he couldn¡¯t let <b>her </b>shove him and get away with it. He was no pushover.

    Maria cackled. ¡°You? Punch me?¡± She nted her hands on her hips like she had just heard the funniest joke.

    At that moment, Gerard opened the door.

    Maria saw him and sneered, ¡°Listen to this, Gerard! Your nephew has grown a pair and wants to punch me!

 Chapter 281

    <b>yb</b>

    <b>Chapter </b><b>281</b>

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t say that for no reason, right?¡± Gerard questioned her with a cold face.

    ¡°Are you saying that I wronged him?¡± Maria¡¯s smile froze. She didn¡¯t expect that her husband, who had always doted on her, would speak up for Carlisle.

    ¡°Carl,e right in. Let¡¯s just ignore her.¡±

    Gerard joyfully pulled Carlisle into the private room. Maria tried to go in herself, but Gerard had already

    closed the door.

    Gerard felt sorry for treating his wife like this in order to get the loan, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Gerard, you bastard! Are you really going to treat me like this? Come out this instant!¡± Maria kicked the door furiously from outside.

    Hearing themotion, waiters and security guards soon came to stop her.

    Maria had always been conceited, and she would not let these staff members stop her. As such, she

    immediately cussed them out.

    It¡¯s a good thing that these security guards were no pushovers. They quickly carried her away regardless

    of the vulgarities she spewed.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Inside, Phoebe had already calmed down. She was confused to see Carlisle arrive in such a short time, so

    she asked in disbelief, ¡°Carlisle, did you fly here?¡±

    ¡°I was also having dinner here,¡± Carlisle exined with a smile.

    ¡°Carlisle, sit here!¡± Christine, who sat next to Wanda, gave up her seat for Carlisle.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Carlisle thanked her and took her seat.

    Jenny took a skeptical look at Carlisle. This particrly good¨Clooking boy seemed to have an unusual

    rtionship with Wanda.

    Carlisle sat next to Wanda, while Phoebe passed him a new set of cutlery.

    At this moment, Gerard said with a grin, ¡°Carlisle, your college entrance celebration was on the same day

    as my daughter¡¯s, so I couldn¡¯t attend yours. I hope you didn¡¯t mind.¡±

    Wanda and Carlisle were said to be ssmates, and she would certainly know that Gerard didn¡¯t attend

    Carlisle¡¯s college entrance celebration. Therefore, Gerard thought to exin himself.

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°I know. You held her college entrance celebration at the restaurant opposite to where we had mine.¡±

    Gerard grimaced at the unexpected bluntness. He had reminded Carlisle over the phone to speak nicely so as not to beughed <b>at </b>by others. Yet, he got him in trouble right away.

    Wanda understood what Carlisle meant, so she said to Gerard with a smile, ¡°Too bad both celebrations

    were held on the same day. It¡¯s perfectly normal for you to hold a college entrance celebration for your daughter.¡±

    Gerard was secretly relieved as Wanda seemed toprehend him.

    However, Wanda asked curiously the next moment, ¡°Did Mr. Zahn give you a gift, Carlisle?¡±

    Gerard became nervous again upon hearing <b>that</b><b>, </b>and he looked pleadingly at Carlisle.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t give me anything.¡± Carlisle nced at Gerard casually.

    Not only did Gerard not give him a gift<b>, </b>he also purposely held his daughter¡¯s college entrance celebration across the street¨Con the exact same day, no less.

    He even invited all the neighbors to his daughter¡¯s college entrance celebration. He obviously did so to

    humiliate Carlisle¡¯s family.

    Wanda looked innocently at Gerard while asking, ¡°Mr. Zahn, my father is also a businessman. He taught me that businessmen have to look at the long term, especially when ites to rtionships.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t quite understand what he meant by that, could you perhaps exin it to me?¡±

    Gerard could tell that Wanda was being sarcastic. He was embarrassed and forced a smile. ¡°Then, did your father tell you that businessmen should value profits?¡±

    ¡°He did, but he also said that family is more important than money. We shouldn¡¯t prioritize profits over our family. If we¡¯re blinded by money and lose our conscience, we¡¯ll only get a bad reputation!¡± Wanda spoke softly, but her words made Gerard feel ashamed.

    Wanda continued, ¡°I¡¯m not cursing you, but can you guarantee that the rest of your life will be smooth sailing? Are you so sure that Carlisle and his family won¡¯t have the chance to turn the tables in the future?¡±

    Gerard sighed softly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Thompson. I was too narrow¨Cminded.¡±

    Those were the words that left his mouth, but Gerard was only feeling contempt.

    So what if Carlisle¡¯s family could turn the table? He would be coborating with Windex Corporation soon. The uing project alone could earn him at least 3 million dors.

    Carlisle¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t be able to make 3 million dors in their lifetime.

    ¡°Everyone likes money, but money isn¡¯t everything. I hope Mr. Zahn can put family first in the future as there are things that money can¡¯t buy,¡± Wanda added like an experienced elder. She only hoped that Carlisle would get along with Gerard and his family.

    ¡°Ms. Thompson, I¡¯ve learned from your advice. I¡¯ll keep it in mind for the future,¡± Gerard said with his head hung low, like a child who had made a mistake.

 Chapter 282

    ¡°Have you brought all the documents with you?¡± Wanda asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re all here.¡± Gerard brought his briefcase over. It had all the documents needed for a loan application inside.

    Wanda turned to Jenny and said, ¡°Ms. Robson, bring him to do the credential check.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Jenny stood up to leave.

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. You can go after the dinner.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Jenny sat back down.

    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Thank you.¡± Gerard was overjoyed that the negotiations seemed to <ie </i>to

    an end.

    He even regretted not agreeing to Wanda¡¯s terms in the first ce. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have beenughed at by Carlisle.

    Carlisle whispered in Wanda¡¯s ear, ¡°Did you lend him the money for my

    sake?<b>¡±</b>

    Wanda smirked. ¡°That¡¯s the half of it. The other half is because I want to make money.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry if he doesn¡¯t pay you backter.¡±

    Wanda was shocked by Carlisle¡¯s words. She widened her eyes and asked, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the habit of not paying back debts, does he?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head with a smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    For as long as he could remember, he rarely encountered Gerard. His father also didn¡¯t particrly like talking about Gerard.

    Still, he knew that Gerard deeply cared about his reputation, so it was unlikely that he would not pay back the money he had borrowed.

    Wanda grinned. ¡°If Mr. Zahn doesn¡¯t pay me back, I¡¯ll look for you.¡±

    Carlisle smirked. ¡°Then I suggest you not lend it to him at all.¡±

    At this moment, Gerard raised the wine ss before him and said, ¡°Carl, I¡¯ve made mistakes in the past. Let¡¯s forget about all that after this/toast. I¡¯ll also treat you and your family well from now on.¡±

    Carlisle looked up and stared at Gerard incredulously. He was unwilling to believe Gerard¡¯s nonsense, but he also hoped that Gerard would keep his word.

    He no longer wanted to see his parents being bullied by Gerard¡¯s family.

    After a moment of hesitation, Carlisle picked up his ss and said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat us well, I just hope that you can stop showing off in front of my parents.¡±

    2/2

    ¡°You know how Maria is. I¡¯ll talk to her about itter. I¡¯ll drink first.¡± Gerard gulped down the wine in his ss.

    Carlisle also finished his ss of wine.

    At this moment, however, Wanda¡¯s phone rang. She retrieved her phone and nced at the screen. It was

    Queenie calling.

    She went to the side to answer the phone.

    ¡°Hey, Queenie.¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I have a business deal outside,¡± came Wanda¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Where at?¡±

    ¡°A1 Seafood Restaurant.¡±

    Queenie perked up at this news. ¡°What a coincidence, Zachary and I are going there for dinner as well.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you going to have dinner at Imperial Hotel?¡± Wanda was a little anxious as she had nned to take a walk with Carlisleter. There wouldn¡¯t be a chance for that if Queenie and Zachary came.

    ¡°There are only a few signature dishes in Imperial Hotel. We¡¯re tired of them.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of the dishes in A1 Seafood Restaurant as well?¡± Wanda asked with a chuckle.

    Queenie let out a quiet grunt. ¡°But it¡¯s economical.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,e over quickly. I¡¯ll book a private room for you.¡± Wanda sounded a little upset.

    ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t book it. I want to eat Hanese food.¡± Queenie suddenly changed her mind.

    ¡°Okay, have a pleasant night, then.¡± Wanda instantly became delighted. ¡°Okay, bye.¡±

 Chapter 283

    Queenie signed after hanging up. Harvey had reported Wanda¡¯s recent activities to her.

    Wanda had sat with Carlisle during the bus trip to the outdoor military training. And Wanda obviously didn¡¯t want Queenie to go to A1 Seafood Restaurant just now.

    It was very likely that Carlisle was also there.

    Zachary, who was smoking with crossed legs, asked with a frown, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to have seafood for dinner? Why do you suddenly want to eat Hanese food?¡±

    ¡°I had indigestion recently, so I shouldn¡¯t be eating so much seafood.¡± Queenie was ying Tetris on her

    phone with <b>her </b>head hung low.

    Zachary muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s ask Wanda to join us.¡±

    Wanda had left the college, so he could no longer keep an eye on her. He was worried that Wanda would

    get back together with Carlisle.

    Queenie rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you give her some personal space?¡±

    Zachary¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If she had behaved at college, would I be keeping such a close eye on her?¡±

    Queenie sneered. ¡°Wanda is just a tool for political marriage in your family, right?¡±

    Zachary leaned against the chair with his eyes closed, unspeaking.

    He also hadplicated feelings about this. Wanda would definitely hate him and their father in the future. However, the fate of the Thompson family was on the line.

    They could only join hands with influential families to strengthen their business foundation.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Queenie held on to Zachary¡¯s arm and asked coquettishly, ¡°Honey, who will Wanda be married off to?¡±

    ¡°Mind your own business!¡± Without even ncing at her, Zachary spoke in a detached and emotionless

    manner.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Please tell me.¡± Queenie kept rubbing against Zachary¡¯s arm.

    Zachary gulped but remained unfazed.

    Queenie then whispered in Zachary¡¯s ear.

    Zachary arched his brows and asked in surprise, ¡°Really?¡±

    Queenie flushed and nodded shyly.

    After a moment of hesitation, Zachary whispered a name in Queenie¡¯s ear.

    Queenie widened her eyes upon hearing the name.

    Zachary warned solemnly, ¡°You must keep this to yourself<b>. </b>If Wanda finds out, I¡¯ll break up with you!¡±

    2/2

    Queenie nodded repeatedly. ¡°<b>I </b>got it.¡±

    But soon after, she asked, ¡°If they¡¯re willing to help Mr. Thompson, Yuriel should be unable to do anything.¡±

    Zachary looked grim as he answered, ¡°But they won¡¯t help us for free.¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯ll only help after Wanda¡¯s engagement?¡±

    ¡°<b>I </b>suppose you can say that.¡±

    Queenie grew excited. ¡°Then, is Wanda going to get engaged soon?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you about that!¡± Zachary continued to rest with his eyes closed.

    ¡°Honey, please tell me. If you satisfy my curiosity, I¡¯ll fulfill another wish of yours, okay?<i>¡± </i>Queenie was very curious, so she persisted cutely again.

    Recalling that his previous wish was denied by Queenie, Zachary became excited and whispered a date in

    her ear.

    Back at A1 Seafood Restaurant, Carlisle constantly served Wanda food and even peeled shrimp for her.

    Gerard felt miserable watching them. They both looked every bit like a couple.

    He didn¡¯t want Carlisle to have such a good¨Clooking girlfriend.

 Chapter 284

    <b>Chapter </b><b>284</b>

    Gerard also did not want Carlisle¡¯s girlfriend to be a daughter of a wealthy family.

    To clear his growing doubt, Gerard asked with a smile, ¡°Carlisle, you and Ms. Thompson are more than ssmates, right?¡±

    ¡°We are whatever you think we are.¡± Carlisle gave an ambiguous answer.

    Feeling awkward, Gerard turned to look at Wanda and asked, ¡°Ms. Thompson-¡±

    ¡°Are you perhaps inquiring into my personal life right now?¡± Wanda interrupted Gerard while eating the shrimp peeled by Carlisle.

    Gerard instantly closed his mouth. He had yet to sign the contract for the loan, so he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Wanda.

    Wanda soon put down her cutlery and said to Carlisle, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

    Carlisle finished the food on his te and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk?¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips and nodded.

    At this moment, Jenny asked Gerard, ¡°Mr. Zahn, do you want to do the credential check now or tomorrow?

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it now!¡± Gerard would only feel at ease after getting the money.

    ¡°Okay, then follow me to thepany.¡± Jenny soon left with Gerard.

    Christine and Phoebe also went to thepany to learn from Jenny.

    Before leaving, however, Gerard paid for the dinner and asked where Maria was.

    The security guard thereafter led him to the VIP room, where Maria was watching TV and leisurely eating fruit on the sofa.

    ¡°Mary, let¡¯s go,¡± Gerard called out to her. But Maria ignored him and continued to munch on the apple.

    Gerard walked over<b>, </b>sat down, and cated her. ¡°I know you¡¯re very angry but I had no choice. The project with Windex Corporation is very urgent. If we can¡¯t get the funds in time, we might be robbed of our

    chance.¡±

    Maria asked coldly, ¡°Is that why you left me outside?¡±

    Gerard replied helplessly, ¡°Carlisle was Wanda¡¯s ssmate in high school, and he¡¯s probably her boyfriend. If you continued to make a scene, would we still get the funds from her?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Maria was taken aback. ¡°Carlisle is that brat¡¯s boyfriend?¡±

    Gerard nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m assuming, but it¡¯s highly likely.¡±

    Maria did not want Carlisle and his family to be well¨Coff any more than Gerard did. After hearing what

    Gerard said, she scornfully replied, ¡°No way<b>, </b>his family will never prosper!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Then, she added with a click of the tongue, ¡°So what if he¡¯s that brat¡¯s boyfriend? He won¡¯t be able to stand tall if he has to leech off of her.¡±

    After talking for a while, Maria finally agreed to leave with Gerard.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle and Wanda had already arrived at Shane¡¯s table outside.

    Daniel was stunned <b>to </b>see Wandaing out with Carlisle. They were walking so closely together.

    He finally believed that Carlisle was not bragging without reason.

    Wanda¡¯s lover was indeed Carlisle.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡± Seeing Carlisleing over, Shane was about to get down on his knees with teary eyes.

    Carlisle hurriedly helped Shane up and frowned. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you for risking your life to save Olivia.¡± Shane¡¯s face was covered in tears. His lips and his voice were trembling as he spoke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down first.¡± Carlisle turned to re at Daniel. He must have been the one to spill the beans. Daniel shrugged, looking unconcerned. ¡°Don¡¯t re at me. It¡¯s Olivia who told him!¡°¡®

    Shane was even more touched upon hearing the exchange. Carlisle had actually intended to keep it a

    secret.

    Shane gave Olivia another reproving look. ¡°Olivia, you¡¯re too silly. Even if I have to sell my organs<i>, </i>I¡¯ll never let you sully your purity.¡±

 Chapter 285

    Olivia lowered her head, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

    She had wanted to keep this matter to herself. The idea of selling her body was simply too ridiculous, after all. Shane would definitely hate her if he found out about it.

    However, she would never feel at ease if she hid this matter. Plus, Shane would never know how kind his

    two roommates were.

    She struggled with herself for a while before mustering up the courage to tell Shane everything that had happened that evening.

    ¡°Shane, stand up!¡± Daniel suddenly spoke.

    Shane stood up with a puzzled look.

    Daniel then said, ¡°Lift up your shirt.¡±

    ¡°Dan¡­ Do you have such a fetish?¡± Shane asked with a tiny voice.

    ¡°Damn it. Cut the crap and be quick about it.¡± Daniel red at him angrily.

    Shane looked at Wanda, blushing.

    Seeing this, Wanda covered her face with both hands. ¡°I won¡¯t look.¡±

    Only then did Shane slowly lift his shirt.

    Daniel stared at him and found no wounds, so he instructed again, ¡°Turn around.¡±

    Shane turned around obediently.

    Daniel still did not see any wounds on his body.

    Carlisle chuckled and asked, ¡°Did you think Shane sold his kidney?¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, how could he earn nearly ten thousand dors in just two months?¡±

    Daniel still couldn¡¯t figure it out. Ten thousand dors used to be the amount of his monthly allowance,

    but that didn¡¯t mean he was not aware of the current sry range.

    The security guards and janitors of his father¡¯s semiconductorpany were only paid two to three

    thousand dors a month.

    The sry of a technician was slightly higher<b>, </b>but it was only around <b>four </b>thousand dors while the sry of an engineer was around six thousand dors.

    The highest pay a part¨Ctimer could get was a thousand a month. Yet, Shane had made ten thousand

    dors in two months.

    Daniel couldn¡¯t figure out how he did <b>it</b>, so he uttered, ¡°Damn, I thought it was something serious.¡±

    Shane put down his shirt and sat back down. Then, he exined with a smile, ¡°I worked as a salesman

    <b>2/2</b>

    during my summer break. I was lucky and scored a big business deal, so I received argemission.¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Daniel pped his thigh.

    Shane was startled. Had he been seen through?

    ¡°The salesmission is indeed quite high. Why didn¡¯t I think of that before?¡±

    Daniel shed Shane a thumbs¨Cup. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. Let¡¯s work with Carl in the future. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll treat you well.¡±

    Shane smiled again. ¡°As long as Carl doesn¡¯t mind, I¡¯m willing to work for him for the rest of my life.¡±

    Both his parents and grandparents passed away when he was still young. He¡¯d been left to survive on his own since then.

    There was once a time when he locked himself in a dark and wet room, crying and trying to starve himself to death. That was the darkest moment of his life.

    Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a little girl broke into his room with an olderdy.

    It was Olivia and her mother.

    The young Olivia had carefully handed him a slice of apple pie.

    Shane gained the strength to live on after being persuaded by Olivia and her mother.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    From that day onward, Olivia woulde to talk to Shane and y with him every day. They would catch fish and frogs in the pond together, then climb trees to find bird nests.

    Soon, the little girl became Shane¡¯s whole world. He secretly made a vow to marry Olivia when they both

    grew up.

    If Olivia had really slept with other men, his world would copse.

    Therefore, he, who had never been mean to Olivia, reprimanded her today.

 Chapter 286

    Carlisle had saved Olivia, as well as Shane¡¯s whole world.

    It was undeniable that Carlisle was very wealthy, and Shane knew he was unable to repay him. He could only leave a sincere and appreciative remark at this moment.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    As long as Carlisle didn¡¯t mind, he was willing to

    work for him for the rest of his life.

    Olivia felt bad when she heard Shane¡¯s deration. He was offering tomit his life to Carlisle¨Call to repay him for saving her. She lowered her head and shed more tears.

    Carlisle quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s too much. Sit down and eat.¡±

    The group seemed to be waiting for him, as the dishes were still untouched.

    Wanda moved her chair closer to Carlisle¡¯s and whispered in his ear, ¡°Shane lied just now.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Carlisle was aware. Shane had averted his eyes when he said he made money through sales. He was obviously lying.

    Wanda asked in a hushed tone, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how he got the money?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. I¡¯m not curious. Everyone has their own secrets. He must have a reason for not telling us, so let¡¯s not dig any deeper.¡±

    Wanda smiled in understanding.

    Meanwhile, Daniel looked around.

    To his left, Shane busied himself with serving Olivia food. On his right, Carlisle and Wanda were whispering to each other.

    It felt awkward for a single man like him to sit between them. He only felt better when he saw Francis eating alone opposite him.

    With one arm on the back of Carlisle¡¯s chair, Wanda leaned in and asked, ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡±

    Carlisle turned his head and answered, ¡°Yes, where do you want to <b>go</b><b>?</b>¡±

    He snuck a nce at Wanda¡¯s arm on <b>the </b>chair behind him and smirked, then he leaned back to be closer

    to Wanda.

    Wanda blinked innocently as she contemted aloud. ¡°Let me see, I want to go¨CAh!¡±

    As she was speaking, Carlisle suddenly pushed his chair back, causing Wanda to lose her bnce. She shrieked as <b>she </b>fell forward and kissed Carlisle on the cheek.

    Her eyes widened in surprise and her face flushed red.

    Shane and Olivia <b>gasped </b>simultaneously.

    ¡°Oh no!! My Innocent goddess actually offered another man a kiss! Daniel clutched his chest in <b>pain </b>as if

    it was hard to ept reality.

    Francis merely grinned. After all, it was rare to see people act so affectionately in public.

    Wanda supported herself by holding onto Carlisle and straightening up. Her face was as red as an apple. Carlisle, you¡¯re so annoying!¡±

    Carlisle touched the cheek that Wanda had inadvertently kissed and smirked. ¡°You¡¯re the one who kissed me. Why am I annoying?¡±

    I

    w

    ¡°You know what you did! I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore.¡± Wanda <b>covered </b>her blushing face and rant away in a huff.

    rmed<b>, </b>Carlisle quickly chased after her.

    Wanda didn¡¯t run far before she stopped to look back¨Cbut Carlisle wasn¡¯t there.

    Wanda stomped her feet unhappily. ¡°Stinky Pig, so you¡¯re ignoring me?¡±

    Just then, someone hugged her from behind.

    Wanda let out another scream, causing the passersby to look in her direction.

    Carlisle whispered in her ear, ¡°Do you want everyone to see you like this?¡±

    Upon hearing Carlisle¡¯s voice, Wanda was relieved and her tensed body eased a little. Still, she didn¡¯t forget to reprimand him. ¡°Are you trying to scare me to death?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled lightly. ¡°Wanda, babe. Do you still want to run from me?¡±

    Wanda flushed when she heard Carlisle calling her that. She mumbled, ¡°Let go of me first. I won¡¯t run

    anymore.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to let go. I want to keep holding you like this.¡± Carlisle rested his chin on Wanda¡¯s shoulder and let out a warm breath against her neck.

    Wanda felt tingly and numb all over. She noticed the piercing stares of the passersby <b>and </b>said with a quivering voice, ¡°People are staring at us. Let go of me quickly!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± came his immediate reply.

    ¡°H¨CHow about¡­. we go to another ce to hug?<b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 287

    After saying that, Wanda¡¯s face became even redder, like a ripe apple. She looked so cute that Carlisle wanted to nt a kiss on <b>her </b>face.

    However, there were several passersby in the area. He didn¡¯t mind it as he didn¡¯t care about what people thought, but Wanda was easily prone to shyness.

    ¡°Shall we stroll along the river?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Wanda flushed and nodded fervently.

    Then, they walked hand in hand to the riverside.

    Breaking thefortable silence, Wanda suddenly asked, ¡°Carlisle, what¡¯re you going to perform at the bonfire party?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Wanda pouted.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    She suddenly recalled how Queenie acted cute in front of Zachary. It was obvious that Zachary liked it. Every time Queenie acted cute, Zachary would give in.

    Later, Queenie exined to her, ¡°Boys can¡¯t resist girls who act cute.¡±

    Should she act cute too? But she had never acted cute before!

    Seeing that she was getting upset, Carlisle said with a smile, ¡°The bonfire party is the day after tomorrow.

    <b>You¡¯ll </b>find out then.¡±

    Wanda pouted again to express her dissatisfaction.

    Girls <b>were </b>curious creatures.

    The more he tried to hide it from her, the more <b>she </b>wanted to know.

    After a moment of hesitation, Wanda halted her steps.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Carlisle became nervous and wondered if she was really angry.

    That song he would be performing was meant for Wanda, but he still wished to sing it to her during the

    bonfire party.

    ¡°Please tell me¡­¡± Wanda tilted her head as she grabbed Carlisle¡¯s arm with both hands and <b>swayed </b>it lightly. She was emitting soft, endearing sounds.

    What the fuck? Was she acting cute?

    Carlisle stared at Wanda in disbelief. He was thoroughly amused.

    Feeling deathly ashamed, Wanda¡¯s gaze dropped to the <b>ground</b>. She didn¡¯t dare to <b>look </b>up at all, <b>even </b><b>her</b>

    neck was starting to turn red.

    <b>She </b>couldn¡¯t believe that she had made such sounds just now.

    <b>She </b>sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you anymore¡­¡±

    Before Carlisle could react, Wanda had run away in shame.

    ¡°Wanda, don¡¯t run. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Carlisle quickly caught up to her.

    Wanda had put in so much effort to satisfy her curiosity. It wouldn¡¯t be nice if he continued to hide it from

    her.

    The riverside <b>was </b>a long stretch, but there were only a few people around:

    The night wind blew, carrying with it a slight fishy smell. The dim streetmps flickered intermittently.

    Carlisle and Wanda walked hand in hand on the pavement. In the end, he told Wanda the song he was

    going to perform.

    ¡°For Once¡®? Whose song is that? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡± Wanda asked Carlisle with a confused look.

    She could be considered a music enthusiast of sorts. She had an album collection of more than 20 popr artists at home. There were no popr songs that she had never heard of.

    ¡°You can

    say it¡¯s a song of my own making.¡± Carlisle touched his nose sheepishly and smiled.

    In truth, the song would be released ten yearster. That said, no one would know even if he said that it was his original work now<i>.</i>

    ¡°You can even write songs?¡±

 Chapter 288

    Wanda was doubtful. She shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. You always sang out of tune during high school.¡±

    Carlisle pinched Wanda¡¯s cheek with a smile. He did it gently, In fear of hurting her. ¡°That was when I was

    in high school, now I¡¯m in college.¡±

    Wanda smiled and requested, ¡°Then sing me a few <b>lines</b><b>.</b>¡±

    She was curious about the song written by Carlisle.

    Carlisle hesitated. ¡°Do you really want to listen to it now?¡±

    Wanda nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see how good your singing voice is, so that you won¡¯t embarrass yourself on

    stage.

    ¡°Alright then.¡±

    Carlisle cleared his throat and started to get into the <b>mood</b><b>.</b>

    This was a very heartfelt song. The song would lose its essence if it was not sung with utmost emotion.

    Carlisle began to sing. ¡°I wish tough with you, dance with you, and hold you in my arms¡­¡±

    Wanda was fascinated the moment Carlisle sang with his deep and maic voice. She covered her

    mouth with her hand and stared straight at him.

    Unfazed, Carlisle continued the song. ¡°One second we¡¯re arguing, and in the next we¡¯reughing¡­¡±

    Wanda¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Carlisle.

    The lyrics and melody of this song were indeed heartfelt. It ryed what a boyfriend would want to say to his girlfriend.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle soon reached the chorus.

    ¡°For once<b>, </b>I want to live with you forever. We canugh on sunny days, and argue freely on colder nights. Do you know the only thing I want¡­¡±

    ¡°The world isrge, but I¡¯ll go anywhere with you. Don¡¯t worry, my dear. We¡¯ll grow old together, just you <b>and </b>I. Do you know that my heart beats for you..

    Halfway through the song, Wanda was already teary¨C<b>eyed</b>,

    This song was like a confession, but it also expressed regret. Carlisle¡¯s singing made her feel happy but pained.

    She threw herself into Carlisle¡¯s arms and cried. ¡°Carlisle, did you write this song for me?¡±

    Carlisle embraced her lightly and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, I wrote it for you. I nned to perform it during the bonfire party, but since you want to listen to it now, I sang it to you first.¡±

    <b>2/2</b>

    Wanda felt touched as she raised her head and said, ¡°The song is so good. Sing it again at the bonfire

    party. I haven¡¯t had enough yet.¡±

    Her fringe was stuck to her face because of her tears. Carlisle smiled and tidied up her hair. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll sing it to you if you want to listen to it.¡±

    He was really gentle.

    As Wanda listened to Carlisle¡¯s gentle and maic voice, she felt like her heart was about to melt.

    Looking at Carlisle¡¯s bobbing Adam¡¯s apple, <b>she </b>suddenly <b>had </b>an urge to bite on it.

    Carlisle was also feeling aroused at this moment.

    It would be a shame not to kiss in such an atmosphere.

    He lifted Wanda¡¯s <b>chin </b>and slowly lowered his head toward her lips.

    Wanda did not resist this time and closed her eyes.

    However, someone began pping when they were about to kiss.

    Wanda immediately opened her eyes and turned to <b>look </b>at the source of the sound.

    There was a young man in his twenties sitting on the railing under a broken streetmp not far away.

    There were several liquor bottles scattered on the ground beneath him. He had obviously been drinking

    there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Carlisle pulled Wanda as he walked forward.

    The young man asked in a Yorksle ent, ¡°Hey dude, did you write that song? It was amazing!¡±

    Carlisle ignored him and continued pulling Wanda forward.

    The young man jumped off the railing, caught up with Carlisle and Wanda, then stood in their path.

    This person was drunk, and there were no surveince cameras around. Carlisle shielded Wanda behind him and asked with a frown, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Dude, I mean no harm¡­

    When he realized the two of them were wary of him, the young man backed off and smiled amiably. Carlisle noticed the Rolex on the young man¡¯s wrist, and he didn¡¯t look like a gangster, either. Only then did he let down his guard. Carlisle asked again, ¡°So what do you want?¡±

    Carlisle certainly would not talk to the man politely as he had Interrupted his kiss with Wanda.

    The young man nced at Wanda next to Carlisle and was taken aback. He only said with a smile, ¡°I still want to listen to you singing that song. I¡¯ll give you 1000 dors.¡±

 Chapter 289

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± Carlisle rejected the strange man right away.

    The song was for Wanda alone.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Plus, Carlisle was not short of money, so he did not have to perform for 1000 dors.

    ¡°What if I give you ten thousand dors?¡± The young man gazed at Carlisle with drunken eyes.

    Wanda looked at Carlisle with mixed feelings. She hoped that Carlisle could earn more money, yet she <b>didn¡¯t </b>want to see him casually selling the song he wrote for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not singing,¡± Carlisle said firmly.

    *100 thousand dors!¡± The young man raised the price again by tenfold.

    Now, even Wanda was tempted.

    100 thousand dors was enough for an ordinary person to ce a downpayment on a house in the

    outskirts,

    Based on current average wages, an ordinary person would only be able to make that kind of money after working for a good few years.

    That said, the young man only requested Carlisle to sing a song in exchange for that exorbitant amount.

    Back then, Wanda didn¡¯t have much desire for wealth. But now, she had to work hard to make money to

    be with Carlisle.

    Only when she and Carlisle became more sessful could they be together openly.

    Therefore, she had to make a lot of money.

    Wanda tugged at Carlisle¡¯s sleeve.

    Carlisle held her hand and turned to ask, his voiceced with worry, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Wanda whispered in his ear, ¡°It¡¯s 100 thousand dors!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? You want a million dors?¡± Carlisle deliberately raised his voice.

    He would be a fool to refuse the money, but a small sum could no longer satisfy him.

    This young man had <b>a </b>Yorksle ent, and everything on him looked to be expensive. He probably came from a rich family in Yorksle, and 100 thousand dors was nothing to him.

    If he really wanted to listen to Carlisle¡¯s song again, he should pay a million dors.

    Wanda widened her eyes in confusion. Did she say that she wanted a million dors?

    But she soon understood his intentions. Carlisle intended to raise the price yet again, but a million dors

    was too much.

    22

    Even the current top stars were not paid a million dors for TV appearances.

    Only fools would agree to pay him that much. Perhaps Carlisle purposely said that to make him give up.

    ¡°Okay, deal.¡± However, the young man actually agreed.

    Wanda and Carlisle were shocked.

    It was true that Carlisle hiked the price to make him give up, yet he actually agreed.

    Wanda¡¯s heart raced, and her eyes widened. She could not help but tighten her grip on Carlisle¡¯s hand.

    Carlisle knew that Wanda was also tempted. A million dors was a lot of money in this era.

    Olivia was willing to sell herself for 1800 dors, and Shane washed his roommates¡® clothes for 1 dor.

    Carlisle¡¯s mother, on the other hand, was working a part¨Ctime job assembling hardware parts for around 300-500 dors. Her hands were chock full of wounds to prove it.

    A million dors could make an ordinary person financially independent for a long time.

    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re drunk. <b>You </b>should go home <b>now</b>,¡± Carlisle reminded him kindly. He didn¡¯t want the man to

    regret it when he sobered up the next day.

    Technically, it was illegal to ask for a million dors from someone drunk.

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk.¡± The young man spoke distinctly and made himself appear as clear¨Cminded as possible.

    Carlisle still shook his head. ¡°If you really want to listen to it, then look for me tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to listen to it now!¡±

    The young man became anxious and took out his phone to make a call.

    He put his phone on speaker, and soon a man¡¯s deep voice was heard from the other end of the phone.

    ¡°Mr. Spencer,¡± the voice called.

    ¡°Max,e over!¡±

    After immediately ending the call, the young man said to Carlisle with a smile, ¡°Dude, wanna have a drink

    with me?¡±

    Carlisle could tell that the man was unusual. He had a strange feeling that if he could get along with this man, he would certainly make a good connecti

 Chapter 290

    Carlisle turned to look at Wanda and shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s do that next time. I¡¯m not free today.¡±

    Both his career and love life were important. As such, he had to apany Wanda now.

    He didn¡¯t want to set Wanda aside just for the possibility of a useful connection.

    The young man noticed Carlisle¡¯s gaze and knew that he wanted to apany his girlfriend. He sighed. bitterly. ¡°I had a breakup recently, that¡¯s why I¡¯m out here drinking alone.¡±

    Wanda looked at the young man with sympathy and said to Carlisle, ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep himpany for a while?¡±

    Carlisle held Wanda¡¯s hand tightly and said, ¡°But I prefer strolling with you.¡±

    At this moment, a Mazda of the same model as Carlisle¡¯s drove over.

    The car door opened, and an old man in a suit with a slicked¨Cback hairstyle stepped out.

    The drunken young man quickly went up to him. They both whispered for a while:

    The suited old man frowned slightly, but soon his expression returned to normal. He went back to the car, retrieved a checkbook, and wrote a check.

    The drunken young man waved at Carlisle. ¡°Dude,e here!¡±

    When Carlisle was about to walk over, Wanda suddenly stopped him. She then took out her cell phone, turned on the voice¨Crecording function, and tucked it into Carlisle¡¯s pocket..

    Carlisle smiled and proceeded to walk over.

    The drunken young man said with a grin, ¡°This is my guardian. He¡¯ll give you the money as promised.¡±

    The old man handed Carlisle the check for a million dors with a smile.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to pay me a million dors to sing that song?¡± Carlisle didn¡¯t ept the check. right away, he instead stared at the old man with a firm <i>gaz</i>

    The old man nodded, not saying a word in response.

    Carlisle still didn¡¯t take the check. ¡°Please answer my question.¡±

    The eyes of the old man flickered before he smiled and said, ¡°Yes¡­ This one million dors is your payment for singing to

    ¡°Spencer.¡±

    Upon hearing the old man¡¯s confirmation, Carlisle took the check.

    The looked at the drunken young man and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡±

    ld man then

    The young man waved his hand and said, ¡°Go.¡± Turning to Carlisle, he then extended his hand and introduced himself, ¡°Let¡¯s get to know each other. My name is Gareth Spencer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Carlisle Zahn.¡±

    Carlisle and Gareth shook hands.

    Although Gareth had a lot to drink and certainly appeared drunk, he was actually sober.

    In other words, he didn¡¯t pay Carlisle a million dors to sing simply because he was drunk. This further proved that Gareth was no ordinary man.

    At the very least, he was not someone the rich people in Rivend¨Clike Zachary or Yuriel¨Ccouldpare

    <ol>

    <li>to.</li>

    </ol>

    ¡°Let¡¯s drink first.¡±

    Gareth put his arm around Carlisle¡¯s shoulders and went to the spot where he had been drinking

    After taking a few steps, some fragmented images suddenly shed through Carlisle¡¯s mind.

    Someone had jumped off a building.

    Many wreaths wereid outside the city council building.

    A faceless man poured gasoline on himself in an attempt to light himself on fire.

    In the end, the president of the city council was arrested.

    These images yed out like scenes in a movie, apanied by ovepping sounds from various TV news broadcasts.

    Carlisle was taken aback.

    Wasn¡¯t this the incident involving fake wine that shook the entire alcohol industry in his previous life?

    The person who was said to have sold fake wine was the grandson of a prominent political figure. Because of this incident, his entire family was implicated.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Carlisle turned to look at Gareth.

    That incident happened around December in the year of 2004. Carlisle had already started work in the factory in his previous life during that time. He had only heard about the incident from his colleague.

    The Inte was not well¨Cdeveloped back then, so only a <b>few </b>people knew about it. In the end, however, the case was reported in the news and some legal programs,

    ¡°Dude, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Gareth asked in confusion when he noticed that Carlisle suddenly stopped walking.

    Carlisle shook his <b>head </b>and asked, ¡°Gareth, are you in the liquor business?¡±

 Chapter 291

    Gareth was obviously stunned, but he soon shook his head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m jobless, you

    see.¡±

    Regardless of who Gareth really was, Carlisle knew that he was hiding his identity and could not reveal too many secrets. As such, he didn¡¯t push further.

    When they arrived at the spot where Gareth had been drinking just now, an unfamiliar <b>ringtone </b>came from Carlisle¡¯s pocket.

    It was Wanda¡¯s cell phone. Christine was c

    Carlisle passed the cell phone to Wanda, who had remained quiet for a while.

    Wanda excused herself to answer the call. Meanwhile, Carlisle went to the railing with Gareth.

    With both hands on the railing, Gareth uttered, ¡°Carlisle, you¡¯re not an ordinary person.¡±

    Carlisle turned to look at him. ¡°Neither are you.¡±

    Gareth turned to meet Carlisle¡¯s eyes and said gleefully, ¡°As a person who is willing to pay a million

    dors to listen to a song, of course I¡¯m not ordinary.¡±

    Carlisleughed and said, ¡°Then, tell me which part of me seems unordinary

    vto

    you.

    Gareth lit a cigarette and took a long drag. ¡°It¡¯s just my intuition.¡±

    Carlisle turned back to <b>look </b>at the river and casually asked, ¡°Do you believe in fortune¨Ctelling?¡±

    Gareth became interested. ¡°Can you tell fortunes?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle said with a deep voice, ¡°Your fate is bad and you probably encountered terrible things recently.

    Your bad fortune either entails you going bankrupt or your family being ruined.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Gareth flicked the cigarette in annoyance.

    If it were someone else, Gareth would have already beaten him to a pulp. But he <b>had </b>just given Carlisle a

    million dors and had not listened to his singing yet.

    Gareth said without expression, ¡°Sing for me. After that, we¡¯ll owe each other nothing!¡±

    He had originally appreciated Carlisle¡¯s talent and wanted to be friends with him. Unexpectedly, Carlisle actually cursed him with bad fortune. He didn¡¯t want to be friends with such a person.

    Gareth pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and turned on the recorder. He nned to record this song and learn it by himselfter.

    By then, Wanda had already ended the call. Christine informed her that the deal with Gerard was done.

    As if on cue, Carlisle started singing at that very moment.

    Wanda wanted to record it with her cell phone, but she found that Carlisle did not sing as passionately as

    he did just now.

    Although Carlisle was singing it to another person now, she was not upset.

    She had no idea if this song would sell or not; but when someone paid Carlisle a million dors to sing it. it had given the song mary value

    This song was now worth a million dors, and she had listened to it without paying even a single cent

    just now.

    She was growing excited about Carlisle¡¯s uing performance at the bonfire party.

    As she was thinking this, Carlisle had finished singing the song.

    Gareth¡¯s face was covered in tears. He stared at the shimmering river in a daze, humming. ¡°For once, I want to live with you forever. We canugh on sunny days, and argue freely <b>on </b>colder nights. Do you know the only thing I want¡­.

    His intonation and tune were good. This was especially true considering he had only listened to it twice.

    Carlisle even suspected that he majored in music.

    Gareth lifted a liquor bottle and chugged it. ¡°I also wished for a chance to live with her forever, but she

    never let me¡­

    Carlisle smiled lightly. ¡°You¡¯re rich, so there should be many girls pursuing you. Why do you have to trap yourself with her?¡±

    Gareth downed the liquor and muttered with a sad smile, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Carlisle shrugged helplessly. Everyone had their own secrets. Perhaps the rtionship between him and his girlfriend was indeed veryplicated.

    Just like Francis¡® ex¨Cgirlfriend, who was terminally ill but made an excuse to break up with him. In the end, it became a deep wound in Francis¡® heart.

    Another example would be Shane and Olivia. If Olivia had really slept with another man for 1800 dors, it would also be an eternal scar in Shane¡¯s heart.

    Why should he care about others when he hadn¡¯t even figured out his own rtionship?

    Carlisle smiled and then said seriously, ¡°Since you¡¯ve so kindly given me a million dors, I¡¯ll warn you again¨Cdon¡¯t get into the liquor business. Otherwise, you¡¯ll find yourself in big trouble!¡±

    Gareth¡¯s already downcast mood instantly worsened, but he did not lose his temper this time. Instead, he

    stared at Carlisle without saying a <b>word</b><b>.</b>

    Carlisle had mentioned the liquor business twice now. At first, he thought that Carlisle assumed he was in the liquor business because he was still sober after drinking so much.

    Gareth had denied it just now, yet Carlisle mentioned it again. This was bing a little odd.

    As a matter of fact, he did invest in a wine brand recently¨Cone that was founded by his childhood best

    friend.

    His childhood best friend had bought a private winery in Etalino.

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 292

    He even nned to import the red wine from the winery into their country for sale.

    After some discussion, the two friends established Scarlet Fizz.

    In just two months, they had spent eight million dors on marketing and advertising.

    Fortunately, the publicity brought good results. Now, they had hotels all over the country pre¨Cordering

    wine from them.

    Once the wine was shipped over, they would be able to start making profits.

    Gareth estimated that Scarlet Fizz would upy a <b>20</b>% share of the high¨Cend domestic red wine market.

    He would stand to make a fortune from Scarlet Fizz. Yet, here Carlisle was¨Cwarning him to stay out of the liquor business. Wasn¡¯t it equivalent to asking him to give up on reaching the peak of his life?

    After quite some time, Gareth remarked, ¡°I¡¯m a materialist. I don¡¯t believe in fortune¨Ctelling.¡±

    He had invested nearly 200 million dors in Scarlet Fizz. It was impossible for him to give up halfway.

    taContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    How could he believe what a 17 or 18¨Cyear¨Cold teenager said on a whim?

    ¡°I¡¯m just warning you that the red wine might kill¡­¡± Carlisle casually walked to Wanda¡¯s side after saying

    that.

    Gareth narrowed his eyes as he watched Carlisle¡¯s receding back.

    Carlisle was aware that Gareth was in the liquor business, and he also knew that he made red wine.

    Scarlet Fizz was currently managed by his childhood best friend. Only a few people in Yorksle knew that he was the major shareholder behind Scarlet Fizz.

    So why was Carlisle privy to this information? Did he really know how to tell fortunes? This was fucking

    ridiculous.

    Carlisle held Wanda¡¯s hand and walked further away.

    Gareth stared at their backs for a long time.

    Not long after they left, Gareth called Max.

    Soon, Max¡¯s car drove over.

    The chauffeur got out of the car and opened the car door for Max. Max got out of the car and asked with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to drink anymore?¡±

    Gareth shook his head. ¡°Max, please help me check the background of that kid just now. I only know that his name is Carlisle Zahn, and he should be a student of Rivend University.¡±

    Max asked with a smile, ¡°Do you want to get back the one million dors?¡±

    Gareth rolled his <b>eyes</b>. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, alright? I¡¯m a man of my word.¡±

    23

    Max was a little displeased at this. ¡°Are you saying that I don¡¯t keep my word? That¡¯s because you always spend a fortune after drinking.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Let¡¯s go back to the hotel. I want all the information on Carlisle. ready by tomorrow morning.¡±

    Gareth sat at the back of the car and rested with his eyes closed.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle and Wanda continued to stroll along the river.

    Many young couples were having fun on the grasnd by the river.

    Suddenly, there was a shriek.

    Not far away, a few hooligans were robbing <b>a </b>couple. The girl was unwilling to hand over her purse, so the hooligans beat and kicked the poor girl.

    Her boyfriend saw this happening and turned to run away.

    Wanda widened her eyes and eximed, ¡°What a terrible guy!¡±

    Carlisle also looked at the back of the fleeing guy with contempt. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate she¡¯s seen his true colors now rather thanter.¡±

    Wanda took a deep breath and was about to stomp over aggressively.

    While calling the police with his cell phone, Carlisle grabbed Wanda¡¯s wrist and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop them from bullying that girl!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get beaten? Don¡¯t you see how ruthless they are toward a girl?¡± Carlisle said with a stern

    countenance.

    Thest time he jumped in to save Christine, he would have been stabbed too if it weren¡¯t for <b>Zachary </b>who passed by and lent him a hand.

    ng others should be done based on one¡¯s ability.

    Helping

    There were five hooligans in their thirties with daggers in their hands. It was dangerous to go up against

    them.

    Wanda looked over again and saw a buff, tattooed man sping the girl¡¯s neck and pping her

    repeatedly.

    The girl¡¯s mouth and nose were already bleeding.

    Wanda gulped as she leaned toward Carlisle, who had already called the police.

    He briefly described what he saw and told the police the location.

    After hanging up the phone, three women hurried over.

    One of the women saw that someone was being beaten, and she immediately scolded, ¡°Are you guys just

 Chapter 293

    The several guys nearby turned to leave with theirpanions.

    ¡°A bunch of cold¨Cblooded people. Bastards!¡± The woman looked at the men and cursed. Then, she turned to look at Carlisle with expectant eyes.

    ¡°Carlisle, let¡¯s go.¡± Wanda quickly dragged Carlisle away.

    Carlisle was also scared of being implicated, so he turned and left with Wanda.

    In this era, the security in Rivend was still rtively poor. Online payment was still not readily avable,

    and people would bring cash with them everywhere, so robberies weremon.

    Not long after they made to leave, a short¨Clooking guy suddenly rushed over.

    Wanda asked in surprise, ¡°Is he going to help?¡±

    Carlisle turned to look over, and that short guy was indeed heading toward those hooligans.

    ¡°Carlisle? Wanda?¡± A familiar voice came from not far away.

    Carlisle and Wanda turned and looked to the front. It was their guidance counselor, Susan.

    She was wearing a long skirt, looking delicate and gentle. She was holding bags of packed food in her hands.

    ¡°M¨CMs. Lowe¡­¡± Wanda immediately let go of Carlisle¡¯s hand and distanced herself from him.

    Carlisle was more collected and did not look as nervous.

    Susan said, ¡°Don¡¯te to such deserted ces in the future¡­ It¡¯s too unsafe.

    Carlisle thought of something and looked up at Susan. ¡°Ms. Lowe, is Mr. Hanson the one who rushed over just now?¡±

    Just as he said that, the people there had already gotten into a fight.

    Carlisle and Wanda turned to look over.

    The short guy had already beaten the three hooligans.

    Wanda covered her mouth and said, ¡°It really is Mr. Hanson. He¡¯s so amazing<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Mr. Hanson is an army on active duty. It¡¯s a piece of cake for him to deal with a few hooligans.¡±

    ¡°Go back to campus quickly. Don¡¯t stay in this ce any longer, Susan reminded them and walked toward Lawrence.

    Only then did Wandae to her senses and ask, ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between Ms. Lowe and Mr.

    Hanson?¡±

    Carlisle answered casually, ¡°They¡¯re probably a couple.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ No way!¡± Wanda was surprised.

    She didn¡¯t look down on Lawrence. Instead, she admired him. That said, it was hard to imagine Lawrence,

    who was bulky and stood at the height of 5¡¯5¡°, being with the beautiful Susan.

    Carlisle and Wanda only left when they saw that the girl had been saved.

    When they passed by the spot where Gareth had been drinking just now, he was no longer there.

    Wanda asked, ¡°Carlisle, can you give me the one million dors?¡±

    Carlisle casually took out the check from his pocket and put it into Wanda¡¯s hand without hesitation.

    Wanda was stunned. ¡°But this is a million dors. With this, you won¡¯t have to worry about money for a

    long time.¡±

    guy just now abandoned his girlfriend to avoid getting beaten up. This showed the ugly side of human

    The guy

    nature.

    Thus, she intended to test Carlisle by asking him to give her the check. Unexpectedly, he handed it to her

    right away.

    ¡°You silly girl, you are my biggest wealth!¡± Carlisle pinched Wanda¡¯s cheek affectionately.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    These words were cringey but Wanda loved to hear them.

    She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Carlisle on the cheek. Then, she lowered her head and said shyly.¡± This is your reward.¡±

    Carlisle pursed his lips and said, ¡°Kiss me on the lips.¡±

    Wanda smiled. ¡°In your dreams.¡±

 Chapter 294

    Wanda put the check back into Carlisle¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should head back to campus now.<i>¡±</i>

    The next day, Gareth, who was sleeping in the most luxurious presidential suite at Imperial Hotel, was awakened by a knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Only Max would dare to disturb him at this time.

    ¡°I have the information you asked me for. It¡¯s really shocking!¡± Max pushed the door open and strode in, speaking excitedly.

    do you mean?¡± Gareth looked confused.

    ¡°There¡¯s something weird about this kid. He doesn¡¯t have anyone backing him, and his academic performance was very poor during high school.

    ¡°Interestingly enough, he studied hard a month before the SATS and was able to submit the test within

    half an hour for every subject. Then, he was even admitted to Rivend UniversityThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°From then on, his life has been smooth sailing. Max handed the documents to Gareth, who briefly read

    the information.

    He was surprised when he saw the flow of hundreds of millions of dors into Carlisle¡¯s bank ount.

    He had sold game equipment and even invested in properties at Riverwatch District.

    ¡°This kid is quite lucky. No wonder he didn¡¯t even blink when he took the check for a million dors<b>.</b>¡± Gareth smirked and recalled Carlisle¡¯s casual demeanor.

    Max said with a deep voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s <b>as </b>simple as being <b>lucky</b>.¡±

    Gareth looked up. ¡°What else could it be then?¡±

    Max thought for a while and replied seriously, ¡°I think he can tell fortunes.¡±

    Gareth was speechless<b>.</b>

    Max continued to say, ¡°Think about it. He¡¯s just a freshman at a college in Rivend. Why would he suddenly go to Rainville to hunt for bargains<b>?</b>¡±

    Max remained silent. No matter how well Max put it, he would not believe in old¨Cfashioned superstitions

    like fortune¨Ctelling.

    Max eximed, ¡°It was an impromptu decision to develop Riverwatch District back then, yet Carlisle dared to invest all his money <b>in </b>property there. Do you think <b>this </b>is luck? He was confident about the

    project!¡±

    Gareth was a little convinced when he heard Max¡¯s words.

    1/2

    Yes, if it were him, he would certainly not invest all his money in the unknown.

    Carlisle dared to do so because he was fully confident the project would do well.

    Gareth looked at the information in his hand and asked, ¡°What about Riverwatch Hotel? The eight million dor bargain that Carlisle got was not enough to buy the hotel, right?¡±

    Max narrowed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask Lethan about it. His phone number is written there.¡±

    Gareth stroked his chin as he threw the documents aside. ¡°Invite Lethan over for lunch today.¡±

    Max nodded as he picked up the pieces of paper. He then phoned the number that was written.

    It was the weekend today, but Lethan was very busy. Shania and Nathan were also busy in the new

    <bpany</b>.

    They had to treat the one¨Cbillion¨Cdor investment of Holly Fisheries seriously.

    The three of them were reviewing the greenhouse¡¯s blueprints in the meeting room.

    It was then that Lethan received a call from an unfamiliar Yorksle number. He thought for a while and

    decided to answer it.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Warbane. I¡¯m Max Reyes, the deputy director of Scarlet Corporation. Our chairman would like to invite you to lunch,¡± came Max¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Scarlet Corporation?¡± Lethan frowned in confusion.

    The name sounded familiar, but he could not recall what kind ofpany it was.

    Overhearing the name, Nathan informed, ¡°That¡¯s thepany that runs Scarlet Fizz, one of the most talked about high¨Cend red wines recently. This is definitely a hugepany!¡±

    Upon hearing that, Lethan asked, ¡°Are you sure your chairman wants to have lunch with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then you decide the location.¡±

    ¡°12:00 pm at Imperial Hotel

 Chapter 295

    Carlisle was now used to checking for Wanda¡¯s messages in his messenger inbox after waking up

    Wanda did indeed send him a message at 6:00 am, informing him that she would return to her hometown for two days to visit her rtives. She also asked him to think of her often

    Carlisle only replied with an¡°Okay¡±

    He had to be careful while chatting with Wanda. He did not dare to send her cringey messages and had to be as cold as possible

    He sighed and wondered when they could start dating openly,

    Just then, his phone rang Heath was calling

    Carlisle answered the phone and immediately heard Heath say, ¡°I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to listen to first?

    ¡°Good news¡±

    n is dead¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Carlisle jumped up from his bed and asked nervously with a low voice, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Heath said with a smile, ¡°Calm down,n¡¯s death has nothing to do with us. He was stabbed by Mike.¡±

    ¡°Damn, how did this happen?¡±

    ¡°Well I myself find this matter to be quite ridiculous. It¡¯s because Mike¡¯s child is not biologically his Heath said yfully

    The corner of Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°It¡¯sn¡¯s child?¡±

    Heath couldn¡¯t help butugh over the phone. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯sn¡¯s child.¡±

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s crazy Carlisle was rendered speechless.

    Ian even slept with his brother¡¯s wife. He was truly <b>good</b>¨Cfor¨Cnothing scum

    Carlisle, however, was not particrly interested in the scandal, so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡±

    He could hear Heath lighting a cigarette on the other end of the phone

    After a while, Heath reported, ¡°Albert hase, and he ns to take overn¡¯s territories.¡±

    Carlisle instantly fell silent upon hearing the news<b>.</b>

    Albert Jones was more terrifying thann ever was, <b>and </b>he had great influence over half of Rivend.

    Now it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Carlisle to take control of the nearby areas<b>.</b>

    After smoking half of his cigarette, Heath said slowly, ¡°I n to fight him for the territories.¡±

    Carlisle said in a deep voice, ¡°That¡¯s up to you. Just make sure to stay safe!¡±

    Heath would eventually be the underground boss of the entire Rivend. His path was destined to be bloody and dangerous. Carlisle would not stop him.

    Heath said quietly, ¡°I know what to do.¡±

    Carlisle then instructed out of the blue, ¡°Ask your men if they know anyone who studies at Rivend

    University.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll find out.¡± Heath knew that Carlisle was bullied in school¨Cand the one who bullied him was Mike.

    Now thatn was dead, Carlisle wanted to get rid of Mike.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    After hanging up the phone, Carlisle went to tug Daniel¡¯s nket away. ¡°Look at the time, and you¡¯re still sleeping¨CFuck! Why aren¡¯t you wearing any underwear?¡±

    Carlisle threw the nket back to him with a disgusted expression.

    Daniel woke up in a daze. ¡°Aren¡¯t weekends for sleeping in?¡±

    Carlisle asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Shane?¡±

    ¡°He went over to his girlfriend¡¯s cest night.¡± Daniel turned over and went back to sleep.

    At that moment, Carlisle heard rustling sounds by the door.

    Carlisle went to check, warily pulling the door open.

    Shane was standing at the door with a few boxes of breakfast. He was surprised to see Carlisle opening the door. He passed a breakfast sandwich to Carlisle and asked with a smile, ¡°Carl, why are you up so

    early?¡±

    ¡°Is 9:00 am still early?¡± Carlisle brought the sandwich back to his bed and ate it.

    Shane ced another sandwich on Daniel¡¯s table and ate the remaining one himself.

    Daniel turned over just then and asked with a smile, ¡°Shane, how many times did you two do itst night?¡±

    Shane understood what Daniel meant, so he retorted, ¡°We just slept together and nothing else!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you for a second. Carl, do you believe him?¡±

    Daniel put on a pair of underwear and <b>a </b>pair of shorts. Then, he sat cross¨Clegged on the edge of the bed and ate his sandwich.

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°I believe him. Do you think everyone is as nasty as you<b>?</b>¡±

 Chapter 296

    ¡°How am I nasty?¡± Daniel was displeased.

    ¡°Fuck, you masturbate in your bed every night. How can you not be nasty?¡± This was said by Dn, who slept in the bunk below Daniel.

    Daniel mmed his fist against the mattress. ¡°Dn, do you have any evidence<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Dn said tly, ¡°Our beds shake at 1:00 am or 2:00 am every night.¡±

    Daniel still denied it vehemently. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me!¡±

    Jasper gave Daniel a thumbs¨Cup, ¡°Dan, you¡¯re growing more thick¨Cskinned by the day. I really admire <b>you</b>.¡±

    Shaneughed at this. ¡°Dan, you¡¯re a grown¨Cup now. We understand that you have desires.¡±

    Even Carlisle added, ¡°Brat, you¡¯d better control yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­ did you all know about it?¡± Daniel¡¯s face turned beet red. He had never made any noise

    throughout. How did the guys know about it?

    Carl was the exception, of course, as he had unfortunately caught Daniel doing it once before.

    How did the other roommates find out about it?

    Just as he contemted this mystery, his roommates burst outughing.

    At this time, someone knocked on the door again. Shane immediately went to open the door.

    Kelvin was standing at the door with a bruised and swollen face.

    Danielughed at the sight of him. ¡°Kelvin, did you fall somewhere?¡±

    Kelvin walked into the dorm dejectedly,y on the bed, and covered himself with a nket as he cried.

    Daniel scorned. ¡°Why¡¯re you crying? You¡¯re such a pussy.¡±

    The other roommates also ignored him.

    Kelvin had been so arrogant when he hung around Mike. Now that he <b>had </b>been abandoned, those he had offended before immediately got revenge on him.

    Carlisle ignored Kelvin and looked at Shane, asking, ¡°Are you freeter? Run some errands with me.¡±

    Shane hesitated before reply, ¡°I¡­ I have to go to my part¨Ctime jobter.¡±

    ¡°Part¨Ctime job?

    ¡°Yes, <b>the </b>military training is over, sot have to work part¨Ctime during weekends.¡±

    Carlisle told him, ¡°Stop your part¨Ctime job. I¡¯ll find you a lucrative business to do soon.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Shane looked at Carlisle in <b>shock</b>.

    Was Carlisle giving him the chance to make money?

    After breakfast, Carlisle went to the bank with Shane and Daniel.

    He had promised to sponsor Olivia 100 thousand dors for her mother¡¯s subsequent medical expenses. While they were at the bank to do the transfer, Shane told Carlisle that both Olivia and he did not have a bank ount.

    They had been using cash all along.

    ¡°Open a bank ount then. It¡¯s <b>dangerous </b>to carry so much cash on you,¡± came Carlisle¡¯s reply.

    There were a lot of motorcycle muggerstely. Carlisle did not want to give Shane the 100 thousand dors in cash.

    Shane didn¡¯t bring his identity card with him, so he had to go back to the dorm to <b>get </b>it.

    It was already noon by the time the transfer was done.

    Carlisle then brought the two people to the game studio to surf the Inte.

    Elsewhere, Max led Lethan to the door of a private room at Imperial Hotel.

    Lethan was feeling anxious at this moment. He had asked Shein about Scarlet Corporation, who in turn only told him that the corporation was very amazing.

    After hearing thest name of the chairman, Shein made a bold guess.

    Lethan was a little weak in the knees when he heard Shein mentioning the person¡¯s name.

    Max pushed the door open and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Warbane, please go in.¡±

    Lethan took a deep breath, braced himself, and walked into the private room.

    There was only a normal¨Csized dining table in the private room. A good¨Clooking young man was sitting in the main seat, wearing a white suit, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

    He was holding half a ss of red wine and looking at Lethan with a smile.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Lethan only felt scared as he forced himself to smile, ¡°Mr. Spencer<b>¡­</b>¡±

    Gareth gestured for him to sit down with azy smile. ¡°Mr. Warbane, please sit down. You¡¯re a pioneer in Rivend¡¯s fashion industry. It¡¯s only a meal, there¡¯s no need to be so nervous<b>. </b>

 Chapter 297

    ¡°Mr. Spencer, you¡¯re ttering me.¡± Lethan smiled stiffly as he sat across from Gareth.

    The family name ¡°Spencer¡± was very rare, but it was also the name of a very prominent family in Yorksle.

    The former mayor of Yorksle was surnamed Spencer, and so was the chairman of Yorksle Culture and

    Tourism Board.

    Although Shein didn¡¯t say it aloud, Lethan had made the deduction himself.

    This person in front of him was the grandson of the former mayor of Yorksle, and the chairman of the Culture and Tourism Board should be his father.

    They were in a top¨Css private room, but there were only five dishes on the table.

    Lethan was a little displeased by that. He was at least a pioneer in Rivend¡¯s fashion industry. Even if this was a meal with malicious intentions, it should not be this humble.

    ¡°My father has taught me not to waste food since a young age, so I didn¡¯t order many dishes. Please forgive me if it¡¯s not to your standards.¡±

    Gareth smiled politely, then he opened a bottle of <b>wine </b>and poured the drink into two sses. He stood up and ced one in front of Lethan.

    It was the tradition of the Spencer family to not waste food, a principle Gareth had internalized since childhood. Even though he had made over 100 million dors in business over the years, he remained

    steadfast to thismitment.

    He would pay a million dors to listen to a song, but food wastage was never an option.

    When the wine ss was ced in front of Lethan, Gareth shed a polite smile.

    Lethan nodded in understanding and smiled after listening to Gareth¡¯s exnation. ¡°Not at all, there is already plenty of food.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Gareth happily made a toast. ¡°Mr. Warbane, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule toe. Here¡¯s to you.¡± Then, he downed the wine in one go.

    Lethan was secretly relieved to learn that Gareth meant no harm.

    He liked being friends with straightforward people.

    Since Gareth was without pretense, it was probably not a bad thing that he sought Lethan out.

    After finishing his ss of wine, Gareth opened another bottle, ced it in the middle of the table, and gestured for Lethan to take it.

    Gareth poured himself a full ss of wine with the previous bottle and revealed, ¡°I invited you here

    because I want to know more about Carlisle.¡±

    Lethan, who was filling his own ss with wine, was startled when he heard Gareth mentioning Carlisle.

    2/2

    He stopped pouring the wine and forced a smile. ¡°Carlisle is just a freshman in college. We haven¡¯t known

    each other for long.¡±

    He may sound perfunctory, but he was telling the truth.

    Carlisle first predicted what was about to happen to Lethan and saved his life. Then, he <b>predicted </b>the sessful development of Riverwatch District. Later, he predicted that there would be a horrible cold spell at the end of this year.

    Carlisle confessed that he could tell fortunes.

    Lethan didn¡¯t quite believe his exnation, but he couldn¡¯t find other reasons to exin Carlisle¡¯s newfound ability. Therefore, it was true that he didn¡¯t know much about Carlisle.

    Gareth asked cautiously, ¡°Does Carlisle know how to tell fortunes?¡±

    Lethan nodded after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Yes!¡±

    Since Gareth asked this question, he must have met Carlisle and had his fortune told. He didn¡¯t believe Carlisle¡¯s words, so he checked Carlisle¡¯s background and found Lethan in the mix.

    Gareth asked again, ¡°Can you tell me in detail?¡±

    Lethan looked up at Gareth and then lifted his wine ss to take a sip. ¡°I owe Carlisle big time, so I won¡¯t reveal too much about him¨Cbut if he has ever told you your fortunes, you¡¯d better listen to him.¡±

    Gareth had expected Lethan to be protective of Carlisle¡¯s secrets. He just smiled slightly and inquired,¡± Did Carlisle advise you to buy Riverwatch Hotel?¡±

 Chapter 298

    Lethan looked down and continued to drink his wine. He did not intend to answer Gareth.

    Gareth eventually said with distress, ¡°Carlisle advised me to close <b>down </b>Scarlet Corporation, otherwise

    I¡¯d go bankrupt and lose my family. You should know how big of a business Scarlet Corporation is.

    ¡°If I close down Scarlet Corporation, I¡¯ll suffer a loss of more than a billion dors. That¡¯s why I want to

    know more about Carlisle.¡±

    He could tell that Carlisle was no ordinary person when he interacted with himst night. But he didn¡¯t

    dare to risk it with the business he had invested everything in.

    ¡°Then you should close down Scarlet Corporation and cut your losses.¡± Lethan put down his wine ss

    and spoke indifferently.

    Gareth <b>asked </b>again, ¡°So it was Carlisle who advised you to buy Riverwatch Hotel, right?¡±

    Lethan didn¡¯t answer his question, but he said with a smile, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Carlisle, Islo Clothing wouldProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    have long gone bankrupt by now.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡± Gareth lifted his wine ss and chugged it.

    Lethan poured himself another half a ss of red wine, lifted it, and said, ¡°I still have many things to do in mypany, so I¡¯ll take my leave now. Thank you for the meal, Mr. Spencer.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Mr. Warbane. Thank you.¡± Gareth nodded with a smile.

    Lethan left after finishing the wine in his ss. When he was at the door, he suddenly stopped and said, Mr. Spencer, you may suffer a great loss after closing down Scarlet Corporation. If you want to recover

    your losses, you should invest in my newpany. Carlisle is also one of the shareholders.¡±

    After s

    saying that, Lethan opened the door and left.

    Gareth continued to drink in dismay. Max opened the door and came in at this moment. ¡°How was it?¡±

    Gareth shook his head and sighed, ¡°He said nothing.¡±

    Max pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°So, what do you think?¡±

    Gareth took <b>a </b>deep breath. ¡°Get me two experts to check that batch of red <b>wine</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    At Dragonaire Studio, Carlisle smiled after reading the financial report.

    The five¨Cday profit of Dragonaire Studio this week reached 150 thousand dors.

    After deducting the sry and food expenses, Owen used the remaining <b>money </b>to purchase 12 newputers.

    The wound on Owen¡¯s face was mostly healed. He had dyed his hair ck <b>and </b>got himself a <b>buzz </b><b>cut</b>. He even wore a white shirt <b>and </b>a pair of suit pants, looking like a proper salesman.

    While serving Carlisle tea, he said with a smile, ¡°Now that we have 12 moreputers, the profit next week is expected to reach 200 thousand dors.¡±

    Daniel and Shane, both sitting next to Carlisle, swallowed in disbelief.

    Daniel gulped down half a cup of water to quench his thirst and mumbled, ¡°Damn¡­. This game studio

    makes a lot of money!¡±

    He was also into games and yed quite a lot, but he had never heard about the business of game studios. He was shocked to learn how much money this game studio was making.

    Shane looked at the financial report in a daze.

    The staff of the game studio made at least 100 dors a day, and they were only 17 or 18 years old. That¡¯s

    over 3,000 dors a month.

    He

    e was only paid 500 dors when he worked in the factory during his summer break.

    In order to make fast money, he went to the ck market to sell his blood and to various hospitals to participate in drug trials at the same time.

    It was no exaggeration to say that the ten thousand dors was earned with his life.

    Meanwhile, these junior high school or high school graduates could easily make 3000 dors a month by sitting in front of aputer.

    This made him doubt his life choices.

    Carlisle took a sip of his tea and turned to look at Shane who was in <b>a </b>daze. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be envious. I¡¯ll take you with me to make more money in the future.¡±

    In order to build his business empire, Carlisle had to recruit plenty of talented and hardworking people.

    As long as Shane was willing to work with Carlisle, he would definitely have a bright future.

    Shane¡¯s eyes were slightly red as he nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Thank you, Carl.¡±

 Chapter 299

    Shane was very grateful to Carlisle.

    It was Carlisle who helped him when he was bullied by Kelvin in the dorm. It was also Carlisle who saved his girlfriend when she <b>was </b>about to sell herself for money.

    He even gave Shane 100 thousand dors earlier today for his future mother¨Cinw¡¯s medical expenses.

    Besides that, Carlisle intended to give Shane a chance to make more money with him.

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to repay Carlisle for such kindness.

    He <b>had </b>always been tough, but his eyes became red and teary at this moment.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle handed Shane another two thousand dors in cash, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t do your part¨Ctime job anymore. Enjoy the weekend with your girlfriend and future mother¨Cinw.¡±

    ¡°Carl, I can¡¯t take the money.¡±

    Shane got up from his chair and took a few steps backward. ¡°I¡¯m indeed poor, but I¡¯m not greedy.

    ¡°You¡¯ve covered the medical expenses of Olivia¡¯s mother, which has significantly reduced my burdens. How can I still take your money to enjoy the weekend?

    ¡°Thank you, Carl. My life will be yours from now on.¡±

    Shane bowed to Carlisle and turned to <b>leave</b>.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it since he doesn¡¯t want it. Carl, you¡¯re rich anyway.¡± Daniel was all smiles as he reached out to take the money.

    Carlisle pped Daniel¡¯s hand away and hissed, ¡°You¡¯re not short of money.¡±

    The back of Daniel¡¯s hand turned red from the p as he pouted. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m broke now.¡±

    Carlisle ignored Daniel and looked toward Sunny. ¡°Sunny, recruit some experienced game engineers. I want you to form a group of game developers.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to develop our own games?¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes lit up in anticipation.

    There were numerous online games on the market these days, and the popr ones were extremely profitable.

    However, the return of profitable projects was directly proportional to its risk.

    If the game was not well¨Creceived, Carlisle would suffer a great loss.

    Carlisle nodded and said, ¡°The game I have in mind has a long development period, so let¡¯s get the team. together first.¡±

    ¡°What kind of game is it?¡± Owen asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a 5V5 strategy game,¡± Carlisle smiled.

    ¡°But a 5V5 isn¡¯t fun. Nowadays, most gamers prefer massive multiyer games.¡± Owen immediately countered Carlisle¡¯s idea.

    ¡°Owie is right. If we¡¯re really going to develop a game, I think we should <b>focus </b>on MMO games. We have to be able to promote this game overseas.¡± Cameron agreed with Owen.

    MMO games referred to massive multiyer online games.

    ¡°Your idea is good, but the game I want must also be developed,¡± Carlisle answered them with a grin.

    The type of game that Cameron and Owen mentioned allowed arge number of yers from all over the world to join and y at the same time. This kind of game would have beenunched two yearster.

    The game Carlisle suggested was a multiyer online battle arena (MOBA) game. It also acted as a foundation for future mobile strategy games.

    MOBA games were released in the early 2000s, so the current gamers were not yet familiar with them.

    Carlisle deduced he should be able to attract some of the gamers who y Electronic Arts games by releasing a 5V5 strategy game in advance.

    ¡°Then we go with the n of developing two types of games first?¡± Sunny suggested.

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Yes, form two research and development teams. I want the two types of games to be developed at the same time.¡±

    The game suggested by Owen was also <b>not </b>bad.

    People had to pay to y online games in this era, so if theyunched a free online game, it would definitely attract a lot of gamers.

    Although the game was free to y, there was a charge for the in¨Cgame equipment.

    An MMO game was previously well¨Creceived upon its release, and it was said to have made over 10 billion dors in less than half a year.

    Carlisle felt a little distressed. He only thought of the most popr games in the future but forgot to target the gamers of this era.

    The game studio was making money too slowly.

    Cell phones were also still rtively unused in Rivend.

 Chapter 300

    Carlisle only had a <b>20</b>% stake in Holly Fisheries, and he could only get the profits monthster.

    In the meantime, the smart system and chips constantly cost him money.

    1/2

    His funds were currently below ten million dors, and it was estimated that they would be depleted by the end of this month.

    As of now, he needed a profitable game to support his cell phonepany and chipspany.

    However, he would need arge sum of money to develop the game in the first ce.

    He pinched his nose bridge while thinking about whom he should borrow the <b>money </b>from.

    After a while, he thought of Gareth. He closed his eyes and recalled something.

    In his previous life, Gareth had been on the news for a long time.

    Gareth started doing business while he was still in university. He had already made 300 million dors by the time he graduated.

    Two years after graduating, he had made about a billion dors in total.

    However, a business genius was ruined due to a single mistake made during the incident at Scarlet Corporation.

    With Carlisle¡¯s reminder, Gareth would definitely act cautiously. He would be able to change his fate if he

    checked on that batch of red wine.

    Only if Gareth could turn the tide would hepletely believe Carlisle¡¯s words.

    At that time, Gareth probably wouldn¡¯t refuse to invest in his game development ns.

    Soon after, Francis returned with several bags of fast food.

    The group sat together to eat while discussing the games¡® development.

    Cameron said with concern, ¡°Our ideas are good, but it costs a lot to develop a game.¡±

    Owen was not familiar with this industry. He mumbled while chewing the food, ¡°Carl has a lot of money.¡±

    Carlisle smirked. ¡°It costs tens of millions or even hundreds of millions to develop arge¨Cscale game.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? It costs that much?¡± Owen widened his eyes in disbelief.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He had thought it was quite amazing that the game studio had made a profit of 150 thousand dors.

    He instantly fell silent upon hearing that developing a game cost hundreds of millions of dors.

    If the studio could make 200 thousand dors every month, it would be making around 2 million dors a year. And it would take 50 years to make 100 million dors.

    Carlisle said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. I¡¯ll <b>find </b>a way to get the funds we need.¡±

    ¡°Carl, that¡¯s 100 million dors. How are you going to get it?¡± Owen questioned gloomily as he secretly resolved to live thriftily.

    Daniel said proudly, ¡°Carl has 200 million dors <b>now</b>.¡±

    Owen and Cameron widened their eyes in shock. On the other hand, Sunny and Francis looked unbothered.

    Carlisle gave Daniel a cold look. ¡°Can¡¯t you just shut up and eat?¡±

    Daniel shed an embarrassed smile and continued to eat.

    Owen looked at Carlisle as if he was a stranger. He wondered if Carlisle was still the same neighbor he¡¯d known for a while.

    Where did he get the 200 million dors?

    Cameron was also in a daze at this moment. He originally thought that he was already quite proud to be friends with a millionaire.

    Now, he found out that Carlisle had over 100 million dors. Was he actually friends with a billionaire?

    Carlisle continued to eat as he said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I used up almost all of the 200 million

    dors.¡±

    Daniel almost choked on his food. ¡°Damn it. How did you spend it all?¡±

    Carlisle had spent all that money in such a short time?

    Francis exined, ¡°You all should know that Carlisle has a lot of businesses. Some businesses have high operating costs, so isn¡¯t it normal for the money to be used up quickly?¡±

    Daniel nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, especially the research and development of chips. It¡¯s basically a

    bottomless pit.¡±

    After saying that, Daniel could feel Carlisle¡¯s cold gaze again. Realizing that he had once again spoken too much, he went to the other corner of the room to eat.

    Owen said in a low voice, ¡°Carl, take out my wages from your expenses first. You only need to pay for my basic living expenses. You don¡¯t have to pay me my sry.¡±

 Chapter 301

    ¡°Me too,¡± Cameron and Sunny said simultaneously, echoing Owen¡¯s suggestion for Carlisle to only pay for his living expenses.

    Carlisle smiled and responded, ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts. Your sries are merely a fraction of the cost. Let me handle the money, so don¡¯t sweat it!¡±

    After hearing his reply, Cameron and Sunny had no choice but to relent.

    Carlisle intended to ask Lethan to help him rent an office building after lunch. Just as he took out his phone, Lethan called him first.

    ¡°Carlisle, do you know Gareth Spencer?¡±

    ¡°Was he looking for you?¡± Carlisle questioned doubtfully.

    ¡°He asked me about you!¡± Lethan sounded guilty.

    ¡°Then, tell him about me,¡± Carlisle said with a faint smile.

    It was expected for Gareth to do so. After all, they had only just met. Gareth could not just rely on Carlisle¡¯s advice and give up on the business he had risked everything to invest in.

    Lethan sighed in relief.

    ¡°I did tell him a few things. I was even worried that you might be angry!¡±

    Carlisle chuckled wryly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve done anything illegal. Why would I be angry? Besides, I¡¯ve already met Gareth. We must maintain our rtionship with him.¡±

    Lethan remained silent momentarily before asking, ¡°So, you knew who he was<b>?</b>¡±

    Carlisle cleared his throat.

    ¡°No. But I do know that he¡¯s very wealthy!¡±

    Lethan lowered his voice and exined, ¡°He¡¯s not just anyone!¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Carlisle feigned surprise.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very likely the grandson of the former leader of Yorksle!¡± Lethan had only guessed it based on Shein¡¯s tone.

    There was no way of knowing if it was true.

    *Then, all the more reason we should leverage this connection,¡± Carlisle replied with a smile.

    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I gave Gareth some advice before leaving.¡±

    say<b>?</b>

    ¡°I said if he wants to recover his losses, he can invest in our business, Holly Fisheries!¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡±

    Carlisle beamed while responding<b>.</b>

    Then he inquired, ¡°I want to <b>rent </b>an office building. Do you have any rmendations?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯vee to the right person. Shania Just finished constructing an office building and is renting it out. It¡¯s located opposite Times Square. If you¡¯re interested, you better hurry over there now. If you go anyter, there may not be any space left.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll go check it out now.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t apany you there as I¡¯m a little busy over here. But I¡¯ll give Shania a call,¡±

    After ending the call with Carlisle, Lethan called Shania. However, she did not answer the call.

    At the same time, the secretary knocked on the door, saying, ¡°Mr. Warbane, Mr. Zahn from Rhonwen Construction has arrived!¡±

    Lethan frowned slightly.

    ¡°Then, he should¡¯ve gone to the project department. Whye to me?¡±

    The secretary whispered, ¡°The project manager has gone on a business trip. He will be overseas for two weeks!¡±

    Lethan sighed helplessly before replying, ¡°I thought Rhonwen Construction did not qualify.¡±

    The secretary responded, ¡°He said he has intentionally upgraded thepany¡¯s qualification for the sake of our project. Now, he has more than enough workers!¡±

    Lethan hesitated briefly before saying, ¡°Bring him up then.¡±

    He did not have much time left. He could lower the threshold for the construction team to advance the greenhouse aquaculture¡¯s progress.

    A whileter, Gerard arrived outside the office and knocked on the door while carrying some cigarettes and alcohol.

    Lethan evenly said, ¡°Come in!¡±

    Gerard beamed while walking into the office, nodding and bowing.

    ¡°Mr. Warbane, nice to meet you. I¡¯ve prepared some gifts as a token of my appreciation!¡±

    Lethan was busy signing documents. Upon hearing that Gerard had brought some gifts, he lifted his head to look at them before smirking.

    ¡°Are you trying to win me over with some gifts?¡±

    Gerard trembled a little before stammering, ¡°M¨CMr. Warbane, this is a gesture of goodwill. I don¡¯t have <b>any</b>

    other motives!¡±

    Lethan lightly replied, ¡°Let me see the qualification documents. If it meets our requirements, perhaps we can work together.¡±

    On the streets opposite Times Square <b>was </b>a new 18¨C<b>story </b>office building adorned with festive.

    decorations.

    This building was called the Windex Building.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Readingss

 Chapter 302

    The office building¡¯s basement parking lot was packed with all kinds of luxury cars.

    Sarah got out of a white BMW car. She had a wavy perm and dyed her hair blonde. She wore delicate makeup as well.

    She carried an LV bag on her shoulder, exuding the bearing of a wealthy family¡¯s daughter.

    Following her closely behind was Sienna and a blond¨Chaired man, Vincent Bergin, wearing earrings. He

    seemed to be in his 20s.

    ¡°Sarah, will you be working here from now on?¡±

    Vincent¡¯s eyes twinkled.

    Sarah scowled a little.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me Ms. Gates when we¡¯re outside?¡±

    Vincent was Sarah¡¯s older cousin. He did not further his studies after graduating from high school.

    He was presently working as a driver. Sarahcked a personal driver, so she had Vincent take on that role.

    ¡°My bad, Ms. Gates!¡± Vincent lightly pped his own face, grinning as he replied to her.

    Satisfied, Sarah took Sienna¡¯s hand and walked toward the building.

    Sienna asked curiously, ¡°Sarah, why didn¡¯t you invite Mr. Gust along?¡±

    ¡°He went to Yorksle! Besides, I can¡¯t rely on him for everything. I must learn how to be independent!

    As Sarah exined, she took her phone out simultaneously to call her older cousin, Patricia Whitman.

    ¡°Ms. Gates.¡±

    ¡°Come downstairs and receive me<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Gates!¡±

    Sarah hung up the phone, feeling an unmatched sense of pride. When she was in high school, she always bought the cheapest bikes. Thus, her older cousins were always mocking and making fun of her.

    But now, they must address her as ¡®Ms. Gates¡°.

    That feeling felt too exhrating. Sarah had grown ustomed to living an affluent lifestyle.

    At that moment, Sienna noticed a ck Mazda enter and quickly said, ¡°Sarah, that seems to be Carlisle¡¯s

    car.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    A glint of disdain shed across Sarah¡¯s eyes.

    She walked toward her own BMW in high stilettos and said, ¡°Give me the car keys. Then, get out of the car and go use the washroom!¡±

    Vincent looked confused.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t need to use the washroom!¡±

    Sarah scowled.

    ¡°If I say you need to use it, then you must do so!¡±

    She was skeptical of Vincent¡¯s intelligence. She didn¡¯t think there was a way he could be someone else¡¯s driver with his level of IQ.

    Vincent had once said he drove millionaires around. Sarah figured that he must have been lying.

    Worried that Sarah would deduct his sry, Vincent grinned while getting out of the car.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go use the washroom.¡±

    After he left, Sarah entered the car.

    At the same time, Carlisle and Daniel had exited their car nearby and begun walking toward her.

    As they passed by the white BMW, Sarah abruptly peeked her head out.

    ¡°Carlisle.¡±

    ¡°You are¡­?¡±

    Slightly stunned, Carlisle asked uncertainly, ¡°Sarah?¡±

    Sarah said in annoyance, ¡°What, you don¡¯t recognize me after not seeing me for a few days<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle replied calmly, ¡°Even your mother might not recognize you immediately in your current attire and makeup!¡±

    ¡°That just means you have no taste!¡± she retorted.

    Then, she exited the car and passed the keys to Carlisle with a smile, saying, ¡°Can you help me park the

    car?

    Daniel said in a low voice, ¡°Dude, that¡¯s a BMW X5. This car must be worth more than a million dors. She must be a wealthy woman!¡±

    Carlisle took in Sarah¡¯s BMW X5 and asked with a smile, ¡°You know how to drive?¡±

    Sarah shook her head.

    ¡°If I knew how to drive, I wouldn¡¯t have to trouble you!¡±

    ¡°Then, where¡¯s your driver?¡±

    ¡°He had an upset stomach and has gone to the washroom.¡±

 Chapter 303

    Sarah had responded smoothly. But Carlisle knew her too well. Even with his eyes closed, he could Imagine that she had deliberately dismissed the driver. That way, she could show off her BMW to him.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know how to drive. It¡¯s best if you wait for your driver!¡±

    Carlisle turned to leave after responding to her.

    Sienna held Carlisle back, saying coldly, ¡°How could you be like this, Carlisle? She just wanted you to park her car. Do you <b>have </b>to be so narrow¨Cminded?¡±

    Carlisle looked at Sienna as if he had just seen an idiot.

    ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t know how to drive a car. If I damage such an expensive car, I can¡¯t afford to pay for it!¡±

    ¡°Just be honest if you refuse to help. Why are youing up with so many excuses?¡± Sienna sneered.

    ¡°You can choose to think of it that way.¡±

    Carlisle smiled lightly and walked past them.

    Daniel jogged to keep up with him. Meanwhile, Francis had just parked the car and was walking in their direction.

    Sienna even stopped Francis and ordered, ¡°We are Carlisle¡¯s ssmates. Help us park the car.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not mine. That¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡±

    Francis stepped aside and left.

    Sienna furiously stomped her feet.

    ¡°Why is that idiotic driver acting so arrogant?¡±

    Sarah stepped out of the car and smiled lightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ve already achieved our goal!¡±

    At that moment, Patricia exited from the entrance. She was in business attire, had short hair, and wore a pair of gold¨Cframed sses.

    ¡°Ms. Gates,¡± Patricia greeted her with a professional smile.

    ¡°Enna, I¡¯ll head upstairs first. Later have the driver park the car properly!¡±

    Sarah handed the car keys to Sienna.

    Most of the floors had already been rented out at the opening ceremony¨Call but the 18th and 19th floors.

    These two floors had a rtively higher price. The bigpanies don¡¯t need it, but the smallpanies

    can¡¯t afford it.

    Sitting in the office while drinking coffee, Shania stretched her sore neck and asked the secretary beside

    her, ¡°Have all 17 floors been rented out?¡±

    The secretary checked the registration report and replied, ¡°Almost. But the 18th and 19th floors are priced too high. Thus, <b>these </b>small techpanies simply can¡¯t afford them!¡±

    Shania sighed helplessly.

    ¡°If no one is interested, then let¡¯s lower the prices, I urgently need to gather some funds!¡±

    By now, Carlisle had arrived at the opening ceremony. The salesperson immediately approached him with some brochures.

    Seeing him standing in the center, the salesperson smiled while extending his hand.

    ¡°Hi, sir. My name is Martin. May I know what you¡¯re looking for regarding the office building?¡±

    Carlisle shook hands with him and inquired, ¡°Are any of them renovated?¡±

    Martin Wells nodded, saying. ¡°The 18th and 19th floors are semi¨Crenovated. However, the prices are slightly higher.¡±

    ¡°Show me around then.¡±

    Carlisle did not want to waste too much time.

    Martin led Carlisle to the model disy and began exining about the 18th and 19th floors.

    Meanwhile, Sarah and the others had also entered the showroom floor.

    The saledy who had been attending to Patricia realized that Sarah was the important client she had been waiting for. She greeted her with a warm smile.

    ¡°This attractivedy must be Ms. Gates, right?¡±

    Sarah could not even be bothered to look at the saledy.

    She calmly said, ¡°I want to rent the 18th floor!¡±

    Patricia had already exined to Sarah about the office building earlier. Each floor had four office areas with an area of about 10764 square feet each.

    Meanwhile, the 18th and 19th floors were designed based on office areayouts forrgepanies. These floors were divided into offices for more than a dozen departments.

    However, the rent for the 18th floor would be around 200 thousand dors monthly. That did not include the property costs and utility bills.

    The saledy¡¯s eyes shone brightly.

    ¡°Ms. Gates, will you be giving it any more thought?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sarah was about to reply when Patricia grabbed her wrist and whispered, ¡°Why are you renting such an exclusive floor in the office building? We¡¯ve just started ourpany. One of the cheaper floors on the lower level would do!¡±

    ¡°Thepany will expand eventually. Moving around is such a hassle. We might as well rent arger

    space now.¡±

    The thought of her business making a loss never crossed Sarah¡¯s mind.

    She even imagined hundreds of loan officers working at her office within two to three years. By then, she

    would have umted hundreds of millions of worth.

 Chapter 304

    12

    ¡°Is 300 thousand dors your best offer?¡±

    Carlisle, Daniel, and Francis followed Martin toward the reception area,

    Martin shook his head while replying, ¡°It¡¯s the best price. It is the 19th floor¨Cthe highest floor of Windex Building. Think about it. Won¡¯t you feel like you¡¯re at the top of the world while standing on the highest floor?¡±

    ¡°Then-

    ¡°I want the 19th floor.¡±

    Carlisle was about to agree to the price when he heard Sarah¡¯s voice<b>.</b>

    Patricia and Vincent were momentarily shocked. Even Sienna was rendered speechless.

    The monthly rent for the 18th floor was 200 thousand dors. Meanwhile, the monthly rent for the 19th floor was 300 thousand dors.

    In fact, Windex Building¡¯s stiption was that one year¡¯s rent had to be fully paid upfront. That also meant Sarah would have to fork out 3.6 million dors if she wanted to rent the 19th floor.

    All of them knew that Sarah had ten million on hand. Yet, they didn¡¯t think it meant she should spend money however she pleased.

    Her BMW had cost more than one million. The rent at Windex Building would be another 3.6 million. Yet her business has not yet even been lifted off the ground.

    Daniel unhappily stated, ¡°Miss, are you intentionally making things difficult for us?¡±

    Sarah smirked and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not making things hard for all of you. I also want to stand on the highest

    floor and see more of the world!¡±

    Daniel coldly said, ¡°Well, we were here first!¡±

    Sarah nced at Carlisle and said, ¡°But you have not even finalized the deal, correct?¡±

    ¡°If you like it, then just take it.¡±

    Carlisle beamed before turning to Martin and said, ¡°Show me the 18th floor!¡±

    He liked the number 18. Most importantly, the 18th floor was more affordable.

    Martin awkwardly said, ¡°Mr. Zahn, my apologies for that matter. To make it up to you, I will do my very best to get you a discount!¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle and the rest followed Martin back to the model disy.

    Meanwhile, Sarah stayed rooted to the spot in shock. She had sessfully snatched the office floor that Carlisle had <b>his </b>eye on. Yet, he did not seem angry.

    Vincent said sadly, ¡°Ms. Gates, you¡¯ve acted too rashly!¡±

    The 19th floor was 7.2 million dors more expensive than the 18th one.

    Even Sienna sighed.

    ¡°Sarah, that was not worth it.¡±

    She knew Sarah despised Carlisle. However, she didn¡¯t think it warranted Sarah to spend money so

    recklessly.

    ¡°No, it was very worth it! He¡¯s on the 18th floor while I¡¯m on the 19th. I will always be above him.¡±

    Sarah smiled confidently.

    Meanwhile, Sienna and the rest of the people around her said nothing.

    Carlisle was about to sign the contract when Martin suddenly received a call from Shania.

    ¡°Yes, Ms. Warbane.¡±

    After hanging up the phone, Martin stopped Carlisle from signing.

    ¡°Ms. Warbane wants to see you, Mr. Zahn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll sign first before meeting her.¡±

    Carlisle knew that Shania was about to give him a substantial discount. However, Martin had already helped him gain a discount.

    Carlisle would only have to pay 2.2 million dors after reducing 200 thousand dors from the original price. It was equivalent to a reduction of one month¡¯s rent.

    Moreover, Carlisle did not want to owe Shania a favor.

    Martin had conflicting emotions.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. Please go meet our CEO first!¡±

    ¡°Alright. Lead the way.¡±

    Carlisle no longer hesitated and followed Martin to Shania¡¯s office, who stood at the door to greet him. Martin¡¯s heartbeat quickened. He wondered about Carlisle identity for Shania to greet him personally.

 Chapter 305

    ¡°Carl, I¡¯m really sorry. I just found out you¡¯re here!¡±

    Regret was written all over Shania¡¯s pretty face.

    ¡°Ms. Warbane, you¡¯re too kind.¡±

    Carlisle smiled shyly.

    Shania was Wanda¡¯s aunt. Thus, he was honored that she deliberately came out to greet him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Ms. Warbane. That¡¯s too formal. You should call me Shania!<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Shania.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Come, let¡¯s go in and have some fruit!¡±

    Shania¡¯s smile turned brighter.

    Then, she told Martin, ¡°Amend the contract for the 18th floor¡¯s rent to be 100 thousand dors

    Martin was startled.

    ¡°100 thousand?¡±

    Shania¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    Martin hurriedly grinned while shaking his head.

    ¡°Not a problem! I¡¯ll amend the contract!¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    per month<b>!</b>¡±

    Carlisle was already referring to Shania by her name. Even if she wanted to rent it to him for free, Martin.

    ¨C could not object.

    Francis and Daniel decided to go to the 18th floor to look around while smoking.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle sat with Shania by the coffee table to chat. She even asked her secretary to prepare

    tea for Carlisle.

    Carlisle kept thanking her.

    to

    ¡°Why do you need to rent such arge office space?¡± Shania asked while using her spoon to stir the coffee in her cup.

    She knew Carlisle already owned a mobile phonepany and a game studio. The mobile phonepany already had an office building.

    As for his game studio, she heard from Lethan that he had about 20 to 30puters. Still, it didn¡¯t mean that Carlisle needed such that much space.

    Carlisle exined, ¡°I n to expand my gaming business and develop two new games!¡±

    Shania almost spat out her coffee.

    ¡°Develop games?¡±

    Carlisle hummed in response as he nodded his head earnestly.

    Shania noticed that he wasn¡¯t joking<b>. </b>She also grew solemn.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a small sum of money to develop games. Where will you find so much money?<i>¡±</i>

    Carlisle joked by saying, ¡°You could help by lending me some money, Shania!¡±

    Shania pouted.

    ¡°I could help you gather three to five million. Any more than that, I probably can¡¯t¡­¡±

    Carlisle shrugged.

    ¡°I want 200 million!¡±

    Shania choked on her coffee and began to cough violently until tears started streaming down her face. She wondered if Carlisle really thought money grew on trees when he requested 200 million dors.

    She could only borrow 200 million dors from the bank based on herpany¡¯s current qualifications.

    That amount had long been used up for her ownpany¡¯s operations.

    ¡°I know you won¡¯t be making those low¨Cquality games.¡±

    Shania used a tissue to wipe the coffee away from the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help you this time. I¡¯ve already used the money from the mortgage on Riverwatch Hotel to invest

    in Holly Fisheries!¡±

    Carlisle sipped his tea.

    ¡°I was just kidding. I only wanted to expand the game studio. I want to be the country¡¯srgest game ount farmingpany!¡±

    ¡°You almost scared me to death. I genuinely believed you wanted to spend 200 million dors to develop games!¡± Shania said while patting her chest.

    Truthfully, she knew deep down that Carlisle nned to develop games.

    After all, there was some truth in casual jokes.

    But as she was unable to help him/she could only ept it as though he were joking around.

    Soon after, Martin brought the amended contract and walked Carlisle through the procedures.

    Carlisle¡¯s phone rang in his pocket when he was done signing the contract.

    Sean had called.

 Chapter 306

    ¡°Carl, Times Square has a new office building. I n to rent an office space there. Why don¡¯t <b>you </b>move your game studio as well?¡± Sean suggested.

    ¡°You shoulde over to me now. I¡¯m at Windex Building!¡±

    Carlisle found a small table to sit at while waiting for Sean¡¯s arrival. Meanwhile, Francis and Daniel had just returned from the 18th floor. They found chairs and sat at the same table with Carlisle.

    At that moment, Sarah turned slightly pale. Her heart bled at the thought of spending 3.6 million dors worth of rent per year<b>.</b>

    Carlisle crossed his legs while enjoying some fruits. His gaze toward Sarah was filled with pity.

    He figured that Sarah would ultimately be doomed as her character was gradually worsening. Yuriel was the wealthiest man in Rivend, Carlisle felt that Yuriel would not ept such a devious daughter¨Cinw. Sarah passed by the hail and spotted Carlisle. Her eyes were filled with disdain and arrogance.

    When she noticed the pity in his eyes, she mockingly shook her head.

    ¡°Carl,¡±

    Sean wore bright¨Ccolored beach pants, flip¨Cflops, and a white top. He had a pompadour hairstyle and held BMW keys in his hand. His wrist was adorned with a Rolex watch. He simply looked like a second- generation child of a wealthy family.

    ¡°Sean.¡±

    Sienna¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    Sean instinctively nced at Sienna and Sarah. His gaze was filled with puzzlement, clearly not recognizing them at first.

    Shortly after, his eyes widened.

    ¡°Sarah and Sienna?¡±

    It was still easy to recognize Sienna <b>as </b>she had barely changed. However, Sarah appearedpletely different. She even had a sizeable wavy perm.

    Sienna noticed the BMW car keys in Sean¡¯s hand and mocked, ¡°Whose car did you borrow? Be careful not to scratch it, as you can¡¯t afford it

    After all, they had studied at Rainville High School together for a few years. She was somewhat familiar

    with Sean.

    While Sean dide from an excellent family background, he was not anywhere close to being able to Kafford a BMW car.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on people so quickly. Do I look like I need to borrow money <b>from </b>someone?¡±

    Sean¡¯s face was filled with disgust as he replied to the <b>pair</b>.

    After all, he still held a grudge for the incident at A1 Seafood Restaurant.

    Slenna believed that even if Sean did buy a BMW, he probably did so by borrowing money from Carlisle. She chuckled in disdain.

    ¡°What series is yours? Two days ago, Sarah bought the X5 model that was releasedst year for only 1.8 million dors!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sean waved his car keys and grinned.

    ¡°What a coincidence. Mine is X5 too!¡±

    <b>Sienna </b>scrutinized Sean¡¯s car keys and realized they were indeed the same as Sarah¡¯s.

    ¡°It seems that you have <b>a </bpetent sugar daddy. I hope he can support you for life!¡±

    Sienna sneered before linking arms with Sarah and said, ¡°Sarah, let¡¯s <b>go</b>!¡±

    ¡°The two fucking idiots.¡±

    Sean spat on the ground as he watched them walk away.

    Two security guards immediately approached <b>him</b>.

    One of them patted Sean¡¯s shoulder, pointed at the sign by the rubbish bin, and asked, ¡°Sir, do you

    understand these words?¡±

    ¡°Spitting in public incurs a fine of 100 dors?¡± Sean blurted out instinctively.

    Then, he widened his <b>eyes</b>.

    ¡°Damn. 100 dors. Why don¡¯t you rob people for a living instead?¡±

    The security guard evenly replied, ¡°We¡¯ll have to kick you out if you refuse to pay!¡±

    At a loss for words, Sean obediently paid the 100¨Cdor fine.

    Then, he walked over to Carlisle¡¯s side and picked up a piece of apple.

    ¡°I always be unlucky after encountering those two jinxes!¡±

    Daniel gave up his seat.

    ¡°Sean, <b>sit </b>here!¡±

    Sean drove a BMW X5 and wore a Rolex watch. There weren¡¯t many people like him in the entire Rivend University.

    He patted Daniel¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You have a good future ahead of you and are very sensible. How long have you been hanging out with Carl?¡±

    Daniel smiled.

    ¡°Almost half a month!¡±

    He even included the time he had known Carl.

    ¡°That¡¯s no good. I¡¯ve known him for about three years,¡± Sean sald gleefully.

    Daniel¡¯s mouth twitched slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only known Carl for half a month!¡±

    Sean burst intoughter.

    ¡°So that means you¡¯re toote!¡±

    While speaking, Sean pulled out a cigarette and used a BMW lighter to light it.

 Chapter 307

    Daniel watched Sean light his cigarette <b>and </b>felt stupid.

    Francis¡® mouth twitched involuntarily a few times

    ¨C well.

    It seemed that Sean did not even own the BMW. He was merely pretending to use the lighter to act cool.

    Carlisle kicked Sean under the table and reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s a 200¨Cdor fine for smoking<b>.</b>¡±

    Sean happened to notice the security guard approaching. He quickly threw the cigarette into the water and swallowed the smoke in his mouth.

    The security guard was an elderly man. Noticing that Sean had put away his cigarette, he decided to turn a blind eye to the matter and stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°Carl, you-

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Sean was about to speak when Daniel kicked the leg of Sean¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Fuck, are you stupid?¡± Sean furiously roared at Daniel.

    This

    is

    my seat. Quickly get lost!¡±

    Daniel kicked the chair leg again.

    He had assumed Sean to be a hotshot who drove <b>a </b>BMW X5. That was why he had given up his seat.

    Daniel never expected him to be someone who was merely putting on airs.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Sean stood up and realized Daniel was taller and fitter than he was.

    Although he felt uneasy, he still stubbornly said, ¡°If <b>Carl </b>weren¡¯t here, I¡¯d give you a good beating!¡±

    Danielughed.

    ¡°Based on your cowardly demeanor, who knows who¡¯ll be the one toe out on top!¡±

    <b>¡°</b>You¡­¡±

    Sean grabbed his chair<b>, </b>seemingly genuinely furious.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°If <b>you¡¯re </b>going to fight, take it outside,¡± Carlisle calmly said at that moment.

    Sean gritted his teeth.

    <i>with</i>

    ¡°For Carl¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t argue you anymore!<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Coward,¡±

    Daniel scoffed in disdain. Carlisle became displeased.

    3/2

    ¡°Will you shut up?¡±

    Daniel immediately stopped being angry. Heughed awkwardly before sitting in the chair he had given up earlier.

    Seeing how Carlisle had told off Daniel, Sean felt much better.

    He recalled the main business at hand and asked, ¡°Carl, have you rented a space from the office building<b>? </b>ou rented a space from the office building?

    ¡°Yes. The entire 18th floor is mine!¡±

    ¡°You rented the entire floor?¡±

    Windex Building had four blocks¨CBlock A, Block B, Block C, and Block D. Each block was connected by ss walkways, making it appear as a single block.

    Every floor had an area of 43,056 square feet. To be more precise, each block had about an area of 10,764 square feet.

    ¡°Carl, you don¡¯t need that much space, do you?¡±

    Sean gleefully rubbed his hands. He was on the verge of asking Carlisle for some space.

    Carl asked, ¡°Have you registered yourpany? What¡¯s it called?¡±

    Sean replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s registered. It¡¯s called ¡®Alumni Network. What do <b>you </b>think? Should I change the

    name?¡±

    ¡°It sounds good. You should go with this name. I¡¯ll let you have Block D. Quickly set up your website and

    get it up and running as soon as possible.

    ¡°Then, recruit lots of talent for your website operation. We aren¡¯t short on funds!¡±

    Carl casually sipped his tea.

    Sean nodded before asking earnestly, ¡°Carl, do your parents know of your current achievements?¡±

    ¡°Partially!¡±

    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you tell them everything?¡±

    ¡°Nothing is stable yet. Once it is, I¡¯ll let them know!¡±

 Chapter 308

    Carlisle answered Sean¡¯s question with a smile.

    Others usually took it step by step while doing business. But Carlisle had gone about a different route.

    He had manufactured mobile phones and developed chips. He had also ventured into game ount farming, game development, exploring the aquaculture Industry, and Alumni Network.

    He had taken significant steps. But once he was sessful, he would be at the top of the business world.

    The downside was that any business needed a long time before reaping its profits. At that moment,

    still had insufficient funds to support himself,

    he

    Life was short. Carlisle developed a deeper understanding of that fact, having had a second chance at

    life.

    But he did not intend to put all his energy into running his business. He only wanted toplete a few important matters. Then, he would spend time with his future wife and children, and Gordon and Hilda.

    He did not want to have any regrets in his current life.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I almost wanted to share about our endeavors with my dad and see if he would still dare to

    look down on us.

    Sean awkwardlyughed.

    During high school, he and Carlisle would frequent Inte cafes in secret. Rory had often said they

    would not be sessful in the future.

    Rory finally only eased up when they were admitted to college.

    On the first night at Rivend, Rory had even advised Sean to spend less time on the Inte once college had begun. Otherwise, it would be pointless for him to attend it.

    While Sean was aware that Rory was purposefully trying to provoke him, he was still slightly resentful.

    He and Carlisle now had started their own business and were making money. In fact, they were rrge¨Cscale business.

    running a

    Sean didn¡¯t know what Rory would think if he learned that Sean wanted to take a million dors to start at

    business.

    ¡°Oh, please. You¡¯re talking as if that money is yours!¡±

    Daniel did not like Sean¡¯s boastful attitude and cast him a disdainful look.

    Sean said disapprovingly, ¡°What do you know? My friendship with Carl is not merely worth one million

    dors.¡±

    Daniel scoffed.

    ¡°You¡¯re just riding on someone¡¯s coattails!¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you looking for a fight?¡±

    Sean had lost his temper again. He red furiously while roaring at Daniel.

    Daniel yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and fight then!¡±

    Carlisle mmed a hand against the table and icily <b>said</b>, ¡°We¡¯re all <b>adults </b>here. Can¡¯t you all be more mature?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Daniel hastily nodded.

    ¡°Exactly. This dude here is not mature at all.¡±

    *Aren¡¯t you the same?¡±

    Carlisle red at Daniel in annoyance.

    Sean was only younger than Carlisle by a month. He had already turned 18 years old in March.

    Meanwhile, Daniel was older than Carlisle by two months. Thus, he was considered to be an adult as well.

    Yet, the two of them were not behaving maturely at all.

    Carlisle was now worried that Sean could not lead a team.

    <b>¡°</b>Carl, what do you think of my lighter?¡± Sean happily asked while spinning <b>his </b>BMW car keys.

    Danielughed and was about to start mocking him. But he immediately kept his mouth shut when he noticed Carlisle frostily staring at him.

    Sean did not babble on either.

    Instead, he earnestly said, ¡°Wait until I¡¯ve set up Alumni Network. Then, I¡¯ll mass¨Cproduce these lighters. and start selling them by posting photos on thework!¡±

    Daniel snickered. He wondered if Sean really thought everyone enjoyed pretending to be an imposter like he did.

    While Sean found <b>his </b>idea to be excellent, he grew offended when he noticed Daniel¡¯s scornful nce<b>.</b>

    Sean immediately red at Daniel and asked, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that expression?¡±

    Daniel indignantly nced at Carlisle.

    ¡°Carl, he has something against me even if I said nothing!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mouth twitched before replying, ¡°Don¡¯t venture into emerce for now. Wait until we have enough users to consider our profitability.

    ¡°If someone else starts selling goods on Alumni Network, it will definitely encourage others to do the same. By then, Alumni Network would no longer be about users sharing their life stories but about them selling their products!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. How did I not consider this<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Sean awkwardly scratched his head.

    Then, he continued to ask, ¡°So, how do we make a profit?¡±

    Carlisle beamed, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll wait until traffic starts picking up. Then, making a profit will be very simple. In fact, the profits will be quite substantial<b>!</b>¡±

    Sean sighed.

    ¡°There¡¯s an entrepreneurship park. I¡¯ve seen many socialworking websites being developed there, but they have a hard time retaining users. I have no idea whether <b>our </b>Alumni Network can take off. I don¡¯t want our one<b>¨C</b>million investment to go down the drain.¡±

    Carl chuckled calmly and confidently replied, ¡°Others may be others. But we are who we are. We will only

 Chapter 309

    Daniel disdainfully said, ¡°You¡¯re already giving up before starting. How can you start a business with such a timid personality?¡±

    Sean surprisingly did not retort this time.

    He inhaled sharply and said firmly, <b>¡°</b><b>Carl</b>, you¡¯re right. I will seed!¡±

    Carlisle smiled slightly.

    ¡°When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. Always have confidence in whatever you do. Even if you fail, we can always try again. Our youth is our biggest asset!¡±

    With Carlisle¡¯s encouragement, Sean instantly felt very confident.

    Sean had nothing to fear if Carlisle was not afraid of spending money. All he had to do was try.

    At that moment, Shania and her secretary exited the elevator. When she spotted Carlisle, she smiled and

    walked over.

    ¡°Carl, have youpleted all the procedures?¡±

    Carlisle nodded with a grin.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you, Shania!¡±

    Shania

    a was delighted to hear this. Her smile grew wider.

    ¡°Sit here and wait for a moment. I¡¯ve found a designer to help youe up with a decent interior design. You can even leave the renovation ns to him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you enough, Shania!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s heart was filled with warmth.

    Not only did Shania offer him a discount on the rent for his office space, but she even arranged a designer for him to avoid any issues. He felt it was worth knowing Shania.

    Carlisle understood why Shania treated him so well. It was because she had incurredrge profits through Riverwatch Hotel. Moreover, he was the reason why she stood a chance to obtain Riverwatch

    Hotel.

    Then, there was Holly Fisheries. Shania had mortgaged Riverwatch Hotel to invest in Holly Fisheries.

    This investment was terrifying <b>in </b>the eyes of the entire Rivend business world.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    It was a total of one billion dors. Even the wealthiest person in Rivend only had assets worth less

    than that.

    Now, everyone was in the same boat. Carlisle was their only hope,

    ¡°You and I are already quite close. So, there¡¯s no need to be so formal with me,¡± Shania said with

    Chapter 30 VID

    displeasure.

    ¡°Okay. Then, I¡¯ll do as you <b>say</b>!¡±

    Carlisle smiled radiantly.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave for Holly Fisheries first to handle some matters. Call me if you run into any trouble!¡±

    ¡°Bye, Shania!¡±

    ¡°Bye!¡±

    Shania left with a smile.

    Daniel and Sean stared in disbelief.

    Sean turned to stare at the giant poster behind the front desk. The poster had a picture and introduction

    of Windex Corporation¡¯s CEO, Shania Warbane.

    Daniel also looked in the same direction.

    A whileter, both of them fixed their gazes on Carlisle at the same time.

    Sean incoherently said, ¡°Carl, are you well¨Cacquainted with her?¡±

    Daniel pricked his ears up to listen. He thought he had misheard as well.

    Although <b>she </b>was Windex Corporation¡¯s CEO, Carlisle had spoken to Shania as if they were close.

    Windex Corporation was one of Rivend¡¯s top real estatepanies.

    Yet, Carlisle was on very good terms with Shania.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡±

    Daniel suddenly recalled something.

    He inquired, ¡°She must be Wanda¡¯s aunt, right?¡±

    He remembered Ryan talking about Shein¡¯s businesses. Shania seemed to be Shein¡¯s sister¨Cinw. Therefore, Shania would be Wanda¡¯s aunt.

    Buttely, Shein seemed to have fought with Josie¡¯s family. Daniel had even heard that they were in the

    middle of a divorce.

    Carlisle nodded frankly.

    ¡°Yes, she is indeed Wanda¡¯s aunt!?

    Sean had no idea. But Daniel was Rivend¡¯s second<b>¨C</b>generation rich kid, so he would naturally <b>know </b>a few things about Shania. Thus, there was no point in hiding it.

    Sean inhaled sharply.

    ¡°Wow, Wanda really hid her identity well!¡±

 Chapter 310

    Sean asked doubtfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t you fighting with Wanda?¡±

    Carlisle was momentarily quiet before replying honestly, ¡°Wanda¡¯s brother and father are against our rtionship. So, we can only pretend to be strangers at school.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sean was displeased.

    ¡°Do they look down on you?¡±

    Daniel snickered.

    ¡°Do

    <b>you</b>

    still have to ask that question? They definitely don¡¯t think much of Carl. What, <b>you </b>want to help him vent his anger?¡±

    <b>Sean¡¯s </b>tone was cold as he retorted, ¡°Wanda¡¯s mother is brilliant. What right does her father and brother have to show off before Carl? After all, Wanda¡¯s aunt approves of Carl, right?¡±

    Daniel smirked.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t know who Wanda¡¯s father is, right?<b>¡±</b>

    Sean felt uneasy..

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°Shein Thompson.¡±

    Daniel smiled faintly.

    ¡°Oh gosh¡­¡±

    Sean fell backward along with his chair. But Francis used his foot to support the back of the chair while

    Carlisle helped to stabilize Sean.

    Sean gulped.

    ¡°A few days ago, I spected if Wanda is Shein¡¯s daughter with Lily. Who knew it would be true? Wanda

    has been too secretive. Even Lily isn¡¯t aware of her true identity!¡±

    After speaking, he gazed at Carlisle sympathetically and said thoughtfully, ¡°Carl, you really are under a lot

    of pressure!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s father was Shein. Shania was Windex Corporation¡¯s CEO. Then, Josie must be just as brilliant.

    Sean thought no one would understand the pressure Carl was dealing with.

    Carl burst intoughter.

    ¡°When there¡¯s pressure, there¡¯s motivation. You two must keep this a secret!¡±

    After that, he turned to look at Daniel and said solemnly. ¡°Especially you. If you leak this secret, I will no longer be your friend!¡±

    <b>Daniel </b>nodded solemnly, vowing earnestly, ¡°I will keep my lips sealed. Otherwise, I¡¯ll cut off my own

    tongue.¡±

    Sean grinned.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for me to say, right? I know how to keep secrets!¡±

    ¡°Like father, like son!¡± Carlisle teased with a <b>smirk</b>.

    He had known Sean for many years. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he understood Sean better than Ryan did.

    Sean rolled his eyes.

    ¡°How great would it be if I had you as my father? I would happily be a second¨Cgeneration rich kid!¡±

    They chatted for half an hour. Then, Diego Hammond, a man wearing sses in his 30s, walked over with

    a smile.

    ¡°May I know who Mr. Carlisle Zahn is?¡±

    He wore a white shirt and suit pants. He even held a folder in his hands.

    ¡°I am,¡± Carlisle answered while standing up.

    Diego politely extended his right hand.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Zahn. Ms. Warbane has arranged for me to be your designer!¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    Carlisle beamed while shaking hands with Diego.

    Daniel and Sean obediently stood up to offer him a seat.

    Carlisle gestured with his hand.

    ¡°Please take a seat!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, you go first.¡±

    Diego did not seem surprised or show disdain toward Carlisle for his young age. He mirrored Carlisle¡¯s

    movements for him to sit.

    Carlisle did not insist any further and sat first.

    Diego sat on the chair beside him and turned to thank Daniel and Sean.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    Sean took a paper cup, intending to pour some tea for him.

    Diego hastily epted the paper cup from Sean¡¯s hands and said, ¡°I can help myself!¡±

    <b>Sean </b>smiled helplessly before looking for another chair to sit on.

    Diego had finished pouring his tea but did not drink it immediately.

    He pushed the folder before Carlisle and spoke warmly, ¡°Mr. Zahn, my name is Diego Hammond. I am the nning director of Elegant Space Corporation. Here is the renovation n I¡¯vee up with for the 18th and 19th floors.

    ¡°Feel free to take <b>a </b>look. If you have any amendments to <b>suggest</b><b>, </b>please let me know. If <b>you </b>are unsatisfied with this renovation n, you may suggest your own ideas. I¡¯ll redesign ordingly!<i>¡±</i>

 Chapter 311

    <b>Chapter </b><b>311</b>

    Carlisle examined the renovation drawings and found theyout styles for the four areas <b>to </b>be very stylish.

    Diego was the nning director of a renovationpany, after all. Shania had even rmended him.

    While the design was reliable, Carlisle had a different idea.

    He wanted to allocate a block for Sean to set up Alumni Network. However<b>, </b>theyout style on the n

    was intended for an overallpany structure. Thus, some minor modifications were required.

    ¡°Help me divide it into four office areas<b>,</b>¡± Carlisle proposed.

    ¡°Four<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Diego stared at Carlisle <b>in </b>confusion.

    ¡°Do you have fourpanies, Mr. Zahn?¡±

    Carlisle nodded and replied, ¡°I have a gamepany, a mobile phonepany, a software development technologypany<b>, </b>and a socialworkpany!¡±

    He also owned Xenos Factory, but there was no rush to relocate it. Thus, he did not bring it up.

    Even <b>so</b>, Diego¡¯s heart trembled. It was no wonder his former ssmate, Shania, had asked him to be

    more courteous toward Carlisle.

    He had initially thought Shania and Carlisle were rted. Now it seemed to be due to Carlisle being a

    formidable person.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    As a 17 to 18¨Cyear¨Cold student, Carlisle already owned fourpanies, including a mobile phone

    <bpany</b><b>.</b>

    Many mobile phone manufacturers had failed at the start of the year.

    Diego was very tempted to advise Carlisle to give up on his mobile phone business. But he said nothing in

    the end.

    His instinct told him that Carlisle would seed.

    ¡°Okay, I will do it. Let¡¯s exchange contacts. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll send the amended renovation drawings to you!¡±

    ¡°You can do it by tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°We do things efficiently here!¡±

    Diego smiled.

    Carlisle gave his MSN username and phone number to Diego. After chatting for some time, Diego went

    back to work.

    Sean was still in shock even after Diego had left the lobby. It did not take long for Carlisle to own four

    <b>Chapter </b><b>911</b>

    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s gettingte. <b>We </b>should go back<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Carlisle¡¯s </b><b>voice </b>brought Sean back to his <b>senses</b>.

    By the time he looked up, Carlisle had already walked to the entrance. Sean hastily got up and followed

    <b>him</b>.

    The three of them sat in the car.

    <b>Carlisle </b><b>instructed</b>, ¡°Send Sean back to his school first<b>¡±</b>

    Francis nodded and drove in the direction.

    Sean sat beside Carlisle. He could not help but feel nervous.

    He wondered how much money Carlisle had now.

    S

    Carlisle¡¯s phone emitted a notification sound from MSN messenger.

    He thought Wanda had texted him. He took out his phone and noticed that it was a message from Ruby

    instead.

    Ruby: ¡°Carlisle, what are you doing?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Is it any of your business?¡±

    Carlisle had responded impatiently. He thought nothing of the entire Gust family. Thus, he had no interest <b>in </b>interacting with Ruby,

    If he weren¡¯t worried about Ruby unleashing her anger on Shania, he would have deleted Ruby¡¯s contact

    long ago,

    Ruby: ¡°Carlisle, don¡¯t be so cold, okay?¡±

    Ruby felt uneasy. She had many admirers, but none of them deserved to have her contact information.

    She had put in a lot of effort to add Carlisle on MSN. Yet, he unexpectedly treated her coldly.

    Ruby was sure he was unaware of her true identity. She considered if she should tell him that she was Yuriel¡¯s daughter.

    After some hesitation, she sent him another text message.

    Ruby: ¡°Carlisle, do you know who I am?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle could not be bothered to reply to her.

    Ruby waited for a while. She felt even more aggrieved when she realized he would not respond.

    Ruby: ¡°I am ss 2¡¯s Ruby Gust.¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Oh!¡±

    Ruby: ¡°My father is Yuriel Gust.¡±

    Chapter

    Carlisle<b>: </b>¡°Oh!¡±

    Ruby: ¡°Don¡¯t you know who Yuriel Gust is?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°The richest man in Rivend.¡±

    Ruby: ¡°Then, why are you so calm?¡±

    Ruby furrowed her brows, feeling like she was being looked down upon.

    Carlisle: ¡°Whoever your father is has nothing to do with me, right?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle shook his head, finding it uninteresting.

    Ruby had clearly brought up her identity to gain his attention.

    Carlisle wondered if she had fallen for him. He touched his handsome face, feeling emotional. He realized that looking handsome could be a burden,

    <b>With </b>his attractive looks, finding a girlfriend would be very simple. He had no idea how he ended up hanging himself on a tree in his previous life.

    Ruby: ¡°No, it¡¯s fine!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Anything else? If not, I wish to rest.¡±

    Ruby: ¡°Isn¡¯t it daytime?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°It¡¯s nap time!¡±

    Ruby: ¡°Oh. Then, rest well. I won¡¯t disturb you any further!¡±

 Chapter 312

    <b>Chapter </b>312

    After ending the conversation, Rubyy on her bed in a daze.

    Other ssmates had fought to prove their worth after learning of her identity. Yet, her tactic did not work

    on Carlisle.

    Ruby¡¯s phone emitted a notification sound from MSN messenger. Thinking that Carlisle had texted her

    again, she quickly picked up her phone to have a look.

    But it wasn¡¯t him.

    Sarah: ¡°Ruby, are you at home?¡±

    It was a text from Sarah, Austin¡¯s new girlfriend. It seemed that Austin really liked her. Otherwise, he

    would not have passed Ruby¡¯s MSN username to her.

    Ruby: ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ruby simply responded.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sarah: ¡°I have nothing to do. I¡¯d like to bring a few friends over to your house for some fun. What do you

    think?¡±

    Sarah had apany of her own now. She also owned a luxury car. However, she did not own a mansion.

    Thus, she wanted to experience living in one as early as she could.

    Ruby: ¡°Sure. Come over then!¡±

    Feeling bored, Ruby readily agreed.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle had shut his eyes to rest in the car.

    There was another notification on his phone. This time, it was a text from Wanda.

    Wanda: ¡°Carl, what are you doing?¡±

    Seeing the way she affectionately addressed him, Carlisle grinned and replied yfully.

    Carlisle: ¡°I was thinking of you<b>, </b>of course!¡±

    In that day and age, these replies were not too yful. Most of the youngsters would reply this way.

    Young women did not socialize mych during the era of mobile phones and socialworking. Hence,

    their rtionships couldst for a very long time.

    Once social media became popr, the shy world would provide more distractions. Naturally, everyone would have more options.

    Wanda nced at the phone/screen with a radiant smile:

    Wanda: ¡°I was thinking of you too!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Are you done with your annual memorial visit?<b>¡±</b>

    Wanda: ¡°Not yet. Uncle Sebastion and the rest aren¡¯t here yet!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Uncle Sebastian?¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Yeah. Uncle Sebastian does business in Mocuwait. In fact, he¡¯s far more talented than my dad!¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°Then, are your dad and your uncle on good terms?¡±

    Wanda: ¡°No. They have different values. Hence, they often argue and even fight over various matters.¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°That¡¯s good!¡±

    He had impulsively sent his reply. He regretted it within the next second. He thought it was a shame that he could not delete the message.

    Wanda¡¯s smile froze.

    Wanda: ¡°What?¡±

    Carlisle: ¡°I mistyped. What I meant was it¡¯s not good. Brothers should always help and support each other. After all, a happy family would result in more sessful endeavors!¡±

    He hastily replied. Inwardly, though, he did not want them to be on good terms. He already faced a lot of

    pressure.

    If Carlisle had to go against Shein one day, and Sebastian Thompson came to his rescue, he would have a more challenging time.

    Wanda: ¡°Yeah, I always advise them, but they don¡¯t listen to a single word!¡±

    Wanda: ¡°Uncle Sebastian and the rest have arrived. I need to go back to town. I¡¯ll speak to you some

    other time!¡±

    The signal in town was not good. Hence, Wanda had deliberately run to the top of the hill at the back of town to text Carlisle.

    Trodie Town was the Thompson family¡¯s hometown.

    Many generations ago, the Thompson family¡¯s ancestors had made a fortune by selling peaches.

    The Thompson family had established its business the way it was that day through the efforts of several generations. Trodie Town was no longer in poverty during Wanda¡¯s grandfather¡¯s generation.

    Every household had built a vi by the time it was Shein¡¯s generation. In fact, the people of Trodie Town had also preserved the Thompson family¡¯s memorial hall very well.

    When Wanda returned to her ancestral home, seven or eight ck Mercedes cars were parked by the roadside. Arge truck loaded with supplies such as rice, oil, and salt was parked at the front.

    Wanda realized that Sebastian had outdone himself that yearpared to the memorial visit from the year before.

    Sebastian exited the car and chivalrously opened the back door. A dignifieddy wearing a long dress. with a slit stepped out of the vehicle.

    She wore a gold ne around her fair neck, looking haughty. She looked like a court minister serving

    the king.

    Wanda could not help but watch the scene y out in her mind.

    ¡°Sebastian, Ynda,¡± Shein greeted with Zachary and Wanda in tow.

    ¡°Uncle Sebastian, Aunt Ynda!¡± Zachary and Wanda greeted them.

    Sebastian nodded nonchntly.

    The elegantdy, Ynda Abbott, said disdainfully, ¡°Is Josie absent again?¡±

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 313

    <b>Chapter </b><b>313</b>

    Shein continued smiling.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re unaware of my situation with Josie. Why bother asking?¡±

    Ynda was a sessful entrepreneur in the maternal and infant products industry in the bustling city of Mocuwait. Her family background wasparable to that of the Thompson family.

    Ynda sneered at Shein¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been going through a divorcewsuit for three years. Perhaps you two don¡¯t even n to divorce, right?<b>¡±</b>

    Zachary¡¯s and Wanda¡¯s eyes widened at the revtion. They had no idea Shein and Josie were in the middle of a divorce. They had never brought it up.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes reddened.

    She asked shakily, ¡°Dad, why are you two divorcing?¡±

    Zachary narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful. Soon, he realized that Shein and Josie were merely putting

    on an act.

    Hence, he crossed his arms, looking unfazed.

    Shein smiled helplessly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve also noticed that I¡¯ve had a strained rtionship with your mother for the past few years. We even

    live separately often.

    <b>¡°</b>Actually, we¡¯ve been wanting to divorce for a long time. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve dragged it on for so long as we¡¯ve never reached an agreement regarding property.¡±

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want you to divorce!¡±

    Tears streamed down Wanda¡¯s face. Since she was young, she never worried about having no food on the

    table. The only thing shecked was the love and care of her parents.

    Now that she had grown up, Shein and Josie were about to divorce. She could not ept that.

    Shein did not know whether to cry orugh.

    ¡°Many things are not within our control.¡±

    Wanda cried, ¡°Why not? Is it because of your assets?<b>¡±</b>

    Shein and Josie were entrepreneurs. Not only did they divide their property, but they also had an agreement rted to their interests.

    Wanda thought they were in conflict due to the uneven distribution <b>of </b>interests, leading to a divorce.

    Shein felt guilty as he gazed at Wanda, who was in tears. He thought her to be silly. Even Zachary

    understood what was going on. Shein hoped she could as well.

    2/3

    Ynda was delighted to see Shein and Wanda at odds with each other with merely a few words from

    her.

    She turned to look at Sebastian and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hand out the gifts to the townspeople!¡±

    Sebastian nodded with a grin. He waved his hand for the bodyguards in the lorry to unload the goods.

    Zachary pulled his hand out of his pocket and ruffled Wanda¡¯s hair with a smile.

    ¡°Alright, stop crying. You¡¯re looking like a mess!¡±

    ¡°Mind your own business.¡±

    Wanda pushed Zachary¡¯s hand away and red at Shein with reddened eyes.

    ¡°Dad, if you and Mom divorce, I will never forgive you for the rest of my life!¡±

    With that, she whirled around and ran toward the memorial hall.

    ¡°Silly Wanda¡­¡±

    Shein stared at Wanda¡¯s retreating figure while sighing.

    Zachary lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Should I tell her the truth?¡±

    Shein shook his head with a smile.

    ¡°No need. Your mom and I are really going to divorce soon!¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re really going to divorce? I thought it was all a show for Yuriel!¡±

    Zachary was astonished.

    ¡°Yuriel isn¡¯t so easily fooled!¡± Shein said lightly before heading toward the ancestral home.

    Carlisle did not return to the dormitory. Instead, he rented a well¨Cfurnished four¨Cbedroom apartment near

    the school.

    After signing the contract, he called Lethan again to deliver aputer.

    The apartment had 16 floors. Carlisle stood by the window. He could see the balconies of the women¡¯s dormitory at Rivend University.

    But he could not clearly see who was <b>on </b>the balconies as a few streets separated the buildings.

    Daniel mimed a telescope and asked slyly, ¡°Carl, shall I go downstairs and buy you a telescope?¡±

    Carlisle rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert!¡±

    Once he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was a call from Heath.

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, are you at school?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m nearby!¡±

    ¡°A few of our guys are outside Papplewick Tea Shop. You should meet them!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    After hanging up the phone, Carlisle asked Francis to send him to Papplewick Tea Shop, located

    diagonally across the school gates.

 Chapter 314

    <b>Chapter </b><b>314</b>

    The shop was adorned with many colorful decorations.

    At that moment, more than 30 juniors and seniors were queuing outside the tea shop. There were also many other people hanging around as well.

    They were all meeting for the first time. They introduced themselves while exchanging cigarettes.

    ¡°My name is Arthur Gray. My older cousin is Prince Heath¡¯s trusted right¨Chand man.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool!¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Arthur. While they found his name strange, no one dared tough at him.

    Arthur was about six feet tall. His tight top outlined his muscr body.

    Someone handed him a cigarette.

    ¡°Arthur, please look out for me in the future!¡±

    Arthur epted the cigarette and leisurely said, ¡°Sure, sure. Once I¡¯ve made a name for myself, I¡¯ll hand

    over the power over the campus to you after college graduation!¡±

    The person smiled in delight.

    ¡°Sure, Arthur. I¡¯ll follow your advice.¡±

    ¡°I like dealing with smart people like you!¡±

    Arthur put his hands in his pockets and shook his head to move his side¨Cswept bangs covering his eyes.

    Then, he asked in confusion<b>, </b>¡°Speaking of which, do any of you know who Carlisle Zahn is?¡±

    The people exchanged nces and shook their heads.

    Arthur¡¯s sharp eyes had noticed that one person in the crowd seemed lost in thought.

    He pointed at him and said, ¡°You,e out here.¡±

    Everyone whirled around to look in his direction.

    Kelvin came to his senses and pointed at himself, saying, ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you,¡± Arthur replied.

    Someone shoved Kelvin, who stumbled to the front.

    Arthur inquired, ¡°You¡¯re a freshman, right?¡±

    Kelvin anxiously nodded.

    ¡°Yes, Arthur!¡±

    Arthur continued asking, ¡°Then, do you know who Carlisle is?<b>¡±</b>

    Chapte 314

    2/2

    Kelvin inhaled sharply.

    <b>¡°</b>Yes, he was my ssmate. We used to go <b>to </b>the same high school!¡±

    Kelvin had been in a daze earlier for a reason. Lately, he was often getting bullied. He had even received threats that if he dared to make aint<b>, </b>he would end up with broken legs.

    Feeling fearful, he called his father, Eugene Knox, requesting to transfer schools.

    After understanding the truth, Eugene decided to look for connections for Kelvin. Shortly after, he found someone to be Kelvin¡¯s protector.

    It was none other than the rising star, Prince Heath.

    Although it was actually Heath¡¯s henchman that Eugene connected Kelvin to, it would at least prevent him from being bullied at school.

    Mike wanted to take his anger out on Kelvin earlier in the morning. He had called him, ordering him to go to the alley behind the school.

    Thus, Kelvin immediately called for backup from his protector, who brought more than 20 people to assist him.

    This time, Mike was humiliated, receiving two ps from Kelvin¡¯s backer.

    Kelvin had finally vented his anger and was energetic and lively throughout the day.

    He even considered taking revenge on Carlisle. Ultimately, he held back.

    After all, Carlisle was richer than Kelvin and Eugene. Thus, Kelvin was worried that Carlisle would use

    more money to buy off his new backer.

    Yet an hourter, Kelvin had received a call from his protector, asking him to go to Papplewick Tea Shop to speak to the school¡¯s big shot.

    <b>In </b>fact, Kelvin was instructed to serve the big shot well.

    When Kelvin inquired about the big shot¡¯s identity, his backer had mentioned Carlisle¡¯s name.

    Shocked, he asked his protector about Carlisle¡¯s identity.

    It turned out that Carlisle was Heath¡¯s boss.

    At that moment, Kelvin felt his scalp tingling as though he had been struck by lightning.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    For a whole hour, he remained in shock from the revtion.

    So, when Arthur had called upon him, he was still lost in thought.

    Arthur¡¯s body tensed when he heard Kelvin¡¯s answer.

    He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Who does he hang out with?<b>¡± </b>

 Chapter 315

    <b>Chapter </b><b>315</b>

    ¡°W¨Cwith Prince Heath!¡± Kelvin stammered.

    Arthur rolled his eyes.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. Everyone here has someone working for Prince Heath. I want to know which one of Prince Heath¡¯s men your backer is working for.¡±

    Arthur tightened his grip on Kelvin¡¯s shoulder. It made Kelvin yelp in pain and double over.

    ¡°Ouch, ouch! My guy isn¡¯t any of his men. I think he reports directly to Prince Heath!¡±

    Kelvin was on the verge of tears. He had just escaped one dangerous situation only to fall into another.

    Arthur quickly let go and shed an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Sorry about that, Kelvin. I didn¡¯t mean to be so harsh. No hard feelings, okay?¡±

    Kelvin was bewildered by Arthur¡¯s sudden change in demeanor <b>but </b>managed to shake his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Arthur.¡±

    The ssmate who had offered Arthur a cigarette earlier pulled out another pack and handed it to Kelvin.

    ¡°Kelvin, this is a small gesture. Please, take it.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s only a freshman. You want him to start smoking?¡± Arthur snapped, ring at the guy.

    He took the cigarettes from Kelvin and handed them back to the guy.

    That guy was his ssmate, Jamie Pattinson, a junior <b>in </b>the emerce major and known for his sharp

    mind.

    Jamie understood the reason behind Arthur¡¯s change in attitude. Arthur had heard of Wade¨CHeath¡¯s right-

    hand man, who reported directly to him.

    This meant Kelvin could potentially be the second¨Cinmand of this powerful group.

    Arthur threw an arm around Kelvin¡¯s shoulder with a cheeky grin.

    ¡°Kelvin<b>, </b>I got a little carried away earlier. Don¡¯t take it personally. I hope you can look out for me in the

    future.¡±

    Kelvin also understood why Arthur¡¯s attitude had changed,

    When he mentioned that his backer reported directly to Heath, it was insinuated that it was Wade. Arthur immediately backed down, showing that Wade¡¯s influence was indeed powerful.

    He had the best shot at bing a leader alongside Carlisle in this group.

    However, Kelvin had a history with Carlisle.

    If Wade learned about his issues with Carlisle, it was uncertain if he would continue to protect him or,

    2/3

    even worse<b>, </b>decide <b>to </b>teach him a lesson.

    Faced with Arthur¡¯s enthusiastic attitude, Kelvin didn¡¯t dare act superior. He gave a nervousugh.

    ¡°Arthur, you¡¯re joking. You should be the one looking out for me.¡±

    ¡°No, no. I was simply bluffing earlier. My connection is my cousin. He¡¯s just a <b>grunt </b>under one of Wade¡¯s guys,¡± Arthur admitted, swallowing his pride.

    Everyone around shot Arthur disdainful looks but kept quiet. After all, nobody dared to mess with

    someone as muscr as him.

    Kelvin had already suspected this, and with Arthur¡¯s admission, he knew better than to show any disrespect.

    Forcing a smile, he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s help each other out from now on.¡±

    Arthurughed heartily.

    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯ll have each other¡¯s backs!¡±

    The group quickly bonded with smiles all around.

    With this crew, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being bullied by the school thugs anymore.

    Only Kelvin looked worried.

    He figured Carlisle was probably on his way to the tea shop. He suspected that Carlisle would definitely

    not want him joining his group.

    After all, Carlisle had already made it clear he wouldn¡¯t tolerate him.

    After thinking for a moment, Kelvin took out his phone and stepped aside to call Wade.

    Wade answered quickly, sounding tipsy.

    ¡°Kelvin, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Kelvin hesitated.

    ¡°Hey, man, I need a favor.¡±

    Wade chuckled.

    ¡°Just spit it out. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush.¡±

    Kelvin paused before exining his history with Carlisle.

    Wade¡¯s tone sobered up as he sat up on his office couch.

    ¡°Seriously? Of all people, you had to piss off Carlisle? And his girlfriend?¡±

    Kelvin was nearly in tears, his voice trembling.

    ¡°Please, you¡¯ve got to help me. I can¡¯t lose your support.¡±

    Wade sighed.

    ¡°Dude<b>, </b>there¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯m just a grunt under Heath. Do you know how much Heath respects Carlisle? If I <b>crossed </b>Carlisle, Heath might cut off my fingers<b>¡­</b>¡±

    Kelvin¡¯s face turned even paler. Just then, a ck Mazda pulled up at the curb.

 Chapter 316

    The car door opened.

    Daniel immediately stepped out from the passenger seat and opened the door for Carlisle.

    Carlisle got out and gave Kelvin a nce.

    That simple look was enough to terrify Kelvin and weaken his legs. He nearly copsed.

    Carlisle looked away and headed toward Papplewick Tea Shop with Daniel and Francis.

    With his voice shaking, Kelvin said, ¡°Wade, Carlisle¡¯s here. Please, you¡¯ve got to help me!¡±

    Wade rubbed his bald head and gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you this one time. But don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡±

    Kelvin was nearly in tears.

    ¡°Thank you, Wade!¡±

    Carlisle arrived at the entrance of the tea shop.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were instantly on Carlisle.

    Carlisle said himself, ¡°You guys must be the ones Heath sent.¡±

    Arthur asked softly, ¡°And you are¡­?¡±

    Daniel stood tall.

    ¡°This is Carlisle, your new boss.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Carl¡­<b>¡±</b>

    Arthur, despite being six feet tall, immediately lowered his head in greeting.

    The rest of the group quickly followed, echoing. ¡°Nice to meet you, <b>Carl</b>!¡±

    Carlisle waved his hand and smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Let me take you all out for dinner.¡±

    Jamie spoke up, ¡°We can¡¯t let the boss pay on our first meeting. Dinner¡¯s on me tonight. Let¡¯s go to A1

    Seafood Restaurant.¡±

    Arthur chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ll cover it. I recently won some money from the lottery.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to argue. Tonight¡¯s on me. We¡¯re all acquainted now, so let¡¯s not be so formal.¡±

    He knew they wanted to make a good impression. But as their leader, he needed to show generosity <b>and </b>establish a positive first impression to earn their loyalty.

    Jamie and Arthur reluctantly agreed.

    Carlisle looked at Arthur and <b>asked</b>, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Arthur quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯m Arthur Gray.¡±

    Carlisle nodded.

    ¡°Take them to A1 Seafood Restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Arthur replied, organizing everyone to catch taxis to the restaurant.

    Noticing Kelvin still standing there, Arthur called out, ¡°Kelvin, what are you standing around for? Get over

    here!¡±

    Kelvin trembled and reluctantly walked over.

    Carlisle then asked, ¡°Is he with you guys?<b>¡±</b>

    Arthur nodded. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s one of Wade¡¯s people.

    Carlisle was puzzled, wondering when Kelvin had gotten involved with Wade.

    After a moment, he said, ¡°I only want juniors and seniors.

    After all, in Carlisle¡¯s eyes, freshmen and sophomores were <b>too </b>young <b>and </b>wouldn¡¯t have any presence.

    Most of the other gangs on campusprised juniors and seniors.

    Kelvin¡¯s face fell. He couldn¡¯t help but think Carlisle was deliberately targeting him.

    Arthur was secretly pleased. Without Kelvin, he could solidify his position as second¨Cinmand.

    He quickly turned around to gather the group and sort them out. From the original 38 people, only 30

    remained.

    Carlisle¡¯s phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw it was a local number he didn¡¯t recognize.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s me, Wade¡­¡±

    Wade¡¯s submissive voice came through the line.

 Chapter 317

    ¡°Are you calling to plead on Kelvin¡¯s behalf?¡±

    Carlisle already knew Kelvin was connected to Wade. With Wade calling, it was clear he was trying to

    advocate for Kelvin.

    Wade hesitated and stammered, ¡°B¨Cboss, I took 100 thousand dors from that <b>dude¡¯s </b>father, promising to look out for him. If I¡¯d known you two had issues, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the money.¡±

    He paused, lowering his voice

    ¡°Could you do me a favor and let him off this time?¡±

    Carlisle responded coolly, I¡¯m not nning to cause him any trouble.¡±

    Wade felt a surge of relief.

    ¡°Thank you, boss. Thank you. If he ever disobeys, I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    ¡°Nah. I don¡¯t want freshmen or sophomores. I¡¯m only interested in upperssmen.¡±

    ¡°Well.. Alright then,¡± Wade replied with a resigned chuckle.

    ¡°Is there anything else, or can I hang up?¡± Carlisle asked indifferently.

    ¡°N¨CNo, nothing else,¡± Wade replied.

    Carlisle ended the call the next second.

    Daniel had already opened the car door for Carlisle.

    As Carlisle got into the car, Kelvin followed, asking, ¡°Carl, let me join your team!¡±

    Carlisle shut the car door without saying a word.

    He had already shown leniency by not confronting Kelvin. Allowing Kelvin to join his team would be

    humiliating.

    After all, Kelvin had spread rumors and ndered Wanda in the group chat, making her cry.

    As Francis drove off, Kelvin stood there, stunned.

    Wade called Kelvin.

    Kelvin, feeling lost, answered, ¡°Bass¡­¡±

    ¡°I already did what I can. Carl won¡¯te after you, but he won¡¯t let you join his team either. Also, our

    deal still stands. J

    be more careful in the future,¡± Wade said before hanging up abruptly.

    As Carlisle headed to A1 Seafood Restaurant, he got Mike¡¯s phone number from <b>a </b>ssmate and dialed

    <ol>

    <li>it.</li>

    </ol>

    Meanwhile, Mike was having dinner at A1 Seafood Restaurant, preparing to toast with a school belle from

    Chapte <b>317</b>

    2/2

    his ss. She wasn¡¯t too keen, but with encouragement from Mike¡¯s friends, she reluctantly raised her

    ss.

    Just then, Mike¡¯s phone rang on the table.

    ¡°Damn it¡­

    Mike saw it was an unknown number and promptly hung up.

    Before he could set the phone down, it rang again.

    Mike answered angrily, ¡°Who the hell is this?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Mike, it¡¯s me, Carlisle.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? I¡¯m busy right now,¡± Mike snapped.

    ¡°Mike, I just got my allowance today. It¡¯s tens of thousands of dors. I n to pay another year of protection fees, Carlisle replied calmly.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Mike squinted slightly, smiling.

    ¡°It seems someone¡¯s feeling generous today.¡±

    Carlisle responded on the phone, ¡°A wise man must know when to seize the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Come to A1 Seafood Restaurant,¡± Mike said.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t reply and simply hung up.

    Mike put down his phone and continued to raise his ss to the school belle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue¡­

    After hanging up, Carlisle called Sean.

    Sean informed him he was having dinner with their team at A1 Seafood Restaurant.

    After exchanging pleasantries, Carlisle hung up..

    Then, he called Owen.

 Chapter 318

    Owen and Carlisle had been beaten badly by Mike¡¯s peoplest time.

    <i>It </i><b><i>w</i></b>

    was time to settle the score.

    Upon hearing that Carlisle was going to help him get revenge, Owen was so excited that he rushed downstairs.

    On the way, he called Heath.

    Heath frowned slightly.

    ¡°Did you hear it from Carl himself?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Alright, go over there. Keep an eye on Carl and make sure he doesn¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    Heath hung up the phone and nced at Wade, who was on the couch watching a ¡®90s drama with

    interest.

    ¡°Wade, gather the crew. We¡¯re heading out!¡±

    ¡°Where to<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Luke¡¯s old ce.¡±

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s intense!¡±

    Wade jumped up from the couch.

    Aftern died, Luke took over all his business. Luke often indulged in wine and women, neglecting the operation of his entertainment venues, <b>which </b>led to many of <bn¡¯s </b>former associates quietly leaving.

    Ten minutester, five vans and 12 ck Santana split into two groups <b>and </b>hurried toward Luke¡¯s old

    haunt

    Heath felt a wave of emotion in his heart as he sat in the car and watched the scenery fly by outside.

    It had only been a week since he took over as boss, but so much had happened in that time.

    Just a week ago, he would have been intimidated by Mike. Now, Mike meant nothing to <b>him</b>.

    Wade excitedly rubbed his hands together.

    ¡°Once we take care of Luke, our influence will beparable to Albert¡¯s!¡±

    Heath smiled faintly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too soon. Going after Luke will surely provoke Albert. Let¡¯s get through this first.¡±

    Wade furrowed his brows

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait a little longer then?¡±

    Heath shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with our boss¡® trouble first.¡±

    At A1 Seafood Restaurant, Mike had already poured several sses of wine for the school belle, Mnie

    Yost.

    She was flushed and dazed. Swaying in her chair, Mnie was on the verge of copsing. But fortunately, a few female ssmates were there to support her.

    Mike lit a cigarette, pulled out two thousand dors in cash from his pocket, and tossed it before the two

    female ssmates.

    ¡°Your business here is done. You can leave now.¡±

    One of the female ssmates eyed the crisp hundred¨Cdor bills with envy.

    The other furrowed her brows lightly.

    ¡°Are you saying we should leave Mnie here?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Mike said with a smirk.

    He had been pursuing Mnie for a long time, hoping to win her over with his sincerity. But she was ying hard to get, so he had arranged this meeting to get her drunk and finally have her all to himself.

    *No way. I have to take Mnie with us!¡± the female ssmate said while eyeing the cash on the table.

    Mike¡¯s lips curled into a sly smile.

    *Not satisfied with the amount, are you?¡±

    The female ssmate immediately averted her gaze and said earnestly, ¡°Mnie and I have been best friends for three years. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d betray her for money.¡±

    Mike tossed another two thousand dors without waiting for her response. Then, he pulled out another two thousand and ced it on the table.

    The other female ssmate quickly pocketed the money and stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading back now¡­¡±

    The remaining ssmate, Katie, was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe her ssmate could do this

    Mike tossed another two thousand dors over.

    ¡°That¡¯s all the money I have. You should know that regardless if you ept the money, you won¡¯t be able to take Mnie with you today.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I want ten thousand!¡±

    Chante 318

    3/3

    Katie finally spoke up.

    She was clearly unsatisfied with the amount.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Mike narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Katie, you¡¯re being too greedy. It will eventually ruin you<b>.</b>¡±

    Katie shrugged, unbothered.

    ¡°Give me ten thousand dors. If something happenster, I¡¯ll stand by your side and testify that Mnie. seduced you.

 Chapter 319

    Mike clucked his tongue.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed Mnie¡¯s best friend!¡±

    Mike gave Katie an appreciative look and then threw five thousand dors at her.

    Aftern¡¯s death, Luke took most of the money, leaving only ten million for Mike.

    It wasn¡¯t muchpared ton¡¯s billions, but he was satisfied.

    Mike felt it was at least better than the three thousand dors monthly allowancen gave him.

    Katie pocketed the ten thousand dors and was about to leave.

    Mnie, feeling woozy, grabbed Katie¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°Kat¡­ please¡­ take me with you¡­¡±

    Katie shook off Mnie¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mike truly cares about you. If you stay with him, you¡¯ll live in luxury and won¡¯t have to wash dishes or do part¨Ctime jobs just for some spare change.¡±

    Hearing Katie¡¯s cold and heartless tone, Mnie¡¯s eyes filled with tears.

    After Katie left, Mike waved his hand, and his men, who upied three tables, cleared out of the room.

    Momentster, screams and sounds of dishes and ss shattering came from the room.

    At the same time, Sean and Owen arrived with over 30 people.

    Carlisle and Francis didn¡¯t tag along. They stayed back in the private room, ordering food.

    In the hallway, Mike¡¯s subordinates recognized Sean <b>and </b>Owen.

    Sean and Owern had been beaten <b>ck </b>and blue before.

    At the sight of them with so many people, they were clearly here to cause trouble.

    Arthur asked, ¡°Sean, do we go straight in, or.?¡±

    Looking at the familiar faces in the hallway and hearing Mnie screaming from the private room, Sean said, ¡°Screw it. That bastard¡¯s hurting a girl. We¡¯re going in now.¡±

    Arthur had been a brawler since high school and had even undergone special training. He tore off his

    shirt, revealing a formidable set of muscles, and charged in.

    In the private room, Carlisle could already hear the sounds of the fight outside.

    Francis chuckled.

    ¡°I wonder if they can handle it. Maybe I should go help.¡±

    Carlisle shook his head.

    ¡°That musclehead can take on five guys by himself.¡±

    A glint appeared in Francis¡® eyes.

    ¡°You sure have a knack for finding the right people!¡±

    He recognized Arthur¡¯s incredible strength. In a life¨Cor¨Cdeath match, Francis might be able to kill him, but in a brawl with restraint, even he might not stand a chance.

    The manager of A1 Seafood Restaurant entered the private room, trembling

    ¡°Mr. Zahn, the surveince cameras are off.¡±

    He had just received a call from Heath, insisting that the current incident be swept under the rug or A1 Seafood Restaurant would be out of business. He ryed this to the boss, who told him to handle it.

    Carlisle smiled and gestured for the manager to sit.

    ¡°Rx. I¡¯ll cover the cost of any damages.¡±

    The manager sighed.

    ¡°Even thoughn is dead, Luke is still around. He¡¯s even more ruthless thann.¡±

    Carlisle suddenly looked up at the manager, who flinched.

    Did

    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, you actually reminded me of something.¡±

    Carlisle pulled out his phone and called Heath, intending to have him cause Luke trouble.

    As soon as Heath answered, Carlisle said, ¡°Create some trouble for Luke.¡±

    Heathughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m already at their doorstep.¡±

    The sounds of fighting erupted over the phone.

    Carlisle¡¯s tone grew serious as he asked, ¡°Are you nning to take them all out in one go<b>?</b>¡±

    Heath replied, ¡°Yeah, in one swift move.¡±

    Carlisle warned, ¡°You risk mutual destruction. Watch out for Albert.¡°.

    The noise on the other end was overwhelming, and Carlisle hung up after a few more words.

    Back in Mike¡¯s private room, Mike had several deep scratches on his face. Mnie¡¯s clothes were torn, exposing a lot of her pale skin.

 Chapter 320

    Mnie, disheveled and terrified, was huddling in a corner. She was clutching a piece of broken ss so tightly it cut her hands, though she didn¡¯t seem to feel the pain.

    Mike cracked his neck and said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you once I¡¯ve handled the situation outside.¡±

    He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

    Mike frowned when he saw the two groups locked in a fierce fight. The numbers were about even, but the opposing side had a muscr powerhouse.

    Sensing things were going south, Mike retreated to the room and called Luke,

    But Luke didn¡¯t answer.

    Mike began to panic. He called repeatedly.

    However, regardless of his desperation, Luke wouldn¡¯t pick up.

    At Sanctuary Resort, Heath was already seated in the seat that should have belonged to Luke. Luke was now kneeling on the floor, covered in blood.

    Heath hadn¡¯t expectedn¡¯s men to be such cowards. The fight had barely started before someone was

    begging for mercy.

    Heath¡¯s recent ruthless actions had clearly instilled some fear.

    Luke¡¯s phone kept ringing in his pocket.

    Heath, looking down on <b>him</b>, said, ¡°Answer it.

    Luke pulled out his phone and saw it was Mike calling. He answered.

    ¡°Luke, help! They¡¯re beating me up!¡±

    Hearing Mike¡¯s desperate plea, Luke looked up at Heath and pleaded, ¡°Leave someone from the Carlson family alive¡­¡±

    With a mocking smile, Heath replied, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in the dark ages. I¡¯m not looking to kill anyone.¡±

    Luke¡¯s words made it sound like Heath intended to kill both him and Mike.

    Luke gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Then what do you want?¡±

    Heath lit a cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke.

    ¡°Simple. Hand over all your assets.

    Luke was on the verge of copsing,

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give up everything.¡±

    Chapter

    Heath smiled brightly and snapped his fingers. Benjamin walked in, carrying <b>a </b>stack of contracts.

    Just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, a terrifiedckey rushed in.

    ¡°Heath, we¡¯ve got trouble. Albert¡¯sing with a lot of men!¡±

    Heath took a deep breath and looked at Wade.

    Wade¡¯s eyes gleamed with intensity as he grinned fiercely.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take them on. I don¡¯t care who he is.¡±

    2/2

    At A1 Seafood Restaurant, Arthur dragged a battered Mike into Carlisle¡¯s private room. Arthur had several bleeding wounds.

    Carlisle turned to the manager.

    ¡°Do you have a doctor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get one right away.¡±

    The manager nodded, trembling.

    The restaurant had two seasoned doctors on staff to handle any potential seafood allergies.

    Arthur, eager to impress, said to Carlisle, ¡°Boss, I took down eight guys¡­¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle gave him a thumbs¨Cup.

    ¡°Impressive. I¡¯ll make sure to reward you in the future.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. He knew the weight of Carlisle¡¯s words. After all, Carlisle was a top¨Ctier boss. Even Heath respected him.

    Mike, bruised and swollen, crawled to Carlisle¡¯s feet. Tears were streaming down his face.

    ¡°Carl¡­ Carl, I know I messed up. Please, forgive me!¡±

 Chapter 321

    Carlisle was calmly sipping his fish chowder.

    Suddenly, his expression darkened.

    Mike almost wet his pants out of fear.

    When Carlisle had called him earlier, Mike had suspected that Carlisle wasn¡¯t just being generous. He <b>figured </b>Carlisle might cause trouble now thatn was dead.

    Still, he hadn¡¯t taken it seriously.

    After all, Luke had taken overn¡¯s businesses and would protect him.

    But no

    it seemed Luke was in trouble too.

    Mike concluded it was Heath. He figured Carlisle and Heath were working together.

    They <b>had </b>nned to take down both him and Luke that day.

    It had to be that.

    Mike was drenched in sweat, trembling.

    ¡°Today¡¯s fish chowder soup is a bit salty,¡± ignoring Mike, Carlisle turned to the manager of A1 Seafood Restaurant and remarked.

    ¡°I¨CI¡¯ll have it reced right away, and today¡¯s bill is on me. We¡¯ll also change the kitchen staff,¡± the manager stuttered nervously.

    Carlisle put down his spoon and waved away the smell of urine in the air.

    ¡®Forget it. I¡¯m not hungry today,¡± he said lightly.

    The manager stood frozen.

    Carlisle then looked at Mike kneeling on the ground and smiled.

    ¡°Mike, I¡¯ve stashed quite a bit of money with you. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time you return them to me?¡±

    Mike nodded frantically.

    ¡°Yes, <b>yes</b>. I have 100 thousand. I¡¯ll give it all to you, just spare my life!¡±

    Mike had given up any illusions with Luke in trouble and hisst hope shattered. He thought Carlisle perhaps wouldn¡¯t harm him, but he feared Carlisle might hand him over to Heath to chop off <b>his </b>fingers.

    ¡°100 thousand?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s displeasure was evident.

    ¡°I paid a million for protection, remember?¡±

    2/2

    Mike immediately changed his tune.

    ¡°O¨Cone million, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll <b>give </b>it to you!¡±

    He had ten million, so giving Carlisle one million still left him with nine. That amount was enough for him to livefortably for the rest of his life.

    Carlisle smirked.

    ¡°Aftern¡¯s death, Luke took over his businesses. You must have received more than just <b>one </b>million,

    right?¡±

    Mike shuddered.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°I¡­ I have three million. I¡¯ll.. I¡¯ll give it all to you!¡±

    After saying that, he stared at Carlisle intently.

    Three million was his limit. If Carlisle continued to demand more, he¡¯d rather have Heath chop off a few

    fingers.

    Carlisle¡¯s smile widened slightly. He felt three million wasn¡¯t a bad offer either, and he knew Mike had more than that. He didn¡¯t think there was any need to squeeze him dry.

    He looked up at Arthur and said, ¡°Write up a receipt for the repayment.¡±

    Arthur borrowed paper and a pen from the manager to prepare the receipt.

    The manager was happy to oblige. He could tell Carlisle was a man of integrity. Carlisle would likelypensate for A1 Seafood Restaurant¡¯s losses that night with this three million.

    Arthur¡¯s handwriting was messy. Nevertheless, it was still recognizable.

    After writing the receipt, Arthur handed it to Carlisle for inspection.

    Carlisle added the word ¡°cash¡± after the three million and wrote his own name as the recipient.

    ¡°We need two copies of the receipt,¡± Carlisle instructed Arthur and the manager.

    Arthur wrote another copy while the manager fetched the ink pad.

    After a while, Mike signed the receipt and pressed his inked thumbprint next to his name. Despite losing three million, he still felt a sense of relief. With seven million left in the bank, he could livefortably for the rest of his life.

    Carlisle took one copy of the receipt and stood.

    *How much cash do you have at home?¡±

    ¡°T¨Cthree million!¡± Mike replied cautiously, eyeing Carlisle nervously.

    He had five million in cash at home. If Carlisle followed him there, he might lose it all.

    ¡°Owen, Sean, Arthur, take Mike to collect the money. Be nice, Carlisle instructed the three men with a

 Chapter 322

    Three million dors was no small amount.

    Mike had never physically harmed Carlisle in school, and Sean and Owen had already settled their

    <b>grievances</b>. After epting Mike¡¯s three million aspensation, they would remain as future alumni.

    Arthur and the other two eagerly apanied Mike to his house to collect the money.

    Carlisle instructed the manager to <b>clear </b>out two more private rooms.

    As they exited the room, Mnie stood outside with arms crossed over her chest.

    ¡°Carlisle, thank you¡­¡±

    She had just learned that Carlisle was the leader of this group. Without them, she would have undoubtedly been vited that night.

    Mnie¡¯s scantily d figure was captivating, leaving everyone unable to look away. The exposed skin

    caused the men around her to swallow hard.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle paused momentarily, giving Mnie a brief once¨Cover before making a rough guess about the

    situation.

    He replied nonchntly, ¡°I was just seeking revenge. Saving you was purely coincidental.¡±

    Mnie pursed her lips and lowered her head.

    ¡°I understand, but I still want to thank you. You saved me, and that¡¯s a fact.¡±

    Without saying another word to Mnie, Carlisle walked toward another private room while dialing Heath¡¯s number on his phone.

    Mnie watched as Carlisle left, surrounded by others. She then nced down at her exposed chest. Everyone had seemed captivated by her earlier, Everyone but Carlisle, whose gaze remained clear and unaffected by her beauty and exposed skin. She figured it was perhaps because he was still young.

    Mnieforted herself with this thought and then called her roommate to bring her some clothes.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle had arrived at another private room. Heath didn¡¯t answer his call, leaving Carlisle distracted and preupied.

    In the span of half an hour, Carlisle made three calls to Heath and five to Wade. Unfortunately, none of them went through, intensifying Carlisle¡¯s unease.

    As the waitstaff began serving dishes, many of Carlisle¡¯s ssmates approached to offer him drinks. Carlisle epted them all and downed over a dozen shots in no time.

    Finally, when Jamie approached to offer a toast, Carlisle spoke up, ¡°Call one of your friends who hangs out with Heath.¡±

    Jamie was puzzled.

    ¡°What should I tell them<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Just see if you can <b>get </b>through.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Jamie took out his phone and dialed his friend.

    The first call didn¡¯t connect. The second call was the same. After the third attempt, Jamie shook his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get through¡­¡±

    Carlisle pped his hands.

    ¡°Everyone, quiet down!¡±

    The upants of the private room immediately fell silent.

    ou

    With a serious tone, Carlisle continued, ¡°Contact your friends who hang out with Heath and see if you can

    reach them.¡±

    Everyone took out their phones and began dialing.

    Carlisle watched as they repeatedly tried to make calls. His heart sank.

    Just then, the manager of A1 Seafood Restaurant knocked on the door and entered.

    He said solemnly, ¡°Mr. Zahn, could you step outside with me for a moment?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s mood instantly plummeted.

    Feeling lost, he followed the manager outside.

    Once they were out, the manager led Carlisle into the adjacent private room and closed the door behind

    them.

    Then, in a low voice, the manager said, ¡°I just saw on the news that there was a massive brawl at Sanctuary Resort. Over 300 police officers were deployed to quell it. It seems to involve Prince Heath¡¯s group and Luke¡¯s people, right?<b>¡±</b>

    Although Carlisle had mentally prepared himself earlier, hearing this news still made his heart skip a beat.

    He took a deep breath and tried to appear calm as he asked, ¡°Did anyone die?¡±

    The manager shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The scene is locked down, and reporters can only report from outside.

    Carlisle clenched his fists momentarily but then rxed them. He took out his phone to call Lethan

 Chapter 323

    Lethan returned to his mansion to rx in the hot tub after a busy day. Just as he was about to get in, his phone on the coffee table rang. He picked it up and answered the call from Carlisle.

    ¡°Carlisle, do you want to join me for <b>a </b>soak in the hot tub?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood. I need you to find out what¡¯s going on with Prince Heath.¡±

    ¡°Prince Heath?¡± Lethan said, surprised.

    ¡°Are you close to him?¡±

    Carlisle exined, ¡°He¡¯s the one I backed to take on Zachary.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Lethan blurted out.

    He couldn¡¯t believe Heath was Carlisle¡¯s guy all along. It¡¯s no wonder Heath had been rising fasttely.

    For a moment, Lethan didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. Zachary was his nephew. Carlisle was his close business partner and also the guy Wanda liked.

    Yet, these two were at each other¡¯s throats.

    Still, he had to admire Carlisle. At just 18, he had a talent for gathering capable people around him.

    Lethan was puzzled.

    ¡°If you know Prince Heath so well, why do you need me to look into him?¡±

    Carlisle sighed.

    ¡°He¡¯s in trouble. I think he might have been arrested.¡±

    Lethan raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I have an old friend who works at the police station. I¡¯ll see what I can find out.¡±

    After hanging up, Lethan called his old friend.

    ¡°Hey, Mr. Warbane! My, my. The big shot himself actually has the time to call me?¡±

    A deep voice came from the other end.

    Lethan grinned

    ¡°Hey, we were high school buddies. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve hung out. I¡¯m thinking of organizing a

    reunion soon. Do you have time toe?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯d love to join! Just send me the time and ce, and I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s been keeping you busytely?¡±

    Lethan didn¡¯t jump straight to asking about Heath. Instead, he wanted to warm up the conversation first.

    22

    ¡°What else? Keeping the peace in Rivend, of course.¡±

    ¡°I remember your dream was to maintain world peace!¡±

    Lethan brought up Gabriel¡¯s childhood dream to remind him of their close bond.

    ¡°Cut to the <b>chase</b>, Mr. Warbane. What do you want?¡±

    Gabriel Yost, the deputy chief at the city police department, had climbed up the ranks and could easil

    read between the lines of Lethan¡¯s chatter.

    Lethan chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I¡¯m inquiring about Prince Heath.¡±

    Gabriel immediately fell silent.

    Lethan quickly added, ¡°If it¡¯s not something you can talk about, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just asking for a friend<b>.</b>¡±

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Is that friend of yours Carlisle Zahn?¡±

    ¡°Carlisle?<b>¡±</b>

    Lethan¡¯s heart raced.

    ¡°He¡¯s my business partner. The friend I mentioned isn¡¯t him.¡±

    Lethan grew anxious. He wondered if Heath had sold out Carlisle. He pondered why else Gabriel would mention Carlisle if that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Gabriel remained silent, and Lethan hesitated to speak further. The tension was thick.

    After a short while, Gabriel said, ¡°Prince Heath is seriously injured and in the hospital undergoing

    emergency surgery.

    Lethan pressed, ¡°Was his operation dismantled? Is he facing execution?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Warbane, you seem quite close with Prince Heath, Gabriel remarked pointedly.

    Lethan quickly backpedaled.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m simply curious.¡±

    Gabrielughed, then said thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s best if you¡¯re not. I wouldn¡¯t want to see you end up here for aContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    chat.¡±

    After some small talk, Lethan hung up and ryed the information to Carlisle.

    Hearing that Heath was critically injured, Carlisle sank into his chair, drained.

    Lethan cautioned, ¡°You¡¯d better not visit him now. It seems that they know about your connection to Heath I suspect he sold you out.¡±

 Chapter 324

    Carlisle said firmly, ¡°Heath would never do that!¡±

    If Heath had betrayed him, the police would have alreadye for him.

    Lethan wanted to say more but refrained from doing so.

    Carlisle¡¯s voice was hoarse as he said, ¡°I¡¯m hanging up. I need to go to the hospital.¡±

    Lethan almost jumped out of his <b>seat</b>.

    ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to visit him now?¡±

    He had just warned Carlisle not to go. But here Carlisle was, Ignoring his caution.

    Carlisle replied calmly, ¡°Prince Heath is my friend. What¡¯s wrong with visiting a friend?¡±

    Lethan gritted his teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    1/3

    Half an hourter, both Carlisle and Lethan arrived at Rivend Paper Mill Hospital.

    They inquired at the front desk about where Heath was being treated.

    The nurse informed them he was in the emergency room on the third floor.

    As they walked toward the elevator, the doors opened, and a man with a briefcase stepped out. He was nked by two uniformed officers.

    Lethan¡¯s mouth twitched.

    The man with the briefcase smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Warbane, are you here to see Prince Heath?¡±

    Before Lethan could respond, the man turned to Carlisle.

    ¡°And this must be the friend you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°He-¡±

    ¡°Carlisle Zahn¡­¡± Gabriel interrupted Lethan, cutting him off.

    Carlisle smiled.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡±

    Gabriel gave a faint smile.

    ¡°Go on up and see him. I¡¯ll wait outside. We can talk afterward.<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle nodded and stepped into the elevator, with Lethan following tensely behind.

    As soon as the doors closed, Lethan whispered anxiously, ¡°Carlisle, you¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    Carlisle pressed the button for the third floor and said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll take it one step at a time.¡±

    Lethan¡¯s mind raced, and then a thought struck him.

    ¡°Maybe you should reach out to Gareth.¡±

    ¡°Nah<b>,</b>¡± Carlisle replied.

    Not only did heck a strong connection with Gareth, but even if they were close, Gareth might not be willing to help save Heath.

    Outside the emergency room on the <b>third </b>floor, Carlisle sat quietly on a <b>chair</b>, waiting.

    Lethan paced back and forth with arms crossed.

    After about an hour, the emergency room doors opened.

    A nurse pushed Heath out, who seemed critically injured.

    Carlisle quickly stood up <b>and </b>approached them.

    Heath was wrapped head to toe in bandages, with only his eyes visible. He was staring nkly at the

    ceiling.

    ¡°Heath¡­¡± Carlisle called out as he walked beside the stretcher.

    Heath didn¡¯t respond or even nce at Carlisle.

    The attending surgeon removed his mask and asked, ¡°Are you rted to the patient?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m his friend¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯ll need to cover the medical experises,¡± the surgeon said.

    ¡°Money¡¯s not an issue. How is he?¡± Carlisle asked.

    His eyes reddened as he looked at Heath.

    The surgeon sighed.

    ¡°His condition is critical. He <b>has </b>a punctured lung, 18 stab wounds, and blunt force trauma to the head, causing intracranial bleeding.

    ¡°He needs to be in the ICU for now, and it¡¯s uncertain if he¡¯ll survive. Even if he wakes up, he¡¯s likely to be

    paralyzed.¡±

    Carlisle felt a sharp pain in his chest but said firmly, ¡°Give him the best treatment avable, no matter the

    cost.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    He believed Heath would pull through, Heath was destined to be the future kingpin of Rivend. He wouldn¡¯t go down like this.

    The surgeon looked skeptically at Carlisle.

    ¡°Are you sure you want the <b>best </b>treatment for him?¡±

    Carlisle turned to Lethan

    ¡°Did you bring your checkbook? Lend me a million dors.¡±

 Chapter 325

    ¡°It¡¯s in the car. I¡¯ll go grab it,¡± Lethan said, heading toward the elevator..

    Just then, Heath moved his eyes to look at Carlisle.

    Carlisle noticed the subtle movement.

    Regardless of whether Heath could hear him, he said gently, ¡°Focus on getting better.¡±

    Heath seemed to hear Carlisle¡¯s voice and slowly closed his eyes.

    The surgeon turned to the nurse.

    ¡°Take him to the ICU and get him on oxygen.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s phone rang. He pulled it out and saw an unknown number.

    After a moment of hesitation, he answered.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    Benjamin¡¯s voice came through the line.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Carlisle whispered.

    Benjamin¡¯s ability to make the call indicated he was okay.

    ¡°I¡¯m at your game studio. My brother and his <b>crew </b>got into trouble,¡± Benjamin choked out.

    ¡°Stay at the studio. I¡¯lle find you soon.¡±

    Carlisle hung up and found Lethan. He paid the hospital a million dors in medical expenses and got a

    receipt.

    As they walked out of the hospital, Carlisle remained uneasy.

    ¡°Mr. Warbane, do you know any specialists in neurology?Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Lethan thought for a moment, then shook his head,

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but Shania might. I¡¯ll give her a call.¡±

    A horn sounded from the parking lot. It was a police car.

    Carlisle took a deep breath and walked over.

    Lethan watched Carlisle¡¯s figure and tightened his grip on the phone.

    ¡°Lethan¡­¡±

    Shania¡¯s voice came through the phone.

    Lethan snapped out of his daze and asked, ¡°I remember you <b>have </b>a friend who¡¯s a neurology specialist. Am I right?¡±

    Carlisle approached the police car, where Gabriel opened the <b>door </b>and gestured for him to enter.

    Once seated, Gabriel got straight to the point.

    ¡°You gave Heath 15 million to develop underground forces<b>.</b>¡±

    Carlisle chuckled lightly.

    ¡°I think I should consult with awyer before discussing this further with you. This sounds like defamation.

    Gabriel nced at Carlisle in surprise. Was this the thought process of an 18¨Cyear¨Cold? He only intended to bluff him, but Carlisle was already discussing getting <b>a </bwyer.

    Gabriel smiled faintly.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous. Let¡¯s just chat.¡±

    He then said, ¡°Let¡¯s start with introductions. I¡¯m Gabriel Yost, the deputy chief of police.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Carlisle Zahn, a freshman at Rivend University,¡± Carlisle calmly introduced himself.

    He knew Gabriel likely had ess to his information. However, since Gabriel introduced himself, he felt reciprocating was only fair.

    Gabriel continued, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Heath?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°How did you meet?¡± Gabriel inquired further.

    Carlisle answered truthfully, ¡°Through a mutual friend.<b>¡±</b>

    Gabriel pressed on, ¡°And who is this mutual friend?¡±

    ¡°Owen¡­¡±

    Gabriel asked again, ¡°Could you borate on how you two met and why you gave him ten million?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ Heath and Owen are my friends from The Legendary Tale¡® game. I met Owen through mutual friends in our neighborhood. After I got into Rivend University, I invited Owen to join me, and through Owen, I met Heath¡­¡±

    ¡°Owen is only 17. Shouldn¡¯t he be in school? Why did you take him with you?¡± thew enforcement officer sitting in the passenger seat asked while jotting down notes.

 Chapter 326

    Carlisle exined, ¡°Owen was always skipping school to <b>go </b>online and hang out with the wrong crowd. I

    was worried he¡¯d go down the wrong path. So when I decided to start a business <b>in </b>college, I brought him

    along to work for me.¡±

    Gabriel nodded<b>.</b>

    ¡°Go on¡­¡±

    ¡°I opened a game studio, but we were short¨Cstaffed. Owen introduced Heath to me, and he started working at my studio. Later, when Heath needed money to start his own business, I lent him 15 million.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t know about his involvement in underground activities?¡±

    ¡°I found outter and tried to talk him out of it, but it didn¡¯t work¡­¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s responses flowed smoothly, with hardly any <b>ws</b><b>¡­</b>

    Gabriel was about to ask more questions when ady approached and knocked on the car window.

    It was Mnie.

    As Gabriel towered the window, he noticed Mnie¡¯s bruised face.

    He furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°What happened to your face?¡±

    Mnie saw Carlisle sitting beside her father and eximed, ¡°Carlisle?¡±

    Carlisle looked equally surprised but smiled and replied, ¡°What a coincidence. Nice to see you again so

    soon.

    Gabriel spoke sternly, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±

    Mnie blinked and turned back to Carlisle, saying. ¡°Carlisle, do you have time tomorrow? I want to treat. you to a meal to thank you for saving me.¡±

    Gabriel, noticing Mnie¡¯s injuries, asked in a deep voice, ¡°What happened? Who hurt you?¡±

    Tearing up, Mnie exined, ¡°It was one of my ssmates. He took me out for drinks, got drunk, and then tried to take advantage of me. Fortunately, Carlisle saved me.¡±

    Gabriel sniffed and detected the scent of alcohol on Mnie

    He grimaced and sternly said, ¡°What were you doing drinking? Who tried to take advantage of you? I¡¯ll

    bring him in for attempted assault!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. He¡¯s already been dealt with. He won¡¯t dare to touch me again,¡± Mnie said.

    Worried about implicating Carlisle, she quickly made an excuse before turning away.

    Gabriel sighed in resignation.

    Then he said to Carlisle, ¡°I¡¯ll keep investigating. I hope you¡¯re not lying to me¡­

    Carlisle gave a slight smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to cooperate with the officers at any time.¡±

    Gabriel suddenly asked, ¡°How did you make so much money in such a short time?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trade secret!¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t press further when Carlisle dodged the question. After all, he had already examined Carlisle¡¯s bank ounts, and his money sources were very clear.

    Gabriel¡¯s expression softened a bit.

    ¡°Give me your phone number. If there are any issues, I¡¯ll contact you.¡±

    Carlisle gave his phone number to Gabriel.

    Then he asked, ¡°May I go now?¡±

    Gabriel nodded.

    Carlisle opened the door, got out, and headed toward Lethan.

    The officer in the passenger seat said in a low voice, ¡°Boss, this kid is really something!¡±

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    ¡°Indeed. He¡¯s calm,posed, and doesn¡¯t seem like a typical 17 or 18¨Cyear¨Cold. It would make sense if he were from one of those famous business families, but his parents are just ordinary workers.¡±

    ¡°Are we heading back to the station now?¡±

    ¡°You

    guys head on back. I¡¯ll deal with my daughter¡¯s situation first.¡±

    Lethan dropped Carlisle off at the studio.

    After getting out of the car, Lethan finally said what he had been thinking, ¡°I think you should mend fences with Gareth as soon as possible, just in case<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Carlisle replied with a smile before heading into the studio.

    Owen and the others stood up to greet him, but Benjamin sat by the window lost in thought. When he heard the others call out to Carlisle, he quickly turned to look.

    Carlisle walked over and sat on the couch by the window.

    Benjamin couldn¡¯t wait any <b>longer</b>.

    ¡°Carl, how¡¯s my brother?¡±

    He had already heard that his brother was seriously injured and undergoing surgery at the hospital. He

    Chapte 326

    also heard that there were people from the police department present, so he didn¡¯t dare to go.

    ¡°Your brother hase out of surgery. He¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s face lit up with a natural smile.

    Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief, repeating, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡±

    Carlisle picked up a cigarette from the table, lit it, and then asked, ¡°How many people did your

    take with him ?¡±

    brother

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327-

    ¡°There were about 80 people, I think. I was still hungover, and my brother didn¡¯t wake me up.

    Benjamin¡¯s <b>eyes </b>filled with tears as he pped himself hard.

    ¡°Drinking screws everything up. I swear I¡¯ll never drink again.¡±

    Carlisle sighed softly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up. Even if you hadn¡¯t been drunk, your brother wouldn¡¯t have taken you along.¡±

    Benjamin was very close to his brother, Heath.

    Knowing how dangerous it would be to confront Luke at his hideout, Heath chose to leave Benjamin behind.

    ¡°Carlisle, I want to see my brother,¡± Benjamin choked out.

    He and Heath had relied on each other for years.

    During their time on the streets, Heath went hungry so Benjamin wouldn¡¯t have to.

    His brother was his world. If Heath fell, his world would copse.

    Carlisle understood how Benjamin felt and tried tofort him,

    ¡°Your brother just had surgery, and it¡¯s reallyte. Let¡¯s go see him tomorrow, okay?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Carlisle,¡± Benjamin said, wiping his tears.

    ¡°Who¡¯s managing your businesses now?¡±

    ¡°My brother hired a manager. He¡¯s been handling everything.¡±

    ¡°Good. You should return and oversee things for now.¡±

    Carlisle stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

    ¡°Okay, Carlisle.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Benjamin stood up, ready to leave.

    Carlisle suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, did any of the guys make it back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, about ten of them.¡±

    ¡°Bring one over.¡±

    Carlisle wanted to understand the events.

    Heath was always very careful.

    Knowing his personality, he wouldn¡¯t have made a move against Luke unless he was absolutely <b>sure </b><b>he </b>could pull it off.

    Deciding to take on Luke and ending up seriously Injured, with everyone else captured, didn¡¯t add up.

    Carlisle felt there had to be more to the story.

    Benjamin pulled out his <b>phone </b><b>and </b>made a call.

    Fortunately, one of the escaped men was already outside in a car, so they didn¡¯t have to wait long.

    Ten minutester, a burly man in a ck tank top, Hook Graham, approached.

    ¡°Benjamin¡­¡±

    Hook stood with his hands behind his back.

    ¡°This is Carlisle,¡± Benjamin said, purposely leaving out Carlisle¡¯s rtionship with Heath.

    The fact that Carlisle was the boss <b>was </b>only known to a few of Heath¡¯s closest confidants.

    Hook nced at Carlisle and nodded.

    ¡°Carlisle ¡±

    Carlisle gestured to the couch.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡±

    Hook sat but kept his head bowed.

    Carlisle furrowed his brows slightly.

    He casually asked, ¡°Besides Luke¡¯s men, did anyone else show up afterward?¡±

    Hook nodded.

    20

    ¡°Yeah. Titan showed up with almost a hundred guys. Luke¡¯s crew had already surrendered, but they fought

    back when they heard Titan wasing. We were caught in the middle and took a beating!¡±

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes.

    Titan was also aiming to take out Luke¡¯s operation, but he didn¡¯t have many people in the area. This led to a standoff with Heath, with neither making the first move.

    That day, Heath acted early against Luke to settle a score with Mike. Titan seized the opportunity and brought in his men to reap the benefits.

    But how did the city police learn about it so quickly?

    Deploying 300 officers quickly indicated that they must have known about it at least an hour in advance.

    Carlisle <b>wondered </b>if it could be Jalen

    He suddenly thought of another key yer.

    Aftern¡¯s death, Titan wasn¡¯t the only one eyeing this prime territory. <b>Jalen </b>was also in the mix.

    Carlisle took out another cigarette, lit it, <b>and </b>looked up.

    ¡°You can go now.¡±

    Hook nodded <b>and </b>left.

    ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯ll head out too,¡± Benjamin s

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Carlisle replied.

 Chapter 328

    A

    ¡°That guy we just talked to is suspicious. He might be working for Jalen or Titan. Find a way to get rid of

    him.¡±

    Benjamin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Then his expression darkened.

    ¡°Got it, Carlisle<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle continued, ¡°While you¡¯re at it, see how many more of their people are embedded with us. Get rid of all the moles

    ¡°Understood.<b>¡±</b>

    Benjamin nodded firmly and quickly walked out.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle stubbed out his cigarette and leaned back on the couch, rubbing his nose.

    Francis, who had been standing behind Carlisle, asked, ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±

    Carlisle, still rubbing his nose, exined, ¡°He never looked me in the eye. The eyes are the windows to the

    soul. He was afraid he¡¯d give himself away, so he avoided looking at me.¡±

    Francis nodded in understanding. His admiration for Carlisle grew even stronger.

    Carlisle hadn¡¯t eaten at A1 Seafood Restaurant, and his stomach started to grumble.

    ¡°Owen, who has the three million dors?¡±

    ¡°I brought it back and left it

    on your bed.¡±

    ¡°Good. Go downstairs and buy some deli meats and a few beers.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    Benjamin returned to the disco.

    Hook got out of the car and opened the door for Benjamin.

    Benjamin patted Hook on the shoulder.

    ¡°You did well in front of Carlisle. He even praised you. Come to my office. I¡¯ll reward you with two thousand dors.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Benjamin.

    Hook¡¯s face lit up as he followed Benjamin toward the office.

    Benjamin clenched his left hand into a fist behind his back.

    The guys trailing behind exchanged nces and then followed along<b>.</b>

    Benjamin walked into Heath¡¯s office and sat down in his chair.

    Hook rubbed his hands together, looking slightly guilty.

    ¡°Benjamin, honestly, I didn¡¯t do that well. You can just give me a thousand.¡±

    The office door mmed shut with a bang.

    Hook looked back in surprise and saw the four guys who had escaped with him standing by the door.

    ¡°Ben¡­ Benjamin¡­ you¡­.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, are you working for Titan or Jalen?¡±

    Benjamin pulled a ck knife from the drawer. It was the one Heath used for cutting off fingers.

    Hook started shaking.

    ¡°Benjamin¡­ I¨CI don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯m loyal to Wade!¡±

    Benjamin gave a signal to the guys behind Hook.

    They rushed him, <b>and </b>Hook fought back hard, quickly taking down two of them. But the other two managed to pin him to the ground.

    Benjamin said calmly, ¡°Drag him to the warehouse. We¡¯ll stop when he¡¯s ready to talk.¡±

    The two who had been knocked down got back up and started beating Hook, who curled up on the floor<b>, </b>covering his head without making a sound.

    A few guys carried Hook to the warehouse.

    Benjamin, holding the knife, walked out of the office.

    At the same time, Kelvin, sitting in a corner drinking, saw everything.

    The guy next to him with the dyed blond hair nudged him and grinned, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Benjamin won¡¯tst long either.

    Kelvin took a long swig from <b>his </b>ss. With Heath and Wade in trouble, his <b>100 </b>thousand dors was <b>as </b>good as gone. Feeling down, he went to Wade¡¯s disco to drink.

    The blond guy, who had bummed a cigarette off him earlier, turned out to be Landon Johnston, <b>a </b>close associate of Jalen. Landon was present to keep an eye on Heath¡¯s crew.

    Landon chuckled.

    ¡°Hey buddy, you got any more cash? Lend me ten dors so I can book a private room for the night.¡±

    Kelvin pulled out a hundred dors and handed it to Landon.

    Impressed by Kelvin¡¯s generosity, Landon said, ¡°You¡¯re a real pal. I¡¯m sticking with you.¡±

    Sipping his beer, Kelvin asked, ¡°Can I join you guys? I just don¡¯t want to be bullied at school anymore.

    Landon took <b>a </b><b>swig </b>straight from the bottle.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. This guy, Alex Holder, is a big shot at Rivend University. He¡¯s our boss¡® nephew. I¡¯m <b>on </b>good terms with him. I¡¯ll introduce you tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 329

    ¡°Alex? Yeah, I know him. He¡¯s pretty close with Ruby.¡±

    Kelvin¡¯s eyes lit up, feeling a bit conflicted.

    Landonughed heartily.

    ¡°Exactly. The Gust family¡¯s princess is under Alex¡¯s protection.¡±

    Kelvin¡¯s mood lifted, and he raised his ss.

    ¡°Here¡¯s to you, Landon. Drink up tonight. I¡¯ll get you a womanter¡­¡±

    Landon was touched. He thought this friendship was definitely worth it.

    The two clinked sses and drank together.

    Landon soon became quite drunk and was eager for Kelvin to fulfill his promise.

    Determined to secure <b>an </b>ally, Kelvin took Landon to a nearby hotel.

    They stumbled into a room with arms around each other.

    Once they got to the hotel and Kelvin dumped Landon on the bed, Landon¡¯s PHS phone fell out of hist pocket onto the floor.

    Kelvin was also quite drunk.

    He picked up the phone, intending to ce it on the bed.

    Suddenly, a text message came through.

    ¡°Go to Trodie Town and keep an eye on the Shein family.¡±

    Kelvin sobered up a bit at the mention of the Shein family.

    ¡°Kelvin.¡± Landon suddenly muttered.

    Kelvin froze, looking at Landon.

    Seeing that Landon still had his eyes closed, Kelvin carefully ced the phone on the bed.

    ¡°Hurry up and get me a woman¡­

    ta

    ¡°I want a young one¨Cpreferably a college girl!¡± Landon mumbled, his speech slurred.

    Kelvin grinned.

    ¡°Sure thing, Landon. I¡¯ll call the front desk right away.

    Many hotels would allow guests to request prostitution services directly from the front desk in that day

    and age.

    Kelvin was contacting the front desk when Landon¡¯s phone suddenly rang irritably.

    1/3

    2/3

    Landon, still half¨Cconscious, reached into his pocket for his phone. But he couldn¡¯t find it in either pocket.

    Toozy to open his eyes, he asked, ¡°Kelvin, help me find my phone.¡±

    Just as Kelvin was connecting to the front desk, he heard Landon¡¯s request. He hung up and went to the

    bed to <b>hand </b>Landon his phone.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡±

    Landon held the phone to his ear but didn¡¯t press the answer button. The ringing continued.

    Kelvin couldn¡¯t help butugh at the situation. He pressed the answer button for Landon and even put the call on speaker in case Landon couldn¡¯t hear properly.

    ¡°Damn it. Landon, are you dead or what?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    A barrage of curses came through the line as soon as the call connected.

    At the sound of his boss¡® voice, Landon instantly snapped to attention, sitting up straight.

    ¡°B¨Cboss¡­¡±

    His speech became more coherent.

    ¡°Did you see the text I sent you?¡±

    ¡°I was peeing just now. I didn¡¯t notice it.¡±

    ¡°Check the damn message right now, read it, and then delete it. If you mess this up, I¡¯ll break your legs.¡±

    ¡°Okay, boss.¡±

    After hanging up, Landon opened the message <b>and </b>read it. Then, he looked up at Kelvin with narrowed

    eyes.

    ¡°Kelvin, you didn¡¯t look at my phone just now, did you?¡±

    Kelvin remainedposed and shook his head.

    ¡°No, I was just about to get you a woman.¡±

    Landon rubbed his groggy head.

    ¡°No need for that now. I have other matters to attend to. You¡¯ve been kind enough today. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner another <b>day</b><b>.</b>¡±

    With that, he stood up and headed out. He walked as though he were treading on cotton, swaying as <b>he</b>

    went.

    ¡°Landon, take it slow,¡± Kelvin said<b>, </b>stepping forward to support him.

    He ced one of Landon¡¯s arms over his shoulder and smiled.

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s almost 10:00 pm.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much,¡± Landon replied, still fully drunk but aware of the severity of the situation.

    ¡°Landon, you¡¯re in no shape to be out like this. How about I apany you?¡± Kelvin suggested.

    ¡°No. This matter is extremely important, and outsiders can¡¯t <b>get </b>involved,¡± Landon insisted.

    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll help you hail a taxi,¡± Kelvin offered.

    Kelvin assisted Landon to the roadside and gged down a taxi. But Landon shook his head.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t take a taxi.¡±

    The person they were surveilling this time wasn¡¯t just anyone¨Cit was Shein, a well¨Cknown entrepreneur

    Rivend.

    in

    Landon¡¯s boss definitely had ns regarding Shein. If something happened to Shein and the police traced it back to a taxi, he couldn¡¯t escape.

    Realizing this, Landon dialed Alex¡¯s number on his phone.

    ¡°Why are you calling me at this hour, Landon?¡± Alex answered.

    ¡°Alex, can you arrange a car for me?¡± Landon requested. ¡°Where are you?¡±

 Chapter 330

    Alex didn¡¯t ask for details. He only wanted to know Landon¡¯s location.

    ncing back at the hotel sign, Landon provided the location to Alex.

    Landon lit a cigarette after he hung up.

    ¡°Kelvin, you should head back to school. When I return, I¡¯ll introduce you to Alex. With my

    rmendation, Alex will treat you like family.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Landon,¡± Kelvin said.

    He was touched by Landon¡¯s gesture of friendship over just a few cigarettes <b>and </b>drinks.

    Before long, a shiny ck Volkswagen pulled up by the curb.

    Landon got into the car and waved to Kelvin.

    ¡°Kelvin, go on back now.¡±

    Kelvin nodded with a smile as the car drove off.

    His smile gradually faded.

    ¡°Shein went to Trodie Town. That must be his hometown, right?¡± Kelvin mused to himself.

    It was the weekend, so Shein would likely bring Wanda along when he visited his hometown.

    That meant Shein and his whole family could be in danger.

    ¡°They¡¯re nning to kidnap Shein¡¯s family!¡±

    Kelvin took a deep breath, hesitating whether to inform Carlisle.

    Memories of Carlisle¡¯s treatment of him shed through his mind. He instantly dismissed the idea.

    He felt Landon was far better than Carlisle in every way.

    Kelvin lit a cigarette and headed back to the hotel to sleep.

    The next day, Carlisle woke up when the sun was already high in the sky. After freshening up, he called Shania to inquire about the neurosurgeon.

    Shania informed him that the neurosurgeon was studying abroad and wouldn¡¯t return until the following Wednesday.

    Then, Carlisle called Lethan

    As soon as the call connected, Lethan said, ¡°I was just about to call you. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle asked, ¡°How will the city police handle Heath¡¯s people?¡±

    w

    ¡°I was just about to tell you,¡± Lethan replied.

    ¡°Most of them will be detained for 30 days, and those involved in violent acts might get three years.¡±

    ¡°What about Heath?¡± Carlisle inquired.

    Lethan continued, ¡°Heath was the instigator of the conflict. However, due to his severe injuries, he¡¯ll be ced on probation for three months under home confinement if he wakes up.¡±

    Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    Lethan smiled and added, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that Heath and his group weren¡¯t involved in any serious criminal activities, which is why the penalties aren¡¯t too severe. But considering the scale of this conflict, Heath naturally can¡¯t escape the consequences as the leader.¡±

    It was undoubtedly good news. Three months of probation meant localmunity supervision. Three months wouldn¡¯t be enough time for Heath to recover fully.

    After ending the call, Carlisle took Owen to the hospital to visit Heath. Owen also made a phone call to Benjamin.

    When Benjamin answered, Owen heard heartbreaking cries from the other end. Owen quickly moved the phone further away.

    It wasn¡¯t until Benjamin called out for Owen that he brought the phone back to his ear.

    ¡°Go to Paper Mill Hospital. Carl and I are on our way,¡± Owen ryed.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    Benjamin hung up the phone, visibly agitated.

    Then, with impatience written all over his face, he looked at the battered Hook and said menacingly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance.

    ¡°If you cooperate, I¡¯ll give <b>you </b>some money, and you can take your family and disappear. But if you keep resisting, I¡¯ll start cutting off your fingers<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll talk¡­¡±

    After a night of torment, Hook finally capitted.

    He weakly confessed, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m Mr. Lynch¡¯s man.¡±

    Benjamin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°How many others are with you?¡±

    ¡°T¨Cthree¡­

    Hook spilled everything he knew. True to his word, Benjamin gave Hook 20 thousand dors. Before heading to the hospital, he made arrangements to deal with the other two men affiliated with Titan.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle had arrived at the hospital. As he, Owen, and Francis were about to enter the elevator<b>,</b>

    Carlisle¡¯s phone rang.

    Stopping in his tracks, Carlisle pulled out his phone. He thought to hang up when he saw the unknown number, but he pressed the answer button instead on a whim.

    He brought the phone to his ear and asked, ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Carl, it¡¯s Kelvin¡­¡±

    Spin to im Your Surprise

 Chapter 331

    Carlisle recognized Kelvin¡¯s voice and immediately frowned. He was even ready to hang up the phone.

    Just as he was about to disconnect, he heard Kelvin say, ¡°Carl, wait! Don¡¯t hang up. I have something vital

    to tell you. It¡¯s about Wanda¡¯s safety!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s finger hesitated momentarily before he put the phone back to his ear.

    He spoke coldly, ¡°You better not be lying to me.¡±

    ¡°Carl, trust me. I wouldn¡¯t dare lie to you!¡±

    ¡°Alright, what is it?¡± Carlisle asked.

    He knew Kelvin wouldn¡¯t risk lying to him. After all, Kelvin was well aware of Carlisle¡¯s extensive

    connections.

    *Jalen might be nning to kidnap Shein¡¯s family!¡± Kelvin whispered, his voice solemn and urgent.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Carlisle frowned.

    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Last night¡­¡±

    Kelvin told Carlisle everything that happened when he ran into Landon the previous night.

    He had spent the entire night weighing his options.

    If he kept this secret, Landon would introduce him to Alex once hepleted his task. That would mean no more bullying at school,

    But if he told Carlisle the secret, it could resolve their tension.

    was more dangerous

    Kelvin repeatedly asked himself¨Cwho Carlisle or Alex?

    The question haunted him all night.

    By the morning, he <b>had </b>his answer.

    Carlisle was far more dangerous than Alex.

    Alex¡¯s power came from Jalen, making him a schoolyard tyrant.

    Carlisle had built up a formidable figure like Prince Heath on his own.

    Even though Heath had fallen, he wasn¡¯t dead.

    Once his allies were released, Carlisle would still be an unbeatable force.

    Even in the worst¨Ccase scenario, if Heath were dead<b>, </b>Carlisle could still build Benjamin into someone likeBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    him.

    Carlisle had already elevated someone powerful enough to overshadown in less than two weeks.

    The most unsettling part was that Carlisle was only 18 years old.

    It was clear that Carlisle was far more dangerous than Alex. He was even more fearsome than Alex¡¯s

    uncle, Jalen.

    After a night of deep thought, Kelvin decided to make peace with Carlisle.

    22

    ¡°Landon went to Trodie Townst night, Carl: You need to figure out a n. This is all I can do,¡± Kelvin

    said.

    ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, then I owe you one,¡± Carlisle replied before hanging up.

    He then dialed Lethan¡¯s number. The call was quickly answered.

    Carlisle asked directly, ¡°Mr. Warbane, is Shein¡¯s hometown in Trodie Town?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking<b>?</b>¡±

    Lethan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He wondered if Carlisle was nning to go after Shein for Wanda¡¯s sake.

    ¡°They¡¯re in danger. Just answer my question,¡® Carlisle said impatiently.

    He was worried about Wanda¡¯s safety.

    After a brief pause, Lethan decided to trust Carlisle.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in Trodie Town. But Shein took plenty of bodyguards with him. They should be safe, right?¡±

    ¡°What if Jalen is targeting Shein?¡± Carlisle asked.

    Lethan fell silent. Jalen was in bed with Yuriel. If given the chance, they might really go after Shein. Moreover, Shein¡¯s trip back home for ancestral rites was the perfect opportunity.

    Taking a deep breath, Lethan asked, ¡°What do you n to do?¡±

    *Call the police.¡±

    ¡°Should you call, or should I?¡±

    ¡°You should. They might not believe <b>me</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Alright¡­

    Lethan hung up and immediately called his old friend Gabriel,

    Carlisle tried calling Wanda, but the signal in the mountains was too weak, so the call didn¡¯t go through. He then sent her a message/ But with no signal in the countryside, there was no way it would be received. Carlisle felt a growing sense of anxiety.

 Chapter 332

    <b>Chapter </b><b>332</b>

    At that moment, Benjamin walked into the hospital with some of his guys.

    He quickened his pace when he saw Carlisle standing by the elevator.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    Carlisle nced <b>back</b>.

    Noticing the bloodstains on Benjamin¡¯s face, he frowned <b>and </b>said, ¡°Don¡¯t you wash your face in the

    morning?¡±

    ¡°Is my face that dirty?¡± Benjamin asked, turning to one of his followers.

    One of them nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s blood¡­¡±

    The elevator doors opened, and two uniformed officers stepped out.

    Benjamin¡¯s muscles tensed, and his men appeared equally nervous.

    ¡°Benjamin Walton?¡± one officer asked, his eyes sharp and scrutinizing.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Benjamin replied.

    Swallowing hard, he was clearly uneasy.

    The officer asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±¡±

    Benjamin nervously replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to visit my brother.¡±

    The officer squinted and asked, ¡°You were at Sanctuary Resort yesterday, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Benjamin straightened up and confidently replied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t there. I got drunk and slept at the disco. The staff there can vouch for me, and surveince footage proves it.¡±

    The officer eyed the blood on Benjamin¡¯s face.

    ¡°What about the blood on your face?¡±

    Benjamin quickly said, ¡°I butchered a chicken to make soup for my brother¡­¡±

    The officer smirked.

    ¡°Your brother is unconscious. How would he drink soup?¡±

    Benjamin started to panic.

    Carlisle stepped in, exining, ¡°He didn¡¯t visit the hospital yesterday, so he doesn¡¯t know about Heath¡¯s

    condition.¡±

    Benjamin nodded vigorously.

    ¡°Yeah, I thought my brother had already woken up.¡±

    The two officers exchanged a nce before walking away.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Benjamin let out a long sigh of relief. His shirt was already soaked with sweat.

    Carlisle led the group into the elevator.

    A momentter<b>, </b>they arrived outside Heath¡¯s ICU room.

    Two officers stood guard outside the ICU. Their only task was to ensure no one had contact with Heath, so they didn¡¯t question Carlisle and the others as they watched Heath through the ss.

    Heathy on the bed with an oxygen tube in his nose. His body was covered in bandages.

    Benjamin ced his hands on the ss, his eyes red and body trembling. He was so tense his teeth were

    almost ground into dust. If he could, he would trade ces with Heath in a heartbeat.

    Carlisle patted Benjamin on the shoulder and said, ¡°Your brother¡¯s tough. Even the Grim Reaper wouldn¡¯t

    be able to take him.¡±

    Then, Carlisle searched for Heath¡¯s attending physician to inquire about his condition.

    Dr. Rowan Lowe was the attending physician who had operated on Heath the previous day. He was 52 years old, the head of surgery, and a professor of neurology.

    Carlisle asked, ¡°Dr. Lowe, what are the chances of Heath walking again?¡±

    Rowan sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°Less than 1%¡±

    Carlisle felt a heavy weight settle in his chest. ording to the trajectory of Heath¡¯s life in his previous experience, Heath shouldn¡¯t be out ofmission like this. He wondered if his intervention had altered

    Heath¡¯s fate

    In his past life, Heath had risen to power on his own. This time, Carlisle had given him a push. Was it Carlisle¡¯s involvement that had shifted Heath¡¯s destiny?

    Carlisle then asked, ¡°What if we send him abroad for treatment?¡±

    Given that the domestic medical field was still rtively underdeveloped, perhaps there <b>was </b>hope.

    overseas.

    Rowan shook his head again.

    ¡°Heath suffered 6 of intracranial bleeding, <b>and </b>because he arrived at the hospital sote, his brain tissue is severely damaged. Even with advanced treatment abroad, <b>a </b>full recovery is doubtful.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s heart sank. He contemted if he really was going to have to give up on Heath.

    There was a sudden knock at the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Rowan said calmly.

    A woman in a white shirt and jeans with a ponytail entered the room. It was Susan.

 Chapter 333

    ¡°Dad, can you give me the keys to our old house?¡±

    Susan walked into the office, speaking in her usual carefree manner.

    It waspletely different from her quiet and elegant demeanor at school.

    ¡°You¡¯re taking your boyfriend to <b>that </b>house? Isn¡¯t he supposed to return to the army today?<i>¡±</i>

    Rowan retrieved a bunch of keys from the drawer.

    Susan pressed her lips together.

    ¡°Tomorrow is Mom¡¯s anniversary, so he extended his

    to butun dave

    Rowan¡¯s hand trembled slightly as he held the keys. He chuckled.

    ¡°He¡¯s thoughtful.¡±

    Susan snorted, ¡°He¡¯s definitely not like you. Would you forget your wife¡¯s anniversary again if I didn¡¯t

    remind you?¡±

    Withi

    hand, she turned to leave. As she nced at Carlisle sitting in the chair, Carlisle also

    looked over at Susan.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­ What are you doing here?¡±

    Susan was stunned. Her <b>face </b>turned red when she realized how carefree she had appeared to be just

    moments ago.

    Her carefully crafted image at school was falling apart.

    ¡°My friend is hospitalized, and it turns out his attending physician is Dr. Lowe,¡± Carlisle exined.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize he is your father, Ms. Lowe, Carlisle said with a smile.

    People often said the truth would be stranger than fiction, and this situation proved it.

    Susan and Rowan didn¡¯t resemble one another. Carlisle spected that she may have taken after her

    mother instead.

    ¡°Oh, I see. So, what¡¯s wrong with your friend<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Susan¡¯s tone softened as she tried to salvage her image.

    Rowan spoke up, ¡°There¡¯s intracranial bleeding. He also took over a dozen stab wounds¡­¡±

    Susan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she stammered, is it that serious? Your friend isn¡¯t someone from your ss, is he?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head with a smile.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡±

    1/2

    Susan breathed a sigh of relief internally but still expressed concern, ¡°Everything happens for a reason.

    Don¡¯t be too sad.¡±

    Then she turned to Rowan, saying, ¡°Dad, Carlisle is an excellent student in my ss. Can you help him.

    out?¡±

    Rowan chuckled.

    ¡°You know me well. I always do my best for all patients, regardless.¡±

    Susan nodded lightly.

    ¡°My boyfriend is waiting downstairs for me. I¡¯ll head off now.¡±

    Both Carlisle and Rowan nodded in agreement.

    As Susan left the office, she closed the door behind her.

    Rowan picked up his thermos, took a sip, and then spoke solemnly as if making an important decision.

    ¡°Should we try alternative medicine?¡±

    It was a proposal that went against hospital regtions. Most Western doctors were skeptical of alternative medicine. Patients like Heath, who could afford expensive treatments, brought considerable profits to the hospital.

    Rowan¡¯s suggestion was entirely based on Carlisle being his daughter¡¯s student.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡°Do you have any rmendations, Dr. Lowe?¡± Carlisle hurriedly asked.

    He understood why Rowan suggested it. If Rowan dared to bring it up, it meant he had a reliable alternative medicine physician in mind.

    Rowan wrote down a phone number and address on a piece of paper and handed it to Carlisle.

    Carlisle was stunned when he saw the address. The paper had ¡°Franklin Complex¡± and ¡°Sawyer Hughes¡±

    scribbled on it.

    Wasn¡¯t that the neighborhood where he lived during high school?

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 334

    1/3

    Carlisle wondered how he had never heard of a remarkable alternative medicine physician, having lived in

    Franklin Complex for so long.

    Rowan said, ¡°Sawyer Hughes is an informal physician. He doesn¡¯t have <b>a </b>pharmacy or a clinic, but his

    prescriptions,bined with his acupuncture therapy, are very effective for post¨Ctreatment of intracranial

    hemorrhage.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Lowe!¡±

    ¡°This stays between us. Don¡¯t spread it around.¡±

    Rowan¡¯s voice was low and serious as he warned Carlisle.

    ¡°Absolutely. No one else will know,¡± Carlisle made a solemn promise.

    Even though he knew that stepping into another field came with its challenges, he knew hospitals had

    their own rules and politics.

    He remembered a documentary from his past life about a doctor who performed ultrasounds but had

    crossed a line at the hospital. This led to the doctor being ostracized and having to work in the hallway

    for over 900 days.

    ¡°So, may I take Heath now?¡±

    Carlisle wanted to get Heath to Sawyer as soon as possible for treatment.

    Rowan shook his head.

    ¡°Not yet. Heath is still in critical condition. He needs to be monitored for at least three more days. If his vital signs stabilize during that time, he can be moved to a regr room. Only then may you take him.¡±

    Carlisle subtly inquired, ¡°What about the police? Will they allow me to take him?

    Rowan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If you choose to discharge Heath against medical advice and sign the paperwork, we will issue the necessary documentation. Given his current condition, the authorities will allow the family to take him home for care.¡±

    Perhaps sensing he might have shared too much information, Rowan took a sip of coffee and continued, Other patients are waiting. You should leave now.¡±

    Carlisle pulled out ten thousand dors in cash from his pockets and smiled.

    ¡°Dr. Lowe, this is a small token of my appreciation.¡±

    Navigating human rtions was a skill Carlisle had mastered, Rowan had done a lot for him, and offering a token of gratitude felt appropriate.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Rowan¡¯s expression darkened with displeasure.

    ¡°Hospitals have strict policies against bribery. You¡¯re putting me in a difficult position!¡±

    Carlisle looked around and noticed the surveince cameras, realizing his mistake. He chuckledCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    awkwardly.

    ¡°Sorry, my mistake.¡±

    Rowan waved a dismissive hand.

    ¡°Just head out.¡±

    Carlisle left the office.

    The surveince cameras didn¡¯t have audio recording capabilities at that time, so Rowan feltfortable.

    saying that much.

    But everything could have been exposed if he had taken Carlisle¡¯s money.

    Carlisle still needed <b>to </b>get the money to Rowan, but he¡¯d have to find a more discreet way.

    Carlisle left the hospital alongside Owen and Benjamin. Sorrow and anger were reflected in their

    bloodshot eyes.

    Benjamin gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Damn it. I¡¯m going to find a way to kill those bastards who did this!¡±

    Carlisle nced at Benjamin and said, ¡°They¡¯re all locked up. Are you nning to go to jail just to kill

    them?¡±

    Benjamin then said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take out Titan!¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s voice turned cold.

    ¡°How can I entrust Heath¡¯s business to you if you remain in this state?¡±

    Hearing this, Benjamin froze momentarily before tears welled up in his eyes.

    With a trembling voice, he said, ¡°Carlisle, what did you just say? Are you going to entrust me with Heath¡¯s businesses? Does that mean Heath might not wake up?¡±

    Carlisle got into the car and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    Owen and Benjamin followed him into the car.

    Once they were all inside, Carlisle exined, ¡°Heath needs a long period of recovery. It¡¯s going to take a <b>while</b>, so someone needs to manage his businesses in the meantime.¡±

    Benjamin¡¯s eyes lit up with hope and excitement.

    ¡°So there¡¯s still a chance Heath will wake up?¡±

    ¡°Heath is tough. He¡¯ll pull through this,¡± Carlisle said with a faint smile. Then his expression turned serious

    <b>¡°</b>But that means you need to step up. Keep a firm grip on Heath¡¯s empire. Jalen will likely make a move on those businesses soon.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Carlisle. I¡¯ll definitely get rid of my bad habits!¡± Benjamin vowed, patting his chest.

    Benjamin had faced troubles without fear when Heath was around, knowing he had Heath¡¯s support.

    But now, with Heath needing time to heal, Benjamin realized he had to rely on himself..

    Carlisle advised, ¡°Patience is key. If you can¡¯t hold back, you¡¯ll ruin everything. Stay calm and collected when facing problems. That¡¯s the only way to resolve matters<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 335

    Carlisle reiterated his point, ensuring Benjamin understood the gravity of his words.

    Benjamin looked at Carlisle with admiration and nodded earnestly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡±

    Carlisle leaned back in his seat, pulling out his phone to call Gordon.

    As he dialed, he said to Benjamin, ¡°Alright. You should get going.

    ¡°Sure thing, Carlisle!¡±

    Benjamin opened the car door and stepped out just as Gordon picked up the call.

    ¡°Hey, son! What made you think of calling me?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s voice came through.

    Carlisle smiled.

    ¡°I just wanted to check in on you guys.

    Gordon¡¯s mood lifted even more, and heughed heartily.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting better with your words, I see. How¡¯s school going<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°I just finished up military training<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°And how¡¯s your game studio? Keeping you busy?¡±

    ¡°Being the boss has its perks. How about you and Mom? Are you keeping yourselves entertained?¡±

    ¡°Your mom and I opened a convenience store. We even sell breakfast in the mornings.¡±

    ¡°Why bother with breakfast too? Isn¡¯t running <b>the </b>store enough work?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s tone was filled with concern.

    He knew how early breakfast vendors had to start their day, often rising around 5:00 am to prepare for the morning rush of students and workers.

    Gordon and Hilda had spent their lives working hard. Now that Carlisle was established, he yearned for them to enjoy their golden years.

    Gordon chuckled.

    ¡°We¡¯re still young, not <b>some </b>70 <i>or </i>80¨Cyear¨Cold fogeys. This little bit of work is easy and gives us freedom. We don¡¯t have to answer to anyone<b>, </b>and it¡¯s quite enjoyable!

    Carlisle wasn¡¯t giving up.

    ¡°No more breakfast duty. Stop it, or I¡¯ming back there <b>and </b>flipping that stand myself. And hire

    1/3

    Carlisle reiterated his point, ensuring Benjamin understood the gravity of his words.

    Benjamin looked at Carlisle with admiration and nodded earnestly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡±

    Carlisle leaned back in his seat, pulling out his phone to call Gordon.

    As he dialed, he said to Benjamin, ¡°Alright. You should <b>get </b>going<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Sure thing, Carlisle!¡±

    Benjamin opened the car <b>door </b>and stepped out just as Gordon picked up the call.

    ¡°Hey, son! What made you think of calling me?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s voice came through.

    Carlisle smiled.

    ¡°I just wanted to check in on you guys<b>.</b>¡±

    Gordon¡¯s mood lifted even more, and heughed heartily.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting better with your words, I see. How¡¯s school going?¡±

    ¡°I just finished up military training.

    ¡°And how¡¯s your game studio? Keeping you busy?¡±

    ¡°Being the boss has its perks. How about you and Mom? Are you keeping yourselves entertained?¡±

    ¡°Your mom and I opened a convenience store. We even sell breakfast in the mornings.¡±

    ¡°Why bother with breakfast too? Isn¡¯t running the store enough work?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s tone was filled with concern.

    He <b>knew </b>how early breakfast vendors had to start their day, often rising around 5:00 am to prepare for the morning rush of students and workers.

    Gordon and Hilda had spent their lives working hard. Now that Carlisle was established, he yearned for them to enjoy their golden years.

    Gordon chuckled.

    ¡°We¡¯re still young, not some 70 or 80¨Cyear¨Cold fogeys. This little bit of work is easy and gives us freedom. We don¡¯t have to answer to anyone, <b>and </b>it¡¯s quite enjoyable!¡±

    Carlisle wasn¡¯t giving up.

    ¡°No more breakfast duty. Stop it, or I¡¯ming back there and flipping that stand myself. And hire

    someone to help out at the store too.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Gordonughed.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Like you said, we¡¯ll stop selling breakfast in a few days!¡±

    ¡°Dad, is there a man named Sawyer Hughes who practices alternative medicine in our neighborhood?¡±

    ¡°Sawyer? I think I¡¯ve heard of him. He¡¯s studied alternative medicine for a few years, but I¡¯ve never seen

    him treat anyone.¡±

    ¡°Is he still at Franklin Complex?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the old man working as the security guard.¡±

    Carlisle was speechless.

    He couldn¡¯t believe a man seemingly respected by someone like Rowan was relegated to being a security guard in a rundownplex.

    Gordon grew concerned.

    ¡°Why are you <b>asking</b>? Are you sick?¡±

    Carlisle exined, ¡°A friend of mine is in a bad way. I was hoping Mr. Hughes could offer some

    alternative treatment.¡±

    ¡°Hospitals are better equipped for serious illnesses, wouldn¡¯t you say? Sawyer¡¯s skills might not be up to par. Think about it¨Cif he were truly exceptional, would he be working as a security guard?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an old saying, ¡®Still waters run deep¡®. Maybe he¡¯s just humble.¡±

    ¡°Alright. When your friendes over, they can stay with us. Your mom <b>and </b>I <b>have </b>plenty of free time to help take care of him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. It¡¯ll probably be in about a week. I¡¯ll call you then. In the meantime, could you talk to Mr. Hughes for me?¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll grab a drink with him after the store closes tonight.¡°,¡±

    ¡°Great. I¡¯ve got some things to take care of, so I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±

    Carlisle ended the call and leaned back in his seat with a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I hope this alternative medicine physician can really cure Heath,¡± Carlisle thought to himself.

    Just as he closed his eyes, his phone rang again.

    It was Lethan

    ¡°Carlisle, they¡¯ve already dispatched the police. My old ssmate is leading the team himself.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope everything goes ording to n<b>,</b>¡± Carlisle murmured.

    He was genuinely curious. He wondered why Jalen was having someone monitor Shein instead of kidnapping him outright.

    Lethan offered an exnation, ¡°Jalen¡¯s crew probablycks the guts for a direct move yet. Shein¡¯s brother is the mayor of Mocuwait. As long as he¡¯s still around, Jalen wouldn¡¯t dare make a hostile y.¡±

    Carlisle absorbed Lethan¡¯s exnation. Jalen was keeping tabs on Shein¡¯s family, waiting for the mayor¡¯s departure before making a move.

    After exchanging a few more words with Lethan, Carlisle ended the call.

    He then turned to Francis.

    ¡°Francis, head to Trodie Town. And make it quick.¡±

    Without a word, Francis shifted gears, released the clutch, and pressed hard on the gas pedal. His movements were smooth and swift.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the scene shifted to Trodie Town.

 Chapter 336

    <b>Chapter </b><b>336</b>

    Sebastian was preparing to head back home.

    The vigers warmly escorted the Shein family to the edge of the vige, their faces filled with <b>reluctance </b>to see them go<b>.</b>

    Sebastian and Shein discussed development ns with the town chief..

    Feeling bored, Wanda took out her phone and wandered toward the back mountain.

    The signal tower nearby was blocked by the mountain<b>, </b>so she needed to head there to obtain a signal.

    At the same time<b>, </b>Zachary was also at the back of the mountain, taking a call from Queenie.

    Queenie updated him on everything that had happened at Sanctuary Resort.

    As he listened, Zachary¡¯s face darkened with anger, his knuckles whitening as he tightened his grip on his phone.

    Fortunately, it was a Nokia phone, which wasn¡¯t easy to break.

    ¡°Prince Heath and Titan were both apprehended?¡± Zachary asked through gritted teeth.

    Aftern¡¯s death, Luke had struggled to make any significant progress.

    Zachary had hoped to ally with Titan, but Titan¡¯s demand for half ofn¡¯s properties had soured the deal.

    Zachary refused these terms and decided to endorse Luke <b>instead</b>.

    But as soon as he began <b>to </b>back Luke, Heath made his move.

    Just as Heath was ready to progress his n, Titan appeared like a hawk swooping down on an

    unsuspecting rabbit<b>, </b>thwarting him.

    This gave Zachary somefort.

    After <b>all</b><b>, </b>Heath was only climbing up the ranks, whereas Titan had been a prominent figure <b>for </b>over a <b>decade</b>. He was someone even Shein would give way to.

    Losing to him didn¡¯t <b>feel </b>as disgraceful.

    ¡°Titan is already out, but Prince Heath is in critical condition, with two wounds <b>to </b>the head <b>causing </b>brain hemorrhage. He won¡¯t likely make <b>it</b>, and even <b>if </b>he does, he¡¯ll be <b>bedridden and paralyzed </b><b>for </b><b>life</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Queenie <b>exined </b><b>to </b>Zachary softly, her face pale.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Zachary</b>, your parents have already paved a path for you. There¡¯s <b>no </b><b>need </b><b>to </b><b>get </b><b>entangled </b><b>in </b><b>these </b><b>dangerous </b>affairs. Those <b>people </b><b>are </b>dangerous and <b>wouldn¡¯t </b><b>hesitate </b><b>to </b>kill <b>if </b><b>pushed</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>Queenle </b><b>added</b>

    <b>Zachary </b>sighed,

    ¡°<b>I </b><b>know</b><b>, </b><b>but </b>I <b>just </b><b>want </b><b>to </b><b>achieve </b>what <b>my </b><b>dad </b><b>couldn¡¯t</b>. If <b>Yuriel </b><b>can </b><b>dominate </b><b>both </b>the <b>legal </b>and Illegal <b>worlds</b>, <b>so </b><b>can </b>!.¡±

    <b>2/2</b>

    Queenie <b>felt </b>helpless at Zachary¡¯s determination.

    She said, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±

    Wanda didn¡¯t dare approach Zachary. She stayed at a distance, searching for a signal to log into MSN

    Messenger<b>.</b>

    A text message came through with a ding.

    Although the sender was unidentified, Wanda immediately recognized Carlisle¡¯s number, which she had long sincemitted to memory.

    It read, ¡°Someone¡¯s nning to harm you guys. Be careful<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Wanda¡¯s brows furrowed as she read the text message. She immediately called Carlisle to confirm if he

    had sent it by mistake.

    After all, Shein was a well¨Cknown entrepreneur in Rivend. Who would dare to mess with him?

    Just then<b>, </b>Zachary approached her.

    ¡°Wanda, has Uncle Sebastian left?¡±

    Wanda quickly hung up the call and shook her head.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    At that moment, her phone rang. It was Carlisle¡¯s number again. Wanda hastily declined the call.

    But Carlisle instantly called again.

    Zachary narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Too scared to answer? Is it Carlisle calling you<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    He reached out for the phone<b>.</b>

    ¡°Hand it over<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Wanda hid the phone behind her back, shaking her head.

    ¡°<b>No.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Zachary¡¯s voice hardened.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Do </b><b>you </b>think I <b>won¡¯t </b>have someone cause trouble for Carlisle right <b>now</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Wanda¡¯s </b>resolve crumbled. She <b>pouted </b>and handed the phone to Zachary.

    Zachary <b>answered </b>the <b>call </b>but kept quiet.

    <b>On </b>the <b>other </b>end <b>of </b><b>the </b><b>line</b>/<b>Carlisle </b><b>spoke </b><b>calmly</b><b>, </b>¡°Did <b>you receive </b><b>the </b><b>message </b><b>I </b><b>sent</b><b>?</b>¡±

    <b>Zachary¡¯s </b><b>lips </b><b>curled </b><b>into </b><b>a </b><b>cold </b>smile.

    <b>¡°</b><b>Carlisle</b>, <b>so </b><b>it </b><b>is </b><b>you</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 337

    1/2

    Wanda closed her eyes in despair.

    She wondered why Carlisle wasn¡¯t grasping the situation when he was usually so bright. She hadn¡¯t

    spoken, signaling it wasn¡¯t a good time to talk. Why didn¡¯t he just hang up?

    Unbeknownst to her, Carlisle¡¯s concern had skyrocketed after her brief call, prompting his persistent attempts to reach her.

    Carlisle felt relieved at the sound of Zachary¡¯s voice.

    If Zachary could get to Wanda¡¯s phone, it meant they were still safe.

    However, the threatening tone in Zachary¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. So what?¡±

    Carlisle decided not to back down this time, facing Zachary¡¯s intimidation head¨Con.

    Zachary responded coolly, ¡°Do I need to call your parents to remind you to behave?¡±

    The implication was clear¨Che would trouble Carlisle¡¯s parents instead of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you right now. I¡¯m trying to warn you that Jalen might be nning something

    against you.¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t bother dealing with Zachary¡¯s childish behavior. He simply wanted to deliver his warning.

    Zachary sneered.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that easy to fool?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s tone was casual.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I wasn¡¯t warning you. I was warning my ssmate, Wanda.¡±

    With that, Carlisle abruptly hung up the call.

    He took a deep breath, then immediately dialed Benjamin¡¯s number.

    Benjamin had just returned to the club when he received Carlisle¡¯s call.

    ¡°Hello, Carlisle.¡±

    ¡°ed all the information <b>on </b>Jalen within ten minutes!¡± said Carlisle.

    On the hill behind Trodie Town, Zachary read Carlisle¡¯s message on Wanda¡¯s phone. His eyebrows furrowed in concern.

    He questioned if Carlisle would lie to Wanda about something like this.

    2/2

    If what Carlisle said was true<b>, </b>then it had to be Yuriel orchestrating this.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    With that thought, Zachary ran to the hilltop and looked toward the road outside <b>the </b>vige. Although it was too far to see the people clearly, he could make out that they were all young men.

    Most of the young people from the vige were working elsewhere, leaving behind only the elderly and children. Even if some had returned for a visit, there wouldn¡¯t be that many of them.

    Yet, he saw groups of young men on the road, along with vans and sedans.

    Moving to another vantage point, Zachary spotted figures on distant hills. Were they surrounded?

    Zachary was a rising star in the business world. Although he spent most of his time gaming, he never

    neglected his business responsibilities.

    At that moment, he managed to stay rtively calm.

    He quickly recalled Carlisle¡¯s warning about Jalen nning to take action against them.

    ¡°Wanda, give me your phone,¡± Zachary said as he walked toward her.

    Seeing the solemn expression on Zachary¡¯s face, Wanda handed him the phone cautiously, asking, ¡°Zac, is someone really after us?<b>¡±</b>

    Zachary remained silent as he dialed the number from the recent call history.

    Carlisle¡¯s phone was in his hand. He immediately answered it when it rang.

    ¡°Where did you hear this information? Have you called the police?¡±

    Zachary tried to sound calm to hide that he was highly anxious.

    He didn¡¯t want Carlisle to sense his panic.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already reported it to the police. They¡¯re on their way. Here¡¯s my advice¨Cleave the vige with your uncle. They likely won¡¯t dare to touch him.¡±

    ¡°You know Uncle Sebastian as well?¡± Zachary nced at Wanda as he spoke.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 338

    Zachary suspected that Wanda must have been the one to inform Carlisle. It seemed their rtionship was far from over¨Cperhaps even growing closer.

    This realization intensified Zachary¡¯s hatred for Carlisle.

    However, he had to prioritize the immediate threat.

    He felt Carlisle¡¯s suggestion made sense.

    Since his cousin¨Cinw was the son of the Mocuwait Governor, Jalen wouldn¡¯t dare make a move on him.

    ¡°You need to find a way out quickly.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s voice echoed through the phone.

    Zachary hung up without responding and called out to Sebastian, but the convoy was already moving

    away.

    He turned to Wanda, his face pale.

    ¡°Wanda, we need to get off the mountain fast.¡±

    Realizing the urgency and truth in Carlisle¡¯s warning, Wanda nodded and followed Zachary as they hurried

    down the slope.

    The mountain path was treacherous, and Wanda didn¡¯t run far before she fell.

    ¡°Wanda!¡±

    Zachary¡¯s face turned pale as he hurried to help her up.

    ¡°Zac¡­ Don¡¯t worry about me. Go find Dad.¡±

    Wanda had twisted her ankle, and her delicate arm was scratched by a rock, but she didn¡¯t make a sound.

    She bit her lip and urged Zachary to notify Shein first.

    Zachary wouldn¡¯t leave Wanda behind.

    He helped her up and asked, ¡°Can you still walk?¡±

    With tears in her eyes, Wanda pushed Zachary away and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, just go!¡±

    Zachary, torn with anxiety, hesitated but decided to notify Shein first. He had to find a way to deal with

    the situation.

    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    He handed the phone back to Wanda and sprinted down the hill without looking back.

    Wanda clutched her bleeding arm and limped down the path.

    21/2

    At the town entrance<b>, </b>Shein was walking back into the town with the white¨Chaired town chief<b>.</b>

    Trey spoke with fatherly concern, ¡°Shein, I must say, Zac and Wanda were quite rude. Sebastian is leaving, and they don¡¯t evene to see him off. They are family, after all. Even our residents know better.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Mr. Collins. I¡¯ll make sure to discipline them,¡± Shein responded politely, though he felt disdainful.

    If not for his and Sebastian¡¯s contributions to the town, the townspeople wouldn¡¯t havee out to see

    them off.

    Trey looked around before leaning in and whispering, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say this, but the whole town is watching.

    They may not say anything to your face, but they¡¯ll gossip behind your back. You and Sebastian are big

    shots now, so you need to maintain a good reputation. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be aughingstock.¡±

    Shein smiled faintly.

    ¡°I understand, Mr. Collins. I¡¯ll reflect on this.¡±

    Not wanting to receive any more nagging, he quickly added, ¡°I should be heading back to the city. We¡¯ll need your help keeping an eye on the old house and the memorial hall.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Trey nodded confidently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. As long as I¡¯m around, not a single brick will be out of ce.¡±

    The road leading out of the town was nked by cornfields.

    Just as Sebastian¡¯s convoy left, a disheveled Landon emerged from the cornfield, his face covered in

    mosquito bites.

    He pulled out his phone and made a call.

    ¡°Boss, they¡¯ve left.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡°, was the only response he received before the line went dead.

    In the town, Zachary finally made it down the hill, running frantically toward Shein.

    ¡°Dad! Dad, something¡¯s wrong!¡±

    Before Shein could respond, Trey frowned disapprovingly.

    ¡°Zac, you¡¯re too old to be acting so hysterically. Where¡¯s yourposure?¡±

    Zachary ignored Trey and approached Shein, whispering something urgently in his ear.

    Shein¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.

    He asked gravely, ¡°Where¡¯s Wanda?¡±

 Chapter 339

    Zachary stammered, ¡°W¨CWanda¡­ She twisted her ankle¡­¡±

    Shein¡¯s brows furrowed, and he scolded, ¡°So you abandoned her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get her right away¡­¡±

    Zachary didn¡¯t offer further exnation. He turned and ran back toward the hill.

    He had promised Wanda he would return for her after informing Shein.

    ¡°Woody, Jose, Camden, Luca, go with Zac and make sure he and Wanda get out safely through the back route,¡± Shein ordered, keeping hisposure despite the situation.

    The four bodyguards had been with him for years and were highly skilled. They were capable of handling multiple thugs at once.

    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s happening?¡± Woody asked, confused by the sudden urgency.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got rats¡­¡± Shein said tersely.

    Woody frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s odd. Mac is outside, he should have alerted us if something was wrong.¡±

    Jose spected, ¡°There¡¯s no signal in the mountains. Mac probably couldn¡¯t reach us.¡±

    Just as he finished speaking, arge, burly man came running from the distance.

    <b>It </b>was Mac.

    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a situation outside.¡±

    Mac panted, his face pale.

    ¡°How many of them?¡± Woody immediately asked.

    ¡°About 40¡­¡± Mac¡¯s voice trembled.

    Despite being with Shein for so long, he had never encountered a situation like that day.

    Shein¡¯s face darkened.

    ¡°First<b>, </b>ensure Zac and Wanda escape through the back!¡±

    He was frustrated with his bodyguards¡®ck of awareness. Despite their professional training, they had been surrounded without even realizing it.

    ¡°And what about you, boss?¡± Woody asked hesitantly.

    As the team leader, <b>it </b>was his job to ensure everyone¡¯s safety. He felt responsible for their failure <b>to </b>notice the threat.

    2/3

    ¡°Do I need to spell it out for you?¡± Shein snapped,

    failing.

    Woody swallowed hard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, protect Mr. Zachary and Ms. Wanda.¡±

    truggling to keep his temper in check but ultimately

    The four bodyguards headed toward the back of the hill.

    Noticing themotion, Trey approached Shein.

    ¡°Shein, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Shein replied in a low voice, ¡°It looks like someone¡¯s trying to kidnap me¡­¡®

    Trey was momentarily stunned, thenughed.

    ¡°Trying to kidnap you here in our town? They must be out of their minds!¡±

    #

    He turned and shouted to his son, who was smoking nearby, ¡°Joshua! Someone¡¯s trying to kidnap Shein<b>.</b>

    Get the men together and grab whatever you can!¡±

    ¡°Damn it. Are they insane?¡±

    Joshua threw his cigarette butt to the ground and sprinted toward the town.

    Within five minutes, 70 to 80 middle¨Caged and elderly townsmen had gathered, holding various farming

    tools.

    Joshua, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, swaggered over to Shein and boasted, ¡°Shein, pretty good response time, huh?¡±

    Trey beamed with pride, his hands sped behind his back.

    ¡°Shein, you have nothing to worry about. With us here, no one can harm you!¡±

    Shein nced at the crowd of townsfolk, his mouth twitching slightly.

    Out of the 80 or so people, over 60 were senior citizens, and the remaining 20 were middle¨Caged men with limited physical abilities.

    ¡°Boss, cars are approaching.¡±

    Mac squinted toward the end of the road.

    Shein followed Mac¡¯s gaze and saw several unmarked ck cars speeding toward them.

    The roads in Trodie Town had been paved since the ¡®90s. It took only moments for the cars to arrive.

    Seeing this, Joshua shouted, ¡°Townspeople, if they dare step foot in our town, we¡¯ll teach them a lesson!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± the residents roared in unison.

    Joshua grabbed a kitchen knife from an elderly woman and charged ahead.

    Trey smiled and stroked his beard.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°My son may not be well¨Ceducated, but he¡¯s loyal. If yourpany needs a security guard, Shein, <i>you</i>

    should take him.¡±

    Joshua hadn¡¯t run far before he saw the assants getting out of their cars.

    3/3

 Chapter 340

    Eight of the assants stepped out of their cars, each wielding a submachine gun.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Joshua trembled with fear.

    He dropped the kitchen knife and sprinted back into the town.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    He yelled, ¡°Run! They have guns!¡±

    The town residents had never seen such a scene. A wave of panic washed over them. They dropped their

    tools and scattered in all directions.

    Trey¡¯s smile froze on his face. It took him a good ten seconds to recover.

    ¡°A bunch of traitors and cowards¡­ It¡¯s really disheartening!¡± he muttered bitterly.

    Shein sighed lightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not their fault. Mr. Collins, you should head back into the town too. Their target is me.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Do you think I¡¯m the kind of person who would abandon you out of fear?¡± Trey

    responded angrily.

    Shein chuckled, feeling a bitforted.

    Despite Trey¡¯s usual grumbling, he didn¡¯t abandon Shein in the face of danger. This loyalty reassured

    Shein that his investments in the town weren¡¯t entirely wasted.

    More than 20 assants entered the town, brandishing long, gleaming knives.

    Trey caught sight of the weapons and gulped nervously.

    He then forced a stern expression and said, ¡°That little brat Joshua has disappointed me. I¡¯ll drag him back, we can¡¯t have him let <i>you </i>down like this!¡±

    With that, he strode toward his home.

    Shein smiled wryly. He couldn¡¯t me Trey. Anyone would be terrified in this situation. He was scared

    too, but fear wouldn¡¯t help him now.

    Soon, more than 20 assants reached Shein.

    The group leader pulled a few photos from his pocket forparison, then said with a smile, ¡°You must be Shein Thompson.¡±

    Shein took a deep breath.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Shein Thompson.¡±

    The leader praised, ¡°You¡¯re not scared at all. As expected from a well¨Cexperienced tycoon. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re only here for money. We don¡¯t intend any harm.¡±

    Shein felt a bit relieved when he heard they were only there for money.

    2/3

    ¡°How much do you want?¡±

    The leader held up three fingers,

    Shein chuckled.

    ¡°Three million dors?¡±

    The leader burst intoughter and turned to hisrades.

    ¡°Mr. Thompson has quite a sense of humor.¡±

    His aplicesughed along.

    Shein continued, ¡°Well, 30 million dors wouldn¡¯t be out of the question.¡±

    The leader¡¯s smile faded, reced by a sinister expression.

    ¡°Mr. Thompson, do you think your life is worth just 30 million dors?¡±

    Shein narrowed his eyes slightly.

    ¡°You want 300 million dors?¡±

    The leaderughed again.

    *300 million dors wouldn¡¯t even dent your empire, would it?¡±

    Without waiting for Shein to respond, he added, ¡°Besides, the 300 million dors isn¡¯t just for your life. It¡¯s for the lives of your entire family.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    Zachary¡¯s voice came from behind.

    Shein turned to look.

    He saw Zachary and Wanda being escorted by over a dozen assants. Their bodyguards were bound,

    with socks stuffed in their mouths.

    Shein resignedly closed his eyes, feeling a heavy weight on his chest.

    The leader smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, do you still think 300 million isn¡¯t worth it?¡±

    Shein replied calmly, ¡°I can give you the money, but I need to contact mypany¡¯s finance department.¡±

    The leader took out a phone and handed it to Shein.

    ¡°We have a mobile base station in the car. You can make a call with this phone.¡±

    Shein caught the phone and djaled the number for the finance department. Zachary and Wanda were pushed next to him, both pale with fear.

    Zachary asked in a low voice, ¡°Dad, how much are they asking for?¡±

    Shein didn¡¯t respond.

    3/3

    The call connected.

    He finally spoke, ¡°This is Shein. Transfer 300 million dors immediately.¡±

    The leader interjected, ¡°I want cash.¡±

    Shein sneered.

    ¡°Do you know what 300 million in cash looks like?¡±

    The leader fired several shots into the air, then aimed his gun at Wanda.

    ¡°Mr. Thompson, you¡¯re a busy man, and I have limited patience. I suggest you stop asking unnecessary questions.¡±

 Chapter 341

    Zachary wanted to shield Wanda, <b>but </b>the sight of the dark gun barrel sapped his courage.

    Wanda¡¯s frail body trembled slightly, like a leaf swaying in the wind.

    She closed her eyes tightly. At that moment, her mind and heart were filled with thoughts of Carlisle.

    <b>*</b>Carlisle, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I may not be able to continue our journey together. If there is a next life, I hope we

    won¡¯t have so many obstacles,¡± she silently prayed in her heart.

    Shein stepped in front of Wanda and said into the phone, ¡°ed 300 million dors in cash!¡±

    The finance officer was stunned momentarily and replied, ¡°300 million in cash? I doubt all the banks in

    Rivend coulde up with that amount¡­¡±

    Shein¡¯s voice turned cold.¡±

    ¡°Then find a way. What do I pay you for?¡±

    ¡°Yes- yes, sir!¡± the finance officer responded, trembling.

    Shein hung up and stared at the gang leader.

    ¡°Moving that amount of cash will surely alert the police. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±

    The leader rested the gun on his shoulder and nonchntly said, ¡°I received word ten minutes <b>ago </b>that the police are already on their way. If I were afraid, I wouldn¡¯t be here before you.¡±

    Shein asked, ¡®Are you Jalen¡¯s men?¡±

    The leader responded coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Shein closed his mouth, deciding not to speak further.

    The leader then ordered, ¡°Take us to your old house<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    They even knew about Shein¡¯s old house, indicating that these people had nned this ambush meticulously.

    Shein sighed inwardly and led them to his old house.

    Around 11:00 am, a ck Mazda stopped by the roadside outside the town.

    Francis said, ¡®I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±

    But before he could finish, they <b>saw </b>two men approaching with submachine guns.

    Carlisle¡¯s face hardened.

    ¡°Drive, now.¡±

    Francis immediately shifted gears and hit the <b>gas </b>pedal. The car shot forward like an arrow.

    Fortunately, the two men didn¡¯t open fire.

    Francis <b>and </b>Carlisle stopped after driving about a mile.

    Francis breathed a small sigh of relief.

    ¡°These robbers are no joke!¡±

    Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°The police probably can¡¯t do much against them either.¡±

    Francis said helplessly, ¡°Let¡¯s hope they¡¯re only after money.¡±

    kout

    Carlisle took out his phone and called Benjamin.

    Benjamin answered after a brief moment.

    Carlisle spoke first, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±

    Benjamin replied seriously, ¡°Yes. Jalen has no parents, his wife runs apany abroad, and his son and daughter attend a private school he set up himself.¡±

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes slightly.

    ¡°Can you kidnap his children?¡±

    Benjamin hesitated momentarily before answering. ¡°I¡¯ll try, but don¡¯t get your hopes up too high.

    Carlisle sighed.

    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s too dangerous. Heath is still in the ICU, and I don¡¯t want to see you get into trouble. I n to have you take Heath to that alternative medicine physician in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Alternative medicine?¡± Benjamin was puzzled at first, then ecstatic.

    ¡°You mean there¡¯s hope for Heath?¡±

    Carlisle smiled.

    ¡°Yes, this physician has sessfully treated many <b>brain </b>hemorrhage patients. He¡¯s a neighbor of my parents. I¡¯ll have you and Heath stay at my parents¡® once he¡¯s discharged. They can help look after him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Carlisle!¡±

    Benjamin was overwhelmed with gratitude.

    Heath¡¯s condition in the ICU weighed heavily on Benjamin¡¯s mind.

    Carlisle had not only made all the arrangements but was also offering his parents¡® help. The gratitude <b>he </b>felt was overwhelming.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Benjamin made a decision. He would kidnap Jalen¡¯s children.

    Benjamin made up his mind.

    Chapter: 341

    3/3

    <b>*</b>Carlisle, wait for my good news.¡±

    ¡°What are you nning?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s tone turned solemn.

    Benjamin said, ¡°I respect Heath and you more than anyone. If it means risking my life to help you, then so

    be it!¡±

    Carlisle frowned and said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash. If something happens to you, how will I face¡­ Hello? Benjamin!¡±

    Benjamin hung up before Carlisle could finish. Carlisle sighed in frustration.

    Francis nced at Carlisle through the rearview mirror.

 Chapter 342

    A twinge of fear rose in Francis¡® heart.

    He suddenly saw Carlisle for what he truly was¨Ca cunning, maniptive mastermind with aplete understanding of human nature.

    He chuckled to himself, recognizing the irony.

    He, too, had fallen prey to Carlisle¡¯s web. The lure of making a fortune to fulfill his ex¨Cgirlfriend¡¯s dying wish had driven him to work tirelessly for Carlisle.

    Even if Carlisle had asked him to kidnap Jalen¡¯s children, he would have found it hard to refuse.

    Carlisle leaned back in his seat and <b>closed </b>his eyes to rest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the apartment.¡±

    The town was likely swarming with bandits. They were armed, and he was outnumbered and outgunned.

    Rescuing Shein and his family was impossible. It was now up to the police to negotiate with them.

    Francis turned the car around and headed back the way they came.

    On the way, they passed a police convoy heading toward the town.

    They figured that someone must have leaked the information. Following the police vehicles were cars. from the Rivend News Observation team.

    At 2:00 pm, news of the kidnapping of Thompson Group¡¯s chairman spread like wildfire.

    The entire Rivend businessmunity was in an uproar.

    The municipal government issued an order to rescue Shein and his family at all costs.

    Rivend TV was broadcasting live as a massive police force descended upon Trodie Town. The entire

    town was on lockdown. The <b>scene </b>resembled a movie.

    Carlisle sat on the couch, watching the live broadcast on the ck¨C<b>and</b>¨Cwhite TV.

    Although he appeared calm, he was deeply anxious.

    This scenario hadn¡¯t happened in his previous life. It was likely that Heath¡¯s early rise had disrupted the entire Rivend undergroundwork, leading to this situation

    He feared the kidnappers might start killing hostages.

    If anything happened to Wanda, earning all the money in the world would be meaningless.

    Francis handed Carlisle a cup of coffee and tried tofort <b>him</b>, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Trodie Town is sealed offpletely. The kidnappers won¡¯t act rashly.¡±

    2/2

    Carlisle took a sip of coffee and said, ¡°These guys are armed and desperate. There¡¯s nothing they won¡¯t

    do.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, a gunshot <b>echoed </b>from the TV.

    Soon, two kidnappers dragged a body out. It was Shein¡¯s bodyguard, Mac.

    One of the kidnappers spoke, ¡°Our boss says if you <b>don¡¯t </b>pull back, we¡¯ll kill one person every half hour!¡±

    Gabriel Yost wore a terrifyingly dark expression.

    Two infrared dots were trained on the kidnapper¡¯s temples.

    However, the kidnapper showed no fear andughed instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to die. Our boss said he¡¯ll take a few townsfolk with us if we die!¡±

    Gabriel seethed with anger at the kidnapper¡¯s arrogant smirk and almost ground his mrs to dust.

    After a moment, he raised a clenched fist. The snipers in hiding retracted their infrared sights.

    The two kidnappers flipped their middle fingers at the police and then swaggered back into the town.

    Gabriel felt that the kidnappers were being too arrogant.

    He mmed his fist against the car door in frustration.

    Suddenly, Gabriel¡¯s phone rang. The caller ID showed it was his boss.

    He immediately answered, ¡°Boss, the rescue operation is proving to be difficult.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    A deep and authoritative voice came through.

    ¡°The governor has issued an order to prioritize the safety of the hostages and townsfolk. If necessary, the criminals can be killed on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Understood<b>.</b>¡±

    ¡°Have you identified the kidnappers yet?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still working on it,¡± Gabriel admitted, feeling embarrassed.

    It had been four hours since Shein and the others were kidnapped, yet they still didn¡¯t know the kidnappers

    ¡®identities.

    ¡°You¡¯re moving too slowly. The kidnappers gave us eight hours toe up with the ransom. I want a rescue n in three hours!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

 Chapter 343

    After ending the call, Gabriel urgently called the staff responsible for identifying the kidnappers and gathered a few of his most experienced officers to formte the rescue n.

    Meanwhile, Shein sat calmly on the <b>couch </b>in the town at the Thompson family¡¯s old house, drinking

    coffee as if he were at ease.

    However, Zachary frowned deeply.

    ¡°Dad, how can you still enjoy coffee at a time like this?¡±

    Shein put down his cup and said calmly, ¡°What else can I do? Will panicking help?¡±

    These kidnappers were desperate and fearless. The police would likely face significant challenges in

    executing a rescue.

    Besides praying for their fate, he couldn¡¯t think of any other solution.

    Rather than worrying, he chose to act rxed, hoping not to be seen as weak by the kidnappers.

    Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

    ¡°By the way, Zac, <b>how </b>did you know someone was going to harm us?¡±

    ¡°It was Carlisle who told me.¡±

    ¡°Carlisle?¡±

    Shein frowned, struggling to recall the name.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡±

    Zachary nced at the visibly anxious Wanda, hesitating to say more.

    Shein finally remembered that Carlisle was the boy trying to pursue Wanda.

    He frowned and pondered, ¡°Where did that kid get his information from?¡±

    Zachary scoffed.

    ¡°I bet he¡¯s working with Jalen. Approaching Wanda was just part of his scheme.¡±

    Hearing Zachary¡¯s usations against Carlisle, Wanda snapped back, ¡°You should be a novelist with your wild imagination. If Carlisle were in league with Jalen, why would he warn us?¡±

    Zachary retorted, ¡°He warned us when we were already surrounded. It was just a fake gesture to throw us

    off.

    ¡°You¡¯re so self¨Crighteous!¡±

    Wanda turned her head away in frustration.

    Zachary sighed.

    2/2

    ¡°It <b>seems </b>you still haven¡¯t gotten over him.¡±

    Shein intervened, ¡°Enough, both of you. That kid is merely a university freshman. This situation likely has nothing to do with him.¡±

    With Shein¡¯s authority, Zachary <b>had </b>no choice but to fall silent.

    Just then, the leader of the kidnappers walked in, holding a bowl of meat stew.

    Speaking with his mouth full, he asked, ¡°Are you hungry? <b>Want </b>some food?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zachary replied defiantly.

    ¡°I am,¡± Wanda retorted, seemingly contradicting Zachary on purpose.

    Zachary whispered urgently. ¡°Are you crazy? What if <b>they </b>put something in the food?¡±

    Wanda ignored him and stood up to follow the kidnapper. Shein also stood up and followed.

    Zachary¡¯s stomach growled. Reluctantly, he got up and followed them outside.

    Trey led the town residents to deliver food and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Shein and the

    others unharmed.

    ¡°Old man, got any booze?¡± the lead kidnapper asked with a grin.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go get it right away.¡±

    Trey¡¯s earlier bravado had vanished, reced by a fawning smile.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    The lead kidnapper cleared three spots at the table for Shein and his children,

    They sat down without hesitation, maintaining theirposure.

    Shein <b>looked </b>at the leader and asked, ¡°May I Know your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Hendrix Evans.¡±

    ¡°Hendrix Evans<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Shein¡¯s pupils contracted sharply. The name was well¨Cknown to him.

    He was the infamous bandit Hendrix Evans, who had orchestrated multiple kidnappings and always

    managed to evade capture.

    The fact that Jalen had managed to enlist such people was shocking.

    ¡°Oh, so Mr. Thompson has heard of me.¡± Hendrix said, shing what he thought was a gentlemanly smile.

    ¡°Just a little,¡± Shein replied, calming his inner turmoil. He picked up a <b>spoon </b>and started eating silently

    With any other kidnapper, Shein might have hoped to avoid paying the ransom, But Hendrix¡¯s involvement

    the 300 million dors would have to be handed over.

    mes

    Losing that amount would severely set back hispetition with Yuriel.

 Chapter 344

    Yuriel would definitely seize this opportunity to crush Shein while he was down.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve heard of me, Mr. Thompson, I suggest you abandon any false hopes,¡± Hendrix said with a faint smile, picking up his spoon to begin eating.

    Shein lifted his gaze to meet Hendrix¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°As long as you guarantee our safety, the 300 million dors is yours.

    Hendrixughed heartily.

    ¡°Mr. Thompson, you certainly drive a hard bargain!¡±

    Meanwhile, the scene shifted to a development project by Yuriel¡¯s Evermore Properties in a secluded town on the outskirts of Rivend.

    Although it was referred to as a vige, it was actually filled with small, stylish vis.

    At the center stood an imposing and grand mansion.

    A middle¨Caged man in casual attire was tending to his garden when a subordinate approached with a

    satellite phone.

    ¡°Mr. Holder, a call for you.¡±

    The middle¨Caged man took the phone and answered, ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Jalen, where did you find such a fierce group of bandits?¡±

    The voice on the other end sounded pleased.

    Feigning irritation, Jalen replied, ¡°What bandits? Those are my sworn brothers!¡±

    The voice on the other end quickly apologized, ¡°My apologies. I¡¯ll drink three cups as penance next time

    we meet!¡±

    Jalen¡¯s expression softened a bit, <b>and </b>he replied nonchntly, ¡°Just to be clear, you¡¯re not getting a cut of

    <b>the </b>300 million dors.¡±

    ¡°Jalen, please. You guys have helped me out so much, how could I dare take a cut? Besides, when have I ever been short of money?¡±

    ¡°Alright. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up. I¡¯m busy watering my flowers.<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°You¡¯ve got time to enjoy gardening? What kind of flowers do you like? I¡¯ll have some sent over.¡±

    ¡°Narcissus. My young girl <b>loves </b>them.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s face lit up with a smile when he mentioned his daughter.

    2/3

    He had always wanted a daughter, but fate had yed a cruel joke on him¨Che had four sons in a row. He even contemted divorce, believing his wife was incapable of bearing a daughter. Fortunately, the fifth child was a girl whom he named Narcisse Holder.

    She had just turned ten and was attending Sunny Hills Elementary School, a private school he had established.

    Ever since Narcisse was born, Jalen had gradually stepped back from the limelight, orchestrating things from behind the scenes.

    Narcisse didn¡¯t even know that her father was one of the ¡°Heroes of Rivend¡°.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you some quality narcissus nts. Take care. I¡¯ve <b>got </bpany matters to handle.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    Jalen hung up the phone and handed the satellite phone back to his subordinate.

    He resumed watering the flowers and casually asked, ¡®Is everything set for Narcisse¡¯s birthday party?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good to go. As you instructed, we only invited her teachers and ssmates.¡±

    ¡°Good. Make sure to pick her up early today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Outside Sunny Hills Elementary School, two newsstands nked the entrance like sentinels on duty.. Around each stand, three to five men gathered and yed cards.

    These were Jalen¡¯s men who were tasked with protecting Narcisse. They earned a generous five thousand dors a month for their seemingly idle duty.

    Across the street, a ck Mercedes slowly pulled up.

    Benjamin nced at the men ying cards near the newsstands and asked, ¡°Valin, can you distract them?

    The man in the passenger seat, a wiry 30¨Csomething, replied, <b>¡°</b>Getting them to leave might be tough, but diverting their attention isn¡¯t a problem.¡±

    Benjamin had brought two men with him¨CValin and Sirius, both trusted by Heath.

    ¡°How do you n to do it?¡± Benjamin asked, lighting a cigarette..

    ¡°Give me two grand in cash. Sirus and I will join their game,¡± Valin replied with a grin.

    Benjamin handed over two thousand dors in cash from his bag.

    and Sirius got out of the car and headed straight for the newsstands.

    Benjamin checked his watch. It was 4:00 pm, one hour before Sunny Hills Elementary School would be let

 Chapter 345

    Valin approached the newsstand, grabbing a bottle of water from the shelf.

    ¡°Hey, boss, give me a pack of cigarettes.¡±

    ¡°Help yourself,¡± the owner replied without even ncing up from his card game.

    Valin took a pack of cigarettes and asked, ¡°How much for all this?¡±

    The owner gave him a quick look and said, ¡°Two dors.¡±

    Valin handed over a hundred¨Cdor bill.

    The owner frowned, ¡°Got anything smaller?¡±

    ¡°Let me check,¡± Valin said, pulling out a wad of cash totaling ten thousand dors from his pocket.

    The owner¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He nudged one of hispanions with his foot and subtly gestured toward Valin.

    The men around the newsstand noticed the cash, and their eyes lit up.

    One of them chimed in, ¡°Hey man, no problem. I can break that hundred for you.¡±

    Valin gave an embarrassed smile.

    ¡°Thanks a lot, buddy. I just got my annual bonus. I don¡¯t have any small bills yet.¡±

    The newsstand owner asked curiously, ¡°Where do you work, buddy? That¡¯s a nice chunk of bonus.¡±

    ¡°Ah, just hauling cement and bricks on a construction site. It¡¯s hard¨Cearned money, barely enough to get by.¡± Valin replied with a weary smile, perfectly ying the role of a weatheredborer.

    The man who had offered change exchanged a hundred¨Cdor bill for smaller denominations, and Valin

    handed five dors to the newsstand owner.

    The owner gave him back three dors in change and chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s tough work. Now that you¡¯ve got some extra cash, <b>why </b>not y <b>a </b>few hands with us?¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Valin nced at the card game and the money on the table, swallowing hard before shaking his head.

    ¡°<b>Nah</b>, I¡¯m terrible at cards. I <b>never </b>win when I y with my coworkers.¡±

    Sensing Valin¡¯s desire to gamble, the newsstand owner smirked and offered his seat.

    <b>¡°</b>Come on, sit here. This spot¡¯s lucky today. I¡¯ve already won 200 dors. We y small stakes, just three to five hundred at most.¡±

    Valin hesitated, wearing a conflicted expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Scared of your wife, huh?¡± a bald guy taunted, using reverse psychology.

    Valin¡¯s face turned red with indignation.

    ¡°Bullshit! I run my house, not her. I¡¯m not afraid of anyone!¡±

    The men exchanged knowing nces and smirks.

    The bald <b>guy </b>continued provoking, ¡°If you¡¯re not scared, sit down and y a few hands with us!¡±

    Valin took a deep breath and plopped into the newsstand owner¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Alright. But if you guys lose money, don¡¯t try to keep me from leaving<b>!</b>¡±

    The bald guy lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We don¡¯t have <b>any </b>rules like that. You can leave whenever you want.¡±

    Valin ced his stack of cash on the table, catching the men¡¯s undivided attention.

    The bald guy looked at the newsstand owner.

    ¡°Get a <b>new </b>deck of cards!¡±

    Meanwhile, Sirius had a much easier time. He didn¡¯t even bother buying anything. He simply asked to join

    their game.

    While Valin was still getting settled, Sirius had already won two hands, pocketing enough for a quick meal.

    Benjamin sat in the car, smoking a cigarette.

    Suddenly, the convenience store owner emerged and knocked on his window.

    ¡°Hey, where are you from, and why are you parked in front of my store?¡±

    The man bore a <b>scar </b>at the corner of his mouth¨Ca detail that confirmed his identity to Benjamin. This was Lothar Roberts, one of Jalen¡¯s enforcers, known for maintaining a tight grip over this territory.

    Benjamin responded with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Do you have any slot machines here?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. Where are you from, and what are you doing here?¡±

    Lothar¡¯s expression hardened, suspicion growing in his voice.

    Forcing a <bugh</b>, Benjamin tried to steady his nerves.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up my cousin¡¯s kid from school.¡±

    ¡°Your cousin¡¯s kid? Which ss? What¡¯s their name?¡± Lothar continued to probe.

 Chapter 346

    Lothar¡¯s three consecutive questions put Benjamin on edge.

    *His name is Samuel Porter, sixth grade, ss 21 <b>Benjamin </b>blurted out quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check,¡± Lothar said, narrowing his eyes as he pulled out his phone to make a call.

    Benjamin¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

    He had concocted the story about his cousin¡¯s kid on the spot. If Lothar made that call, his cover would

    be blown.

    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll find another ce to y.¡± Benjamin <b>said</b>, preparing to drive away.

    Lothar suddenly stopped the window from closing, a sly smile on his face.

    ¡°How much do you want to y for?¡±

    Benjamin patted the Mercedes emblem on the steering wheel.

    ¡°Do I look like someone who¡¯s short on cash?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Lothar smirked, unimpressed.

    ¡°Is this car really yours? Show me the papers.¡±

    Sunny Hills Elementary School was a private school. Jalen had invested heavily in experienced teachers. and top¨Cnotch facilities, attracting wealthy parents to enroll their children.

    Lothar figured that the car might belong to Benjamin¡¯s cousin instead, given that he imed he was there to pick up his cousin¡¯s kid.

    Benjamin gritted his teeth and threw a bag containing 30 thousand dors in cash at Lothar.

    ¡°What the hell is your problem? Do I look like a broke loser to you<b>?</b>¡°.

    Lothar was a boss with a crew of 20 to 30 men <b>and </b>wasn¡¯t ustomed to such disrespect.

    He was about to explode with anger. But when he saw the stacks of hundred¨Cdor bills, he swallowed his rage <b>and </b>forced a smile.

    ¡°Sorry, man. My mistake. Come on in.¡±

    Money talked, after all.

    The slot machines in the store were Lothar¡¯s personal investment, generating almost pure profit for him..

    Someone who casually carried around thousands in cash was bound to y big

    The secret was that the slot machines could be manually controlled. They weren¡¯t worried about yers <b>winning </b>but about them not ying at all.

    Lothar led Benjamin into the convenience store. He moved a shelf aside to reveal a hidden game room

    filled with slot machines, devoid of any video games.

    ¡°Start me off with five thousand tokens,¡± Benjamin said nonchntly.

    Lothar quickly instructed the shop assistant to exchange the cash for game tokens.

    2/2

    Benjamin didn¡¯t disappoint, betting the maximum on nearly every spin. Within minutes, he had lost several

    hundred dors.

    Around 4:30 pm, Valin lost three thousand dors when his straight flush was beaten by the bald guy¡¯s

    three¨Cof¨C<b>a</b><b>¨C</b>kind.

    Valin knew the bald man was cheating but didn¡¯t call him out. Winning wasn¡¯t his goal, after all.

    ¡°Buddy, I believe you now. Your luck¡¯s terrible. Even after taking my lucky spot, you¡¯re still losing big. You should go home before your wife gets mad.¡±

    The newsstand owner was skillful in his approach. He started with someforting words and then quickly switched to goading.

    His goal was clear¨Cto win all of Valin¡¯s money.

    Valin looked genuinely angry, his face turning red as he spat, ¡°To hell with that! I¡¯m not scared of her. Let¡¯s keep ying!¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of the school¡¯s retractable gate slowly opening.

    A female teacher was leading a delicate young girl out of the school.

    Valin nced over and immediately held his breath.

    Narcisse hade out.

 Chapter 347

    ¡°Let¡¯s not look at our cards this time round. We y blind till the end!¡±

    Valin¡¯s gaunt face showed a hint of anger.

    The bald man and hispanions interpreted this as Valin reaching his breaking point, desperate to

    recoup his losses.

    The bald man chuckled.

    ¡°Buddy, my luck¡¯s been great today. You might want to be careful.¡±

    Valin sneered, ¡°Less talk, more dealing!¡±

    Without further ado, the bald man shuffled the cards with a skillful hand and started dealing

    At that moment, a fire suddenly broke out at the newspaper stand across the street.

    ¡°Oh shit! It¡¯s on fire!¡±

    The yers across the street started screaming.

    With no fire extinguisher at hand and no nearby fire hydrant, the mes quickly spread, fueled by the paper products.

    ¡°Damn it. What the hell are they doing?¡± the bald man grumbled in frustration.

    He had hoped to <b>clean </b>Valin out in this round.

    Valin feigned concern.

    ¡°We should help. The school¡¯s right there, and we can¡¯t risk the kids getting hurt.¡±

    ¡°Damn it. Let¡¯s go put out the fire!¡±

    The bald man couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. He stood up and ran toward the burning stand, followed closely by the others.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you guys!¡±

    Valin stood up and followed behind them. But after a few steps, he veered off toward the school gate.

    ¡°Fire! Fire! Help put out the fire!¡± Sirius shouted near the burning newsstand, attracting the attention of many passersby who came over to help.

    Amid the chaos, Sirius called Benjamin.

    The game room was boisterous. Benjamin was ying big, and a crowd had gathered around him.

    His phone was set to silent mode, but he felt it vibrating in his pocket.

    ¡°Hey, boss. Is there a bathroom around here?¡± Benjamin asked Lothar, clutching his stomach.

    1/3

    <b>2/3</b>

    Lothar pointed to a curtain on the right side of the room.

    Realizing he had no toilet paper, Benjamin awkwardly asked, ¡°Got any toilet paper?¡±

    Lothar pulled out a small packet of tissue from his pocket and handed it to Benjamin.

    ¡°Two dors a pack.¡±

    Benjamin didn¡¯t bother haggling. He took two game tokens from the box and gave them to Lothar

    ¡°Cover for me and y a few rounds. The Joker hasn¡¯te out in ages. Bet big on it for me!¡±

    Lothar nodded with a smile.

    ¡°You better hurry to the bathroom before you have an ident!¡±

    Benjamin then headed toward the <b>restroom</b>.

    As soon as Lothar sat down and started inserting tokens, he frowned.

    He felt something amiss.

    He realized that Benjamin didn¡¯t know how to y the <b>slot </b>machine at all. He was merely throwing money

    at it randomly.

    ¡°Boss, the newsstand is on fire!¡±

    Someone rushed in, shouting loudly.

    Hearing this, Lothar instantly realized something was wrong.

    He pointed at Benjamin and yelled, ¡°Stop him!¡±

    The man at the door looked at Benjamin, confused.

    Benjamin threw a heavy punch at his face. The man didn¡¯t have time to react before he was knocked out

    cold.

    Three more <b>guys </b>rushed in from outside.

    Simultaneously, Lothar grabbed a remote control and pressed a button. The shutters outside began to lower, and an rm red in the store.

    Outside the school, the female teacher warily said to the two unfamiliar faces, ¡°Mr. Holder didn¡¯t inform me that someone else would pick up Narcisse today!¡±

    Sirius stepped forward and pulled out a knife, pressing it against the teacher¡¯s pale neck.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a sound, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    The teacher¡¯s pupils dted with fear, and her body trembled like a leaf.

    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t kill me. I won¡¯t make a sound¡­¡±

    Valin picked Narcisse up and headed toward the road. Sirius then withdrew the knife and prepared to leave..

 Chapter 348

    1/3

    As Sirius released the teacher, she screamed, ¡°Help! Someone is kidnapping Narcisse!¡±

    Her sharp voice echoed down the entire street.

    Hearing the scream, the bald man and his crew immediately pushed through the crowd and ran over.

    ¡°Damn it. Stop them!¡±

    The bald man¡¯s forehead veins bulged, and his eyes widened in fury <b>as </b>if it were his parents being taken

    <b>away</b>.

    A dozen or so people came rushing over.

    Many vendors on the opposite side also drew knives and joined the chase.

    Sirius said in a deep voice, ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll hold them off!¡±

    Valin shouted back, ¡°Are you crazy? There are too many of them. You can¡¯t stop them!¡±

    ¡°Just go! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Sirius snarled fiercely.

    Seeing the crowd closing in, Valin knew he couldn¡¯t hesitate. He ran to the middle of the road and gged

    down a taxi.

    The taxi driver frowned slightly.

    Valin held Narcisse in one arm.

    He pressed the knife against the driver¡¯s neck with the other <b>and </b>shouted, ¡°Get out, now!¡±

    Seeing a dozen people running toward them, the driver remained surprisingly calm<b>.</b>

    ¡°Buddy, you won¡¯t get away with this.¡±

    Valin flipped the knife and stabbed the driver in the shoulder, then aimed it at his neck.

    The driver panicked.

    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯m getting out!¡±

    He opened the door and got out, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

    Valin sat in the driver¡¯s seat, gripping the wheel tightly as Narcisse cried and beat at him. Ignoring her <b>cries</b>, he started the car and sped off.

    ncing in the rearview mirror, he saw Sirius being beaten on the ground by the group. Benjamin was also being dragged out of the convenience store by another group.

    Valin¡¯s knuckles turned white as he clenched the wheel, red¨Ceyed. He pushed the gas pedal to the floor.

    Meanwhile, back at the convenience store, the bald man and his crew brought Sirius out to the front.

    2/3

    Lothar¡¯s face was dark with anger.

    ¡°Where is Ms. Holder?¡±

    The bald man stammered, ¡°M¨CMs. Holder was taken¡­¡±

    Lotharnded a hard p across the bald man¡¯s face.

    ¡°You useless piece of trash! What good are you?¡±

    Benjamin was bruised and battered, but he felt a wave of relief when he heard Narcisse had been taken.

    Even though he and Sirius had been caught, they had at leastpleted the task Carlisle had assigned them.

    Lothar turned to Benjamin and grabbed him by the cor.

    ¡°Who sent you? Why did you take Narcisse?¡±

    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±

    Benjamin¡¯s mouth twisted into a defiant smirk.

    Lothar knew Benjamin wouldn¡¯t easily give in.

    He nodded as he pulled Benjamin¡¯s phone from his pocket.

    He then handed it to him.

    ¡°Get him to bring Narcisse back, and I¡¯ll pretend this never happened. I¡¯ll even return all the money you

    lost.¡±

    Their primary objective was to protect Narcisse. If something happened to her<b>, </b>Jalen would be furious,

    and none of them would be safe.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Benjamin looked at Lothar skeptically.

    ¡°May my whole family die if there¡¯s a single lie in my words!¡± Lothar swore to convince Benjamin, thenCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    waved his hand.

    ¡°Let him go.¡±

    The men holding Benjamin released him.

    Benjamin took the phone and reset it to factory settings at lightning speed.

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡±

    Lothar punched Benjamin hard in the face and then kneed him in the stomach.

    Benjamin¡¯s nose and mouth bled, but he doubled over,ughing.

    Lothar unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks.

 Chapter 349

    Just then, a ck Maybach slowly pulled up outside.

    It was Jalen¡¯s driver sent to pick up Narcisse from school. He stepped out of the car and frowned.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Lothar¡¯s voice trembled as he said, ¡°Ms. Holder, she¡­¡±

    As if struck by lightning, the driver grabbed Lothar by the cor.

    ¡°What happened to Ms. Holder?¡±

    That day was Narcisse¡¯s birthday, and Jalen was in an excellent mood. The driver couldn¡¯t imagine how furious Jalen would be if he didn¡¯t take Narcisse back.

    Lothar swallowed hard.

    ¡°Ms. Holder was taken¡­¡±

    The driver was clearly trained. He pped Lothar to the ground and kicked him in the stomach.

    He red down at Lothar as he cursed, ¡°Useless! A bunch of ipetent idiots! So many of you couldn¡¯t even protect Ms. Holder. If anything happens to her, you¡¯re all dead!¡±

    1/2

    Being a trusted confidant of Jalen, Henry Campbell quicklyposed himself and sternly asked, ¡°What

    kind of car did the kidnapper drive?¡±

    The bald man pointed to the taxi driver clutching his shoulder by the roadside.

    ¡°They took a taxi¡±

    Henry shouted, ¡°Bring that driver over here, quick!¡±

    Momentster, the taxi driver was brought to Henry.

    Henry asked, ¡°What¡¯s your license te number?¡±

    The taxi driver recited his te number to Henry.

    Henry immediately pulled out his phone and made a call.

    In an instant, the entire northern suburb was in upheaval.

    Holder Group mobilized hundreds of people to intercept the taxi.

    Half an hourter, Benjamin and Sirius were brought to Jalen¡¯s vi.

    Having already learned that Narcisse had been kidnapped, Jalen¡¯s face was extremely grim.

    Looking at the two men forced to kneel before him, he said coldly, ¡°You have two choices¨Ctell me where my daughter is or die!¡±

    ¡°Jalen, you won¡¯t get a word out of me,¡± Benjamin sneered, blood staining his teeth.

    Jalen narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about yourself, you should think about your family.¡±

    Benjaminughed heartily.

    ¡°Funny, I <b>don¡¯t </b>have any family.¡±

    Jalen clenched his fists and turned to Sirius.

    Before Jalen could say anything, Sirius defiantly said, ¡°I¡¯m an orphan.¡±

    Jalen mmed his fist on the nearby table in a <b>loud </b>bang and angrily shouted, ¡°Take them away and beat them. Let¡¯s see how long they can keep their mouths shut!¡±

    Meanwhile, Lethan and Shania were filled with anxiety at Carlisle¡¯s apartment.

    Carlisle was chain¨Csmoking, the ashtray overflowing.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    2/2

    Carlisle¡¯s phone rang. He quickly grabbed it and answered the call.

    ¡°Carlisle, Narcisse Holder is in my car. Where should I take her?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Benjamin?¡± Carlisle <b>asked</b>, his voice tense.

    If the mission was sessful, Benjamin should have been the one calling him.

    There was silence on <b>the </b>other end <b>of </b>the line.

    Carlisle tightened his grip on the phone.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    *Benjamin and Sirius didn¡¯t make it out¡­¡± Valin choked out.

    Carlisle took a deep breath,

    ¡°What car are you driving? I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡±

    ¡°A blue taxi without tes!¡±

    Valin had already removed the license te on the road.

    Carlisle instructed, ¡°Head to Riverwatch Hotel.¡±

    After hanging up, he turned to Francis.

    ¡°Francis, go pick them up.¡±

    Francis hesitated before nodding.

    He had never imagined he would be involved in a kidnapping. While Carlisle intended to pressure Jalen into releasing Shein and his family, Francis was ufortable with such drastic measures.

    Benjamin and Sirius were being tortured by Jalen¡¯s men.

    Salt was rubbed into their wounds, red¨Chot needles were driven under their fingernails. But neither man

    made a sound.

    Jalen contacted <b>the </b>police chief, hoping to get police assistance in rescuing Narcisse.

    ¡°Mr. Holder, you must understand that all our forces are currently dedicated to rescuing Mr. Thompson. We simply can¡¯t spare anyone right now. Why don¡¯t you go to your local precinct and file a report? I¡¯ll make sure they expedite the search.¡±

    ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll find her myself!¡±

    Jalen recognized the brush¨Coff.

    If filing a report was the solution, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to call the chief directly.

 Chapter 350

    Given Jalen¡¯s rtionship with the police department, trying to take shortcuts seemed nearly impossible.

    ¡°Boss, these two are too tight¨Clipped.¡±

    Henry approached wearing a dark expression.

    Jalen said coldly. ¡°Then rip their tongues out so they can never tolkanall

    A sh of ruthlessness crossed Henry¡¯s <b>eyes </b><b>as </b>he picked up a pair of pliers and walked toward Benjamin.

    Sirius¡® face changed drastically. He looked at Benjamin with fear.

    However, Benjamin showed an indifferent expression <b>as </b>if to say even death wouldn¡¯t make him speak.

    Henry gripped Benjamin¡¯s jaw, mping his tongue with the pliers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Speak now, or you never will again.¡±

    Benjamin simply stretched his tongue out further, expressing his resolve.

    Jalen¡¯s phone abruptly rang.

    He quickly picked up the phone and nced at the screen, seeing an unknown number.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he answered, ¡®This is Jalen Holder.¡±

    ¡°Your daughter is with me,¡± the voice on the other end was deep and muffled, clearly altered to disguise.

    the speaker¡¯s identity.

    Jalen¡¯s voice was cold.

    ¡°Who are you, and why did you kidnap my daughter?¡±

    The voice on the other end chuckled sinisterly.

    ¡°I¡¯m just using your tactics against you.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve <b>never </b>kidnapped anyone.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Perhaps you give it some more thought.¡±

    The voiceughed.

    Jalen¡¯s tone remained steady<b>.</b>

    ¡°I¡¯ve been out of that business for many years. I haven¡¯t kidnapped anyone.¡±

    ¡°Need a reminder? The Thompson family!¡±

    The voice turned more serious.

    Before Jalen could respond, the voice continued, ¡°Benjamin and my other associate are in your <b>hands</b><b>. </b>If anything happens to them, you might never see your daughter again. If they lose a limb or two, your daughter might suffer the same fate. What a delicate flower she is!¡±

    The caller was Carlisle, speaking through a metal mask thatpletely altered his voice.

    Henry was just about to pull out Benjamin¡¯s tongue when Jalen urgently called out, ¡°Henry, stop!¡±

    Henry looked at Jalen in puzzlement. At the sight of Jalen on the phone, he guessed it was the kidnapper calling and releasing the pliers.

    Benjamin appeared calm but was actually drenched in sweat.

    The thought of having his tongue pulled out was excruciating.

    Jalen¡¯s voice was icy.

    ¡°Are you from the Thompson family?¡±

    Carlisle chuckled.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. Release the two men you have, and then <b>we¡¯ll </b>talk about conditions.<b>¡±</b>

    Jalenughed angrily.

    ¡°Why should I release them if you don¡¯t release my daughter first?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Mr. Holder, do you think those men are significant to me?¡± Carlisle asked nonchntly.

    ¡°If they weren¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have told me not to touch them!¡± Jalen retorted with a coldugh.

    ¡°Think whatever you want. My stance remains the same. I won¡¯t contact you again if I don¡¯t see my men. And if theye back with any missing limbs, your daughter will suffer the same. If you don¡¯t believe me, Mr. Holder, we can put it to the test.¡±

    With that, Carlisle hung up.

    ¡°Son of a bitch. Jalen cursed.

    -He clenched his teeth in rage.

    He raised his phone, ready to smash it, but then stopped as he knew it was his only line ofmunication with the kidnappers,

    With a serious face, Henry asked, ¡°What did the kidnapper say?¡±

    Jalen¡¯s face was pale.

    ¡°He wants me to release these two before negotiating<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Henry frowned.

    ¡°<b>Their </b>goal is likely to exchange Ms. Holder for the Thompson family, right?¡±

    Jalen sighed heavily.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    3/3

    ¡°Probably,¡±

    Henry sneered.

    ¡°He wants to exchange one person for all of them. Does he think we¡¯re fools?<b>¡±</b>

    Jalen waved his hand.

    ¡°Release them.¡±

    Henry was stunned.

    ¡°Boss¡­ what¡­

    ¡°I said to release them!¡±

    Jalen¡¯s eyes zed with anger, his voice echoing through the courtyard.

    Henry¡¯s shoulders hunched slightly as he signaled to his men.

    ¡°Let them go.

    Benjamin and Sirius were untied.

    Jalen red at Benjamin.

    ¡°Tell your boss¨Cif my daughter is harmed, I will dedicate my life to hunting him down. And none of the Thompsons will be spared.¡±

 Chapter 351

    Benjamin finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll deliver the message.¡±

    With that, he and Sirius helped

    other out of the vi.

    1/2

    Outside, over a hundred men red at them with such hatred that they would¡¯ve been ripped to shreds if looks alone could kill.

    ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t understand. We clearly have more leverage¡­¡± Henry said with confusion as he looked at Jalen.

    Jalen¡¯s face was cold as he remarked, ¡°Ten chips of a hundred each can¡¯tpare to one chip worth ten thousand.¡±

    Narcisse was his everything. He couldn¡¯t take any risks with her safety. Not even a single hair on her head could be harmed.

    Henry asked, ¡°Does he know we¡¯re behind Shein¡¯s kidnapping?¡±

    Jalen frowned. ¡°Did any of our men get involved in this?¡±

    Henry thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Hendrix had us arrange for someone to watch Sebastian. I had one of our men help out¡­¡±

    The next second, realization dawned on him. It must have been his subordinate¡¯s ipetence that caused the information leak. Thinking of this, he dialed Landon¡¯s number, his face darkening.

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    Landon questioned, ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to im my reward. I¡¯ll be there soon!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Henry ended the call after Landon¡¯s reply, then received a cold re from Jalen.

    ¡°I told you to stay out of this. And you picked unreliable people.¡±

    Henry bowed his head. ¡°It¡¯s my mistake. I¡¯ll make sure he gets taught a proper lesson.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Jalen sat on the couch and said calmly, ¡°Contact Ryder. Have him bring Hendrix¡¯s family here.¡±

    Henry looked puzzled but didn¡¯t dare to question further.

    He called Ryder, one of Jalen¡¯s trusted men, who was in charge of protecting Hendrix¡¯s family.

    It was now 4:00 pm.

    Six hours had passed since Shein and his family were kidnapped.

    2/2

    At this moment, several trucks filled with cash had arrived outside Trodie Town. Hendrix had also demanded a helicopter from Shein.

    For the safety of himself and his children, Sheinplied and arranged for one of his private helicopters to be brought in.

    Elsewhere, a few people were skulking around Network Nexus. This was an abandoned inte caf¨¦ in Riverwatch District, a property Yuriel had acquired for redevelopment.

    With no one guarding it, anyone could enter.

    Francis had brought Benjamin and Sirius to the inte caf¨¦.

    Carlisle asked, ¡°Were you followed?¡±

    Francis nodded. ¡°Yes, by quite a few, but I managed to lose them.¡±

    Carlisle was pleased with Francis¡¯s efficiency.

    Seeing Benjamin and Sirius covered in wounds, his mood grew heavy. ¡°Ben¡­ are you alright?¡±

    Benjamin forced a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡±

    Carlisle patted Benjamin¡¯s shoulder, his voiceced with guilt. ¡°You went through hell.¡±

    Benjamin shook his head. ¡°This is nothing.¡±

    Carlisle turned to Shania. ¡°Shania, take them to get patched up.¡±

    Shania nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get the first¨Caid kit from the car.¡±

    Just then, Carlisle¡¯s phone rang. It was Jalen.

    ¡°Have you seen them?¡± Jalen¡¯s voice came through.

    ¡°Mr. Holder, you¡¯re straightforward as always.¡±

    ¡°I want to hear my daughter¡¯s voice.¡± Jalen needed to confirm Narcisse was unharmed.

    Carlisle handed the phone to Narcisse, who was enjoying some ice cream. ¡°Talk to your dad.¡±

    Narcisse took the phone. ¡°Hello, Daddy.¡±

    Hearing Narcisse¡¯s voice, Jalen¡¯s demeanor softened. ¡°Sweetie, have they treated you well?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been nice. They even bought me ice cream!¡±

    Jalen sighed in relief, smiling. ¡°That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t worry, Daddy will be there soon to get you.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Daddy. I believe you! Narcisse nodded and handed the phone back to Carlisle.

    Carlisle took the phone, his tone shifting to one meaning business. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk terms.¡±

 Chapter 352

    Jalen slowly said, ¡°I agree to your terms. I just want my daughter back.¡±

    Carlisle was slightly taken aback. ¡°I haven¡¯t even stated my terms yet.¡±

    ¡°Your condition is obviously to release Shein and his family.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°Mr. Holder, you¡¯re indeed sharp. I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news then.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    With that, Carlisle hung up the phone.

    Back in Trodie Town, the helicopter slowly descended. Three billion dors in cash had been transported

    over.

    Gabriel¡¯s expression was grim. All their rescue ns had failed. Now, they could only watch helplessly as

    the kidnappers took off with the money.

    Hendrix had arranged for his men to load the cash into the vehicles. He sat in the helicopter by himself, holding a phone and speaking with Gabriel.

    ¡°Oh right, left some surprises in the town. Make a move, and I¡¯ll detonate them.¡± Hendrix grinned before

    hanging up.

    This level of meticulous nning and foresight was why he always managed to escape unscathed after

    each kidnapping.

    Gabriel nearly had a stroke upon hearing Hendrix¡¯s threat.

    Just as Hendrix was about to board the helicopter, his phone rang again. It was Jalen.

    He started, ¡°Jalen¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave the money, release Shein and his family,¡± Jalen ordered.

    ¡°Jalen, are you kidding? Our n has already seeded!¡± Hendrixughed, thinking Jalen was joking.

    Jalen¡¯s tone was cold. ¡°I have your family.¡±

    Hendrix¡¯s smile faltered, and his face twitched. ¡°Jalen, you¡­¡±

    Hendrix was a devoted son. His 80¨Cyear¨Cold mother didn¡¯t have many years left, and he couldn¡¯t bear to

    let her suffer.

    ¡°They have my daughter,¡± Jalen said bitterly, torn by his betrayal.

    Hendrix quickly pieced everything together.

    He had kidnapped Shein¡¯s family, then someone else kidnapped Jalen¡¯s daughter in retaliation. Fearing a

    fallout, Jalen had taken Hendrix¡¯s mother.

    Hendrix¡¯s face twisted in rage behind his mask. ¡°Jalen, you¡¯re out of your mind!¡±

    2/2

    He had known Jalen for 15 years. Throughout that time, Jalen had treated his mother like his own<b>, </b>and

    she had grown fond of Jalen, treating him as if he were her son.

    Never had he imagined Jalen would use his mother against him.

    ¡°Hendrix, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t lose my daughter!¡± Jalen¡¯s voice was filled with guilt.

    He knew he would lose a brother and a godmother after this, but he had no choice. Narcisse was his everything, and he was willing <i>to </i>sacrifice anything for her.

    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s getting dark. We need to get on the helicopter and leave,¡± one of Hendrix¡¯s men urged.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Hendrix hung up the phone and yelled at his subordinate.

    The man recoiled, not daring to say another word.

    Hendrix pulled out his walkie¨Ctalkie. ¡°Leave the money. We¡¯re getting out of here.¡±

    The rest of the crew were stunned by his words. What did Hendrix mean? Leave the money? Did that mean the money was fake? Otherwise, why would Hendrix want them to leave it all behind?

    ¡°Boss, is there something wrong with the money?¡± one of the braver ones asked over the walkie¨Ctalkie. ¡°Damn it. If they¡¯re trying to cheat us, let¡¯s just kill the hostages!¡± another snarled.

    Hendrix¡¯s voice was calm but firm. ¡°Do not harm the Thompson family. Leave the money. If you want to leave, do it now. If you don¡¯t, stay and face the consequences.¡±

    With that, he climbed to the helicopter¡¯s cockpit, pressing a gun to the pilot¡¯s head. ¡°Head to Degon City!¡±

    X

    im Bonus For Free Every Day>>

 Chapter 353

    The helicopter eventually ascended, leaving Hendrix¡¯s crew in a state of shock.

    The money was real! It was already in their hands! Yet Hendrix was calling the operation off?

    This was three billion dors!

    Despite their confusion and disbelief, they followed Hendrix¡¯s orders, piling into the vans and cars.

    Shein, Zachary, and Wanda were equally baffled. Had the infamous Hendrix Evans suddenly turned over a

    new leaf?

    Was he really willing to give up the money he had already secured?

    Zachary looked up at the slowly departing helicopter and said, ¡°It must have been Mom. She must have found a way to make Hendrix abandon the three billion in cash!¡±

    Shein shook his head lightly. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely to be Josie, and I can¡¯t think of any method that would make

    Hendrix leave like this.¡±

    Wanda¡¯s dark eyes brightened with a glimmer of hope. She wondered if it was Carlisle¡¯s doing, but quickly dismissed the thought.

    Carlisle was just an 18¨Cyear¨Cold student. How could he possibly make the notorious Hendrix Evans back down so easily?

    Hendrix¡¯s men drove their vehicles to the town¡¯s outskirts where Gabriel¡¯s armed team immediately

    raised their guns to intercept.

    The leading masked man waved a remote control in the air. ¡°Every car is equipped with one of these.

    Harm us, and Trodie Town is gone!¡±

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes and gestured for his team to stand down.

    Without any further obstruction, Hendrix¡¯s crew sped away.

    ¡°Inspector Yost, are we really letting them escape?¡±

    ¡°Contact the bomb squad to check the town and have Teams 3 and 4 execute n C!¡± Gabriel promptly

    issued orders.

    n C was the final pursuit n.

    Even if it meant chasing them to the ends of the earth, these criminals had to be brought to justice.

    At that moment, Gabriel received a call from his superior.

    The voice questioned, ¡°Gabriel, what¡¯s the situation over there?¡±

    ¡°Funny story, actually. Hendrix and his men left empty¨Chanded¨Ctaking not even a penny with them!¡± Gabriel joked, as he often did with his superior.

    2/2

    ¡°Just as I expected,¡± the voice on the other end said gravely.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gabriel asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Jalen called me not long ago. His daughter has been kidnapped!¡±

    ¡°Someone dared to kidnap Jalen¡¯s daughter?¡± Gabriel¡¯s face showed surprise.

    Jalen was a dangerous figure, well¨Cknown to the police. They had been monitoring him closely.

    Jalen cherished his daughter more than his own life. If she was kidnapped, Jalen would certainly not take

    it lying down.

    ¡°Who could it be? Was it the Thompson family¡¯s power, or the Warbane family¡¯s influence?¡± Gabriel

    muttered to himself.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who did it, it¡¯s good news for us. Yorksle has already issued the directive¨Cput a stop to

    Hendrix¡¯s operation at any cost!¡±

    Meanwhile, Carlisle received a call from Jalen at Network Nexus.

    Jalen¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Hendrix and his men have retreated. Return my daughter.¡±

    Carlisle felt a slight relief and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for her return. Be patient, Mr. Holder.¡±

    ¡°If I find out who you are, I¡¯ll have you torn to pieces!¡± Jalen threatened before hanging up.

    Carlisle chuckled dismissively.

    He set down the phone, removed the battery, and broke the SIM card in half before discarding it.

    At this time, SIM cards were not registered under real names, so it would be impossible for Jalen to trace

    the phone number¡¯s owner.

    Meanwhile, Landon had been severely beaten at Jalen¡¯s vi.

    Henry asked again, ¡°Still not going to talk?¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Landon¡¯s voice was weak. ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t leak anything¡­¡±

    Given that Landon was one of his men, Henry didn¡¯t want to be too harsh. He looked up at Jalen and reasoned, ¡°Mr. Holder, Landon has been with me for three years. Maybe he really doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    Jalen nced at Landon dismissively and waved his hand. ¡°My daughter ising back soon. You lot

    can leave for now.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want Narcisse to witness such brutality.

    Henry quickly took Landon away.

    Jalen then went outside thepound alone to wait <i>for </i>Narcisse¡¯s return.

 Chapter 354

    After an hour¡¯s wait, a taxi finally arrived.

    The window rolled down. And as soon as Narcisse saw Jalen, she happily shouted, ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Jalen felt his heart melt and quickly walked over to open the car door.

    He scooped Narcisse out of the car, his face full of affection. ¡°My precious daughter, did they bully you?¡±

    Narcisse shook her head and said, ¡°No, Daddy. They treated me very well and even bought me ice cream!¡±

    Jalen looked at the taxi driver and asked, ¡°Where did you pick my daughter up?¡±

    ¡°Network Nexus at Riverwatch District,¡± the driver replied.

    ¡°What did they look like?¡± Jalen pressed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They were wearing masks.¡± The driver shook his head.

    ¡°Alright, I understand. Thank you,¡± Jalen said, knowing he wouldn¡¯t glean any helpful information from him.

    He knew the kidnappers were clever enough not to leave a trace. But he wouldn¡¯t let them get away with

    <ol>

    <li>it.</li>

    </ol>

    Holding Narcisse in his arms, Jalen returned to the vi and instructed the housekeeper, ¡°Take my daughter for a bath and change her clothes. Her teacher and ssmates will be here soon!¡±

    The housekeeper took Narcisse upstairs.

    Jalen then called Henry over.

    As soon as Henry entered the vi, he excitedly said, ¡°Boss, the person we let go turned out to be Benjamin!¡±

    ¡°Benjamin?¡± Jalen was puzzled. ¡°Who¡¯s Benjamin?¡±

    Henry sneered, ¡°Prince Heath¡¯s brother!¡±

    Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°So, he¡¯s one of Prince Heath¡¯s men!¡±

    Henry said gravely, ¡°I¡¯ll assemble our men and eliminate him tonight!¡±

    Jalen thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Today is Narcisse¡¯s birthday. Let¡¯s not cause any trouble tonight. We¡¯ll deal with himter.¡±

    Back at the apartment, Carlisle removed his mask and slumped onto the couch with a sigh of relief.

    Francis also took off his mask and reminded him, ¡°Jalen won¡¯t let this go easily. He¡¯ll eventually trace it back to you.¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°Jalen will go after Benjamin first. That¡¯s my main concern right now.¡±

    2/2

    After saying this, Carlisle suddenly looked up at Francis. ¡°Stick with Benjamin for the next few days and

    ensure his safety.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be safe at school. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Carlisle nned to stay on campus for a while.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy for Jalen to trace things back to him, but Benjamin had already shown his face to

    Jalen¡¯s people. They would soon know all about Benjamin.

    With this in mind, Carlisle took out his phone and dialed Benjamin¡¯s number.

    Benjamin was tending to his wounds when his phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up and answered

    the call.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡± His speech was slurred due to his injured tongue.

    ¡°Liquidate all of Heath¡¯s assets,¡± Carlisle ordered.

    ¡°What?¡± Benjamin was full of questions, and his emotions surged. ¡°Why, Carlisle?¡±

    These assets were partly bought with Carlisle¡¯s 15 million dors and partly earned through Heath¡¯s hard work. Selling everything felt like letting Heath¡¯s efforts go to waste.

    ¡°Just do as I say. Leave Rivend with Heath tonight.¡± Carlisle¡¯s voice carried an undeniable authority.

    After a brief hesitation, Benjamin reluctantly agreed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He paused and then asked, ¡°Who should I sell them to?¡±

    A smile yed at the corner of Carlisle¡¯s mouth. ¡°Sell them to Titan.¡±

    Benjamin didn¡¯t understand Carlisle¡¯s strategy but reluctantly ended the call.

    Valin frowned and asked, ¡°Did Carlisle tell you to sell our assets?¡±

    Benjamin nodded.

    Sirius was visibly agitated and eximed, ¡°Benjamin, Carlisle doesn¡¯t trust your abilities!¡±

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

    im b

    Whoct warning, Bejin pped Sis hard across the face. Don¡¯t you dare question Carhshe¡¯s

    Stries was stay injured but now had blood streaming from his mouth and nose

    Outching his cheek in shock, he retorted, Benjamin, can¡¯t you see it? Carlisle is manipting you. He¡¯s ussing you to kidnap Jalen¡¯s daughter just to please the Thompson fami

    Shut up or I¡¯ll kill your Benjamin lunged over the coffee table, pinning Sirius down

    He rained punches on him and grabbed Sirius¡® throat as he yelled, ¡°Are you working for Titan and Jalen? Are you trying to divide us?

    Sius¡® eyes bulged as he struggled to breathe

    Valin couldn¡¯t stand by any longer. He pulled Benjamin away. Benjamin, calm down! We all served under Horace. Sirius would never betray us

    Remembering how Sinus had refused to betray them under Jalen¡¯s torture, Benjamin slowly released his

    Seeing a chance to reason, Valin said, ¡®Sinus does have a point, though. Carlisle mentioned the alternative medicine to y on your emotions and ensure your loyalty.¡±

    ¡°You want to get hit too?¡± Benjamin red at him.

    Valin wisely shut his mouth.

    Benjamin gradually calmed down and helped Sirius up. He then sat back on the couch and said slowly,¡± Heath once told me something very wise. Do you want to hear it?¡±

    Valin nodded.

    Sirius took out a cigarette with bloodied hands, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

    Benjamin continued, ¡°Heath said that Carlisle gave us a future, and we are destined to work for him.¡±

    Valin and Sirius lowered their heads.

    Carlisle had indeed given them everything they now had. Their loyalty to him was unquestionable.

    It would have been no different if Heath had told them to kidnap Jalen¡¯s daughter. They would have gone

    ahead, risking their lives to get the job done.

    After all, Heath had provided them with a life offort and luxury.

    Benjamin went on, ¡°The thing is, when Carlisle asked me to do this, I hesitated. That¡¯s why he had to y

    the emotional card. If Heath were here, he would have executed Carlisle¡¯s orders without a second

    thought.¡±

    Sirius took a long drag on his cigarette, his emotions in turmoil. ¡°We¡¯ve worked so hard to build this

    C

 Chapter 355

    212

    empire. Are we really going to just hand it over? What about the guys who will be left with nothing?¡±

    Benjamin said, ¡°Carlisle must have considered that. He must have a n if he¡¯s asking us to do this.

    There has to be a way out.¡±

    Valin¡¯s eyes lit up with realization. ¡°Did Carlisle mention who to sell it to?¡±

    Benjamin lit a cigarette of his own and replied, ¡°Titan.¡±

    Valin smiled. ¡°Now I understand Carlisle¡¯s n.¡±

    Sirius and Benjamin looked at Valin, eager for him to exin.

    Valin smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys say that Jalen failed to recognize you?¡±

    Sirius nodded. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have. They were still trying to figure out who Benjamin and I were.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll remain clueless?¡± Valin pressed.

    Benjamin shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ll probably figure out who we are soon.¡±

    A shiver ran down Sirius¡® spine, and his eyes widened with sudden realization.

    Once Jalen finds out who they are, there will definitely be relentless revenge. Their businesses would

    undoubtedly be destroyed.

    Carlisle nned to make Titan take the fall.

    Sirius suddenly felt guilty for doubting Carlisle¡¯s intentions earlier, his face full of remorse. ¡°I misjudged

    Carlisle.¡±

    Valin sighed softly. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought an 18¨Cyear¨Cold student could be so cunning?¡°

    Benjamin was tending to his wounds when his phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up and answered

    the call.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡± His speech was slurred due to his injured tongue.

    ¡°Liquidate all of Heath¡¯s assets,¡± Carlisle ordered.

    ¡°What?¡± Benjamin was full of questions, and his emotions surged. ¡°Why, Carlisle?¡±

    These assets were partly bought with Carlisle¡¯s 15 million dors and partly earned through Heath¡¯s hard work. Selling everything felt like letting Heath¡¯s efforts go to waste.

    ¡°Just do as I say. Leave Rivend with Heath tonight.¡± Carlisle¡¯s voice carried an undeniable authority.

    After a brief hesitation, Benjamin reluctantly agreed. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He paused and then asked, ¡°Who should I sell them to?¡±

    A smile yed at the corner of Carlisle¡¯s mouth. ¡°Sell them to Titan.¡±

    Benjamin didn¡¯t understand Carlisle¡¯s strategy but reluctantly ended the call.

    Valin frowned and asked, ¡°Did Carlisle tell you to sell our assets?¡±

    Benjamin nodded.

    Sirius was visibly agitated and eximed, ¡°Benjamin, Carlisle doesn¡¯t trust your abilities!¡±

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

    im b

    Whoct warning, Bejin pped Sis hard across the face. Don¡¯t you dare question Carhshe¡¯s

    Stries was stay injured but now had blood streaming from his mouth and nose

    Outching his cheek in shock, he retorted, Benjamin, can¡¯t you see it? Carlisle is manipting you. He¡¯s ussing you to kidnap Jalen¡¯s daughter just to please the Thompson fami

    Shut up or I¡¯ll kill your Benjamin lunged over the coffee table, pinning Sirius downCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    He rained punches on him and grabbed Sirius¡® throat as he yelled, ¡°Are you working for Titan and Jalen? Are you trying to divide us?

    Sius¡® eyes bulged as he struggled to breathe

    Valin couldn¡¯t stand by any longer. He pulled Benjamin away. Benjamin, calm down! We all served under Horace. Sirius would never betray us

    Remembering how Sinus had refused to betray them under Jalen¡¯s torture, Benjamin slowly released his

    Seeing a chance to reason, Valin said, ¡®Sinus does have a point, though. Carlisle mentioned the alternative medicine to y on your emotions and ensure your loyalty.¡±

    ¡°You want to get hit too?¡± Benjamin red at him.

    Valin wisely shut his mouth.

    Benjamin gradually calmed down and helped Sirius up. He then sat back on the couch and said slowly,¡± Heath once told me something very wise. Do you want to hear it?¡±

    Valin nodded.

    Sirius took out a cigarette with bloodied hands, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

    Benjamin continued, ¡°Heath said that Carlisle gave us a future, and we are destined to work for him.¡±

    Valin and Sirius lowered their heads.

    Carlisle had indeed given them everything they now had. Their loyalty to him was unquestionable.

    It would have been no different if Heath had told them to kidnap Jalen¡¯s daughter. They would have gone

    ahead, risking their lives to get the job done.

    After all, Heath had provided them with a life offort and luxury.

    Benjamin went on, ¡°The thing is, when Carlisle asked me to do this, I hesitated. That¡¯s why he had to y

    the emotional card. If Heath were here, he would have executed Carlisle¡¯s orders without a second

    thought.¡±

    Sirius took a long drag on his cigarette, his emotions in turmoil. ¡°We¡¯ve worked so hard to build this

    212

    empire. Are we really going to just hand it over? What about the guys who will be left with nothing?¡±

    Benjamin said, ¡°Carlisle must have considered that. He must have a n if he¡¯s asking us to do this.

    There has to be a way out.¡±

    Valin¡¯s eyes lit up with realization. ¡°Did Carlisle mention who to sell it to?¡±

    Benjamin lit a cigarette of his own and replied, ¡°Titan.¡±

    Valin smiled. ¡°Now I understand Carlisle¡¯s n.¡±

    Sirius and Benjamin looked at Valin, eager for him to exin.

    Valin smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys say that Jalen failed to recognize you?¡±

    Sirius nodded. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have. They were still trying to figure out who Benjamin and I were.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll remain clueless?¡± Valin pressed.

    Benjamin shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ll probably figure out who we are soon.¡±

    A shiver ran down Sirius¡® spine, and his eyes widened with sudden realization.

    Once Jalen finds out who they are, there will definitely be relentless revenge. Their businesses would

    undoubtedly be destroyed.

    Carlisle nned to make Titan take the fall.

    Sirius suddenly felt guilty for doubting Carlisle¡¯s intentions earlier, his face full of remorse. ¡°I misjudged

    Carlisle.¡±

    Valin sighed softly. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought an 18¨Cyear¨Cold student could be so cunning?¡±

 Chapter 356

    Benjamin lifted his chin and dered. From now on no one is allowed to mouth Carlisx WYM

    Heath wakes up, he won¡¯t forgive any doubts ether

    When

    Later that night, Carlisle was preparing instant noodles in his apartment when his phone TWIN IT WA

    Lethan

    rang. it

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Warbane

    ¡°You call Shania by her name, so why are you calling me Mr. Werbene? Lethan¡¯s tone had a hint of

    displeasure.

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°Changing how I address you requires a fee

    Lethan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m so broke right now

    Carlisle teased, ¡°Come over, I¡¯m making instant noodles¡±

    ¡°Really? A billionaire eating instant noodles? Lethan sounded surprised.

    ¡°Come and see for yourself. Being a billionaire is a thing of the past. I¡¯m broke now, with only a few million

    dors left in my ount.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a little better off. I still have over 30 million.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re stillining?¡± Carlisle quipped.

    Lethanughed heartily. ¡°Look at you, a millionaire eating instant noodles!¡±

    After a brief chat, Carlisle asked, ¡°So, what did you call me for?

    Lethan straightened up and said, ¡°Josie is hosting a banquet tonight at Imperial Hotel to celebrate Shein and his family¡¯s return. Shania and I think we should mention that you saved them. Maybe Shein will

    finally ept you-¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Carlisle quickly interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re not helping me, you¡¯re putting me in danger. Jalen is furious as it is. If he finds out I was behind this, I might not live to see tomorrow.¡±

    Lethan insisted, ¡°The banquet is only for close friends. They won¡¯t spill the beans,¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°The only person you can truly trust in this world is yourself.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just outsiders he needed to be wary of¨Ceven close family could be a threat.

    Shein had broad vision, so he might keep quiet. But Zachary? That was another story.

    Lethan sighed. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to keep your good deeds a secret?¡±

    Carlisle carried his noodles to the living room and put his phone on speaker. ¡°These actions are just a

    facade. I¡¯m doing it for Wanda.¡±

    Lethan couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°No wonder Wanda likes you so much. If I were a girl, I¡¯d want a man like you too!¡±

    Carlisle choked a little on his noodles and quickly changed the topic. ¡°How¡¯s the Holly Fisheries projecting along?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s already underway. We¡¯re expecting it to be finished by next month. By December, the ecosystem should be in ce, and in January, we can start stocking the fish.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait until January. Start taking pre¨Corders this month. That¡¯s real money. The more we stock, the more we earn.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll start the pre¨Corders tomorrow!¡±

    After a bit more conversation, they ended the call.

    Carlisle continued eating his noodles when a knock interrupted him. He walked over and opened the door.

    Standing outside were Daniel, Shane, and Sean.

    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡±

    Carlisle turned back and walked toward the couch.

    Daniel followed behind. ¡°Carlisle, did you know your girlfriend was kidnapped?¡±

    Carlisle sat back down on the couch and resumed eating his noodles. ¡°Yeah, I know. Didn¡¯t she get rescued?¡±

    Daniel sat opposite Carlisle, his tone serious. ¡°The kidnappers didn¡¯t take a single penny. Were you behind

    this?¡±

 Chapter 357

    ¡°I saw it on the news, but it has nothing to do with me,¡± Carlisle said, his mouth full of noodles.

    Daniel had a big mouth; it could spell trouble if he knew the truth.

    ¡°Hmm.. Then who could it be?¡± Daniel looked disappointed.

    He had hoped Carlisle was already strong enough to take on the infamous Hendrix, but it seemed he was mistaken.

    Carlisle had potential, but his current state was far from the sharp, formidable figure he once was. There was no way he could confront Hendrix and his gang of infamous criminals.

    Carlisle shrugged. ¡°Who cares who it was? The important thing is that Wanda and her family are safe.¡±

    Daniel nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    *Carlisle, are you just eating instant noodles? Let me find you a housekeeper to cook for you,¡± Sean said, pulling out his phone.

    Carlisle sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯ll be staying at school for a few days.¡±

    Sean put his phone away and sat on the couch opposite Carlisle. ¡°If you¡¯re being so frugal, I guess I should start watching my spending too!¡±

    He felt guilty for his recent spending spree.

    Carlisle¡¯s tone grew serious. ¡°You should. We¡¯re in the early stages of our business. I¡¯ve only invested a million in your venture. If you can¡¯t make it work, you¡¯ll have to go back to your dad¡¯s textile business.¡±

    Sean quickly shook his head. ¡°No way. Textiles are hard work and don¡¯t bring in the big bucks.¡±

    Meanwhile, celebrations were underway at Imperial Hotel¡¯s private room No. 1.

    Lethan, Shania, and a few Warbane and Thompson family rtives were holding their sses, toasting

    Shein.

    Wanda sat in a daze, still haunted by the image of Mac being shot.

    Josie poured Wanda a drink, her voice gentle. ¡°Wanda, it¡¯s all over now. Try not to dwell on it.¡±

    Wanda nodded. She then downed the drink and focused on her food. She quietly ate the sd in front of her, not bothering with any of the main dishes.

    Queenie sat on Wanda¡¯s other side and frowned. ¡°Zac, what¡¯s wrong with Wanda?¡±

    The rest of the rtives also turned their attention to Wanda.

    Zachary replied in a somber tone, ¡°She witnessed Mac¡¯s death. It¡¯s likely traumatized her.¡±

    Queenie looked at Wanda with concern and said softly, ¡°I have a friend who knows a bit about

    psychology 18 have here by tomomow to see Wanda¡±

    The doorbell rang and a water opened the door

    Yuriel walked in looking weary and anxious. ¡°Shein, are you alright?¡±

    Everyone at the table fell silent

    Shein was Yuriel¡¯s biggest business rival. The former suspected Yuriel¡¯s involvement in the kidnapping butcked evidence

    Shein stood up and smiled. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Gust. Not a hair on my head was harmed.¡±

    Yuriel patted his chest in relief. That¡¯s wonderful to hear. I was so worried when I saw the news. You¡¯re truly fortunate, SheintBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    He picked up a bottle of wine, poured a ss, and raised it. ¡°Here¡¯s to Shein, a toast to your survival!¡±

    Shein maintained hisposure, clinking sses with Yuriel before downing the wine in one go.

    After finishing the drink, Yuriel added, ¡°I have clients to attend to, so I¡¯ll excuse myself. I hope you don¡¯t mind. Shein

    ¡°Mr. Gust, go ahead,¡± Shein said with a smile.

    As Yuriel t¨²rmed to leave, his face darkened. The n had almost seeded, but now it was ruined.

    Who was the bastard that kidnapped Jaler¡¯s daughter? Damn it!¡± he fumed inwardly.

    After Yuriel left, Shein calmly sat back down.

 Chapter 358

    Shein¡¯s smile gradually faded. He strongly suspected Yuriel was behind the kidnapping

    If it hadn¡¯t been for an unexpected intervention, he would have lost at least three billion dors, falling far

    behind Yuriel in the process.

    Since Yuriel had already made a move, Shein couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. Otherwise, Yuriel

    would think he was easy to push around.

    Just after Yuriel left, there was another knock on the door. The waiter went to open it once again.

    A middle¨Caged man with a face full of menacing features walked in, holding a ss of white wine that was oddly filled to the brim.

    It was Titan.

    Shein knew Titan only superficially; their rtionship was based more on pleasantries than genuine

    friendship.

    ¡°Greetings, Mr. Lynch.¡± Shein stood up to greet him.

    Titan smiled. ¡°Congrattions on your survival, Mr. Thompson. I¡¯m here to offer a toast!¡±

    ¡°I survived thanks to your well wishes.¡± Shein raised his ss and clinked it against Titan¡¯s.

    Titan finished his drink and icily said, ¡°Hendrix and his gang were too bold, daring to cause trouble on my turf. If he ever falls into my hands, I¡¯ll make sure he pays dearly.¡±

    Being one of the Heroes of Rivend, Titan had amanding presence that made most people in the

    room fall silent.

    Shein showed his gratitude. ¡°Mr. Lynch, your concern means a lot. Would you like to sit down and have a few more drinks?¡±

    Titan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with some old friends, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t.¡±

    Shein¡¯s invitation had been more of a formality, so he nodded in understanding. ¡°Your presence here is an

    honor, Mr. Lynch.¡±

    Zachary gently nudged Shein¡¯s foot under the table.

    Knowing Zachary¡¯s usual antics, Shein smiled and added, ¡°Mr. Lynch, about Luke¡¯s territories-¡±

    Before he could finish, Titan interrupted with a smile, ¡°Mr. Thompson, you¡¯re a businessman. Just focus on your business. We rough types need to make a living too. Rivend¡¯s a big market, after all. Gotta leave

    some for the rest of us, right?¡°/

    The implication was clear¨CTitan intended to take over Luke¡¯s territories. He wasn¡¯t worried about Shein

    resisting.

    Jalen and Yuriel were closely aligned, while Titan didn¡¯t see eye to eye with Yuriel.

    For Shein to go against Yuriel, he needed to strengthen his ties with Titan.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    As expected, Shein smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Lynch. We¡¯ll need your protection in the future.¡±

    Owning several entertainment venues often attracted troublemakers. With Titan¡¯s support, those troublemakers would think twice before causing issues at Shein¡¯s ces.

    ¡°Enjoy your meal, Mr. Thompson. I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± Titan said, leaving the room with a slight smile.

    It wasn¡¯t until the door to the private room closed that Zachary clenched his fist and mmed it hard. against the table.

    The empire they¡¯d painstakingly built over the past three years was gone just like that. The losses were around a hundred million.

    His heart ached terribly.

    Shein¡¯s face was stern as he said, ¡°Focus on legitimate business with me, and stay away from those shady ventures!¡±

    Zachary sighed deeply and took a swig of his drink.

    Josie suddenly asked, ¡°Shein, do you know who helped you from behind the scenes?¡±

    At her words, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Shein.

    Shania nced at Lethan, who subtly shook his head.

    Shania pouted in response and continued eating her meal.

    Shein pondered for a moment, narrowing his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s highly probable that someone from Yorksle was

    involved.¡±

    Josie gently nodded, elegantly sipping her win¨¦.

    Meanwhile, Titan returned to his private room, where he had assembled his top men to strategize the

    ¡°Mr. Lynch, why don¡¯t we take over Prince Heath¡¯s territory as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Prince Heath is out of the picture. His assets are substantial. If we take them, even Jalen would have to show you respect!¡±

 Chapter 359

    1/2

    Titan took a sip of his drink and smiled. ¡°You guys are too ambitious. Aftern¡¯s death, Luke¡¯s power

    dwindled, causing key members to abandon him. He¡¯s vulnerable now.

    ¡°But Prince Heath is different. His subordinate, Wade is tough to deal with. If we take over Prince Heath¡¯s

    operations, Wade and his crew will cause us endless trouble. I don¡¯t want to sleep with one eye open

    every night.¡±

    The mention of Wade made everyone shudder. He had once single¨Chandedly taken down over 20 of their

    men.

    Give him a knife, and it would be a bloodbath.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t ignore Prince Heath¡¯s assets. If we don¡¯t seize them, someone else will.¡±

    ¡°Did I say we wouldn¡¯t take them?¡± Titan nced at his cousin, Quiller Lynch.

    ¡°What I mean is, we need to take things step by step. Let¡¯s absorb Luke¡¯s power first. When Wade and his

    crew are released, I¡¯ll talk to him. If he¡¯s willing to work with us, great.¡±

    Quiller muttered, ¡°But what if he¡¯s not?¡±

    Titan¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Then we take him out. He might be able to fight ten or 20, but not 50.¡±

    Quiller¡¯s lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Swallowing these two factions would allow us to challenge Jalen.¡±

    Titan took another sip of his drink and said calmly, ¡°Jalen is currently focused on his daughter. Going up

    against him won¡¯t be too difficult.¡±

    Suddenly, Titan¡¯s phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was an unknown number.

    He was about to ignore it but decided to answer instead. ¡°Who is this?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lynch, it¡¯s Benjamin.¡±

    ¡°Benjamin?¡±

    Titan raised an eyebrow and chuckled. ¡°What, you itching for another fight?¡±

    Benjaminughed nervously. ¡°Not at all, Mr. Lynch. I¡¯m calling to offer you all our businesses.¡±

    Hearing this, Titan¡¯s eyes lit up. But his instincts told him something was off.

    Heath was critically injured by his men, clinging to life in the ICU. Benjamin should harbor deep

    resentment, not offer him a business deal.

    ¡°You want to meet up and ambush me, don¡¯t you? Kid, you¡¯re too naive for that.¡± Titan sneered and was

    about to hang up.

    ¡°Mr. Lynch, we can do the transaction throughwyers!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Titan paused, somewhat intrigued.

    2/2

    Maybe this kid really wanted to sell off Heath¡¯s businesses.

    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s unlikely that Heath will wake up. The doctors say that even if he does, he¡¯ll be bedridden for life. I want to take him abroad for better treatment.¡± Benjamin¡¯s voice was choked with emotion.

    Titan replied sternly, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you hate my guts? If you¡¯re selling Heath¡¯s businesses, you should be selling them to my rival, Jalen.¡±

    Benjamin sighed. ¡°In this line of work, there¡¯s no room for personal grudges. It¡¯s all about survival. I contacted Jalen, but I wasn¡¯t satisfied with his offer. I also worry that they might just wreck the ces.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I thought of selling to you. With you in control, Jalen wouldn¡¯t dare touch those businesses.¡±

    Titan lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke before asking, ¡°How much are you looking to sell for?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Benjamin replied, ¡°We have ten inte caf¨¦s, 12 ice rinks, nine karaoke bars, six discos, three bars, and

    13 game halls. The total package is 80 million dors.¡±

    Titan took another drag on his cigarette, contemting the offer. ¡°How much did Jalen offer you?¡±

    ¡°He only offered 30 million.¡±

    ¡°30 million is indeed low. Alright, I¡¯ll give you 60 million.¡±

    Titan had initially nned to wait for Wade¡¯s release to negotiate, but he overlooked Benjamin.

    Buying Heath¡¯s businesses would prevent Benjamin and Wade from making aeback. With their

    resources gone, Wade would have no choice but to consider Titan¡¯s offer of a higher sry upon his

    release.

    ¡°60 million is too low. Our entertainment venues are in high¨Ctraffic areas. I guarantee you¡¯ll make your

    money back in less than two years.¡±

    ¡°Fine, 80 million it is. Have yourwyer prepare the paperwork, and we¡¯ll close the deal tomorrow. I¡¯ll only meet with thewyer, not you.¡±

    Titan finally agreed to the deal, sealing the arrangement.

 Chapter 360

    Benjamin was right. Heath¡¯s businesses had excellent foot traffic and would definitely yield profits within two years.

    The best part was the assurance that Benjamin wouldn¡¯te back with Wade for revenge.

    After hanging up, Titan felt ted and celebrated by drinking three consecutive sses with Quiller

    Meanwhile, Narcisse¡¯s birthday party went smoothly,

    The teachers and ssmates had a great time, while the parents engaged Jalen in conversations about parenting.

    Jalen enjoyed the discussions,ughing and sharing his experiences.

    After the party, Jalen summoned Henry to his study,

    Henry who had also indulged in a few drinks stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. ¡°Boss, are we moving tonight?¡±

    Jalen gave him a cold, measured look. ¡°Did I not make myself clear earlier? Today is Narcisse¡¯s birthday. I don¡¯t want any bloodshed tonight.¡±

    Henry realized his mistake and pped himself. ¡°Sorry, Boss. I had too much to drink. Please forgive me.¡±

    Jalen continued, ¡°Make sure you get him to spill who¡¯s behind all this. If he won¡¯t talk, bury him.¡±

    Henry sobered up slightly, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Could it be that Benjamin nned this on his own?¡±

    Although Heath¡¯s downfall benefited Titan, Jalen was the true victor. He had received prior information and tipped off the police, leading to their intervention at Sanctuary Resort.

    Jalen shook his head. ¡°No way. After Prince Heath was taken down, his remaining forces should be in disarray. They wouldn¡¯t have the organization or motive to kidnap Narcisse, especially not to save the

    Thompson family.¡±

    Henry nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start preparing. We¡¯ll move in the early hours of the morning.¡±

    Jalen waved his hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Carlisle finally finished his instant noodles and sat on the couch, watching financial news.

    Daniel and the others had already left.

    His phone remained on the table with its screen still lit up.

    Carlisle was waiting for a message or call from Wanda. He considered phoning her first but worried that

    Shein or Zachary might discover it.

    As the night deepened, Carlisle still hadn¡¯t heard from Wanda.

    A few hourster, Francis was wakened from a nap. He yawned and checked the time. ¡°It¡¯s 2:00 am. Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡±

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°Just about to.¡±

    Francis then walked back to his room.

    Carlisle waited until 3:00 am but eventually couldn¡¯t stay awake any longer. He washed up and went to bed.

    The next day, Carlisle slept in until 9:00 am. He eventually jolted awake. ¡°Damn, I¡¯mte!¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    He checked his messages but found nothing from Wanda. On MSN Messenger, Wanda¡¯s avatar in his

    special contact list was gray and inactive.

    After washing up, Carlisle instructed Francis, ¡°Find Benjamin. Take him and Heath to Rainville¡¯s Franklin

    Complex and locate Gordon Zahn.¡±

    Francis asked, ¡°Should I stay with them the whole time?¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Yes, stay with them until Wade is out. Once Wade is back, he can protect Benjamin

    himself.¡±

    Francister drove Carlisle to the school gate.

    As Carlisle got out of the car, a white BMW pulled up beside him. Queenie stepped out, followed by

    Wanda who looked pale and expressionless.

 Chapter 361

    <b>Chapter </b>361

    Seeing Wanda in such a state, Carlisle finally understood why she hadn¡¯t contacted himst night.

    He remembered the news report about two kidnappers carrying out a corpse, likely one of Shein¡¯s bodyguards. Wanda must have witnessed the murder, leaving her

    traumatized.

    Carlisle¡¯s heart ached. He yearned to hold andfort her.

    Noticing Carlisle, Queenie suddenly whispered to Wanda, ¡°Look, Carlisle is waiting for you!¡±

    Wanda blinked, then turned to look at Carlisle.

    Her eyes instantly filled with tears. She broke away from Queenie¡¯s hand and ran toward him.

    Carlisle¡¯s eyes also reddened as he opened his arms to embrace the approaching Wanda.

    Just then, Zachary got out of the car and mmed the door shut, his face dark with

    anger.

    This was supposed to be a breakup? Now they weren¡¯t even trying to hide it!

    Queenie quickly grabbed Zachary¡¯s wrist and whispered, ¡°Zac, don¡¯t cause trouble. My friend said that in Wanda¡¯s condition, it¡¯s best if the person closest to her helps her recover.¡±

    Damn it!¡± Zachary punched the hood of the car, denting it instantly.

    Without a doubt, the person closest to Wanda now was Carlisle.

    Queenie sighed. ¡°Leave them alone. At least until Wanda recovers, you shouldn¡¯t give hem a hard time.¡±

    She suddenly felt some sympathy for Carlisle and Wanda.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    When young love blooms at this age, they should enjoy a romance that changes

    wy atoms to wedang gowns<i>.</i>

    beeg when they sold be happly enjoying youthful romance, thers was Cardoned to be shortlived due to their vastly different family backgrounds.

    Zachary dued & Carise before going back into the car and speeding away.

    pegou

    Wands clung to Cedide, sobbing softly ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯m so scared. Every time I closed my eyes lest night, I saw Uncle Mac being killed

    Cercle gently stroked Wendes head and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here.¡±

    His soothing voce essed Wende¡¯s corety<i>, </i>and she found sce in his embrace. She wanted to hold onto Cerise forever, never letting go

    dide

    Queente walked by, giving Cetisle a brief nce before heading into the school

    Carlisle gently petted Wanda¡¯s back and asked softly, ¡°Can you attend sses, or do you want to take a break?

    Wanda shook her head lightly. I don¡¯t want to take a break¡±

    Carlisle let go of Wanda, taking her hand instead. Then let¡¯s go to ss.¡±

    Wanda bit her red lip and nodded, following Carlisle onto campus.

    The security guard saw the two students holding hands and was about to reprimand them, but he swallowed his words upon seeing that it was Wanda.

    There was a bonfire party today, and students performing in the show were doing their final rehearsals, so there were hardly any sses.

    As Carlisle and Wanda walked hand in hand, they attracted the attention of many students

    ¡°Wow<i>, </i>isn¡¯t that the freshman from our department? Does she have a boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, that¡¯s Wanda Thompson! She was kidnapped yesterday and is back at school today?

    <i>¡°</i>The heiress of Thompson Group, a real rich and beautiful girl. I wonder what kind of luck her boyfriend hast

    ¡°He¡¯s good¨Clooking!¡±

    ¡°Looks mean nothing, what¡¯s the use?¡±

    ¡°Being good¨Clooking gets you a rich and beautiful girlfriend. A life of endless luxury!¡±

    A group of senior students gossiped amongst themselves.

    Suddenly, a muscr guy in a basketball jersey bearing the number eight walked

    over with a stern face. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±

    ¡°Arthur, big news! The heiress of Thompson Group is in a rtionship!¡±

 Chapter 362

    A male student quickly handed over his unopened bottle of soda to Arthur, who pushed it away with a frown. He asked, ¡°So what?¡±

    The male student chuckled and said, ¡°So we were wondering who her boyfriend is.

    Arthur growled, ¡°His name is Carlisle, and I answer to him!¡±

    The crowd froze. They never imagined Arthur, who refused to answer to even the most popr kids on campus, would openly acknowledge someone as his superior.

    He had made it clear that he didn¡¯t want to be part of any club or society during his university years, for all he wanted was to focus on his academics.

    ¡°I¡¯d watch my mouth around Carlisle if I were you,¡± Arthur warned, raising hisrge fist menacingly. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±

    At once, the other students nodded. They would be fools to cross a hunk of muscle like Arthur.

    Arthur returned to the basketball court to resume the game, but that was when a fashionably dressed student came up to him. ¡°Hey, Arthur.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Arthur asked.

    The student, Gavin Schmidt, was the son of a contractor who had made good money in thest couple of years.

    Gavin said somberly, ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been debating telling you.¡±

    Arthur rolled his eyes. ¡°Cut to the case, will you? I¡¯ve got stuff to do.¡±

    Gavin let out an awkward huff ofughter before saying, ¡°Now that Prince Heath¡¯s reign is over, I figured it¡¯s time we disband.¡±

    He said this quietly, but there were a few students within earshot who caught the words and began eavesdropping in earnest. They wanted to hear Arthur¡¯s take on the matter.

    Arthur gave Gavin a cursory nce before he turned to look at Jamie, who was

    reading on the sidelines. ¡°Jamie, get over here!¡±

    Jamie set his book down and walked over at once. Arthur waved his hand and

    beckoned the others over, saying, ¡°You guys, too. Come here.¡±

    When everyone heard this, they did as they were told and formed a huddle around

    Gavin and Arthur.

    ¡°Repeat what you just told me,¡± Arthur ordered as he stared at Gavin evenly.

    Gavin swallowed and lowered his head. ¡°What I meant to say was, now that Prince

    Heath¡¯s forces are a thing of the past, there¡¯s no need for us to exist anymore.

    ¡°Besides, do you guys really want to take orders from a freshman?¡±

    A few students seemed persuaded by Gavin¡¯s line of argument. If they had wanted to take orders from someone, they would have followed any other capable figure on

    campus.

    Jamie countered gravely, ¡°Prince Heath may no longer be here, but his brother, Benjamin, still is.¡±

    Gavin scoffed. ¡°Benjamin¡¯s still wet behind the ears. He¡¯s not cut out to be <b>a </b>leader.

    Trust me, some other gang will put him in his ce within a month.¡±

    Jamie kept quiet when he heard this.

    Arthur shot Jamie a disappointed look before saying, ¡°Well, now that this has been

    brought up, let¡¯s take a vote.

    ¡°Those who stand with Carlisle and me,e over to my side, those who don¡¯t can

    go over to Gavin¡¯s.¡±

    Eight students went over to Gavin¡¯s side while the remaining 20 or so stood in ce, exchanging dubious nces. Eventually, they cast their gaze upon Jamie

    Arthur snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t make your decision based on what others choose!¡±

    At once, about seven or eight students came over to stand with Arthur Jamie took a

    deep breath and chose to go over to Arthur¡¯s side too.

    The remaining dozen students ran over to Arthur and ducked behind him.

    Two students on Gavin¡¯s side looked like they were having second thoughts.

    However, before they could switch sides, Arthur said, ¡°You only get one chance. You

    don¡¯t get to backtrack on your choice.¡±

    Gavin smiled smugly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to backtrack. Kudos to <i>you </i>guys for taking a stand and choosing the right side. Let them be Carlisle¡¯spdogs if they

    want!¡±

    ¡°What the hell did you just say, you asshole?¡± Arthur thundered, taking one long stride forward and grabbing Gavin by his cor. With a hard tug, he lifted Gavin off the ground.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Just then, the sound of a basketball hitting the backboard rang across the court.

    Arthur turned around and saw a group of students with their hands in their pocketsing over. The person leading them was none other than Alex Holder,

 Chapter 363

    Alex sported wavy hair that curled at his neck, making him look like the lead actor from some early¨Cnoughties movie. He warned, ¡°Arthur, Gavin¡¯s with me.¡±

    Arthur released Gavin at once and snorted. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. You took him

    in, huh?¡±

    The eight students who had sided with Gavin were regretting their choice even more

    now.

    Gavin said loudly, ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll answer to Alex! He¡¯s Jalen Holder¡¯s nephew<i>!</i>¡±

    The students behind Gavin couldn¡¯t hide their surprise. They had guessed that Alex came from some formidable background, but they didn¡¯t think his uncle was Jalen,

    one of the Heroes of Rivend.

    Alex shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled. ¡°Those who want to hang out with me, you may do so free of charge. I¡¯ll even throw in a weing pack of cigarettes and put your drinks on my tab.¡±

    Gavin straightened his cor and eyed Arthur menacingly. ¡°I¡¯m Alex¡¯s man from now on, so you might want to watch yourself if you run into me in the future.¡±

    With that, he led the eight students over to Alex.

    Alex gave one of hisckeys a look, prompting thetter to quickly produce a half- dozen packs of cigarettes and distribute them to the new recruits.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Come on, Arthur. Join us and I¡¯ll give you a thousand¨Cdor allowance every month,¡±

    Alex said to Arthur.

    This was not the first time he had tried to recruit Arthur. If he could have someone as

    strong and capable as Arthur in his gang, he could secure his position on campus.

    Arthur sneered, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not the type to betray someone¡¯s trust in me.¡±

    What a shame that Alex couldn¡¯t persuade someone with such admirable loyalty to

    join his gang.

    A pauseter, he chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can keep waiting. Let me know once

    apter 367

    you¡¯ve given my offer some thought. I¡¯m ready to wee <i>you </i>into my gang

    anytime. I¡¯ll even let you be my right¨Chand man!¡±

    With that, Alex turned on his heels and left with hisckeys.

    Arthur watched them leave as scorn and disgust shed across his eyes. He then looked at Jamie quizzically and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you join Gavin and his group?¡±

    Jamie smiled breezily. ¡°Give me some credit, Arthur. I¡¯m not disloyal.¡±

    If he were frank, Gavin¡¯s and Alex¡¯s offers were tempting.

    Everyone had heard about what happened to Heath. Even if Heath¡¯s men were

    released, they would be no better than a leaderless pack with neither direction nor

    structure.

    Besides, Jalen and Titan likely had their ns for Heath¡¯s henchmen.

    They were the Heroes of Rivend, and Benjamin might not evenst until the end of

    the month if they were toe for Heath¡¯s forces.

    The only reason Jamie chose to stay on Carlisle¡¯s side was because of thetter¡¯s history with Heath.

    Jamie heard that Heath had reported to Carlisle. In other words, Heath and his forces likely rose to power because they had help from Carlisle.

    Although Heath¡¯s rise to power had been as quick as his downfall, it was still impressive how his forces had gained traction in just half a month.

    Jalen and Titan, on the other hand, had treaded the edge of a de for over a

    decade to attain their infamous reputation.

    There was no denying that Carlisle¡¯s sharp judgment allowed him to aid Heath¡¯s rise

    to power, though Heath¡¯s capabilities yed an important role as well.

    Jamie thought Carlisle was a rather interesting figure, and he would like to see if

    Carlisle could help Benjamin carry on Heath¡¯s legacy.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle had escorted Wanda to her ss.

    Charter 463

    Susan had only juste out of the office when she spotted Carlisle and Wanda holding hands.

    She froze and quickly backed into the office once more.

    Just then, Peter came out of his office and announced, ¡°Ms. Lowe, Mr. Be, I¡¯d

    like to see both of you in my office.¡±

    Timothy Be was a middle¨Caged balding man who was the homeroom teacher of

    ss 1.

    Exchanging a look with Susan, Timothy quickly headed into the dean¡¯s office with Susan following closely behind.

    In the privacy of the office, Peter adjusted his sses and said, ¡°I assume you¡¯ve both heard of Wanda¡¯s kidnapping incident yesterday?¡±

    Timothy and Susan nodded in unison. Timothy said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the female students in

    my ss reach out to her with empathy andpassion.¡±

    Peter shook his head. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Wanda¡¯s kidnapper killed one of the

    Thompsons¡® bodyguards in front of her.

    ¡°She¡¯s been traumatized since, and our resident psychology professor suggested that we have Wanda stay with someone she¡¯s close with.¡±

    Susan¡¯s eyes lit up at this. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Wanda will be transferred back to <i>my </i>ss?¡±

    Peter nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯st

 Chapter 364

    Susan quirked her lips in thought. She supposed there were no issues with Wanda¡¯s transfer of sses. Since Wanda and Carlisle were going steady, she would likely be more than happy to be in the same ss as him.

    Susan was the youngest lecturer on campus, and having studied abroad, she was more progressive than her colleagues.

    She believed anyone who was a legal adult should have the right to love and date. whoever they wanted. After all, one could only get to know a person¡¯s true colors

    over time.

    Besides, going into marriage only after dating somebody for a while might lower the

    chances of divorce.

    She was secretly rooting for Carlisle and Wanda, but she made a mental note to

    advise them as necessary¨Cas a responsible teacher would.

    She wouldn¡¯t want them to abandon their studiespletely in favor of love.

    Peter said sternly, ¡°While there are no rules against dating on campus, Wanda and

    Carlisle are far too young to navigate a romantic rtionship on their own.

    ¡°As their homeroom teacher, I would expect you to provide them with the necessary guidance<i>, </i>Ms. Lowe.¡±

    It was rare for someone below the age of 30 to be appointed as a form teacher at

    Rivend University. Susan had her father¡¯s friendship with Peter to thank for her

    career on campus.

    Nheless, Peter was rather displeased by Susan¡¯s flippant remark on Wanda¡¯s

    and Carlisle¡¯s rtionship. He only let it go on ount of his friendship with Susan¡¯s

    father.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Mr. Smith,¡± Susan said with a grin. ¡°Putting Wanda in the

    same ss as Carlisle while she¡¯s at her most vulnerable will only intensify the

    sparks of their rtionship!¡±

    Peter¡¯s lips curled in annoyance as he stared at Susan incredulously. ¡°What other

    option is there? Can you think of anyone else who could help Wanda cope with her

    trauma aside from Carlisle?¡±

    Susan shook her head. ¡°No. Carlisle¡¯s the only one who can do that.¡±

    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Peter said, waving his hand. ¡°You¡¯re both dismissed.¡±

    Susan nodded politely and turned to leave Peter¡¯s office. Timothy followed suit.

    Outside the ssroom, Carlisle let go of Wanda¡¯s hand and said with a gentle smile,¡±

    Go in, Wanda. I¡¯ll see you after ss.¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips as tears sprang to her eyes.

    Carlisle was reluctant to leave her as well, especially after seeing her eyes turn red

    with tears. But there was only so much he could do when they weren¡¯t in the same

    ss.

    At that moment, Susan and Timothy came up to them. ¡°Ms. Lowe,¡± Carlisle greeted

    nervously, his stomach turning leaden.

    He had gotten caught holding hands with Wanda by not one, but two teachers. He

    might have been reborn, but his heart was still racing as if he was facing death.

    Susan said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve heard about Wanda¡¯s situation, and the dean has decided

    that it would be in her best interests to transfer to ss 2.¡±

    Carlisle froze at first. A secondter, he nearly burst out cheering. He and Wanda

    could be seatmates again, which meant there was no need for them to hide their

    rtionship on campus anymore.

    Timothy walked up to the entrance of ss 1 where Daniel was leaning against the

    doorframe and said, ¡°Daniel, help Wanda pack up her textbooks and drop them off at

    ss 2, please.¡±

    Daniel had already seen Carlisle holding hands with Wanda. His jaw nearly hit the floor as words failed to escape him.

    He felt like his mind had just imploded. Was the university endorsing love affairs as

    extra credit?

    ¡°Daniel, did you hear me?¡± Timothy asked, rapping his knuckles against the door.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Daniel finally snapped out of his daze. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Timothy repeated his instruction sullenly, and Daniel hurried to help Wanda pack up her things.

    Ruby¡¯s seat was behind Wanda¡¯s, and she was perplexed when she saw Daniel packing up Wanda¡¯s textbooks. ¡°Daniel, what are you doing?¡±

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 365

    Daniel exined while bundling up Wanda¡¯s textbooks, ¡°Mr. Be wants me to

    move Wanda¡¯s stuff to ss 2.¡±

    Ruby was the daughter of the richest man in Rivend. Daniel couldn¡¯t afford to

    cross her by refusing to answer her question.

    Frowning at this, Ruby asked, ¡°Wanda¡¯s being moved back to ss 2?¡±

    Carlisle was in ss 2! If Wanda moved to his ss, she would have every means

    possible to get close to him!

    Ruby couldn¡¯t let that happen. As such, she made up her mind to transfer to ss 2

    <i>as </i>well.

    She had asked Sarah about Carlisle¡¯s dating history.

    While Carlisle and Wanda were an item before, they had broken up for unknown

    reasons after they started university.

    If that were the case, Ruby would do everything in her power to stop them from

    rekindling old sparks.

    At the thought of this, she took out her phone and gave Yuriel a call.

    Yuriel spoiled Ruby beyond reason, and he did not hesitate before agreeing to her request to transfer sses. He even called up Peter personally to make the

    necessary arrangements.

    Naturally, Peter wouldn¡¯t dare offend the richest man in Rivend, especially since Yuriel had donated plenty of educational supplies to the campus.

    The university even had Yuriel¡¯s name engraved on the sponsor que to

    Presently, Carlisle and Wanda had entered the ssroom.

    It took a lot of gentle coaxing on Susan¡¯s part before Wanda let go of Carlisle¡¯s hand. Thest thing Susan wanted was for the ss to burst into an uproar at the public disy of affection.

    2/3

    When Wanda returned to her seat, she slumped over her desk and turned to look at

    Carlisle. Seeing him made her feel safe.

    ¡°Wanda, are you¡­ alright?¡± Phoebe asked cautiously from behind Wanda.

    After learning of Wanda¡¯s abduction, Phoebe did not take her eyes off the television

    in hopes of getting live updates on the situation.

    It wasn¡¯t until she saw Wanda appear well and alive on camera that she let out a

    breath of relief.

    Overnight, word of the incident had broken out on campus.

    It seemed Wanda hadn¡¯t heard Phoebe at all. Her gaze was fixed on Carlisle and

    nothing else.

    Phoebe nced at Carlisle helplessly. ¡°Is Wanda okay, Carlisle?¡±

    Carlisle sighed and said quietly, ¡°She¡¯s probably still in shock.¡±

    Tears sprang to Phoebe¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did she forget who I am?¡±

    Just then, Wanda replied in a voice barely louder than a whisper, ¡°I didn¡¯t lose my

    memories.¡±

    Phoebe sobbed with relief when she heard this. ¡°Wanda, you responded! Oh, thank

    goodness you¡¯re okay!¡±

    She wiped her tears away as she said this. With all the time they had spent together, Phoebe had long since considered Wanda her best friend.

    When Daniel popped into the ss with Wanda¡¯s textbooks and backpack, Carlisle

    helped Wanda store the books in her desk drawer.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    At that moment, Daniel leaned close to him and whispered, ¡°Hey, Carlisle, are you

    and Ruby close?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Why?¡± Carlisle asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s transferring to ss 2, that¡¯s why!¡± Daniel said.

    He had overheard Ruby¡¯s phone conversation with Yuriel earlier and indulged in

    some wild guessing, only to conclude that Ruby was moving sses for Carlisle.

    ¡°And?¡± Carlisle countered coolly.

    Ruby obviously had feelings for him. If she was so adamant about moving to ss 2, he wouldn¡¯t mind making her seethe with jealousy by unting his rtionship with

    Wanda.

    Daniel narrowed his eyes and mused, ¡°Were you and Ruby¡­¡±

    Carlisle shot Daniel a dark look.

    Shifting his gaze to Wanda, Daniel did the wise thing and shut up. He left the

    ssroom without so much as a backward nce after dropping off Wanda¡¯s books.

    When he passed by Christine¡¯s table by the door, he dropped her a note he had

    written in advance.

 Chapter 366

    <b>Chapter </b>366

    <b>Christine </b>opened the note and read the hasty scrawl on it: ¡°O¡® beautiful Lady Christine, will you do me the honor of having tea with me? If yes, please meet me at Papplewick Tea Shop this afternoon once sses end.¡±

    <b>She </b>crumpled up the note and tossed it into her desk drawer.

    Since giving up on her one¨Csided affection for Carlisle, she had decided to pour <b>all </b>her energy into her studies and making money.

    Not long after Daniel left, Susan received a call from Peter. When she heard that.

    Ruby was transferring to her ss, she couldn¡¯t help ncing at Carlisle.

    With sses having yet to formallymence, she hadn¡¯t gotten to know any of her

    students yet. She didn¡¯t even know most of their names.

    However, after a week or so of observation, she realized that there were only a

    handful of talented male students in this year¡¯s freshman intake.

    Among them, Carlisle had impressed her the most. He was better¨Clooking and more

    well¨Cbehaved than most of his peers, and he had fortitude far beyond his years.

    Susan could only think of one reason why Ruby might want to transfer to ss 2 so quickly after Wanda¡¯s transfer.

    ¡°You know who Ruby¡¯s father is, don¡¯t you? His generous donations to the university over the years have greatly enhanced the quality of our education and teaching

    environment.

    ¡°His name is on the sponsor que too. It would be in our best interests to give his. daughter what she wants,¡± Peter reminded.

    A wry smile curled on Susan¡¯s lips. ¡°I understand.¡±

    So it was true that money made an excellent servant. It had taken Ruby only one phone call to switch sses. She hardly had to lift a finger.

    Ten minutester, Timothy showed up at the entrance of ss 2 with Ruby in tow.

    Susan walked over to the door and personally ushered Ruby in.

    The whole ss fell silent when they saw Ruby.

    She was stunning in her own right. She sported delicately chiseled features and baster skin, which was set off by her long hair and even bangs.

    She locked clean and well¨Cdressed, but there was a hint of arrogance in her

    countenance.

    eyes and

    Susan rapped her knuckles on the teacher¡¯s desk and said, ¡°Quiet, everyone. This <b>is </b>Ruby Gust, our new student who just transferred from ss 1. Let¡¯s give her a warm

    wee.¡±

    Ruby Gust. Almost everyone in the ssroom had heard of her name. She was the daughter of the richest man in Rivend. In other words, an heiress.

    The students burst into apuse save for Carlisle and Wanda.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle did not even so much as nce at Ruby. He kept his eyes on Wanda, who was still staring at him. There was no light in her eyes even as she fixed her gaze on

    him.

    Carlisle¡¯s heart broke at the sight of this. He wasn¡¯t sure what he could do to help Wanda recover from the trauma and return to her old self.

    Ruby cleared her throat as she introduced herself, ¡°Good day, everyone. I¡¯m Ruby, and I look forward to getting to know each of you better.¡±

    The students pped once more.

    Ruby¡¯s gaze slid over to Carlisle and Wanda. The sight of them staring at each other

    irked her to no end.

    Just then, Susan asked, ¡°Anyone in the front row wants to relinquish their seat for

    Ruby?¡±

    At once, a few male students in the front row stood up, and so did a few girls in the

    middle section of the ssroom.

    Susan turned to smile at Ruby as she asked, ¡°Where would you like to sit?¡±

    Ruby pointed at the seat directly behind Wanda. ¡°I prefer seats by the windows.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up my seat,¡± Phoebe protested immediately.

    Ruby¡¯s brows furrowed. She knew she couldn¡¯t throw a fit here, so she sighed and said in resignation, ¡°Ms. Lowe, why don¡¯t you pick out a <b>seat </b>for me?¡±

    In other words, she had picked out the seat she wanted, and it was up to Susan to make the arrangements.

    Susan sighed inwardly. She couldn¡¯t cross Yuriel¡¯s daughter, not unless she wanted to be summoned to the dean¡¯s office for a talking¨Cto.

    If Susan got into trouble with Yuriel, her father¡¯s business could be in jeopardy too.

    A moment of thoughtter, Susan walked over to Phoebe¡¯s seat and said softly,¡± Phoebe, could you choose a seat offered by any of the students who stood up and let Ruby have your seat?¡±

    Phoebe saw the exasperation in Susan¡¯s eyes. Pouting, she began to gather her books.

    Just like that, Ruby had sessfully nted herself in the seat behind Wanda.

    She had only just sat down when she feigned concern for Wanda¡¯s well¨Cbeing.¡± Wanda, I heard about the kidnapping incident yesterday. I hope you weren¡¯t hurt!¡±

    Images from yesterday¡¯s incident surfaced in Wanda¡¯s mind when she heard Ruby¡¯s question.

    When she remembered how Mac had been killed before her, she trembled and quickly slithered to the ground.

    Her heartbreaking sobs filled the air as she buried her face in the crook of her arms. ¡°Can¡¯t you just shut the hell up?¡± came a deep voice.

 Chapter 367

    Carlisle glowered at Ruby menacingly before crouching down next to Wanda¡¯s

    trembling frame. Stroking her hair, he murmured, ¡°There, there. Everything¡¯s all right.

    <b>I¡¯m </b>here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Carlisle¡­¡± Wanda whimpered, tears glistening in her eyes as she stared

    at Carlisle. She looked broken.

    Carlisle wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed her back. He sounded like he was coaxing a wounded animal <b>as </b>he cooed, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. As long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let anybody hurt you.¡±

    Ruby froze at this. She never expected Carlisle to snap at her, and her annoyance

    only intensified at the sight of Carlisle holding Wanda in his arms.

    She had switched sses to keep Carlisle and Wanda from rekindling their old me, but it appeared she was toote!

    The sudden development left the rest of the ss stumped as well.

    ¡°What the hell? What¡¯s going on? Is Wanda okay?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably still in shock after the kidnapping incident yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, why isn¡¯t Ms. Lowe doing anything about Carlisle and Wanda openly hugging in ss<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°I suppose special circumstances call for special measures.¡±

    Susan frowned. She knew Ruby hade here with ulterior motives¨Cand she was

    right. It had taken Ruby mere minutes since entering ss to trigger Wanda¡¯s post-

    traumatic distress.

    When Susan heard the other students gossiping among themselves, she rapped her

    knuckles on the desk and said, ¡°Quiet down, everyone. I¡¯m sure all of you have heard about the unfortunate incident that befell Wanda yesterday.

    ¡°Those of you who haven¡¯t, please do not ask about it. Those of you who are talking

    about it now, please refrain from bringing this topic up again in the future!¡±

    Where M

    Having taken her new seat next to Christine, Phoebe quirked her lips and said, ¡°Ruby did that on purpose. That bitch¡­¡±

    Christine urged in hushed tones, ¡°Keep it down. You don¡¯t want to get on Ruby¡¯s bad

    side<b>.</b>¡±

    Phoebe scrunched her nose in dismay but said nothing else.

    Ruby hailed from a more powerful family than Wanda. Phoebe wouldn¡¯t want to cross Ruby and end up getting Wanda in trouble with her.

    Wanda finally calmed down after Carlisle¡¯s soothing. She had gotten off the floor but remained slumped over her desk while she sobbed.

    Carlisle red at Ruby and snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, Ruby, but I¡¯ll make your wish you were dead if you ever pick on Wanda again!¡±

    Ruby gaped at Carlisle, registering the icy look in his eyes. No one had ever spoken to

    her like this in her entire life.

    She was about to exin herself, but Carlisle¡¯s menacing gaze made her feel like all

    the air had been sucked out of her lungs.

    A chill raced down her spine. She couldn¡¯t understand how an 18¨Cyear¨Cold university

    freshman could look so intimidating.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Ruby looked down and felt her palms breaking into cold sweat.

    Carlisle was domineering; and while Ruby was normally into that sort of thing, she thought it was a shame that he was using it to protect Wanda.

    Jealousy filled her just as Susan came over and looked at Carlisle. ¡°Of the entire ss, only you and Wanda signed up to perform at the bonfire party tonight. Would you both like to go and rehearse?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°Wanda won¡¯t be able to attend the bonfire party in her

    current state. Could you help us cancel our acts?<b>¡±</b>

    Susan pointed out, ¡°I could cancel Wanda¡¯s, but I¡¯d advise you to keep your performance slot. Perhaps your performance could cheer Wanda up.¡±

    In the e

    emerce department, none of the students from ss 1 signed up

    to perform at the bonfire parly

    Wanda and Carlisle were ted to be the only performers from <b>ss </b>2, and if Susan canceled both their acts, the emerce department would have no performance. to offer at all.

    After a moment of thought, Carlisle saw the sense in Susan¡¯s suggestion. He nodded and said, ¡°Very well, then. I¡¯ll perform tonight as scheduled.¡±

    Susan grinned. ¡°Would you like to rehearse then?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    Susan nced at Wanda before turning to leave the ssroom.

    When lunchtime rolled around, Carlisle led Wanda by the hand to the cafeteria.

    Ruby was practically seething with jealousy when she saw them holding hands. She was starting to regret switching to ss 2.

    If she had to watch Carlisle and Wanda¡¯s loving interaction for a second longer<b>, </b>she might just throw up.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 368

    Ruby had lost her appetite for lunch.

    It was just as well that Sarah called her and Invited her for tea.

    Having had enough of Carlisle and Wanda holding hands around her, Ruby invited a few other students from ss 1 to join her for tea.

    At the cafeteria, Carlisle led Wanda to an empty table and smiled as he said<b>, </b>¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll go get you some food.¡±

    Wanda shook her head vehemently, refusing to let go of his hand.

    Carlisle gave her an amused look. ¡°Well, then, you¡¯ll have to get in line with me.¡±

    Just like that, he took her hand and led her to the line at the food counter.

    A few of the upperssmen couldn¡¯t help gritting their teeth at the sight of Carlisle holding Wanda¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Seriously? Damn it, even the freshmen are dating. We¡¯re on the verge of graduation and we still haven¡¯t held hands with a girl!¡±

    ¡°It just pisses me off that the younger ones are getting a head start.¡±

    ¡°Do we know whose scion he is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he is a scion, but the youngdy is definitely an heiress. She¡¯s from the Thompson family!¡±

    Queenie was having lunch with a couple of friends at a nearby table.

    When one of her friends saw Wanda and Carlisle holding hands, she asked Queenie quietly, ¡°Hey, Queenie¡­ How did that happen?¡±

    Queenie sighed and briefly told them about Wanda¡¯s unfortunate encounter

    yesterday that led to her tortured disposition.

    When she was done exining, her friends looked at her with inscrutable

    expressions. One of them said, ¡°So Carlisle¡¯s like a temporary cure for Wanda? Does that mean they¡¯ll break up after she recovers from her trauma?¡±

    Queenie nodded silently.

    Another one of her friends mused enviously, ¡°But they look so good together! And they¡¯re so sweet with each other too. Don¡¯t rain on their parade so soon, you guys<b>.</b>¡±

    Queenie took a deep breath. ¡°You guys won¡¯t understand theplexity thates. from dating an heiress, even if only temporarily.¡±

    After getting their food, Carlisle led Wanda to an empty table. They were just about to eat when Arthur, Jamie, and Daniel joined them.

    Wanda stared at her food nkly, not feeling hungry at all.

    Seeing this, Carlisle prompted gently, <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you don¡¯t like any of the dishes, I can go and

    get something else for you. What would you like?¡±

    Wanda pursed her lips and said quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I feel hungry.¡±

    Carlisle coaxed patiently, ¡°You still need sustenance. We can¡¯t have you starve<b>, </b>can

    we?¡±

    Daniel chuckled as he joked, ¡°Do you want Carlisle to spoon¨Cfeed you?¡±

    Arthur grinned fiendishly as he joined in on the teasing. ¡°Yeah, I bet food tastes.

    better when Carlisle spoon¨Cfeeds you, huh?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle speared a slice of roast beef with his fork and brought it to Wanda¡¯s mouth.

    Daniel interjected, ¡°Dude, you¡¯ve got to bite off the fatty rind before feeding it to her.¡±

    This earned him a dirty look from Carlisle. ¡°Must you butt in?¡±

    Carlisle bit off the fatty rind and brought the roast beef to Wanda¡¯s mouth again,

    cajoling, ¡°Herees the beef, Wanda. Say ¡°ahh¡­¡±

    Wanda opened her mouth obediently and he fed her the roast beef slice. She

    chewed it a couple of times and swallowed, only to realize she hadn¡¯t tasted it at all.

    The roast beef was so nd, she might as well have eaten flour.

    She began to wonder if there was something wrong with her tastebuds, which was shocking because she was perfectly finest night.

    Carlisle continued feeding her. When he noticed her little frown every time <b>she </b>chewed on her food, <b>he </b>couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Is there something wrong with the vor?¡±

    Tears glistened in Wanda¡¯s eyes <b>as </b>she answered <b>in </b>a quivering voice, ¡°I think I lost my sense of taste¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital after this,¡± Carlisle said at once, frowning. It seemed <b>Wanda¡¯s </b>condition was worse than he imagined. The emotional trauma she suffered must be manifesting itself physically.

    At that moment, Queenie came over with her friends.

    One of them who was a psychology major observed, ¡°She might be showing signs of a nervous breakdown. It has nothing to do with her physical well¨Cbeing.

    ¡°Did something happen this morning to stress her out?¡°

 Chapter 369

    Carlisle answered, ¡°Yeah, Ruby transferred to our ss today and stupidly brought <b>up</b>

    <b>some </b>things that she shouldn¡¯t have. Wanda broke down <b>on </b>the spot.¡±

    He clenched his fists at the memory as guilt coursed through him. He couldn¡¯t

    forgive himself for letting Wanda get picked on and triggered by Ruby even when he

    was right next to her.

    Luna frowned slightly as she said, ¡°That exins it. Wanda¡¯s central nervous system is in a delicate state right now. Even the tiniest bit of stress and istion could cause

    her to break down. You¡¯ll have to stay by her side 24/7 from now on.¡±

    Daniel asked curiously, ¡°Even when she¡¯s using the restroom?¡±

    His question earned him several dark looks from those around him. Bathroom talk

    was inappropriate during lunchtime, after all.

    Queenie interjected, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that he should be with her even at night?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Luna nodded. ¡°Wanda was behaving normally when she came home yesterday, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°She was¨Cuntil the evening. She nked out during dinner,¡± Queenie said as she

    cast a sympathetic look at Wanda.

    Queenie added, ¡°Last night, she woke up in a fright and couldn¡¯t go back to sleep, so I stayed up with her until the morning.¡±

    Luna considered this for a moment before suggesting, ¡°So we should let Carlisle stay with her tonight. She might sleep better with him around.¡±

    One side of Queenie¡¯s mouth twitched in faint amusement. ¡°As in, we let them sleep

    together?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have to be in the same bed,¡± Luna countered wryly. ¡°But they must be in the same room so that he¡¯ll be the first person she sees when she wakes up.¡±

    A breath of relief escaped Queenie as she addressed Carlisle, ¡°You and Wanda can move in with me for the next few days. I can help you take care of her.¡±

    Carlisle was just about to nod when Luna said, ¡°No, they have to stay together in a ce where no one else is around.¡±

    Queenie stared at Luna inquisitively. ¡°Did Carlisle bribe you into suggesting this?¡±

    Luna relied her eyes. ¡°Do I look like I need the money?¡±

    Her friends shook their heads.

    Luna came from an affluent family, and though they weren¡¯t as wealthy as the Thompsons, they still owned a fortune worth hundreds of millions.

    More importantly, Luna¡¯s family doted on her and gave her enough monthly allowance to buy two small apartments in the county.

    Queenie shed Luna a smile. ¡°I was only joking. Don¡¯t get your panties in a twist.¡±

    Luna did not take personal offense, of course, and simply borated, ¡°Like I said, given Wanda¡¯s tendencies to break down at the slightest trigger, a tried¨Cand¨Ctrue treatment is for her to bepletely rxed.

    ¡°Letting her stay at your ce will only make her feel caged and scrutinized, which might burden her central nervous system even more. This could worsen her

    condition.¡±

    Queenie clenched her jaw. ¡°Carlisle, do you have a ce outside campus?¡±

    Nodding, Carlisle answered, ¡°I rent an apartment across the university.¡±

    ¡°In that case, you can bring Wanda over tonight,¡± Queenie said. ¡°But I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t even think about touching her. Abstain for your sake and hers.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take advantage of her while she¡¯s at her most vulnerable,¡± Carlisle promised solemnly.

    Besides, he doubted he could have any wicked thoughts about Wanda while she was in such a delicate state.

    Queenie reached out and stroked Wanda¡¯s hair. She said with an affectionate smile,¡± Don¡¯t think about anything else, Wanda. All you have to do is show up on campus with Carlisle and go home with him. Leave the rest to me.¡±

    Wanda <b>tumed </b><b>her </b><b>hollow </b><b>gaze </b><b>to </b>Queenie <b>and </b><b>forced </b><b>out </b>a <b>tight </b><b>smile</b>, <b>Thank </b>you <b>Queenic</b>Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    <b>Queenie </b>swallowed <b>when </b><b>she </b>saw the <b>odd </b>and humorless smile <b>Wanda </b><b>gave </b><b>her</b>. <b>She </b><b>whispered </b><b>to </b><b>Luna</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Why do <b>I </b>feel like Wanda¡¯s been possessed<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Luna </b>chuckled as she exined, ¡°Back in the day<b>, </b>people used to think <b>of </b>hysterics <b>for </b>psychiatric illnesses as spiritual possession, but it¡¯s really caused by issues with <b>the </b>nervous system.

    <b>¡°</b>Some patients who were on the verge of a nervous breakdown often mumbled

    about seeing ghosts and behaved strangely, which led many to think they were possessed.¡±

    She nced at Wanda¡¯s pretty eyes, sighing as she said, ¡°Poor thing. She can¡¯t even focus on what she¡¯s seeing anymore, so we¡¯re all just blurry silhouettes to her.

    ¡°She might fall a lot more than usual, so pay attention to where and how she walks, Carlisle!

    Carlisle finally understood why Wanda refused to let go of his hand. How was she supposed to attend her sses on campus in this state?

    Just as he was contemting applying for days off on Wanda¡¯s behalf, Luna seemed to have read his mind and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for her to sit out of sses.

    ¡°She should be made to feel like a student going about her daily activities. Having her peers around would help her rx too.<i>¡±</i>

    What the hell? Carlisle stared at Luna and demanded incredulously, ¡°Do you know how to read minds or something?¡±

 Chapter 370

    Lune earl with a <b>mile</b><b>, </b><b>Im </b>not so much a mind reader as I am an observant

    psychology major.

    Tve met experts who can deduce your thoughts just by looking at the slightest shift <b>in </b><b>your </b>expression and gaze. These are the experts who work with investigative detectives.¡±

    Carlisle had been a homebody in his past life, so he never came across any such expert. As such, he found Luna¡¯s keen observation and sharp deduction skills.

    shocking.

    He went on to ask Luna <b>if </b>there was anything about Wanda¡¯s condition he needed to pay special attention to.

    Luna answered his <b>questions </b>patiently, telling him everything she knew about post-

    traumatic stress.

    After lunch, Carlisle brought Wanda back to his apartment to rest. He even bought at slice of cake with pink frosting from the bakery just around the corner.

    As far as he knew, youngdies like Wanda often indulged in desserts.

    Luna did say sugar could help boost one¡¯s spirits, and desserts in moderate amounts

    might cheer Wanda up.

    Upon returning to the apartment, Carlisle led Wanda to the couch and pulled up a chair next to her. He then cut a small bite of cake with a teaspoon and brought it to

    her mouth.

    ¡°Here you go, sweetheart. Say ¡®ahh¡­¡±

    Wanda opened her mouth obediently and ate the cake. Her eyes lit up at the sugary taste of it as she eximed, ¡°It¡¯s sweet!¡±

    Carlisle brightened up. ¡°You can taste that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°Can I have some more?<b>¡±</b>

    She parted her lips, and Carlisle continued feeding her the cake. She was about

    as ductured mat she was full

    Cartade sharklet at he wiped the freaking from the corners of Wanda¡¯s mouth ¡°Get

    mene kleng 1 bet you¡¯re tired she staying up all night¡± he said.

    nuk her head. Yn mot sleepy¡±

    e dete¡¯t when to fall asleep for fear of dreaming about the horrific scene from

    Carliste sat on the couch and pulled her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you while you sleep. I won¡¯t leave you,¡± he murmured in her ear.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Wanda pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around him. She burrowed into <b>his </b>embrace and closed her eyes.

    A whileter, she fell into a deep sleep.

    Carlisle turned his phone to silent mode. He had only just done so when Benjamin gave him a <b>call</b>.

    ncing at Wanda¡¯s sleeping profile, Carlisle declined the call.

    Meanwhile, Francis was on his way to Rainville. There were two vans and a sedan

    tailing him <b>as </b>he sped down the road.

    Benjamin¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°Carlisle didn¡¯t pick up. Isn¡¯t it lunch hour on campus?¡±

    Francis chuckled <b>as </b>he replied, ¡°Send him a text then.¡±

    Benjamin wrote a text and sent it to Carlisle: ¡°We¡¯ve sold our assets to Titan for 801 million dors.

    *I¡¯ve taken five million dors for myself, and I¡¯ll wire you the rest of the money tomorrow. Francis and I are on our way to Rainville now.¡±

    When Carlisle read the text, he replied with one hand, ¡°I only need 15 million dors. The rest of the money is yours and Heath¡¯s.

    ¡°Once Heath wakes up, that money wille in handy if you both want to rebuild

    your empire.¡±

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 371

    Benjamin¡¯s eyes widened at Carlisle¡¯s text.

    Carlisle was asking for 15 million dors, the same sum he had invested.

    Benjamin thought Carlisle ought to take some profit for himself even after recoveringN?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    his initial investment.

    ¡°What did Carlisle <b>say</b><b>?</b>¡± Sirius asked tentatively, his face still mapped with bruises.

    As far as Sirius could tell, Heath and Benjamin were nothing more than dispensable tools to Carlisle. He didn¡¯t seem to think of them as friends, and he had undoubtedly

    told Benjamin to sell off those assets so he could pocket the profit.

    ¡°See for yourself,¡± Benjamin said as he handed Sirius the phone.

    Valin peered over Sirius¡® shoulder to read the text from Carlisle as well. His and Sirius¡® jaws fell open when they saw what Carlisle wrote.

    They couldn¡¯t believe Carlisle was only asking for 15 million dors.

    Being Heath¡¯s confidantes, Sirius and Valin knew Carlisle had given Heath the 15

    million dors he needed to kickstart the gang.

    In other words, Carlisle was asking for no more than his initial investment. At this

    point, he was practically running a charity.

    ngach

    ¡°Do you see what kind of person Carlisle is now?¡± Benjamin drawled.

    Sirius looked down at hisp and muttered, ¡°I should have never doubted him. I¡¯ll

    apologize to Carlisle on my knees when I see him next time.¡±

    Valin sighed and said, ¡°Carlisle must think of you and Heath as true friends or he

    wouldn¡¯t have sent Heath back home to let his parents care for him.¡±

    Sirius gave a grave nod. ¡°I will dly die for Carlisle if thingse down to it.¡±

    They now regarded him as highly as they did Benjamin and Heath.

    Just then, Valin sighed again. ¡°What do we do while Heath is still in aa?¡±

    Sirius crossed his legs in a leisurely manner and said, ¡°What¡¯s there for <b>us </b>to do other than kick back and rx? I¡¯m sure Heath will have plenty of jobs for us once he

    wakes up.¡±

    Benjamin stared at the road ahead as he spoke up from the passenger seat. ¡°Carlisle doesn¡¯t think I have what it takes to run our operations, which is why he wants me to wait for Heath to regain consciousness<b>. </b>I have to show him I¡¯m just as capable as

    Heath.¡±

    Valin and Sirius looked up at Benjamin, who suddenly sounded so grown¨Cup that they didn¡¯t see a trace of the young man who had previously relied on Heath for everything.

    Francis couldn¡¯t help casting a sidelong nce at Benjamin, and a thought crossed his mind: the fledgling was ready to take flight.

    After texting Benjamin, Carlisle gave Gordon a call.

    ¡°Hey, Carlisle,¡± Gordon greeted in his pleasant baritone.

    Carlisle cut to the chase and asked, ¡°Dad, the friend I told you about the other day will be heading to Franklin Complex today. Did you hear back from Mr. Hughes?¡±

    Gordon grumbled, ¡°The old geezer is so full of himself that he thinks 500 dors is

    too little to be worth his while<b>.</b>

    ¡°I had to give him another thousand dors before he agreed. I can¡¯t believe this is the thanks I get for helping his son get a job!¡±

    Carlisle sputtered. ¡°1500 dors isn¡¯t that much, Dad. Even a day in the intensive care unit could cost 2000 dors.¡±

    He continued, ¡°This friend of mine is important to me. I¡¯d have given Mr. Hughes 15

    million dors if he asked for it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, stop with the jokes. 15 million dors. Ha! Do you think money grows on

    trees?¡± Gordon chided good¨Cnaturedly.

    He then asked, ¡°By the way, when are they getting here and how many of them are

    there? Your mother and I will do a quick grocery run for dinner.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll likely get there before dinner. As for the numbers¡­ I reckon there¡¯s about a

    dozen of them,¡± Carlisle answered.

    ¡°What? There¡¯s no room in our house to amodate all of them!¡± Gordon

    eximed incredulously.

    ¡°They¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Carlisle reassured.

    ¡°Okay, then, I¡¯m hanging up now. I¡¯ve got groceries to buy,¡± Gordon said before ending the call.

    Just as Carlisle set his phone down, he felt Wanda¡¯s arms suddenly tighten around

    his waist. A sheen of cold sweat had broken out on her forehead too.

    Carlisle looked at her and wondered if she was having nightmares again.

 Chapter 372

    <b>Chapter </b><b>372</b>

    Carlisle frowned at the sight. He rubbed soothing circles on Wanda¡¯s back, relieved <b>that </b>the nightmares hadn¡¯t woken her up.

    The tension gradually left Wanda¡¯s body as he rubbed her back.

    Just then, Carlisle¡¯s phone buzzed with a text from Diego: ¡°Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Zahn, but have you taken a look at the drawings I sent you? Is there anything you¡¯d

    like me to amend?¡±

    Carlisle had been so busy thest couple of days that hepletely forgot about the matter of designing the office building.

    Diego previously promised to email him the drawings by evening, but Carlisle was toozy to go through them.

    He had faith in Diego¡¯s tastes and his attention to detail, so he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve looked at them. They¡¯re not bad. I¡¯ve decided to proceed with your designs, but try to make quick work of the renovation. I don¡¯t want this to drag out into a three¨Cmonth¨Clong

    project.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Mr. Zahn,¡± came Diego¡¯s response.

    It was 2.00 pm when Wanda let out a long sigh through her nose. Her eyshes fluttered as she opened her eyes, and she tightened her arms around Carlisle¡¯s waist.

    Carlisle looked down at her and asked softly, ¡°Hey there, sleepyhead. You awake?¡±

    Wanda grumbled, ¡°No.¡±

    Carlisle stifled hisughter and did not call out her obvious lie.

    Luna had told him earlier that Wanda¡¯s psychological fragility might cause her to process things a lot slower than usual. In other words, there would be moments

    when she might behave like a child.

    However, Carlisle found this side of Wanda rather endearing.

    After what felt like a long time, Wanda slowly drew away from Carlisle¡¯s embrace and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She asked softly, ¡°What time is it? Are we supposed to go to ss?¡±

    The nightmare from earlier coupled with Carlisle¡¯s warm embrace had made her sweat in her sleep. A few strands of her hair clung to her damp skin.

    ¡°It¡¯s free period this afternoon, so we don¡¯t have to go back to campus,¡± Carlisle said.

    He pulled out a couple of tissues and began wiping the sweat off Wanda¡¯s brows. When he saw the trace of drool on the corner of her mouth, he chuckled and asked, ¡± Why did you drool? Were you dreaming of food?¡±

    In the past, Wanda would have wished for a hole to open up in the ground and

    swallow her whole.

    But now,

    good¡­¡±

    she giggled sheepishly as she said, ¡°I dreamed of having steak. It was so

    Carlisle pinched her cheek gently and said indulgently, ¡°Why don¡¯t we have steak for dinner tonight?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please!¡± Wanda nodded eagerly. ¡°But we should probably go back to campus.

    before Ms. Lowe thinks we¡¯re ying hooky.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Come on, let¡¯s go wash up,¡± Carlisle said.

    He led her to the washroom and cleaned her face with his towel. He only had one set. of toiletries in the apartment, and he made a mental note to get a new set for Wandal

    after they were done with sses.

    Given that the students had free periods in the afternoon, most of the students. headed outdoors. Only a small number of students remained in the ssrooms.

    Phoebe and Christine were busy taking and making phone calls.

    SwiftFunds Financial Investments had somehow managed to loan out its capital of

    three million dors. Thankfully, a few business deals did not go through.

    As Phoebe ended hertest phone call, she asked Christine, ¡°How did our funds run

    out so quickly, Christine? I thought we only deal with small loans.¡±

    ¡°Most of the loans were approved by Wanda, so I¡¯ve no idea,¡± Christine exined, frowning ¡°Wait, does that mean we¡¯repletely out of funds?¡±

    Phoebe pouted Guess we have to give up on these potential clients. What a shame; they all have rather good credit backgrounds.

    Carlisle and Wanda were strolling around campus when he stumbled upon Christine. and Phoebe. Noting their distress, he stopped in his tracks and asked, ¡°Did you guys

    run into trouble?¡±

    Phoebe and Christine exchanged a brief look, each questioning the other if they should tell Carlisle about their situation.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    When they nced at Wanda for help, they saw her staring at Carlisle.

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°Did yourpany run out of funds?¡±

 Chapter 373

    In truth, Carlisle had overheard Christine and Phoebe¡¯s conversation earlier.

    SwiftFunds Financial Investments was the first online moneylending business in the country, and its reputation would only grow with the widespread usage of the

    inte.

    As such, SwiftFunds Financial Investments would need an astronomical sum of

    funds to keep up with its ever¨Cgrowing clientele.

    Christine pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have a few potential

    customers who are looking to borrow two million dors, but the repayment for the

    first loan we issued won¡¯t be due for another week.¡±

    Phoebe asked, ¡°Do you know anyone who might be interested in investing in ourpany, Carlisle? Could you pull some strings?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle grinned. ¡°You¡¯ve got a keen investor right here.¡±

    Phoebe and Christine froze. The former was the first to recover from her shock and

    said, ¡°Carlisle, we need two million dors, not 200 thousand. That gaming workshop

    of yours can¡¯t possibly make that much money!¡±

    ¡°How narrow¨Cminded of you,¡± Carlisle said dryly. ¡°You have no idea how profitable

    online games are.¡±

    With that, he pulled out a nk check. ¡°Give me a pen,¡± he said to Phoebe as he

    extended his hand.

    Once again, Phoebe stiffened in shock. He had a checkbook with him, and he

    seemed ready to invest two million dors into SwiftFunds Financial Investment.

    Christine had already given Carlisle her pen.

    Carlisle wrote the check for two million dors and signed on it with a flourish.

    When Christine saw this<b>, </b>she had to pinch her calf to make sure she wasn¡¯t

    dreaming. The sharp pain told her she was, indeed, awake.

    She never imagined Carlisle to be someone who could fork out two million dors

    without even batting an eye. It was as if he had be a different person from when he was in high school.

    Even Wanda had less than a million dors in savings when sheunched

    SwiftFunds Financial Investments.

    Phoebe¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers. ¡°Carlisle, you¡¯re not pulling our legs, are you?

    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking? Carlisle countered while chuckling. He added, ¡°Thispany of yours will make it big one day. You should look for more investors.

    The grace period you¡¯ve afforded your clients is at odds with the number of loans you put out. You¡¯ll need more funds if you want to keep the business running.¡±

    With that, Carlisle took Wanda by the hand and led her out of the ssroom.

    Phoebe felt as if she was in a dream as she stared at the check in her hands.

    All this while, she thought Carlisle <b>had </b>sessfully set up a gaming workshop

    because he had Wanda¡¯s help. It seemed she was wrong.

    If Carlisle could fork out two million dors without batting an eye, Phoebe reckoned

    his worth must not be less than five million dors.

    He couldn¡¯t very well have given Phoebe and Christine all his savings to help them.

    Christine took a deep breath. ¡°Carlisle¡¯s right; we have to find investors as soon as

    possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, please. Investors don¡¯t just fall out of the sky,¡± Phoebe cut her off wryly.¡±

    Besides, I think we should take things one step at a time.

    ¡°We¡¯ll only approve and put out loans after we¡¯ve received our dues; that should

    lower our risks.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Christine sputtered. ¡°We should reconsider ourpany name then.¡±

    Thepany hadn¡¯t been named SwiftFunds Financial Investments for nothing; the name itself guaranteed a fast lending process.

    The slower the lending process, the more their reputation would take a hit. They would end up losing customers at this rate.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle took Wanda to the man¨Cmadeke behind campus. There were several couples here, all of whom were seniors.

    Most of them refrained from physical touch, though. The most they did was huddle

    around and talk

    Not many of them held hands like Carlisle and Wanda did. None of them looked to be

    freshmen, either.

    Some of the seniors were looking at Carlisle and Wanda with envy.

    Over at Imperial Hotel, Gareth smacked his desk in executive suite no. 8 as he seethed, ¡°Damn you, Isaiah!¡±

    There was a feral look on his handsome face, and his eyes were bloodshot as he

    grimaced.

    Gareth was childhood friends with Isaiah Osbourne. They grew up together in the same neighborhood.

    When Gareth agreed to coborate with Isaiah in wine production, he never expected the sulfur dioxide used in this batch of wine to be over the safety index.

    Usually, a controlled amount of sulfur dioxide was used to stop any unwanted bacteria from growing on the grapes used in making wine, but too much of thepound could endanger human life.

    The batch of wine in question was the first batch to beunched, and over 30 bottles of it contained ten times more sulfur dioxide than the allowable concentration. That

    was enough to kill a man.

 Chapter 374

    In other words, over 30 bottles in this batch of wine were essentially poison.

    Max¡¯s face was ashen, and a chill ran down his spine as he pointed out, ¡°Thank goodness you took Carlisle¡¯s advice or something terrible might have happened!¡±

    The vein near Gareth¡¯s temple was throbbing. Grimacing, he seethed, ¡°That piece of shit was trying to screw me and Grandpa over!¡±

    Had this batch of wine beenunched on the market, a lot of people would have died

    from drinking it.

    Max suggested, ¡°This is a serious problem. You should tell your grandfather about it and see what he says. I¡¯m worried Isaiah could be working for the enemy.¡±

    Gareth¡¯s grandfather, Theodore Spencer, was an important figure.

    Isaiah could be plotting against Gareth¡¯s father, Amos with this batch of wine, for all

    Gareth knew.

    With a shaky hand, Gareth lit a cigarette and took a long drag. It was only after the thick smoke had unfurled in his lungs, and the nicotine had spread through his veins

    that his heartbeat slowed to a steady beat.

    A whileter, he grabbed his phone and gave Theodore a call.

    ¡°Gareth, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Theodore¡¯s warm voice sounded on the

    other line.

    Gareth snubbed the remaining half of his cigarette in the ashtray and said hoarsely, ¡±

    Grandpa, Isaiah is trying to screw me-

    Theodore mused, ¡°I didn¡¯t think the kid had such preferences.¡±

    Gareth blinked. ¡°Grandpa, what I meant was, Isaiah is plotting to destroy our family!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Tell me what brought this on,¡± Theodore prompted.

    Gareth told Theodore about the results of his investigation.

    After listening to everything, Theodore fell silent on the other line. Gareth continued,

    ¦§

    Max thinks Isaiah might be working for the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Does Isaiah know about you investigating him?¡± Theodore asked.

    Not yel

    ¡°Good keep it that way for now and pretend you don¡¯t know about the wine,¡± Theodore instructed slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

    With that, he hung up.

    Gareth leaned against his seat and breathed out slowly. ¡°Carlisle said our family

    might go bankrupt at best and be eradicated at worst.¡±

    Max narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t suppose Carlisle knows Isaiah, do you?¡±

    ¡°Isaiah is too proud to meet with someone like Carlisle,¡± Gareth said, his lips curling.¡±

    Besides, haven¡¯t we looked into Carlisle¡¯s background before?

    ¡°He¡¯s new in Rivend, and he came here for university after graduating high school.¡±

    Having given it a thought, Gareth picked up his phone and called Carlisle.

    Presently, Carlisle and Wanda were lounging on a stone bench under the willow tree

    by the man¨Cmadeke.

    Wanda was tucked close to Carlisle as she gazed at the shimmeringke. He had his

    arm around her shoulders, indulging in the idyllic moment as the gentle breeze

    caressed his face.

    Just then, his phone buzzed.

    While Wanda was not asleep, Carlisle worried a loud ringtone might scare her and

    had set his phone to silent mode for her benefit.

    He had only just put the call through when a familiar voice sounded from the other

    line. ¡°Hey, Carlisle. Where are you?¡±

    ¡°On campus,¡± Carlisle answered.

    ¡°Care to take the day off and join me for a drink?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I have a bonfire party to attend tonight,¡± Carlisle exined.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll meet you after your sses<b>, </b>then.¡±

    Carlisle turned down the caller. ¡°Yeah, no can do. I¡¯m bringing my girlfriend out for

    steak this evening.¡±

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Gareth cursed on the other line. There were plenty of people who would line up to have a meal with him.

    Even Yuriel and the mayor himself had invited Gareth for a meal when he first arrived in Rivend, but he had turned them both down.

    He couldn¡¯t believe Carlisle, of all people, was refusing to dine with him today.

    More importantly, Carlisle had turned down his invitation so he could bring his girlfriend out for steak! Couldn¡¯t they have steak¨Ctomorrow?

    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve found a problem with the batch of wine,¡± Carlisle mused breezily.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you about that in person!¡± Gareth hung up after that.

    He rose to his feet and said to Max, ¡°Come on, Max. We¡¯re going to Rivend

    University.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± Max asked.

    ¡°To see Carlisle.¡±

 Chapter 375

    Gareth walked out of the hotel expressionlessly.

    He was convinced that Carlisle was a fortune teller.

    If he hadn¡¯t been careful, he would have led his family down the path of destruction. Plus, all the money he had put into Scarlet Corporation would have gone down the

    drain.

    As such, Gareth wanted to see Carlisle to ask if there was anything he could do to

    change his fate.

    The shimmering man¨Cmadeke at Rivend University was awash with a golden

    glow as the setting sun cast its rays over the water.

    It made for a lovely sight.

    Tucked under Carlisle¡¯s arm and gazing at theke, Wanda mused to herself, ¡°It <b>is</b>

    almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream.¡±

    When Carlisle heard Wanda recite the famous quote word for word, he looked down

    at her in surprise and asked, ¡°Wanda, do you feel better?<b>¡±</b>

    Wanda did not answer him and simply stared at theke in silence.

    Carlisle sighed inwardly and tightened his arm around her, drawing her closer.

    Just then, Daniel called out to them from the nearbywn, wearing earphones that were plugged into an MP3 yer. ¡°Hey, Carlisle! The bonfire party¡¯s about to start! We¡¯ll go grab seats!¡±

    Shane quirked his lips and pointed out, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have bothered Carlisle like that, Daniel.¡±

    Daniel grinned. ¡°I was only thinking of his best interests. If we go early, we could grab front¨Crow seats and avoid having to cram with the others in the back.¡±

    Shane blinked. ¡°You do realize that students have been camping out near the bonfire

    site to grab front¨Crow seats since the afternoon, right? Even if we go now, we¡¯d be stuck in the back row.¡±

    ¡°Oh dam, I should have gone in the afternoon to grab seats for us!¡± Daniel smacked his forehead in frustration.

    He whined. ¡°Word has it that a few seniors would be doing some exotic dances on

    stage, and those seniors are supposedly total babes!

    ¡°How am I supposed to enjoy the show from the back?¡±

    Shane frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a shame, but I have a way for us to get good seats.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Daniel demanded, turning to look at Shane withical desperation

    Shane rubbed his thumb and index finger together, the implication of the gesture as clear as day. good seats came at a price.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Daniel gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Find out how much the seats cost. I¡¯ll grab a couple

    for Wanda and Carlisle.¡±

    $200 dors for a seat in the second row, and a hundred for a seat in the third,¡±

    Shane said.

    Frowning, Daniel pressed, ¡°What about the first row? If I¡¯m going to pay for seats, I might as well grab those in the first row!¡±

    Shane chuckled. ¡°The first row is reserved for honored guests, all of whom were invited by the university board. Those seats aren¡¯t for sake.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fine,¡± Daniel conceded and pulled out bills amounting to 800 dors from his pocket. ¡°Grab four seats in the second row. I want the middle section.¡±

    Shane scrunched his nose. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s going to cost you an extra 50 bucks for each

    seat.¡±

    ¡°The hell? You¡¯re telling me the seats cost more than entry tickets for a third¨Crate singer¡¯s concert?¡± Daniel cursed.

    He slipped off his left sneaker and pulled out two hundred¨Cdor bills. Both of which

    came with a pungent odor, given their hiding spot. Shane frowned but kept his

    remarks to himself.

    Just like that, Shane left with the money Daniel had given him.

    At that moment, Carlisle led Wanda to where Daniel stood.

    Daniel chuckled and <b>said</b>, ¡°Hey, Carlisle, L¡­¡±

    ¡°ed to take a phone call,¡± Carlisle interrupted him. His phone was buzzing, and he nced at the screen to see it was a call from Lethan.

    Daniel nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Carlisle answered the call and heard Lethan say, ¡°Hey, Carlisle. Where are you? I just got an invite to the bonfire party at your campus.¡±

    ¡°Come over, then. I¡¯m at the university right now,¡± Carlisle said.

    ¡°Great. I¡¯ve got two extra seats in the front row with the other honored guests. Why

    don¡¯t you and Wanda sit with me?¡± Lethan offered.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Carlisle replied.

    ¡°Great. See youter, then!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, see you.¡± After hanging up, Carlisle turned to Daniel and asked, ¡°So, what did

    you want to tell me?¡±

    Daniel choked. ¡°Uh¡­ Nothing.¡±

 Chapter 376

    Daniel had heard what was being said on the other line during Carlisle¡¯s phone

    conversation. With a tight smile, he shook his head at Carlisle and pretended he had

    nothing to say.

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°Could you go to the dorm and grab my guitar for me while I take

    Wanda to the stadium?¡±

    ¡°For sure,¡± Daniel said and turned to make his way to the dormitory.

    A stage had been set up in the stadium, and before it was the audience seating area. A total of 25 rows had been allocated, and there were 30 seats in each row.

    Shane found the student who was selling seats and handed him 800 dors. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 800 dors for four seats in the middle section, second row. It¡¯s a non¨Cnegotiable

    offer.

    The student who was selling the seats was an upperssman. He nced at the 800 dors Shane was holding out to him and frowned. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re kind of driving a

    hard bargain here.

    ¡°We agreed that the seats in the middle section wouldn¡¯t go for anything less than

    300 dors, which was why I held the reservation for you.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re offering a third less than the agreed price? Come on.¡±

    Shane didn¡¯t want to offend a senior, so he feigned despair as he mumbled, ¡°Concert

    tickets only go for about 100 dors per show; 300 dors for a seat at the bonfire

    party is too steep. Can¡¯t you go any lower than that?¡±

    ¡°Damn it, fine!¡± the upperssman growled. ¡°Rough day for business, I guess. Follow

    <ol>

    <li>me.</li>

    </ol>

    The upperssman took the 800 dors from Shane and led him toward the

    audience seating area.

    Shane hid his glee as he fell in step behind the upperssman.

    A lot of the students at Rive and University hailed from affluent backgrounds. While

    200 dors might seem a lot for the average working¨Css person, it was nothing to

    the rich.

    A seat for 300 dors would be considered a steal for these students, and even if the seats went for 500 dors, Shane would bet hisst coin that the scions would still

    fight for them.

    By grabbing four seats for 800 dors, Shane had saved close to 400 dors for

    Daniel.

    As the sky darkened, the lights in the stadium flickered to life.

    Images depicting the glory days of Rivend University and its many

    aplishments began to y on therge screen behind the stage.

    While the quality was far from high definition, the freshmen found the whole set¨Cup

    impressive.

    After all, a lot of the viges in the country were still considered underdeveloped, and it was a miracle for anyone to own a ck¨Cand¨Cwhite television.

    Arge screen projecting color images was rtively new and wondrous to the

    freshmen.

    Daniel had Carlisle¡¯s guitar strapped to his back when he bumped into Christine and

    Phoebe outside the stadium.

    Up until a second ago, he had been worried about the two extra seats that Carlisle

    and Wanda no longer needed.

    Now, <b>he </b>bounded up to Christine and Phoebe like they were his beacons of hope.¡±

    Hey there, gorgeousdies!¡±

    ¡°Daniel, are you trying to give me a heart attack?¡± Phoebe snapped, patting her chest

    to calm her beating heart when she saw that the person who hade up to her

    was none other than Daniel.

    It wasn¡¯t her fault that she was shocked; it was dark outside the stadium, after all.

    Christine nced at Daniel indifferently.

    Daniel chuckled sheepishly ¡°Sorry, I might have been a little loud.¡±

    Phoebe saw the guitar poking out from behind his shoulder and asked incredulously, ¡°You y the guitar?¡±

    you!Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the easiest instruments to pick up, you know,¡± Daniel said cockily.

    He wasn¡¯t bluffing. He came from a well¨Cto¨Cdo family, and he had dabbled in several musical instruments during junior high.

    While he was no expert in any of them, he could y a few simple tunes if he tried.

    Phoebe pressed, ¡°So what song are you ying tonight?¡±

    Another sheepish chuckle escaped him as he said, ¡°Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t sign up for the

    performance tonight.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you have a guitar?¡± Phoebe asked, quirking her lips in amusement.

    ¡°It¡¯s Carlisle¡¯s,¡± Daniel exined.

    ¡°Do you know what song he¡¯ll be performing?¡± Phoebe inquired.

    ¡°Nope, he didn¡¯t tell me,¡± Daniel said sadly.

    Phoebe rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you know anyway? Come on, Christine. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She linked arms with Christine and led thetter toward the stadium doors.

    At that moment, Daniel ran over to them and cut them off. ¡°You guys, wait!¡±

    He sneaked a nce at Christine and saw nothing but indifference on her face.

    Phoebe asked with a raised brow, ¡°What?¡±

    Daniel exined, ¡°Look, I had someone grab four seats for me in the second row. Two of the seats were originally meant for Carlisle and Wanda, but they¡¯ll be sitting in the first row with the guests.

    ¡°I was hoping you guys would do me a favor and take up the two extra seats.¡±

 Chapter 377

    Phoebe¡¯s eyes lit up at the offer. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    The audience seating area was likely full, and she had nned to stake out a corner with Christine so they could watch the performance. Neither of thern expected to get seats in the second row.

    Christine seemed tempted by the offer as well.

    Daniel caught the shift in Christine¡¯s expression and brightened up. me,dies!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so follow

    Phoebe gave Christine a prim look and asked quietly, ¡°Do we follow him, Christine?¡±

    Christine was hesitant as well. If the note Daniel had given her this morning was any indication, he seemed to have feelings for her.

    Daniel¡¯s throat tightened when he sensed Christine¡¯s hesitation. She wouldn¡¯t turn down his offer, would she?

    ¡°Why not? The seats are free, anyway,¡± Christine said, deciding that she would take Daniel up on his offer to watch the performance from the second row.

    Carlisle and Wanda had signed up to perform tonight. Although thetter was out ofmission due to her delicate state, Carlisle¡¯s performance would still go on.

    Christine certainly didn¡¯t want to miss out on either of their performances.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to your seats.¡± The crease between Daniel¡¯s brows smoothed

    out when he heard Christine¡¯s eptance.

    He led the two youngdies into the stadium, which was already packed.

    Peter and a few other board executives were ushering in the honored guests.

    Ten honored guests had been invited to the party. All of whom were businessmen

    who had made generous donations to the university in recent years..

    Two extra seats were given to each guest in anticipation of them bringing their

    family members or loved ones.

    At exactly 7:00 pm, the bonfire partymenced with an opening ceremony Two upperssmen took to the stage to wee the crowd.

    They made a fine couple on stage.

    The youngdy was none other than Queenie¡¯s best friend, Luna, She wore an exquisite evening gown that shimmered under the stage lights.

    The young man, on the other hand, was Derek Russell. He sported an athletic build and <b>a </b>handsome face. He appeared to have a rather friendly disposition and bore some resemnce to a celebrity.

    This was not the first time Luna had served as the host of a bonfire party.

    There was no trace of anxiety on her radiant face as she brought the microphone to her lips and said, ¡°To our distinguished guests, esteemed members of the faculty, and our fellow students¡­¡±

    ¡°Good evening, and thank you for being here!¡± Luna and Derek said in unison.

    Luna continued, ¡°Wee to our annual bonfire party. I¡¯m Luna, and I¡¯ll be your host for tonight.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m Derek, Luna¡¯s trusty partner on stage,¡± Derek introduced himself brightly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered here for a special asion today¨Cto wee our new students on campus and celebrate a new semester together!¡± Luna announced.

    Derek continued smoothly, ¡°We hope the freshmen will bring new dreams and ambitions to this new semester. Your presence here has given this school new life and energy. Because of you, our campus life is made even more vibrant!¡±

    Luna added, ¡°Tonight, we¡¯ve prepared a series of fascinating performances, including mesmerizing songs and captivating dance numbers. We even have a few.edy segments lined up for your amusement!

    ¡°All these programs are meant to showcase our student body¡¯s many talents and our appreciation for the freshmen.¡±

    ¡°I believe tonight will be a night ofughter and unforgettable memories,¡± Derek said with a dazzling smile. ¡°Let us forget our worries and rx as we enjoy this wonderful

    asion<b>!</b>

    Luna said, <b>¡°</b><b>Now</b><b>, </b>let <b>the </b>bonfire party <b>begin</b><b>! </b>We hereby begin the night¡¯s festivities. I

    Derek announced<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Our first performance is-N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Derek was cut off when Peter suddenly came <b>up </b>on stage..

    Thinking on his feet, Derek quickly smiled and said, ¡°But before <b>that</b>, fet us give a <b>round </b>of apuse to our dean<b>, </b>Mr. Smith<b>, </b>who will be giving a speech<b>!</b>¡±

    Luna handed the microphone to Peter.

    Peter took the microphone and addressed the audience apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to be giving a speech this evening<b>, </b>but the asion calls for it.

    ¡°We have a special guest <b>among </b>us today who has donated three million dors to

    our university to construct a new library.

    ¡°That special guest is Mr. Gareth Spencer, the man behind Scarlet Corporation! Let us give him a round of apuse!¡±

    At once, Gareth stood up in the audience seating area.

    When the spotlight fell upon him, the female students in the audience squealed. ¡°Oh my gosh, he¡¯s gorgeous!¡±

    ¡°Three million dors? He¡¯s so generous!¡± another gushed.

    ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s single.¡±

    ¡°Please, like someone as rich and handsome as him could be single!¡± Gareth sat down with a smile but kept his gaze fixed on Luna.

    Spin to im <b>Your </b>Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 378

    Gareth was taken aback by how much Luna resembled the woman he met the other

    day.

    Luna was just as surprised to <b>see </b>Gareth. Wasn¡¯t he the dirt¨Cpoor loser Naomi had told her about the other day? And yet, here he was being introduced as the chairman

    of Scarlet Corporation!

    Luna had heard about Scarlet Corporation and how the man behind it had spent a

    billion dors curating it as a high¨Cend brand.

    Her eyes widened as she contemted the possibility of Gareth being the man in

    question. If that were the case, Naomi had seriously misjudged him!

    ¡°Let us continue with this evening¡¯s programs,¡± Peter said as he passed the

    microphone back to Luna.

    Snapping out of her daze, Luna took the microphone and said, ¡°We¡¯ll begin tonight¡¯s

    festivities¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, in the audience seating area, Lethan nced at Carlisle and asked with a

    smile, ¡°Did you ask Gareth toe over?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡±

    Crossing his arms, Lethan let out a dry chuckle and said, ¡°I guess such generosity is

    expected of the chairman of Scarlet Corporation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he donated three million dors to the university. That¡¯s the total

    amount of donations I¡¯ve made to this school over thest three years!¡±

    Carlisleughed as he pointed out, ¡°You should try a little harder next time.¡±

    Lethan curled his lips in amusement. ¡°Business has been rough these days. I¡¯m strapped for cash. If my customers don¡¯t pay their dues on time, I¡¯ll have to tank my savings to make up for their credit. I might have to eat instant mac and cheese with

    eup

    you.¡±

    ¡°You would be lucky to even have instant mac and cheese,¡± Carlisle jested.

    He knew money was <b>bght </b>for Lethan right now, Since Investing in Holly Fisheries, I Clothing¡¯s <b>checking </b><b>ount </b>was nearly drained despite the <bpany¡¯s</b>

    reputation as an industry leader.

    Wanda was seated next to Carlisle<b>, </b>clutching the hem of his shirt while watching <b>the </b>performance on stage.

    ¡°How <be </b><b>Shein </b>and Yuriel aren¡¯t here? Carlisle asked.

    Shein and Yuriel were titans in the business industry. Carlisle expected invitations to have been <b>sent </b>out to both of <b>them</b>.

    Lethan exined, ¡°Their phnthropic contributions aren¡¯t limited to Rivend University. Other schools are holding initiation ceremonies this evening as well.¡±

    Carlisleughed. ¡°But their daughters are here<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    After a moment of thought, Lethan said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because of the incident yesterday.¡±

    Carlisle nodded and did not probe any further.

    In the center of the first row, Gareth turned to Max and asked, ¡°Max, don¡¯t you think Luna looks rather familiar<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Max nodded. ¡°She does. Given that the woman from the other day shares the same family name, there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯re sisters.¡±

    Gareth silently sipped his water and grimaced at how tasteless it was. He was dying for a whiff of nicotine, but he doubted it was appropriate for him to smoke here.

    ¡°Mr. Spencer, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± a sweet¨Clooking youngdy greeted from the side.

    Gareth nced <b>at </b>her and was surprised to see how attractive she was. However, she seemed a little too young for <b>his </b>tastes.

    ¡°You must be a freshman,¡± he gathered.

    She nodded demurely and said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Sarah Gates.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Connections were vital in <b>one¡¯s </b><b>journey </b>to sess and wealth. Sarah <b>had </b>decided that today was the day she expanded herwork.

    An odd look flickered past Max¡¯s face as he whispered something into Gareth¡¯s ear<b>.</b>

    Gareth¡¯s gaze turned icy <b>at </b>once. He looked up at Sarah and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve introduced yourself, you may return to your seat.¡±

    <b>Sarah </b>thought she had misheard him at first. He was a top businessman<b>, </b>after all. Surely she could expect more decorum from him.

    However<b>, </b>when she did not leave, Gareth frowned and demanded, ¡°Do you not understand a word I just said?¡±

    **Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 379

    Sarah nearly lost her temper. She couldn¡¯t believe Gareth could be so rude as to condescend to her like this. How could anyone with zero emotional intelligence and

    decorum like him be a sessful businessman?

    He must have inherited thepany from his father or grandfather. That had to be it.

    At the thought of this, Sarah did not bother concealing the scorn in her eyes as she

    asked softly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m too young to be a worthy connection, Mr. Spencer?¡±

    ¡°At least you figured that out for yourself,¡± Gareth said, crossing his legs as he shot

    her an indifferent nce.

    When Max looked into Carlisle¡¯s background, he had taken notes on a couple of

    worthwhile instances from thetter¡¯s high school life.

    One of them had been his failed romantic pursuit of Sarah, who had yed Carlisle

    for a fool.

    Sarah tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think a person¡¯s worth is dictated by their age, Mr. Spencer. You¡¯re a good example of that.

    ¡°It¡¯s impressive how you¡¯ve curated the most popr wine in the nation at such a young age, and I believe you¡¯re a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs like us.

    ¡°I approached you in hopes of learning about your experience and your take on the

    business world.¡±

    ¡°Guess you¡¯re in for a disappointment, then. I inherited thepany, so I have no worthy experience to speak of,¡± Gareth drawled, not sounding very apologetic at all.

    He had seen the scorn in her eyes earlier. She obviously thought of him as an unrefined, phndering sci¨®n. He might as well act the part.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m sorry for bothering you. Have a good evening, Mr. Spencer,¡± Sarah said in a clipped tone as she turned on her heels and left.

    She saw no point in continuing a conversation with someone who clearly had no interest in being civil.

    Max remarked, ¡°That youngdy has the potential to be a great businesswoman. With proper instruction, she could be a force of nature.¡±

    Gareth shook his head. ¡°She may have business acuity, but she doesn¡¯t have the makings of a fine businesswoman. Also, she¡¯s too greedy for her own good. I doubt she could make it as an entrepreneur.¡±

    Max countered in amusement, ¡°Last I checked, greed and business went hand in

    hand.¡±

    ¡°Why must you always pick <b>a </b>fight with me?¡± Gareth asked, rolling his eyes in

    exasperation.

    An hour into the performance, it was Sarah¡¯s turn to go up on stage and perform a jazz dance number. She had paid 5000 dors for one¨Con¨Cone lessons with a professional dance instructor.

    With her fair looks and skimpy dance outfit, Sarah won the audience over. One might even say she had what it took topete against a third¨Crate celebrity.

    Some students had already listed her as one of the top ten belles on campus.

    When the dance was over, Sarah bowed to the audience.

    Derek took to the microphone once more and said, ¡°What a spectacr

    performance! Who would¡¯ve thought our freshmen had such unbridled talent?

    ¡°Let us give the beautiful dancer, Ms. Sarah Gates, a huge round of apuse!¡±

    The audience obliged and burst into thunderous apuse.

    Luna then said, ¡°Next up, we have Carlisle Zahn, a freshman from ss 2 of the e-

    With that, she turned and began walking backstage.

    A few students in the audience began to question Luna¡¯s announcement. ¡°What the

    heck?¡±

    ¡°Did Luna forget her script?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Why didn¡¯t she mention the song title?¡±

    Even Derek was stumped. He had never expected Luna, of all people, to forget her lines.

    He decided to save the day. Derek smiled as he took over the microphone. ¡°The song Carlisle will be performing this evening is¡­¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    The smile slipped from his face when he nced at the card in his hand and realized it was nk. There was no song title written under Carlisle¡¯s name.

    He mentally cursed the person who had made the card. There must have been a

    mistake.

    ¡°So what song is it?<b>¡± </b>someone asked in the audience.

    ¡°Yeah, tell us already! Is it Copperhead?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this clown is a host.¡±

    The audience grew restless and began hurling insults at Derek, who wanted nothing more than to burrow into a hole in the ground.

    He should have looked at the card before going out on the stage. He was only trying to help Luna, but it seemed his good intentions were misced and had put him in

    trouble.

    ¡°This song is called ¡®Rest of My Life¡°,¡± Carlisle said, his deep and husky voiceing out of the gigantic speakers on either side of the stage.

    Derek finally heaved a sigh of relief as he quickly did damage control. ¡°Next up, we have Carlisle Zahn, a freshman from ss 2 of the emerce department who will be performing ¡®Rest of My Life¡® for us!¡±

    Toward the end of his announcement, Derek¡¯s voice dropped by a fraction.

    He had never heard of the song before, and he considered himself an aficionado of popr music. He had listened to many songs in manynguages, and yet he had

    nevere across a song with such a title.

    Derek wasn¡¯t the only one who was baffled. The music lovers in the audience were just as confused.

    Gareth mused, ¡°How interesting. You don¡¯t suppose he wrote this song, do you?¡±

    A light strum rang through the air as Carlisle perched on the stool in the center of the stage. He had propped his guitar up on one leg as he ran his thumb over the strings..

    There were two microphones set up before him: the taller one was meant for his vocals, and the shorter one was meant for his guitar.

    The moment he strummed his guitar, the audience fell silent.

    The spotlight fixed upon Carlisle¡¯s silhouette as he took a deep breath. He looked up and stared straight at Wanda.

    Wanda was holding Shania¡¯s arm as she cast her pretty eyes on Carlisle.

    A smile yed on Shania¡¯s lips as she said, ¡°Did you hear the song title? ¡®Rest of My Life¡®. I bet this song is dedicated to you!¡±

    Carlisle began ying the opening chords of the song.

    This was a love song, and it was meant to be sung with the rawest of emotions. He opened his mouth and sang, ¡°I was looking for sunshine in windless ces.

 Chapter 380

    ¡°Searching for you among unfamiliar faces¡­¡±

    The moment Carlisle sang the first verse of the song, the audience was blown away. Holy crap, he sounds good!¡± someone eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Hey, shut up, you dingbat!¡± someone hissed, and the stadium quieted down once

    more.

    Carlisle crooned into the microphone, ¡°You say our days are numbered, that the stakes are just too high, but all I know is I want you for the rest of my life.¡±

    Therge stadium had never witnessed such silence before. There were a thousand students packed into the space, and yet not one of them made a sound.

    Even the students who had just gotten out of sses stopped in their tracks when they passed by the stadium and heard the song. All of them were hooked onto the line.

    ¡°I only want you for the rest of my life¡°.

    Carlisle continued singing, his voice rising by an octave as the pitch changed. ¡°We¡¯ll grow old together and watch the snowkes fall; I¡¯ll thank the heavens for the words. to this song; I¡¯ll love you for the rest of my life.¡±

    The lyrics were by no means poetry, but the simple lines were captivating all the

    same. It was as if the words had epassed the unwavering promise of eternal.

    love.

    The song evoked the imagery of growing old together with one¡¯s true love and

    building a life with them. A song that spoke of twin mes.

    Although straightforward, the song awakened the long¨Cforgotten memories of the heartbroken, who shed tears as they recalled the love they had lost and mourned.

    The couples in the audience grew even more resolved to hold on to their one true

    love.

    Even those who were single in the crowd began to hope for love and picture

    themselves finding their soulmates.

    Everyone here wanted their happily¨Cever¨Cafters. Each soul longed <b>for </b>someone with whom they could spend the rest of their lives.

    Everyone wanted a love that could weather through the change of the seasons and the ups and downs of life.

    They all wanted someone who could stick by them be it in health or sickness, for

    richer or for poorer.

    When one was in love with the right person<b>, </b>nothing else mattered.

    As Carlisle continued signing on stage, some of the young and impressionabledies

    in the audience began crying.

    Queenie was seated in the front row with the other guests of honor, taking up the seats meant for Shein and Zachary. The two men couldn¡¯t make it to the bonfire party and told Queenie to attend the party on their behalf instead.

    There was an unreadable look in Queenie¡¯s <b>eyes </b>as she watched Carlisle on stage.

    In thest two years, she¡¯d had to rece her personal stereo twice because of how frequently she used them, eventually wearing them out.

    She had bookmarked no less than a dozen music websites<b>, </b>and every time a new song came out, she would download it onto her personal stereo.

    And yet, she had never heard the song Carlisle was performing on stage, and the melody was unfamiliar to her. She was a huge Copperhead fan, but after tonight, she could very well be Carlisle¡¯s fan.

    ¡°Rest of My Life¡°, the song was called. It was obviously written for Wanda.

    Queenie cast a sidelong nce at Wanda, who was leaning against Shania as she stared at Carlisle. Wanda¡¯s gaze was hollow, but there was a faint smile ying on

    her lips.

    ¡°I want to show you the world, and tell everyone you¡¯re mine,¡± Carlisle sang

    second verse.

    the

    No less than a thousand people had gathered at the stadium to hear him sing.

    A few couples who were in their honeymoon phase were embracing each other,

    white a few of the heartbroken had tears streaming down their cheeks as they willed themselves not to sob.

    Even the security guards were stunned by Carlisle¡¯s singing, even if they couldn¡¯t quite understand the meaning of the song. But judging by the reaction of the students at the stadium, they reckoned the song must be good.

    The song was, naturally, very good. It would go on to win several awards in the future, beating out other dazzling contenders.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t take my eyes off you¡­¡± Carlisle sang, his voice dipping into a cadence to signify the end of the song.

    The lyrics were simple, but they struck a chord within the audience.

    A hush fell upon the stadium, and even the crowd outside was quiet. It seemed the song had left everyone in a daze.

    The moving melody and the beautiful lyrics seemed to echo in their ears.

    ¡°Thank you, everyone!¡± Carlisle said a whileter when neither Derek nor Luna came up on stage to take over the set.

    He stood up and bowed to the audience, wrapping up his performance.

 Chapter 381

    Luna took a deep breath, pulled herself together, and walked onto the stage. ¡°Let¡¯s-¡±

    But before she could even get the words out, someone in the audience suddenly demanded, ¡°Encore!¡±

    Luna looked at Gareth in the audience, then turned her gaze to Peter

    ¡°Encore! Encore! Encore!¡± All the students present stood up and shouted in unison. It was deafeningly loud.

    Then, more than a thousand people who had gathered outside the stadium also joined in the shouting.

    Peter nodded his approval.

    Luna then looked toward Carlisle. ¡°Carlisle, what do you think?¡±

    Carlisle looked up at Wanda, realizing that she and Shania were also shouting for an encore performance. Thus, he nodded with a smile. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll sing it once again.¡±

    Luna snuck a few more nces at Carlisle, then went down to the side of the stage.

    Carlisle began to sing again.

    The stadium fell silent and everyone had their eyes fixed on Carlisle.

    Shane took out a strange¨Clooking cell phone and turned on the sound¨Crecording function.

    The cell phone was strange because the casing was made of wood, and the buttons were colorful and irregr -as if they were taken out from many other cell phones.

    Daniel asked curiously, ¡°Shane, did you make this cell phone yourself? Didn¡¯t your already have a cell phone?<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°I¡¯ve given it to Olivia,¡± came his reply.

    Shane showed off the cell phone he assembled and grinned. ¡°I made the casing myself, and I got the buttons and other essories from a recycling center for 100 dors. By the way¡­¡±

    As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. He pulled out 200 dors <b>from </b>his pocket and passed the cash to Daniel. ¡°I bargained the price to 800 dors and saved you 200 dors.¡±

    Daniel looked at Shane¡¯s innocent smile and said helplessly, ¡°Take this 200 dors <b>as </b>your service charge. I¡¯ll give you more next month to buy a better cell phone<b>. </b>It¡¯s

    embarrassing!¡±

    Shaneughed awkwardly. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>won¡¯t use it in public from now on then.¡±

    Daniel rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll smash it once we¡¯re back at the dorm tonight!¡±

    Just then, Phoebe spoke up, ¡°Shane, can you send me the song after you record it? My cell phone doesn¡¯t have the recording function.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Shane agreed generously.

    Daniel suddenly turned to stare at Shane. ¡°Do you n to record and sell the audio?¡±

    Shane chuckled. ¡°I have to get Carl¡¯s permission for that.¡±

    This song was very easy to resonate with. If it was released, it would definitely be

    popr all over the country.

    They might be able to make a fortune if they sold the audio recording for a dorPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    each.

    Daniel finally understood why Carlisle was being so nice to Shane. With Shane¡¯s knack for business, he would certainly be more sessful than Daniel in the future.

    Christine stared at Carlisle on the stage, and her eyes turned teary.

    This song was written for Wanda. She couldn¡¯t help but think that Wanda was

    incredibly lucky.

    While everyone was enjoying Carlisle¡¯s singing, Ruby and Sarah were lost in their own

    thoughts.

    Seated next to Yuriel, Ruby slowly closed her eyes and wondered if the song was

    dedicated to Wanda.

    She couldn¡¯t figure out which part of her was inferior to Wanda. Wanda was admitted

    to Rivend University¨Cbut so was Ruby. Wanda¡¯s father was a famous entrepreneur

    but Ruby¡¯s father was even more remarkable than Shein.

    Was it because she had a bad temper? But she could change herself<b>.</b>

    What else should she do? Should she just give up? These thoughts swirled in Ruby¡¯s mind as Carlisle sang thest verse<b>.</b>

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 382

    Ruby decided not to give up on Carlisle, after all.

    As long as Carlisle and Wanda were not married, there was still hope for her. She could keep waiting.

    As Sarah listened to Carlisle¡¯s singing, various thoughts yed in her mind as well.

    She was surprised to learn that Carlisle could y the guitar and sing beautifully. If she had agreed to be with him back then, would this song be dedicated to her<b>?</b>

    Ruby appeared to have taken a liking to Carlisle as well.

    This was such a bizarre world, where the poor was fond of the rich and vice versa. She really couldn¡¯t figure out what was so appealing about Carlisle. Despite their wealthy dispositions, these girls fancied the man she had rejected.

    She decided not to dwell on her thoughts any longer as she shook her head and

    cleared her mind.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Carlisle had finished his second performance at this moment, but the audience

    looked as if they still hadn¡¯t had enough.

    Over 3000 people were gathered inside and outside the stadium. It was as lively as

    an artist¡¯s concert.

    The passers¨Cby outside only learned that the song had ended upon hearing the burst.

    of apuse from within the stadium. Yet they refused to leave, as if expecting the

    artist to sing again.

    However, they were let down.

    Soon, they could hear a girl singing ¡°Separation¡± in the stadium.

    ¡°You and I agreed to meet on the bustling street at midnight¡­¡±

    Her tone, pitch, and emotions were great, but it was not enticing enough to keep the

    audience hooked.

    The passers¨Cby outside the stadium slowly left with regret, while the audience inside

    started to chat amongst themselves.

    The student singing on the stage looked a little dejected, but she was not discouraged. After all, she had also been engrossed in Carlisle¡¯s singing.

    Carlisle drank some water backstage and was ready to return to his seat, but he suddenly found himself surrounded by many students. They came with papers and pens in hand, insisting on getting an autograph from Carlisle. They firmly believed that he would debut as an artist in the future.

    Based on the responses Carlisle received from his performance just now, the students were sure he¡¯d cause a sensation across the country once he debuted. The autographs they obtained would also be valuable due to Carlisle¡¯s poprity.

    Carlisle knew what these people were thinking, and he tly refused. ¡°Getting my autograph is meaningless as I won¡¯t join the entertainment industry.¡±

    I

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Carlisle. It¡¯d be a waste of your talent if you don¡¯t join the

    entertainment industry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll definitely support you if you hold a concert in the future.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. If you be a celebrity, your family and hometown will be so proud of you.

    Carlisle did not answer them.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Queenie and Shania came backstage with Wanda at this

    moment.

    The students dispersed when they saw Queenie.

    Meanwhile, Wanda ran up to Carlisle and hugged him tightly.

    Carlisle¡¯s whole body was tense. There were many crew members present. Zachary¡¯s girlfriend was also there, and they were currently living together!

    Queenie could tell that Carlisle was worried about her being there, so she said lightly,

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    Shania blinked and promised, ¡°Me neither!¡±

    Only then did Carlisle hug Wanda gently.

    Susan walked in at this moment. ¡°Carlisle-

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Seeing the two hugging each other, she smiled awkwardly and turned

    to leave.

    Carlisle stopped her. ¡°Ms. Lowe, if you have anything to say, you can tell me.¡±

    Susan turned back around and said with a smile, ¡°Well, my best friend is <b>a </b>talent

    scout. So if you have the intention, I can introduce you both to each other someday.¡±

    <b>Carlisle </b>shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I won¡¯t be joining the

    entertainment industry.¡±

 Chapter 383

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Susan was a little stunned as Carlisle was so decisive with his answer.

    As Carlisie¡¯s teacher, Susan had nned to beg her best friend to train Carlisle when she learned that he was so talented in music. To her surprise, Carlisle t¨Cout rejected her.

    Carlisle exined with a smile, ¡°I have my own ambitions, and they have nothing to do with the entertainment industry.¡±

    Shania understood what Carlisle meant. He aspired to thrive in the business world.

    Others may not believe in Carlisle, but she had faith in him.

    At the age of 18, he had already umted a wealth of over 200 million dors

    within a month, which he then invested.

    If Carlisle¡¯s investments paid off, his wealth would soon surpass that of Shein¡¯s and

    Yuriel¡¯s.

    Queenie sighed. ¡°Carlisle, you should consider Ms. Lowe¡¯s suggestion.¡±

    Carlisle asked with a smile, ¡°If I be a top star, will the Thompson family allow me to marry Wanda?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Queenie shook her head. ¡°Business families like the

    Thompsons don¡¯t really like celebrities.¡±

    Carlisle chuckled. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this topic here. It¡¯s Wanda¡¯s turn to perform soon. I¡¯ll bring her to do her

    makeup. Wanda, let¡¯s go.¡± Queenie went up to pull Wanda to the dressing room.

    As it turned out, Wanda had decided to perform after all.

    Wanda turned to look at Carlisle, reluctant to part with him.

    Carlisle said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll watch you perform from below the stage.

    Only then did Wanda smile and head to the dressing room with Queenie.

    Carlisleter returned to his seat and found that an old man was already upying it.

    It was Gareth¡¯s guardian.

    Max shed a light smile. ¡°Mr. Zahn, Mr. Spencer would like to talk to you.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Gareth came to Rivend University to meet Carlisle in person, so Max had to treat Carlisle politely.

    Carlisle looked up in Gareth¡¯s direction, and Gareth responded by lifting his eyebrows. That said, it was dark in the stadium, so Carlisle couldn¡¯t see it.

    Max grinned. ¡°Mr. Spencer doesn¡¯t bite. What are you afraid of?¡±

    ¡°Please go back for now. I¡¯ll treat him to some steakter. I have to watch my girlfriend¡¯s performance, and I don¡¯t want to be distracted,¡± Carlisle said calmly.

    Max choked on his own saliva, surprised to hear what Carlisle had just said.

    Gareth was Amos Spencer¡¯s only son, and Amos was an influential personality in Yorksle.

    All that aside, Gareth was an extraordinary businessman himself. He had lowered himself toe to the university to meet Carlisle in person, yet Carlisle did not appreciate it.

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m really taken aback by your lovey¨Cdovey act,¡± Max forced himself to say.

    Lethan helped Carlisle to smooth things over by saying, ¡°Mr. Spencer has personallye here to see you, it¡¯s not nice to make him wait.¡±

    Max smiled without saying a word, but he was obviously displeased.

 Chapter 384

    Lethan continued, ¡°But Mr. Reyes, please apologize to Mr. Spencer on Carlisle¡¯s behalf. Wanda was kidnapped yesterday, and she even witnessed a family bodyguard being killed. She¡¯s traumatized, so Carlisle has to support her.

    ¡°She intends to dance for Carlisle. If he¡¯s talking with Mr. Spencer while Wanda is performing onstage, just how embarrassed will she be?¡±

    Max was taken aback. ¡°She was kidnapped? Really?¡±

    Lethan was amused by his reaction. ¡°You¡¯re busy running your businesses. This incident caused quite a stir yesterday, so you should be able to see it on the news.¡±

    Max instantly rose from the chair. ¡°Mr. Zahn, please have a seat. I¡¯ll exin the situation to Mr. Spencer.¡±

    Carlisle smiled. ¡°Tell Mr. Spencer that I will drink with him as punishmentter.¡±

    Max was satisfied with Carlisle¡¯s reply. He then returned to Gareth¡¯s side.

    After sharing with Gareth the incident Lethan had mentioned, Gareth was also

    appalled. ¡°Are there still such unruly kidnappers these days?<b>¡±</b>Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true. I¡¯ll make a call and ask about it,¡± Max pulled out his

    phone as he spoke.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I could tell that Wanda didn¡¯t look quite right just now. Shel seems very different from thest time I saw her. They¡¯re likely telling the truth.¡±

    Gareth shook his head and asked again, ¡°What else did Carlisle say?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll drink with you as punishment.¡±

    Gareth grinned. ¡°He knows the drill.¡±

    ¡°He has Lethan by his side, so he was probably trained.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Gareth lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Then, he looked at the

    stage and said, ¡°Let¡¯s watch the dance performance.¡±

    As if on cue, Luna announced the next act. ¡°Let¡¯s wee Wanda Thompson, a

    freshman from ss 2 of the emerce department, to perform a ballet number

    for us

    In truth, Luna was a little worried.

    Wanda was an introvert and couldn¡¯t be over¨Cstimted in her current state. Luna was concerned she would be unable to ovee her social phobia.

    Wanda had changed into a white tutu. She sidled up the stage as the music began to y. Her body seemed to glide rather than wobble, as she ascended the stage.

    She had light makeup on. Her eyes were beautiful and her hair draped smoothly. With gentle expressions on her delicate face, every movement she made was

    alluring.

    Ballet was a dreamlike dance that could bring the audience into a colorful

    wondend. Ballerinas would wear dazzling tutus with rainbow¨Clike threads that sparkled under the stage lights.

    Wanda danced gracefully to the melody, lifting her arms gently like a fairy. Her dance moves were soft and elegant, as if she was wandering on clouds.

    As the melody rose, Wanda¡¯s flexible body spun rapidly but steadily like a top. The white tutu fluttered with her movements, appearing to form a blooming white rose.

    ¡°Wow¡­ The freshmen this year are so talented!¡±

    ¡°As their senior, I¡¯m stressed!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, how are we going to perform our dances after her?¡±

    The students below the stage eximed.

    ssical dances <b>like </b>ballet were different from modern dances.

    ssical dance was an elegant and culture¨Cinfused dance, which emphasized the

    unity of movements, rhythm, costumes, performances, and heritage.

    It had a unique artistic appeal and cultural value, and it was more pleasing to the

    <b>eyes</b><b>.</b>

    Carlisle was smiling from ear to ear as he watched Wanda dancing on the stage. He

    was so proud of her. She was doing extremely well.

    He took out his cell phone and turned on the video¨Crecording function. He was lucky to be seated close to the stage and thus could record Wanda¡¯s enticing dance.

    While everyone was engrossed in Wanda¡¯s graceful performance, the electronic screen behind the stage suddenly flickered,ter turning to apletely unrted scene altogether.

    ¡°Just in, the chairman of the Thompson Group, Shein Thompson, and his family were kidnapped as they were returning to their hometown.¡±

    The screen flickered again and a different newscaster¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°The police have currently sealed off Trodie Town<b>, </b>and a rescue n will soon be

    activated. We believe that good will triumph over evil.¡±

    ¡°The ruthless kidnappers killed a bodyguard of Mr. Thompson, who was known to

    have worked for him for four years.¡±

 Chapter 385

    As if he had just been struck by lightning, Carlisle jumped from his seat and roared with bloodshot eyes and protruding veins on his forehead, ¡°Turn off the screen, quick!

    His hysterical voice rang throughout the stadium, and every student was looking at

    him with confusion.

    Wasn¡¯t this yesterday¡¯s news? A crew member had probably made a mistake. There was really no need for such a big reaction.

    Wanda stopped dancing and turned to look at the screen when the first news footage was yed.

    In the final news footage, Mac, whose face was covered in blood, was carried out by the two kidnappers and thrown onto the ground like trash.

    Wanda¡¯s heart raced and her blood pressure instantly rose. She felt dizzy, and

    suddenly she could see Mac¡¯s bloodied face all around her.

    She eventually crouched down, held her head, and screamed. Then, she passed out

    on the stage.

    The stadium fell silent in an instant.

    ¡°Wanda!¡± Carlisle jumped over the tables in front of the VIP seats and rushed ontol

    the stage.

    Peter also stood up in a rush and shouted, ¡°Turn off the screen, quick!¡±

    The crew member backstage was unable to turn off the pop¨Cup on hisputer. He cried anxiously, ¡°I can¡¯t turn it off. Theputer was hacked!¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Luna hurried to turn off the main switch before rushing toward the stage.

    Wanda was already traumatized and shouldn¡¯t have been stimted. Thankfully,

    Carlisle was there to help her recover for most of the day. But now she had

    witnessed something even more horrific.

    ording to Zachary, Wanda only knew that Mac was shot and carried out by the

    kidnappers that day. She had not seen Mac¡¯s bloodied face, nor how his corpse was

    treated.

    This had worsened Wanda¡¯s trauma.

    Lethan also rushed toward the stage with a solemn face<b>. </b>Shania, on the other hand,

    burst out crying anxiously.

    Christine, Phoebe, and Wanda¡¯s other roommates all went up the stage.

    Susan, Peter, and many faculty members also rushed over.

    Carlisle¡¯s roommates and Arthur¡¯s gang gathered around the stage.

    Looking at Wanda who was unconscious, Sarah didn¡¯t look happy at all. If it were her who¡¯d passed out, how many people would be concerned like this?

    She got up and was about to leave when Ruby suddenly grabbed her wrist.

    Sarah turned to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Ruby narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Was it you?¡±

    Sarah smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t you like Carlisle? Let me tell you the truth, you¡¯ll never have at

    chance as long as Wanda is still alive.¡±

    Then, she broke free from Ruby¡¯s grasp and slowly disappeared into the dark.

    Ruby stared at Sarah¡¯s receding back, terrified.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Sarah actually wanted to kill Wanda?

    Ruby thought she was bad enough. She had bullied many of her ssmates to assert her status, but she had only ever resorted to a p, at most. She would event give them money for treatment if they bled from her hit.

    Yet, Sarah had the intention of killing Wanda?

    Upon further contemtion, however, Ruby realized that Sarah was right. Ruby

    would never have the chance to be with Carlisle as long as Wanda was alive.

    On the stage, Carlisle pinched Wanda¡¯s bleeding nose while holding her in his arms,

    Wanda¡¯s chest heaved violently as she choked. Then, she spat a mouthful of blood.

    onto Carlisle¡¯s face.

    Carlisle looked around frenziedly. In his panic, he felt that everyone looked

    unfamiliar. For a minute, he even believed that they were culprits who wanted to

    harm Wanda.

    ¡°Go¡­ Go away!¡± Carlisle roared fiercely, causing the crowd to take a step back.

    ¡°Doctor. Is there a doctor here?¡± Lethan was also very anxious as he stared at Peter and asked loudly.

    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Chapter 386

    ¡°Yes, there is. I¨CI¡¯ll make a call now.¡± Peter¡¯s hand was shaking as he reached for his

    cell phone.

    Queenie said, ¡°I¡¯ve already called 911.¡± Then, she grabbed Luna¡¯s arm and asked, ¡± Luna, what will happen to Wanda?¡±

    Luna answered worriedly, ¡°I¡­ I have no idea as well. I only hope that it¡¯s not an intracranial hemorrhage.¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s heart ached when he heard Luna¡¯s words.

    Heath suffered from an intracranial hemorrhage as well. Rowan had said that there was a slim chance for Heath to regain consciousness, and he was very likely to go

    into a vegetative state.

    Treating him with alternative medicine was just a desperate,st resort.

    ¡°No¡­ No way. She is still so young. It¡¯s impossible for her to have an intracranial hemorrhage!¡± Carlisle hugged Wanda tightly.

    His face was stained with blood as he stared at her in his arms, sobbing. ¡°Wanda, I¡¯m

    sorry. I¡¯m sorry for breaking my promise again. I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡±

    ¡°Carlisle, let me check on her.¡± Max and Gareth broke through the crowd at this

    moment.

    Carlisle looked up at Max who spoke.

    Gareth quickly exined, ¡°Max is a doctor.¡±

    Carlisle nodded upon hearing that.

    Max then knelt on the ground and checked Wanda¡¯s pulse.

    The lights in the stadium were turned on. Luna announced the early end of the party

    and¨Calong with Derek¨Cbegan directing the students to leave.

    Max checked Wanda¡¯s pulse for a full minute before he said with relief, ¡°Fortunately, it was just a panic attack. Send her to Imperial Hotel. I¡¯ll prepare some herbal

    and and treat ben

    to regte her blood flow

    Liria was alon rehavet to know that it was a panic attack

    Cartele checked into an Imperial Hotel suite at 10:00 pm.

    Wands had several acupuncture needles inserted into her hands, feet, and head.

    The herbal medicine was being boiled in the kitchen, and the air was filled with herbal scents

    Max expertly twisted the acupuncture needles and checked on Wanda¡¯s pulse from

    time to time.

    Carlisle was sitting at her bedside, and Wanda was <b>grasping </b>his thumb tightly.

    Zachary in the living room looked terribly gloomy as he red at Queenie. ¡°You¡¯d better ask your grandfather to find the culprit, or else he¡¯ll suffer an early retirement.

    Zachary was not joking. He had connections in the headquarters of Yorksle Education Bureau. Just a word from him would certainly cause her grandfather to lose his job.

    Queenie pursed her lips. ¡°Of course, an investigation will be carried out. I¡¯ve also called the police, who will assist with the investigation. But there¡¯s nothing we can do if they can¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    How were they going to investigate the hackedputer? The Inte was not yet.mon, so the police were probably stumped, too.

    Luna frowned and suggested, ¡°Could it be those kidnappers<b>?</b>¡±

    Zachary snorted. ¡°Those bandits are illiterate. How could they hack aputer?¡±

    Luna sneered. ¡°I rarely useputers, but even I know that a hacker doesn¡¯t have toCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    be physically present while hacking aputer.¡±

    Zachary fell silent at that.

    Luna was right. Real hackers didn¡¯t have to show up in person. Did that mean the kidnappers really were the culprits this time?

    Queenie quickly reasoned, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be them. It¡¯s impossible for the kidnappers to target Wanda again. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t just scare her with a few videos. They have no idea that Wanda is traumatized.¡±

    Luna continued to deduce, ¡°Then it should be Mr. Thompson¡¯s business rival.¡±

    Zachary looked at her as if she was a fool. ¡°That¡¯s even more unlikely. Unless there¡¯s a great feud, no one would harm the family members of their business rival. We are. legitimate businessmen and not despicable gangsters!¡±

    ¡°Then why did you bother Carlisle¡¯s parents?¡± Queenie made a contemptuous remark.

    Luna widened her eyes in an instant, mimicking Zachary¡¯s earlier tone as she repeated, ¡°We are legitimate businessmen and not despicable gangsters<b>!</b>¡±

    Zachary refuted with a solemn face, ¡°I didn¡¯t harm them. I just got some people to

    talk to them.¡±

    Luna continued to mimic Zachary. ¡°We are legitimate businessmen and not

    despicable gangsters!¡±

    ¡°Moron!¡± Zachary always treated Queenie and her best friends to meals, so they were

    quite close. They would argue and quarrel sometimes.

    ¡°You¡¯re the moron!¡± Luna immediately rebuked.

    Zachary was not in the mood to argue with Luna. He lit a cigarette and looked in the

    direction of the bedroom door.

    ¡°Will Wanda rely on Carlisle even more after she wakes up?¡±

 Chapter 387

    ¡°What do you think?¡± It seemed like Luna intended to get on Zachary¡¯s nerves by making him anxious.

    However, Zachary was not worried in the slightest. ¡°I¡¯ve hired an amazing. psychologist. I¡¯m sure he can help Wanda recover.¡±

    Luna was surprised. ¡°An amazing psychologist? Who is it? I might know him.¡±

    Zachary exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke and questioned indifferently, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°You bastard.¡± Luna grabbed a cushion on the couch and threw it at Zachary.

    Zachary moved sideways to dodge it..

    Lethan scolded coldly, ¡°As Wanda¡¯s brother, you¡¯re still in the mood to fool around?<b>¡±</b>

    Shania also gave Zachary a displeased re.

    Although Zachary was usually unruly, he would behave himself in the presence of Lethan and Shania. He put <b>out </b>his cigarette in the ashtray and once again looked

    toward the bedroom door.

    Suddenly, Zachary frowned and asked, ¡°Do you think it was Ruby?¡±

    Lethan and Shania immediately looked at Zachary.

    Luna nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    Queenie demolished Zachary¡¯s spection. ¡°No, it¡¯s unlikely. I¡¯ve observed Ruby before. Although she¡¯s got a questionable character, she does things in the open. If she injures someone she beats in school, she would pay for their medical fees.

    ¡°She knows that Wanda is traumatized, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t continue to target

    <b>her</b>.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Zachary scratched his head in annoyance. ¡°Damn it. Who is it, then? If I ever find out<b>, </b>I¡¯ll bury them alive<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Shania murmured coldly, ¡°Bury them? You must have gone off the rails after hanging

    out with those people. Shein did the right thing by stopping you from <b>engaging </b>with that underground group<b>.</b>¡±

    Zachary was speechless. He was only venting his anger. Why did Shania take it seriously?

    Shania was only a few years older than him, but there was still a generational gap- especially in the way theymunicated.

    Just then, Max pushed the bedroom door open and walked out. All of them stood up

    in an instant.

    Zachary strode up to him and asked, ¡°Is Wanda awake?¡±

    Max looked tired as he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, but her trauma seems to have worsened. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, and we can only let her heal with time.

    ¡°Feed her the herbal medicine in the kitchen after letting it boil for another half hour. It regtes blood flow and promotes rxation.¡±

    Zachary looked relieved and took out 2000 dors from his pocket to hand to Max. This is your treatment fee. Leave me your contact number so that we can keep in touch in the future.¡±

    Max took a nce at the 2000 dors in Zachary¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me. I lent a hand because of Carlisle.¡±

    Zachary¡¯s smile froze at the mention of Carlisle. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to further as he put the money away and walked into the bedroom.

    press any

    Wanda was still wearing her white tutu, but it was now stained with a lot of blood. From afar, it looked like crimson¨Cred flowers blooming in the snow.

    Her face was pale and her bloodshot eyes were dull.

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡± Zachary walked to the front of her bed and called her name softly.

    Seeing that Wanda did not respond, he turned to Carlisle and said, ¡°You go out first.¡±

    Carlisle said lightly, ¡°She needs mypany.¡±

    Zachary muttered through gritted teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my temper in front of Wanda.¡±

    Carlisle was silent for a moment before getting up slowly.

    Wanda grasped his thumb even tighter and mumbled in a hoarse voice, ¡°Carlisle, don¡¯t go¡­¡±

    Carlisle sat back on the bed and said gently, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡­¡± Zachary called her name once again, but Wanda closed her eyes right

    away.

    Zachary was irritated but couldn¡¯t express it.

    Luna sneered by the door. ¡°Know your ce. Do you think Wanda likes you that

    much?¡±

    Zachary turned to re at Luna angrily. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He had to

    destroy a few guilds in The Legendary Tale to vent his anger.

    ¡°I still have something to do. I¡¯m leaving,¡± he spat.

    Zachary pulled out a name card from his wallet and ced it on the bedside table.¡±

    Call me anytime if Wanda needs anything.¡±

    Then, he left without looking back.

    But the moment he walked outside¡­.

 Chapter 388

    He ran into a waitress holding a tray of drinks, and the hot water spilled on his

    clothes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to!¡±

    The waitress was young, perhaps 18 or 19 years old. She had just started working at

    the hotel and was training every day for the past few <b>days</b>.

    Guests staying on that floor were either rich or noble, and their clothes could be

    worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dors.

    Now, she¡¯d spilled drinks on the guest¡¯s clothes. If he asked her to pay for it<b>, </b>she

    wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it.

    He was so infuriated that he clenched his fist and felt the urge to hit her. But when he saw the pale¨Clooking waitress, he forcefully suppressed his anger.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    He wanted to scold her, but he was worried that he might disturb Wanda.

    He decided to bear with it, so instead he said, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    He stormed toward the elevator in a fury and took out his cell phone to make a call. Gather all our friends to exterminate that fucking Tiptop guild tonight!

    ¡°What? Just buy the equipment if it¡¯s not enough. Didn¡¯t I give you the seller¡¯s

    contact information?¡±

    Just when the elevator door opened, someone stood in his way. He cursed angrily,¡± You mother-¡±

    But he immediately changed his words upon seeing the person¡¯s face. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡±

    Josie stood at the elevator door with two female assistants dressed formally and holding bags of supplements and medicines.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times to control your emotions when you¡¯re outside. When are you going to grow up?¡±

    Josie exuded the grace of an elite businesswoman. She sounded calm but her <b>cold</b>

    eyes were oppressive.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m angry because of Wanda¡¯s incident.¡± Zachary put his cell phone into his pocket even before he could end the call.

    Although he was one of the few rich sclons in Rivend, he still had to listen to his

    mother.

    Josie nced past Zachary and walked out of the elevator with the two assistants.

    In the meantime, Lethan and Shania also went into the bedroom to check on Wanda. Seeing that she had regained some color in her skin, both of them were relieved.

    Shania said softly, ¡°Carl, I¡¯m going to take off as well. Please take good care of

    Wanda.¡±

    Carlisle forced a stiff smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±

    Lethan also said, ¡°Call me if anything happens.¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Please ask the two people outside to go back and rest as well.¡±

    Lethan and Shania turned and walked out of the bedroom¨Conly to catch Josie¡¯s

    arrival.

    Both the siblings greeted Josie at the same time.

    Josie looked at Shania and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Wanda?¡±

    ¡°Wanda-¡±

    Josie frowned the moment Lethan spoke. ¡°Did I ask you?¡±

    Lethan could only shut his mouth.

    Shania at this moment dutifully replied, ¡°Wanda is awake. You can go and see her.¡±

    Josie¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Is he inside, too?¡±

    Lethan and Shania were puzzled as they had no idea who Josie was referring to.

    Shania asked carefully, ¡°Do you mean Carlisle? He¡¯s inside; Wanda refuses to let go

    of his hand.¡±

    ¡°Put the things down, Josie looked <b>calm </b>as she instructed the two assistants

    behind her.

    The two obeyed and ced the bags on the coffee table.

    ¡°Josie, aren¡¯t you going in to see Wanda?¡± Shania continued to ask.

    She suddenly felt that Josie was acting a little strangely. Josie doted on Wanda very much, yet Josie could not bear to see Wanda after she¡¯d met with such a traumatic

    incident.

    Spin to im Your SurpriseR

 Chapter 389

    Josie turned and left with her two assistants without saying a word.

    Lethan and Shania exchanged nces and shrugged.

    Luna let out a sigh. ¡°It seems no one in the Thompson family likes Carlisle.¡±

    Queenie scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t see Carlisle¡¯s good qualities<b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    Luna asked with a smile, ¡°Does that mean you now know of those qualities?¡±

    Queenie remained silent. She would eventually get married to Zachary, so she would still side with Zachary, and would only ept Carlisle when Zachary did.

    But regardless, she wouldn¡¯t bully Carlisle in college.

    ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of fools. No one in this world can be deemed excellent if Carlisle is not considered excellent enough. If I had a daughter like Wanda, I¡¯d definitely marry her to Carlisle.¡± Lethan left with both hands in his pockets after making such an indignant remark.

    Queenie was taken aback. ¡°What did Carlisle do to win Lethan over?¡±

    Shania said indifferently, ¡°I agree with Lethan.¡±

    Something was amiss, especially when those words came from Shania.

    ¡°Do you know what this implies?¡± Luna stretched and yawned.

    ¡°What?¡± Queenie looked at Luna curiously.

    ¡°They¡¯ve realized many more of Carlisle¡¯s good qualities,¡± Luna answered with at

    smug smile.

    Queenie could only jeer, ¡°They¡¯re short¨Csighted. There are countless other excellent individuals besides Carlisle in this big, expansive world.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going back to my apartment to sleep. Do you want toe with me?¡± Luna rose and was about to leave.

    Queenie shook her head. ¡°Zac asked me to keep an eye on them. The Thompson

    family will be embarrassed if the two of them are rumored to have stayed together in

    a room alone.¡±

    ¡°Are Zac¡¯s words thew? Don¡¯t you have your own opinions? You¡¯re already acting like this now, what happens after you get married to him in the future?¡± Luna extended her finger to poke Queenie¡¯s forehead.

    Queenie smiled and said, ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s because I love him. A lonely<b>, </b>singledy like you wouldn¡¯t be able to understand.¡±

    Luna¡¯s face darkened as she scrunched her nose and said, ¡°If I weren¡¯t concerned about disturbing Wanda, I¡¯d humiliate you by stripping you naked.¡±

    Queenie puffed up her chest and challenged, ¡°Try me.¡±

    Luna gritted her teeth and pounced. The two of them tickled each other on the couch, but they both bit their lips shut so that they wouldn¡¯t make a sound.

    Queenie used to practice wrestling and also worked out regrly, so it wasn¡¯t easy for Luna, who was delicate and weak, to beat her.

    Queenie soon gained the upper hand and sat atop Luna. She identally ripped off Luna¡¯s shoulder strap, exposing her shoulder.

    Gareth, who was wearing a white shirt, a pair of jeans, and flip¨Cflops, walked in at this

    moment.

    Luna widened her eyes and was about to scream.

    the door and was

    unaware of the presence of a man. She had an evil smile as she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t your want to strip me naked? I¡¯ll strip you first!¡±

    Queenie was quick to cover Luna¡¯s mouth. She had her back to <i>+</i>

    Then, she moved to tear off Luna¡¯s clothes. Luna shook her head repeatedly,

    pleading with her eyes.

    Queenie continued to smirk. ¡°Your pitiful look is tempting. Let me enjoy it letting it

    serve men¡¯s interests.¡±

    Gareth couldn¡¯t help but cough a little.

    Queenie¡¯s body stiffened as she slowly turned her head to look at the door. She was

    surprised to see Gareth.

    She quickly got a nket to cover Luna¡¯s body. Then<b>, </b>she tidied up her clothes <b>and </b>hair before she turned to Gareth and said without expression, ¡°Mr. Spencer, don¡¯t <b>you </b>knock before entering someone¡¯s room?¡±

    Gareth looked a little awkward. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have known that the both of <b>you </b>are so wild behind closed doors.¡±

    Luna covered herself with the nket and hid behind <b>Queenie</b><b>.</b>

    Queenie blushed and asked, ¡°Did you alsoe to see Wanda?¡±

    Gareth shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m here for Carlisle<b>.</b>¡±

    Queenie was shocked. ¡°You know Carlisle?¡±

    Gareth thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Queenie narrowed her eyes at him. Gareth had donated three million dors to

    Rivend University before the start of the bonfire party.

 Chapter 390

    He was probably as rich as Zachary¡¯s father. However, upon recalling that he was the chairman of Scarlet Corporation, she was no longer surprised.

    ¡°Carlisle is in the bedroom. You can go in.¡± Queenie pointed at the half¨Cclosed door.

    Gareth headed toward the bedroom and nced sideways at Luna hiding behind

    Queenie.

    Seeing this, Queenie hurriedly moved to block Luna. She would never let this pervert

    touch her best friend.

    Luna also peeked at Gareth, wondering if he was her sister¡¯s ex¨Cboyfriend. He looked exactly the same as him, but his vibe and hairstyle were different. What¡¯s more, herBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    sister¡¯s ex¨Cboyfriend was not called Gareth Spencer.

    Gareth walked to the door and knocked on it gently.

    Carlisle¡¯s soft voice could be heard from the bedroom. ¡°Come in,¡± he called.

    Gareth gently pushed the door open and walked in.

    ¡°Mr. Spencer,¡± greeted Carlisle.

    Gareth nodded in response and looked at Wanda, who was l

    motionless on the

    bed. He whispered, ¡°Max said that she¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll be able to move around after

    resting for a night.¡±

    Carlisle was grateful. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Max was with Gareth. Thus, he must have saved Wanda on Gareth¡¯s order.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I owe you a bigger favor than this.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve asked Mr. Smith to keep watch on the hackedputer. I¡¯ve gotten in touch with awork expert, who should be able to find the culprit after inspection.

    Gareth knew how important Wanda was to Carlisle.

    Carlisle would never allow Wanda to be harmed and not take action afterward.

    Well, if he were Carlisle, he would definitely get to the bottom of it.

    Carlisle was feeling touched again. ¡°Gareth, you¡¯re really thoughtful. I was <b>in </b>a mess just now and didn¡¯t even think of finding the culprit.¡±

    <b>teasu </b>+

    Gareth sighed. ¡°It¡¯s be the daughter of a rich family. <b>You </b>both still have a

    long way to go.¡±

    Carlisle said with confidence, ¡°No matter how long the journey ahead is, I¡¯ll bring her along with me.¡±

    Gareth had nned to talk about

    a patient was lying there. It waPotentially working with Carlisle, but it waste and

    inappropriate to bring up now, so he said, ¡°Have a

    good rest. I¡¯m still waiting for you to buy me a steak.¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°If Wanda recovers by tomorrow, I¡¯ll treat you to steak in the evening.

    In truth, the business deal was the main focus, not the steak. Carlisle was well aware

    of Gareth¡¯s real intention, but he couldn¡¯t let Gareth stay. He was not in the mood to

    think about making money.

    Carlisle¡¯s cell phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated.

    He was about to get up and answer it when Wanda suddenly opened her eyes. She

    begged with teary eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Carlisle quickly sat back down andforted her.

    Gareth picked up the phone and passed it to Carlisle, who saw that the caller ID was

    Ben.

    Carlisle epted the phone and looked up at Gareth.

    Gareth smiled in understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room to get some shut¨Ceye. Call

    me if you need anything.¡±

    Only after Gareth tactfully left the room did Carlisle answer the phone. ¡°Hello, Ben.¡±

    ¡°Carl, we¡¯ve reached Franklin Complex. Your parents were so kind and prepared a lot

    of food for us.¡±

    ¡°d to hear that. What about Heath?¡±

    ¡°Heath is staying in your room for the time being. Mr. Hughes performed

    acupuncture on him just now.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Take good care of Heath, and don¡¯t bring trouble to my parents,¡± Carlisle reminded in a low voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Carl. Your parents are now my family too, and I¡¯ll do all the heavy lifting in the future. I also have good news for you. The businesses that we sold to Titan were all raided tonight. Both parties fought and seriously injured each others¡® top

    fighters.¡±

 Chapter 391

    Benjamin <b>sounded </b><b>excited </b>as he <b>spoke </b><b>to </b>Carlisle with <b>admiration</b>.

    Carlisle¡¯s <b>move </b><b>not </b><b>only </b><b>kept </b>Benjamin <b>out of </b><b>trouble</b><b>, </b><b>but </b>also <b>caused </b>Titan <b>and</b>

    Jalen to <b>fight </b>it <b>out</b>.

    Carlisle <b>had </b><b>predicted </b><b>such </b><b>a </b><b>result</b>, <b>and he did </b><b>not </b><b>appear overly </b><b>delighted</b><b>. </b>He <b>said </b><b>in </b>a low voice<b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Ben</b><b>, </b>you should <b>know </b>what to say <b>and </b><b>what </b><b>not </b>to say in front of my <b>parents</b><b>, </b><b>right</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Benjamin </b>grinned. <b>¡°</b><b>Carl</b>, although I¡¯m not as smart as Heath, I¡¯m not <b>a </b>fool. I won¡¯t let

    your <b>parents </b>learn about our identities. During dinner, <b>I </b>told them that we¡¯re your business partners and Heath was harmed by an assassin hired by <b>a </b>business rival.¡±

    Hearing this, Carlisle was relieved. ¡°Take good care of Heath. It¡¯s gettingte, and I

    should sleep soon.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Goodbye, Carl.¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡± Carlisle hung up the phone and put it aside.

    Carlisle felt more at ease with Benjamin staying with his parents. After all, Benjamin

    had experienced a lot, and the local tyrants of Rainville may not necessarily be able to suppress him even if they tried.

    Queenie came in at this moment with the herbal medicine in hand. ¡°Carlisle, the

    medicine has cooled down. Wake Wanda up, and I¡¯ll feed this to her.¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Carlisle turned to look at Wanda and said gently, ¡°Wanda, wake up and take the

    medicine.¡±

    Wanda slowly opened her eyes and spread her arms coquettishly. ¡°Hug me.¡±

    Queenie¡¯s jaw dropped in surprise. She suddenly regretted acting cute to Zachary in

    front of Wanda. She even told Wanda that men were defenseless against coquettish

    acts.

    Wanda had learned everything and used it on Carlisle in front of her!

    Carlisle was just as stunned. Still, he leaned forward to hug Wanda with a smile. He

    then lifted her to an upright position.

    Wanda sat against the <b>bed¡¯s </b>headboard. Her eyes were dull, <b>and </b>she was

    expressionless as if she <b>was </b>an <b>empty </b>shell <b>without </b>a <b>soul</b>,

    <b>Queenie </b><b>scooped </b><b>a spoonful </b><b>of </b><b>medicine </b><b>and </b><b>fed </b><b>it </b><b>to </b><b>Wanda</b><b>, </b><b>whispering</b>, ¡°<b>Wanda</b><b>, </b><b>open </b><b>your </b>mouth.¡±

    <b>Wanda </b>did <b>not </b><b>respond</b>. <b>It </b><b>was </b>as <b>if </b><b>she </b><b>had </b><b>not </b><b>heard </b><b>Queenie</b>.

    ¡°<b>Let </b><b>me </b><b>do </b><b>it</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>Carlisle </b>said.

    <b>Queenie </b><b>passed </b>the medicine to Carlisle, who also scooped a spoonful of medicine <b>and </b><b>fed </b>it to Wanda. ¡°Wanda<b>, </b>open your mouth,¡± he tried.

    <b>Wanda </b>blinked and looked up at Carlisle, then she imitated Carlisle in opening her

    <b>mouth</b>.

    Carlisle fed the medicine to Wanda and she swallowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s bitter.¡± Wanda frowned as she looked at Carlisle with a resentful gaze.

    ¡°You¡¯ll recover after having this.¡± Carlisle smiled and tried to feed her again.

    Wanda, however, shut her mouth tight and shook her head vigorously.

    Queenie was growing a little annoyed. ¡°Wanda, I won¡¯t like you anymore if you don¡¯t

    behave.¡±

    But Wanda still refused to open her mouth, regardless of how Queenie coaxed her.

    Carlisle was also helpless.

    Queenie suddenly suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you feed her with your mouth?¡±

    Carlisle gave Queenie a confused look. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®mouth¡°?<b>¡±</b>

    Queenie smirked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be very smart? You know exactly what I

    mean.¡±

    Only then did Carlisle understand. That said, he was more confused than ever.

    Zachary would have asked Queenie to keep an eye on him and Wanda so that he

    wouldn¡¯t do anything out of bounds to Wanda.

    <b>Yet</b><b>, </b><b>she </b><b>was </b>asking <b>him to </b><b>feed </b><b>the </b><b>medicine </b><b>to </b><b>Wanda </b><b>with </b><b>his </b><b>mouth</b><b>?</b>

    ¡°<b>It¡¯s</b>. <b>It¡¯s </b><b>inappropriate</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b><b>Carlisle </b><b>pretended </b><b>to </b><b>be </b><b>embarrassed</b>.

    <b>Queenie </b>snorted. <b>¡°</b>Stop <b>pretending</b><b>. </b>I know what you¡¯re thinking. Before <b>Wanda </b><b>is </b><b>fully </b>recovered, I won¡¯t stop the physical intimacy between you both. <b>But </b><b>only </b><b>kissing </b><b>is </b><b>allowed</b>!¡±

    Queenie left the bedroom and closed the door after that.

    Carlisle touched his nose and carefully said, ¡°Wanda, I¡¯ll feed you the medicine with my mouth.¡±

    Wanda tilted her head and stared at Carlisle, as if she was wondering what he meant

    by that.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle had already put the medicine into his mouth.

 Chapter 392

    <b>Chapter </b><b>392</b>

    It really was bitter! Carlisle had a twisted expression with the medicine in his mouth.

    But when he recalled that Wanda also had to put up with this bitterness, he waved the thought away.

    Ten minutester, Wanda was still crying because of the bitterness.

    Carlisle held her in his arms andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, I¡¯ll buy you sweets.¡±

    Wanda sobbed and said, ¡°I want creamy candies.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy them for you,¡± Carlisle gently said with a smile.

    Queenie came into the bedroom upon hearing Wanda¡¯s cries.

    Carlisle requested, ¡°Please take care of Wanda. I¡¯m going to buy her candies.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Queenie sat in the seat that Carlisle previously upied.

    Wanda looked past Queenie and stared at Carlisle¡¯s back for a long time. She only looked away after Carlislepletely disappeared from the suite.

    ¡°Wanda, do you know who I am?¡± Queenie held Wanda¡¯s hand. Her tone was sweet, but she was displeased to see Wanda¡¯s red lips. Carlisle must have fed Wanda with

    his mouth so aggressively that her lips were swollen.

    Wanda stared at Queenie for some time before she nodded and replied, ¡°You¡¯re

    Queenie.¡±

    Queenie smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can still recognize people.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Half an hourter, Carlisle returned while panting, bringing with him arge bag

    carrying 20 packets of creamy candies.

    Queenie was surprised, her mouth slightly ajar. She looked at Carlisle in disdain for

    some time and said, ¡°Wanda is not in her right mind, but neither are you. How are you

    going to finish all these?¡±

    Queenie was envious of Wanda despite her rough words. Zachary had never bought her candies, after all. He usually bought her costly makeup and designer handbags-

    or he¡¯d just <b>give </b>her pocket money. She was <b>already </b><b>getting </b><b>bored </b><b>of </b><b>materialistic </b>gifts.

    Carlisle was out of breath while tearing the packets open. ¡°We can eat them slowly. It¡¯s better than not having enough.¡±

    Queenie remained silent. She was rendered speechless, to be exact.

    She had unknowingly given Carlisle the chance to show his love for Wanda.

    Carlisle unwrapped a creamy candy and fed it to Wanda. A slight smile appeared on her face after she ate the candy.

    It was then that Queenie took a look at the time. It was almost 1:00 am.

    She got up and yawned. ¡°I¡¯ll be sleeping in the next room. Call me if you need anything.¡±

    After Queenie had left, Wanda extended her hand, and Carlisle dutifully offered her

    his thumb.

    Wanda smiled happily as she grabbed Carlisle¡¯s thumb. ¡°You have a piece of candy,

    too.¡±

    Carlisle gazed at Wanda¡¯s red lips and recalled the sensation of feeding her with his

    mouth. He still longed for it, so he requested, ¡°Can you feed me the candy with your

    mouth?¡±

    Damn it! Carlisle inwardly cursed himself. He felt like a pervert deceiving a child.

    Wanda said nothing and leaned over to kiss Carlisle.

    The kisssted three minutes.

    Carlisle felt hot all over, and there was ayer of mist in his eyes. An urge spread

    below his abdomen.

    Wanda blushed as she lowered her head and whispered, ¡°I feel strange¡­¡±

    Carlisleughed sheepishly. ¡°You¡¯re imagining it. You should go to sleep now.<i>¡±</i>

    Wanda nodded obediently andy on the bed, gazing at Carlisle. ¡°Stay here.¡±

    She held Carlisle¡¯s hand and ced it on her chest.

    Carlisle, who had managed to suppress his urge just now, was <b>aroused </b><b>again</b><b>.</b>

    Something was going to happen if this continued. He quickly cleared <b>his </b><b>thoughts </b>and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

 Chapter 393

    Wanda gazed at Carlisle until her eyelids grew heavy. Soon, she fell asleep. <b>The</b>

    medicine should have kicked in by now.

    Carlisle took half an hour to suppress his desires, then he moved to sleep beside

    Wanda.

    Gareth was surfing the Inte in his suite and soon came across a post on the

    Rivend forum.

    The headline read, ¡°Two Heroes of Rivend Engaged in a Gunfight¡°. He clicked into it and saw a few photos of entertainment venues being raided. A gang fight had

    erupted between two factions.

    Just then, Max came running from his bedroom with a cell phone in hand. ¡°Mr. Spencer, something happened.¡±

    ¡°The matter between Titan and Jalen?<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Yes, even your grandfather knows about it. This is the secondrge¨Cscale fighting incident in Rivend this month. I think upper management might soon send someone over to rectify the order of Rivend.¡±

    ¡°Max, don¡¯t you think something¡¯s off? Jalen has washed his hands clean and is now working hard to clear his name. Won¡¯t his efforts go down the drain after making such a big fuss this time?¡± Gareth leaned against the executive chair and pondered

    in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s indeed strange, but that¡¯s not our concern. We¡¯d better focus on how to get back the money we lost in Scarlet Corporation,¡± Max said with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about an upward of 600 million dors. It¡¯s not easy to get back.¡±

    Garethughed bitterly.

    ¡°We still have Carlisle. He seems to have some sort of magical power,¡± Max said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go to bed. Make sure you check how Wanda is doing tomorrow. She needs

    to get better if <b>I¡¯m </b>to eat steak<b>.</b>

    Wanda awoke at 4:00 am.

    She wanted to go to the bathroom but didn¡¯t dare go alone.

    ¡°Carlisle¡­¡± Wanda poked Carlisle¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Are you having another nightmare?¡± Carlisle opened his eyes in a daze and held Wanda in his arms. He drawled sleepily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. I¡¯m here with you¡­¡±

    Wanda pouted and bit Carlisle¡¯s nose.

    Carlisle instantly woke up and looked at Wanda. ¡°Wanda, you¡¯re awake?¡±

    He was very happy to see that Wanda looked healthy and was not as pale as yesterday. Max was truly an amazing doctor.

    ¡°Carlisle, go to the bathroom with me,¡± Wanda whispered.

    ¡°Okay. Wait, what?¡± Carlisle agreed without thought, but he came to his senses in the

    next moment.

    Did she want him to go to the bathroom with her? Was he going to watch her?

    Wanda thought that Carlisle was disgusted with her. Her eyes instantly became teary as she pouted and was about to cry!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go to the bathroom.¡± Carlisle immediately lifted the nket, got up, and retrieved a pair of indoor slippers for Wanda.

    Wanda put on the slippers and went to the bathroom with Carlisle.

    However, the bathroom was locked and the light inside was switched on. Queenie was obviously already inside.

    Carlisle knocked on the bathroom door and asked, ¡°Are you done?¡±

    Queenie was constipated. She gritted her teeth and replied, ¡°Almost¡­¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Then she asked, ¡°Is it you or Wanda who wants to use the bathroom?¡±

    It it was Carlisle who had to go, she would ask him <b>to </b><b>wait</b>. If It was <b>Wanda</b>, <b>she </b><b>could</b>

    <b>hold </b>it in.

    ¡°Wanda wants to use the bathroom,¡± Carlisle replied with his back facing <b>the</b>

    bathroom door.

    After another five minutes, Queenie flushed, turned on the venttor, and left the

    bathroom.

    Looking displeased, Carlisle asked, ¡°What took you so long? Are you suffering from

    hemorrhoids?

    Queenie red at Carlisle and stuttered, ¡°You¡­ D¨CDon¡¯t talk nonsense. You¡¯re the one with hemorrhoids!¡± Then, she ran back to her room in embarrassment.

    Carlisle smirked. ¡°My guess was right.¡±

    Wanda wordlessly entered the bathroom without closing the door.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle stood at the door with his back to Wanda.

    In the next moment, Carlisle heard a rustling sound behind him, followed by the sound of water flowing, sparking his imagination.

    Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Chapter 394

    After Wanda was done, she flushed and went to wash her hands.

    Carlisle brought Wanda back to the bedroom and urged her to go back <b>to </b>sleep.

    However, Wanda was wide awake and could not go back to sleep, so she asked Carlisle to sing for her.

    Carlisle leaned against the headboard and asked gently, ¡°What song do you want to

    hear?¡±

    Wanda snuggled in Carlisle¡¯s arms and listened to his strong heartbeat in silence. She then whispered, ¡°Any song.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll sing you ¡®Let¡¯s Get Married¡®.¡± Carlisle cleared his throat and started to sing softly.

    ¡°A pure white wedding dress, flowers in your hand. It¡¯s as beautiful as a fairy tale¡­¡±

    It was another song that Wanda had never heard before.

    While listening to his singing, she imagined herself marrying Carlisle. She wore a gorgeous white wedding dress while Carlisle wore a crisp suit. They both walked into the church together.

    Her parents, Zachary, Lethan, and Shania were all smiles as they looked at her and

    Carlisle.

    She fell asleep in Carlisle¡¯s arms after the song was finished. Carlisle leaned his face against her head and closed his eyes to sleep as well.

    Queenie knocked on the door at 6:00 am. ¡°Carlisle, Dr. Reyes is here.¡±

    Why was he here so early? The sun was not even up yet.

    Carlisle lowered his head to look at Wanda, only to find that she was already awake.

    She was staring at the nket, not moving at all.

    He gently scratched her waist and said, ¡°Max hase to check on you. Let¡¯s get up.

    Queenie pushed the door open and walked in. She <b>was </b>relieved <b>when </b><b>she </b><b>saw </b><b>that </b>they had their clothes on. ¡°Did you both sleep sitting <b>up </bst night<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Wanda slept upright after she came back from the bathroom.¡± Carlisle briefly exined as he got up and helped Wanda to put on her shoes.

    They came to the living room<b>, </b>and Carlisle greeted Max first. ¡°Good morning, <b>Max</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°Good morning,¡± replied Max with a smile.

    He then took a nce at Wanda and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s good to be young. She¡¯s almost recovered after a night¡¯s rest. If it were a middle¨Caged or elderly man, it would take them three to five days to recover.¡±

    11

    Carlisle politely said, ¡°It¡¯s because of your excellent medical skills.¡±

    Maxughed. ¡°You¡¯re ttering me. Remember to treat Mr. Spencer to steak tonight.¡±

    Wanda also tugged at Carlisle¡¯s sleeve when she heard the word ¡®steak¡®. She muttered, ¡°Steak¡­¡±

    Max¡¯s smile grew wider. Gareth would definitely get to have steak tonight.

    Queenie said at this moment, ¡°Wanda likes to eat at the famous ¡®Wondend

    Steakhouse¡® down on Northdale Street.¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner there tonight.¡±

    Max said, ¡°Then, I won¡¯t take up too much of your time before ss. Feed Wanda the herbal medicine again, and prevent her from being stimted likest night. If she has another panic attack, I¡¯m afraid she might really have an intracranial hemorrhage.

    11

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay with her and promise to take care of her,¡± Carlisle dered with

    determination.

    Max left after some small talk.

    Queenie went to the kitchen to reheat the herbal medicine. Then, she tried to feed it

    to Wanda, but Wanda refused to open her mouth yet again.

    Carl

    ¡°Tis think s

    d said, ¡°Let me feed it to her with <b>my </b>mouth<b>.</b>¡±

    one pretended to be embarrassedst night.¡± <b>Queenie </b><b>ced </b><b>the</b>

    bowl of medicine on the coffee table and griped.

    ¡°What cise can I do? I¡¯m doing my best to cure Wanda¡¯s Illness,<b>¡± </b>Carlisle <b>said </b><b>with </b><b>a </b>slight <b>smile</b>.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Queenie red at Carlisle and continued to say, ¡°Wanda¡¯s clothes <b>are </b><b>on </b>the couch. I¡¯ll head to campus first. You both hail a cabter.¡±

    Queenie did not wish to witness how Carlisle fed Wanda the herbal medicine.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Although she had been with Zachary for years<b>, </b>she still couldn¡¯t bear to see others being lovey¨Cdovey in front of her.

    Carlisle used the same method asst night to feed the medicine to Wanda. Both of them had twisted expressions due to the bitter medicine¨Cbut Carlisle was enjoying it. He felt that he could endure this kind of bitterness forever.

    ¡°Creamy candy¡­¡± Wanda wanted some candy after taking the medicine.

    Carlisle pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into

    Wanda¡¯s mouth.

    Wanda sucked on it for a while before she put her arms around Carlisle¡¯s neck and fed the candy to him.

    The previous kiss was bitter, but now all they tasted was sweetness.

    Was this considered going through thick and thin together?

 Chapter 395

    Carlisle and Wanda rushed to the ssroom before the first period.

    After taking attendance, Susan distributed the printed ss schedule to her students. Then, she announced, ¡°The military training is over. The bonfire-<b>¡±</b>

    She immediately stopped and corrected herself. ¡°The military training is over, which means your university life officially starts now. Remember your ss schedule well. ¡°Also, we will be electing a ss council today and tomorrow. Those who think that they are capable cane talk to me.¡±

    She cast a brief nce at Carlisle and Wanda. She had her eyes set on these two and was sure one of them would be elected the ss monitor.

    After all, they were highly rmended by their trainer, Lawrence.

    Carlisle did well from the beginning, and his performance was even more

    outstanding during the military training.

    Carlisle noticed Susan¡¯s gaze, and he could guess that she wanted him to run for the

    ss election.

    Adding a position on the ss council during university to one¡¯s resume could prove advantageous during job hunting.

    That said, Carlisle did not need this. He was only attending university to keep Wandapany and make his parents proud.

    Wanda was sleepy after drinking the herbal medicine, so she dozed off on the table.

    Ruby poked Carlisle¡¯s back from behind and asked, ¡°Carlisle, are you going to run for

    the ss council?¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t want to talk to Ruby, so he just shook his head wordlessly.

    Ruby continued to say, ¡°I want to run for the position of ss monitor.¡±

    Carlisle wanted to tell her that it was none of his business, but he didn¡¯t want to risk

    falling out with her considering her identity.

    He suddenly wondered if Ruby was involved <b>in </b>the Incidentst <b>night</b><b>.</b>

    Before this, Ruby had schemed against Wanda on the school bus <b>heading </b><b>to </b>the outdoor military training site. Later, Wanda and Ruby¡¯s group also falled in their mission to expand their base due to conflict.

    Carlisle didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries. He directly turned his head to stare at Ruby and demanded, ¡°Was it youst night?<b>¡±</b>

    ¡°What?¡± Ruby was taken aback.

    What happenedst night? The incident on stage involving Wanda?

    She had a prior conflict with Wanda, so it was normal for Carlisle to suspect her.

    After contemting her reply, Ruby asked, ¡°Would you believe me if I said that it wasn¡¯t me?¡±

    Carlisle stared at Ruby¡¯s eyes as if he could see through her.

    Ruby stared back at Carlisle without any fear. She was not involved in that incident, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

    Carlisle looked away soon after. Ruby should be innocent, but who else could it be if

    not her?

    Sarah? But the one Sarah hated was him. She had no reason to harm Wanda.

    It seemed like he could only wait for thework expert hired by Gareth to begin investigations.

    The couple had a full day of ss today. Wanda slept most of the time, but the teachers did not disturb her.

    Peter had already informed the teachers that Wanda was not feeling well and that she should be resting at home. He also asked them to keep an eye on her.

    After sses, Carlisle received a call from Gareth even before he walked out of

    campus.

    ¡°Carlisle, have you finished your sses?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite on time.¡±

    ¡°Of course, eating is important.¡± Gareth joked<b>, </b>as <b>if </b>he was <b>trying </b><b>hard </b><b>to </b><b>get </b><b>close </b><b>to </b>Carlisle.

    Carlisle said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Wondend Steakhouse on Northdale Street.¡±

    Gareth grinned. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head over right away.¡±

    On the way out, Carlisle ran into Kelvin at the gate. He seemed to have been beaten

    again. His face was bruised and swollen, and there was a band¨Caid on his forehead.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    Carlisle asked indifferently, ¡°Who beat you?<b>¡±</b>Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Kelvin shook his head and said nothing. This time, he was beaten by Alex¡¯s men.

 Chapter 396

    as not someone Carlisle <b>could </b>deal with.

    Kelvin Print look for Carlisle <b>recently </b>because he previously <b>informed </b>Carlisle of the news toote, causing Wanda <b>and </b><b>her </b>family to <b>be </b>kidnapped. A person was even killed in that incident.

    Thus, <b>he </b><b>believed </b>that Carlisle would not forgive him and would hate him even more. He didn¡¯t wish to humiliate himself again.

    ¡°Look for Arthur and ask to join his group.¡± Carlisle left this remark before pulling Wanda into a cab he¡¯d just hailed.

    At <b>first</b><b>, </b>he indeed had no intention of forgiving Kelvin. Wanda ended up like this because of those kidnappers, after <b>all</b>.

    If Kelvin had informed him immediately upon learning the news, perhaps these things would not have happened. In addition, Carlisle would have kept his word and owed Kelvin big time.

    However, Kelvin hesitated for a whole night after receiving the news<b>, </b>allowing those. kidnappers to sessfully take control of the Thompson family.

    Plus, he almost got Heath killed in an attempt to resolve the situation.

    Thus, he didn¡¯t n to forgive Kelvin.

    But when he saw Kelvin¡¯s bruised and swollen face, he guessed that Kelvin had tipped him off despite the pressure from Jalen, a hero of Rivend.

    If it were him, he might not have been able to make the decision easily as Heath was

    already in the hospital¡¯s intensive care unit at that time.

    After much deliberation, he eventually forgave Kelvin.

    Northdale Street was crowded and lively. The food trucks and various shops were bustling with business.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes fit up when she saw the food trucks

    want to eat that. She pointed <b>at </b>a food truck selling buffalo <b>wings</b>

    That¡¯s too greasy Carlisle rejected her with a smile. ¡°And if you¡¯re full <b>after </b>eating <b>that</b><b>, </b><b>how </b>are you going to eat steakter?*

    Wanda let go of Carlisle¡¯s hand and stomped her <b>feet</b>, pouting. ¡°Come <b>on</b>, I want to

    eat that<b>.</b>¡±

    Carlisle could do nothing but smile and <b>pinch </b>Wanda¡¯s cheek. ¡°Alright<b>, </b>alright. I¡¯ll buy

    it for you.¡±

    After buying a serving of buffalo wings, Wanda wanted to eat a corndog.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    After buying her the corndog, she wanted to eat doughnuts.

    Wanda the foodie had apparentlye out to y.

    Soon, Carlisle found himself carrying several bags of snacks.

    Wanda was delighted. With a buffalo wing in her left hand and a doughnut in her right, she was happily enjoying her food.

    ¡°You have a bite, too.¡± Wanda passed the half¨Ceaten buffalo wing to Carlisle like <b>a</b>

    child.

    Carlisle smiled as he epted the buffalo wing from her and took a few bites.

    After strolling around for about half an hour, they eventually came to a restaurant

    under an overpass.

    In front of the restaurant, there was a tall LED sign that read, ¡°Wondend.

    Steakhouse¡°.

    The ce was very spacious with around 20 tables<b>, </b>and almost all tables were

    upied.

    It wasn¡¯t a very fancy ce, but it wasn¡¯t bad either.

    Owen, Cameron, Sunny, and several other team leaders were having steaks here.

    Sunny had seen Carlisle and Wanda from afar, so he quickly informed the restaurant

    grualled Wende

    whe handed the doughnuts the bought just now to Cowen Hass

    ???? ?????

    Chen et sell that Carlisie¡¯s grond was a letter dorky He inwardly samm?

    gefiend

    and wondered if Carlisle¡¯s giftfriend was a fook

 Chapter 397

    Chapter397

    Still, Owendidn¡¯tdareaskorshow itonhisface.Heonlyepted thedoughnutswithasmile. ¡°Thankyou,Ms.Thompson.¡±

    Sunnyasked, ¡°Carl, is it just the two of you?You can join us; the more the merrier.

    Carlisleshook his head. ¡°Another two friends of mine areing.¡±

    ¡°Carlisle.¡± A familiar voice suddenly sounded from his right side.

    Carlisle turned his head to find Luna and Queenie seated at another table.

    Lunawaved at him and asked, ¡°Do you want toe over and eat with us?¡±

    Carlisle repeated, ¡°Thanks, but I still have other friendsing.¡±

    Lunawasa kind senior. If it weren¡¯t for her, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to be with

    Wanda openly. He noted to himself that he must not forget Luna when he becamerich in the future.

    Just then, a yellow Ferrari pulled up in front of the restaurant with a roar.

    ¡°Oh my God, a Ferrari? Sunny almost jumped out of his seat when he saw the Ferrari. He used to work in the real estate industry and had met with many rich people. But he rarely saw anyone who could afford a Ferrari in this town.

    Cameron narrowed his eyes and narrated, ¡°That¡¯s a 2003 Ferrari Enzo which is worth about two million dors. That model will be discontinued this year, and there are

    only ten of them nationwide.

    Owen looked at Cameron with narrowed eyes. ¡°When did you study up on Ferraris?¡±

    Cameron exined helplessly. ¡°I came across it in the forum and was instantly fascinated, so I studied it for a few days.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Owenughed. ¡°Let¡¯s work hard. Perhaps we¡¯ll get to drive it one day.¡±

    Cameron said indifferently, ¡°I can drive it now, though.¡±

    Owen and Sunny were stunned. Even Carlisle looked surprised. Could it be that

    Cameron was a secret scion of a rich family?

    Owenchuckled.¡°Cameron, areyoukidding?¡±

    Camerongrinned.¡°Weren¡¯tyoujoking first?¡±

    Bothof them joked around, and it was very lively.

    Garethgot down from the Ferrari. He was wearing a short¨Csleeved shirt, a pair of shorts, and yellow flip¨Cflops. He walked toward Carlisle with a purse tucked under hisarm.

    ¡°It¡¯s him again,¡± Luna mumbled softly.

    Queenie whispered, ¡°Do you fancy him? Did you see his car? It¡¯s worth two million dors. He¡¯s perfect! Don¡¯t forget me if you end up with him.¡±

    Luna took a deep breath and stared at Queenie incredulously. ¡°He¡¯s probably the poor ex¨Cboyfriend my sister dumped.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Queenie was surprised.

    The nation¡¯s most prominent owner of a red winepany was a poor man? Did she mishear or was Luna making things up?

    Luna sighed and continued, ¡°My sister is a snobbish person. I¡¯guess Gareth hid his identity when he was with my sister.¡±

    ¡°Damn! Did he do that to test her? Your sister should have been smart and held on a little longer, then she would be able to marry a rich man,¡± Queenie said with a curious expression.

    Luna took a sip of her beer and shook her head with a smile. ¡°There are things that won¡¯te back ever again once you miss them. If my sister learns his real identity, she will definitely regret it very much.¡±

    Queenie thought of something and asked, ¡°Has your sister ever slept with him?¡±

    ¡°Probably not. My sister is conservative. She wants to save her first time for the wedding night.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you interested?¡± Luna raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Hell no! I just think thatyouhave a chance.

    ¡°Me?¡± Luna pointed at herself and widened hereyes.

    ¡°Yes. Anyway,he¡¯s neverslept with your sister. Didn¡¯t you say that you looksimrtoyour sister? If you run into him a few more times, you¡¯ll surely get his attention.

    ¡°He even took a good look at youst night, remember?¡±

    ¡°No way. I don¡¯t want to be my sister¡¯s recement. Besides, if his love for my sister has turned into hatred, he¡¯ll only be annoyed by my presence.¡±

    Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore

    Let¡¯s done insead Luna lifted her beer ss and elskou it with Queenie¡¯s, then she chugged it downs.

 Chapter 398

    At Carlie¡¯s table Gareth and Max sat together on one side while he and Wanda saton the opposite side

    Owen had helped Carlisle ce their orders at noon, so the steaks were served not long after they were seated

    Wanda cut into the steak right away. Carlisle nced at Gareth and Max, who were smiling slightly. They were not bothered by Wanda¡¯s impolite behavior at all.

    They indeed came from a family of government officials in Yorksle. They knew how to get on in the world and were far¨Csighted.

    Carlisle quickly got up and apologized with embarrassment, ¡°Please beunderstanding. I¡¯ll drink moreter as a token of apology.

    Gareth waved his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s not do that. This is a gathering of friends. There are no such rules.¡±

    Max said jokingly, ¡°Yes, yes. I also dislike drinking as a form of punishment.

    Gareth¡¯s grandfather taught him that he had to be flexible and far¨Csighted in thebusiness world.

    Although Theodore was not a businessman, it was true that the political scene was not much different from the business world. In fact, some would even say that politics was even more dangerous than business.

    When dealing with official leaders, the consequences of an offense wouldn¡¯t be ast simple as punishing oneself by drinking.

    ¡°It tastes so good.¡± Wanda showed a satisfied smile.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Eat more then.¡± Carlisle couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. His eyes were full ofadoration and happiness<strong>.</strong>

    He would dote on her like usual, regardless of how she changed. Not<strong>to</strong>mention<strong>how</strong>cute she was now¨Cshe was just an Innocent, sweet girl.

    ¡°The steak smells good, I¡¯ll have a try as well.¡± Gareth cut a piece and put it into his mouth. It was tender, savory, and a little spicy.

    Gareth widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Max, try this. It tastes really good.¡±

    It was rare for Max to see Gareth giving such a positive review of food. Maybe he did it to lighten the mood, or perhaps it really did taste good. Regardless, he would usually never eat at restaurants like these.

    Max politely rejected the bite. ¡°My stomach is weak, so I can¡¯t eat anything too spicy. I¡¯ll just drink with you.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, please make way.¡± The waiter ced a te of garlic butter steak on the table.

    Carlisle exined with a smile, ¡°Considering that you may not eat spicy food, I ordered a garlic butter steak just in case.¡±

    Max¡¯s smile froze instantly.

    Gareth knew that Max was a picky eater. But the steak here was vorful, so he leaned over and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. It tastes way better than the A5 Wagyu Steak of Imperial Hotel.¡±

    Hearing that, Max cut a piece of the garlic butter steak and ced it in his mouth. The garlic vor went well with the juicy steak. It really was delicious.

    Max nodded and praised, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not bad. I¡¯m surprised that a regrsteakhouse like this can make steaks that taste as good as those at Imperial Hotel.¡±

    Gareth suddenly had an idea. ¡°I think we can buy the recipe from them and open steakhouse franchises all across the nation. Just the spicy vor and garlic butter vor are enough.¡±

    Max asked, ¡°How much is the steak?¡±

    Gareth checked the menu and was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s only 35 dors<strong>.</strong>¡±

 Chapter 399

    Max was also stunned 35 dors? That was only enough to have a single drink at

    Imperial Hotel

    Max was silent for a while before he nodded and said, ¡®Selling it for 35 dors in profitable as well. It¡¯ll work if we open franchises nationwide and sell it at a cheap

    price but inrge volume

    Since Max had also voiced his agreement, Gareth made up his mind in an instant Carlisle, do you want to partner up with me? This business model is definitely

    profitable, and I can guarantee you a longsting return.

    Carlisle smiled and said, ¡°It is indeed profitable and stable, but the gain is not worth

    the trouble.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The sess of a chain restaurant would create arge number of copycats. Once they gained a little poprity, there would be ¡°Rivend Steakhouse¡°, ¡°Alice

    Steakhouse¡°, and so on. They would then have to win the customers¡® hearts over by

    lowering their prices a little.

    How much would they make if they sold steaks for a small profit? If they <b>were </b>able to

    sell 100 dishes a day at the selling price of ten dors each, they could only make

    1000 dors a day.

    In other words, they could only make 200 thousand dors a day if there were 200 restaurants. It would be six million dors a month and 72 million dors a year. He could only get 36 million dors of the annual profit as a partner.

    If they were to increase the number of restaurants to 400, he would have to invest

    anotherrge sum of money.

    It would be good if he could get his returns in the first year of business. If they started to make profits in the second year, he could get a share of about 72 million dors but that was not even enough to fund his cell phone research.

    Gareth lifted his ss and said, ¡°Carlisle, you¡¯re only a few years younger than me, so I¡¯ll just call you Carl. Cheers!¡±

    Carlisle lifted <b>his </b>ss and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep my promise to drink as a punishment.¡±

    Then, he gulped down the beer and chugged another two sses. He burped when the fourth ss was brought out

    Gareth and Max hade here with ulterior motives, but the same could be said of Carlisle. It was just that the initiative had always been in his hands. Even though they stood on ceremony, he still had to keep his word.

    Gareth took a side nce at Max, who smiled helplessly and muttered, ¡°Mr. Zahn, you¡¯re really cool.¡±

    Meanwhile, Gareth looked at him with concern. ¡°Carl, you really don¡¯t have to do that.¡±

    Carlisle proudly dered, ¡°Promises must be kept. We have to go by the rules when seeking business deals. It¡¯s not good to have conflicts over interests and cause unnecessary trouble, you see.¡±

    Gareth was stunned by his words. Had Carlisle already decided to work with him? He

    had not even said anything to Carlisle yet.

    Seeing that Gareth was in a daze, Max kicked his calf lightly.

    Gareth came to his senses and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Zahn, so you know that I want

    to work with you.¡±

    Just call me Carl.¡± Carlisle smiled as he also wanted to get closer to Gareth.

    He needed a huge sum of funds, and Gareth was probably the only one who could. help him.

    Gareth lifted his ss and said, ¡°Then, you call me Mr. Spencer<b>.</b>¡±

    Carlisle grinned. ¡°Gareth is better.¡±

    Gareth chuckled heartily. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Carl. Suit yourself.¡±

    ¡°Cheers to you, Gareth!¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    They clinked their sses and chatted as they drank. They talked about their families and businesses, and Gareth evenined about his childhood best

    friend.

    The whole time<b>, </b>neither side mentioned anything about what <b>or </b>how they should

    work together at all.

    They talked until Owen and the others came to say goodbye in a drunken state.

    ¡°Carl, Ms. Thompson, enjoy your food. We¡¯re leaving.¡±

    The few people wrapped their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders and staggered away after saying goodbye.

    im Bonus For Free Every Day>>

 Chapter 400

    Wanda had already eaten her fill. She patted her round belly and said with

    satisfaction, Tm so full.¡±

    Carlisle and Gareth stopped eating upon hearing Wanda¡¯s words.

    Carlisle knew that it was time to leave now that Wanda was full. Gareth also

    understood that Carlisle would be in a hurry to take her home after she was done

    eating

    Max chuckled. ¡°Today¡¯s dinner was an extraordinarily good time. Let¡¯s meet againCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    some other time?¡±

    Gareth nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s eat again tomorrow.¡±

    Carlisle smiled wryly. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve had the steak and some drinks. Now it¡¯s time to

    get down to business.¡±

    Gareth and Max looked serious upon hearing that.

    Carlisle took a sip of Wanda¡¯s soda and asked, ¡°How much was the loss of Scarlet

    Corporation?¡±

    ¡°Around 600 million dors<b>.</b>¡± Gareth did not keep the staggering loss a secret. It was

    better to be frank if he wished to work well with Carlisle. This was also the purpose of chatting over dinner, after all. It would be easier to open up to each other if they had grown close.

    Carlisle continued to ask, ¡°Then, how much do you still have in hand now?¡±

    ¡°I still can mobilize around 300 million dors. Thankfully, you helped me to stop the loss in time. Otherwise, I would also have lost this 300 million dors as well as my

    family!

    Gareth chugged another ss of beer. The beer flowed down his chin and dripped onto his chest. His misty eyes were full of hatred.

    Wanda was a little frightened<b>, </b>so she grabbed Carlisle¡¯s hand and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m

    scared.¡±

    Carlisle held Wanda¡¯s hand and assured her<b>. </b>¡°<b>Don¡¯t </b><b>be </b>scared<b>. </b><b>Gareth </b><b>is </b>not <b>a </b><b>bad</b>

    <b>guy</b>.

    Even he would not be able to ept it if his childhood best friend were to betray him with the intention to ruin his family.

    Max kicked Gareth under the table again and reminded, ¡°Keep your emotions in

    check.¡±

    Gareth took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carl. That¡¯s my bad, I¡¯ll drink as punishment.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Carlisle tried to stop him but was toote.

    Gareth downed a whole bottle of beer.

    Carlisle spoke again, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll continue with our deal. I have two types of games that I wish to make. But the budget of initial research and development is approximately

    200 million dors.¡±

    ¡°You want to make games?¡± Gareth stared at Carlisle in disbelief.

    Max said with a smile, ¡°Computers and the Inte are notmon now, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much investment value in the gaming industry. It¡¯s better to invest in physical businesses.¡±

    Carlisle took a sip of the soda that Wanda had filled the ss with and said indifferently, ¡°Max, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll only invest inmon things?

    ¡°By the time the Inte andputers bemon, various games will be

    investment value anymore.¡±

    Gareth nodded in agreement after listening to Carlisle¡¯s exnation. ¡°You¡¯re right, Carl. Current sessful games generate extremely high profits. Plus, gamers are youngsters whose parents are still working. They¡¯re usually single and don¡¯t have many financial burdens, so they can afford it.

    ¡°While the Inte andputers are not yetmon, and there are a few games in the market, we can indeed invest in games. It depends on whether your games are, profitable or not.¡±

    Max had never yed online games before and rarely usedputers. He felt that he was unable to engage in the conversation, so he just had some snacks and drank beer while he listened.

    Gareth casually took a gulp of his beer and asked, ¡°Do you think you can make money with the two games?¡±

    Carlisle smiled confidently. ¡°It is definitely profitable. No, it is highly profitable.¡±

    Max asked out of curiosity, ¡°If the games are a sess<b>, </b>how much will the annual profits be?¡±

    Carlisle held out three fingers for the two to see.

    Max asked, ¡°30 million dors?¡±

    Carlisle shook his head.

    Gareth took a guess, ¡°300 million dors?<b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle smiled slightly as he stared at Max and dered, ¡°Be bolder.¡±

    They both eximed in shock, ¡°Three billion dors?¡±

    Only then did Carlisle put his hand down.

    Max¡¯s hand shook while holding the ss. ¡°How¡­ How is that possible?¡±

    Carlisle said with a grin, ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible in this world. You should¡¯ve also found out a few things about me. My business n will not fail.

    The only exception was his n with Heath, of course. But as a whole, it shouldn¡¯t be considered a failure just yet.

    With a starting capital of 15 million dors, they had gained more than 60 million dors and arge group of subordinates. They were just keeping a low profile and biding their time at the moment.

 Chapter 401

    ¡°Give us the crate of beer and two men enligt of steak Gansth turned and

    yelted at the chee

    The owner immediately brought a crate of bear over

    Max nced at Gareth¡¯s stout belly, which looked bloated with how much he had

    been drinking

    Gareth had had plenty to eat, but he wanted to discuss the coborative projectBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Carlisle in detail

    Carlisle turned to look at Wanda, who was busy popping peanuts into her mouth.

    He nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have some more food!¡±

    Gareth lit a cigarette and squinted as he said, ¡°Carlisle, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being little overconfident?¡±

    He could afford toe up with 200 million, but no one could guarantee that the

    project would be as sessful as Carlisle said it would.

    Any investor worth their salt would have to evaluate the risks involved.

    Most investees liked to build castles in the sky, after all.

    Gareth felt like Carlisle was making empty promises.

    If he were to evaluate the risk, he would conclude that the risk was very high.

    Carlisle looked up and smiled. ¡°Gareth, if I wasn¡¯t confident in this project, would you feel safe about investing in it?¡±

    Gareth was stumped by the question.

    He was suspicious of how confident Carlisle was, but he would be equally

    suspicious if Carlisle weren¡¯t very confident.

    The conclusion was that no matter what, he would still be suspicious of Carlisle¡¯s

    project.

    Gareth liked <b>ying </b><b>games</b><b>, </b>and <b>he </b><b>often </b><b>stayed up </b>the <b>entire </b><b>night </b>to <b>do </b><b>so</b>.

    He <b>had </b>a rough understanding <b>of </b>games and knew that popr games <b>brought </b>in a lot of money because they had many yers. Popr games would <b>definitely </b><b>have </b>a handful of yers ying the game in any random cybercafe one chose to visit.

    After a moment¡¯s silence, Gareth said, ¡°Can we talk about the genre of <b>the </b>game<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    He would not agree to coborate until he figured out what kind of game Carlisle was nning to create.

    Carlisle shook his head, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s a trade secret!¡±

    At that moment, the owner served the steaks.

    Gareth smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat the steak while it¡¯s still warm!¡±

    Wanda gave a handful of peeled peanuts to Carlisle. ¡°Just eat these.¡±

    Carlisle took the peanuts, feeling both touched and amused. He didn¡¯t know that Wanda had been peeling them for him.

    Wanda sat up straight and picked up her knife and fork. She began eating the steak, and it was so spicy that it made her stick out her tongue.

    Carlisle poured her some soda and said rather worriedly, ¡°You still need to take your medicine. Don¡¯t eat too much spicy food!¡±

    Wanda put a piece of steak on Carlisle¡¯s te, as if she was trying to shut him up.

    Heughed exasperatedly.

    What else could he do?

    He had no choice but to indulge her.

    Max suddenly spoke up. ¡°Mr. Zahn, we haven¡¯t even seen the proposal yet. How can we invest in it?<b>¡±</b>

    Ultimately, they still did not trust Carlisle.

    However, this was understandable.

    Any other investor <b>might </b>have just banged the table and left in a huff.

    Carlisle sighed. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll take my project as a reference <b>and </b>establish

    your own!¡±

    The truth was that he did trust Gareth.

    Max, however, was a sly old devil.

    Carlisle had realized that the first time that they crossed paths at the moat.

    Maxughed in amusement and put down his knife and fork. ¡°We¡¯ve been eating steak together for the entire night. Don¡¯t we trust each other at least a little<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    Carlisle sighed in resignation. ¡°Max, you have double standards. You and Mr. Spencer don¡¯t trust me very

    h either!¡±

    Max¡¯s expression darkened noticeably.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 402

    Max stared fixedly at Carlisle, his eyes as sharp as a falcon¡¯s..

    His hands balled into fists.

    ¡°Max¡­¡± It was Gareth¡¯s turn to kick Max.

    He knew that Max was angry.

    Max had trained in martial arts since he was young, and he was also an alternative

    medicine physician who could cure many difficult diseases. He was only with Gareth

    for Amos¡® sake. It was also to keep Gareth¡¯s mania under control and protect him.

    Gareth had once personally watched Max tear a crazed mastiff to pieces with his

    bare hands.

    Max exhaled and smiled thinly. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about games. Why don¡¯t you

    young people discuss it amongst yourselves?¡±

    He stood up and walked over to the Ferrari.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably entering menopause. Don¡¯t mind him, Carl¡­¡± Gareth smiled as he

    lifted his wine ss. ¡°Cheers!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle did not lift his own ss. He looked at Wanda instead and asked, ¡°Are you

    full?

    Gareth¡¯s smile froze.

    Carlisle was clearly indicating that there was no need for further discussion!

    Wanda patted her dress, which was stretched taut over her full stomach. Her teeth shed as she grinned and said, ¡°I¡¯m full, and I¡¯m kind of sleepy now¡­¡±

    Carlisle fondly brushed the strands of hair from around her mouth and said gently,¡± Let¡¯s go home and go to bed!¡±

    He knew that the two games he had in mind would be explosively popr, and the

    money it would bring in was beyond their imagination.

    He had already helped Gareth narrowly escape death once. The only reason he was

    discussing this coboration <b>with </b><b>Gareth </b>was <b>to </b><b>establish </b><b>an </b><b>amicable </b>rtiorien <b>with </b><b>the </b>aristocrats so that <b>things </b><b>would </b><b>be </b><b>easier </b><b>for </b><b>him </b>in <b>the </b><b>future</b>.

    <b>However</b><b>, </b><b>they </b>still did not want to trust <b>him</b>. If that were so<b>, </b><b>there </b>was <b>no </b><b>need </b><b>for </b><b>further </b>discussion.

    As for the 200 million in Investment funds, he was sure that both <b>Lethan </b>and <b>Shania </b>would find a way to get it. If there were no way to do so, he would wait until next year, when he could use the money he earned through the fishing business to invest

    in his game<b>.</b>

    ¡°Carl¡­¡±

    ¡°Gareth, I¡¯m getting tired. Let¡¯s meet some other time.¡± Carlisle interrupted him, smiling slightly.

    It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to get the bill.¡± Gareth pulled out a wad of cash from his wallet.

    The owner smiled and said, ¡°The bill for your table has already been paid. I still need to give you 160 dors in change!¡±

    Owen had dropped by that afternoon to pay a 300¨Cdor deposit.

    Four steaks and the appetizers had only cost 140 dors.

    However, 140 did seem rather expensive for this period of time.

    Gareth lit a cigarette and said, ¡°Carl, I trust you. Let¡¯s discuss this further!¡±

    ¡°Wanda¡¯s sleepy. Let¡¯s talk some other time!¡± Carlisle smiled calmly and took Wanda¡¯s hand. He led her away.

    At the side of the road, Max threw away his cigarette and hailed a cab for Carlisle.

    In the end, he was only Gareth¡¯s subordinate, whilst Carlisle and Gareth were

    partners.

    Carlisle got into the car and smiled as he thanked Max. ¡°Max, I¡¯m still young and inexperienced, and I had a lot to drink tonight. If I offended you in any way, please

    don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Max <bughed </b>heartily and <b>said</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Don¡¯t </b><b>worry</b>, Mr. Zahn. I <b>should </b>have <b>controlled </b>my emotions better. <b>That </b>was remiss <b>of </b><b>me</b>. Please don¡¯t take <b>my </b>actions to heart, either!

    After they had exchanged niceties with each other<b>, </b>Carlisle instructed the driver to

    <ol>

    <li>go.</li>

    </ol>

    Max watched the cab disappear into the distance and returned to the dinner table.¡±

    How did it go?¡±

    ¡°<b>We </b>were wrong, Max!¡± Gareth puffed ruefully on his cigarette, looking troubled.

    ¡°Are you saying that we should trust him unconditionally? It¡¯s not 3.5 million or even 20 million. It¡¯s 200 million! It¡¯s all you have left of your savings<b>!</b>

    ¡°Any investment we make right now would really be treading on thin ice, and Carlisle

    is clearly trying to take us for a ride. If we trust himpletely, we¡¯ll only keep making mistakes until we eventually lose everything!¡±

    Max said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should doubt himpletely. I just want you

    to be able to seize the initiative!¡±

    ¡°Max, if we hadn¡¯t met Carlisle, do you think that that shipment of red wine would. have gotten through customs by now?¡± Gareth suddenly mentioned the red wine.

    *Probably!¡±

    ¡°In a couple of days, wouldn¡¯t this shipment of red wine have been delivered to various ces all over the country? Wouldn¡¯t that have resulted in more than 30 people dying?¡± Gareth raised the bottle and chugged half of it.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± At the mention of this, Max was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Which is to say that without Carlisle¡¯s tip¨Coff, not only would I have lost all the money, but I would also be saddled with more than 30 cases of death. I¡¯m not in any position to discuss terms and conditions with him!¡± Gareth smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t think of it that way! I¡¯ve saved a couple of kids from drowning, but you don¡¯t see me pressuring them to repay me for the rest of their lives!¡± Max was, still firm in his opinion.

    Chame to

    He knew Carlisle was extraordinary, but Carlisle was still a student who had just be an adult. Gareth was the rightful descendant of a prominent aristocratic family. Max did not want Carlisle to string Gareth along.

 Chapter 403

    ¡°Max, you shouldn¡¯t think that way.

    ¡°Carlisle has never once tried to ask us for any kind of repayment!

    ¡°He does need investment funds, but he didn¡¯te to us. I¡¯m the one who approached him because I need to earn back the money that I lost!

    ¡°In other words, I¡¯m the one who needs Carlisle to help me make money! He isn¡¯t the one who needs me to invest. He can earn 200 million in a month, and although he may be short on money right now, that doesn¡¯t mean he will remain in that state<b>!</b>

    ¡°Besides, do you really think that Lethan and Shania won¡¯t be able to get 200 million? They¡¯re Wanda¡¯s rtives! Carlisle can always coborate with them on this project!¡±

    Gareth said in a rush.

    Max drank his beer in silence. Then, he asked, ¡°You mean to say that¡­¡±

    Gareth burst intoughter. ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you?<b>¡±</b>

    Max sighed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just getting old, and I¡¯m no longer able to keep up with how you youngsters think. You know who your grandfather and father are. With them as backup, you can do very well for yourself in Yorksle!<b>¡±</b>

    Gareth took a sip of beer. He leaned back in his chair and gazed night sky

    wn at th

    as he murmured, ¡°I once said that I wanted to create my own future and rely on no one but myself. If I use their connections, I¡¯d just be hurting others and myself!¡±

    Carlisle and Wanda got out at Willow Grove. Wanda suddenly clutched at her

    stomach and frowned. She said piteously, ¡°Carlisle, my stomach hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°You probably ate too much spicy food. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital to get a checkup!¡± Carlisle stuck out his hand to g down a cab.

    Wanda blushed and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­ My¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you on your perjod?¡± Carlisle suddenly realized what was going on.

    <b>Right </b>before their college entrance exams<b>, </b>he <b>had </b><b>once </b>helped <b>Wanda </b><b>buy </b><b>period </b>pads, and he remembered <b>that </b>it had also been around the 20th at the time.

    Wanda was in so much pain that she was crouching on the ground, and there were tears in her eyes.

    Carlisle felt his heart ache as he crouched beside her and ruffled her hair. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll take

    you to get some pads and ibuprofen!¡±

    There was a pharmacy and convenience store nearby. It was only about two to three minutes away.

    Wanda was pale, and her voice trembled as she said, ¡°I¨CI¡¯ll go home first!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle nodded. He picked her up and walked into the neighborhood.

    Wanda put her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. She gritted her teeth as she endured the pain.

    Carlisle felt his heart twist painfully when he looked down at Wanda and saw how much she was suffering. He said remorsefully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wanda. I forgot that you were on your period. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have let you eat so much spicy food!¡±

    Wanda got cramps if she ate spicy food while she was on her period.

    They reached the 9th building in Willow Grove.

    Mnie hade over to Callie Bonde¡¯s rented apartment after sses. Callie sat next to her at university<b>, </b>and she needed to borrow Callie¡¯sputer to do some

    research. She still hadn¡¯t had dinner.

    Callie¡¯s stomach was also rumbling with hunger<b>, </b>and she didn¡¯t know how to cook,

    so she dragged Mnie out to have dinner with her.

    As they walked toward the elevator, Callie asked curiously, ¡°Are you saying that Carlisle is actually Prince Heath¡¯s secret <b>boss</b><b>? </b>That¡¯s impossible, right? He¡¯s only in his first year of college! He¡¯s barely out of puberty!¡±

    Mnie frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so shallow!¡±

    Callie was pretty, but she could be rather tactless sometimes. She often had no filter

    and said whatever was on her mind.

    Callie had only just found out that Gabriel was the deputy chief of police. <b>She </b>did not doubt Mnie and asked, ¡°I heard he yed the guitar and sang ¡®Rest of My Life¡® at the bonfire partyst night, which moved many people to tears.¡±

    Yesterday had been Callie¡¯s father, Vernon Bonde¡¯s<b>, </b>birthday, so she had taken the day off after 4:00 pm.

    Mnie sighed and said, ¡°As soon as you left, I got a call from my dad telling me that my grandmother had a stroke due to a cerebral infarction, so I took the day off.¡±

    Callie looked pityingly at Mnie.

    She took out a thousand dors in cash and gave it to her. ¡°Things are hard for your too. Your mother¡¯s been paralyzed for so many years, and now your grandmother has had a stroke. It probably costs a lot to take care of everything. There¡¯s not much I can help with, so just take this money and use it for now!¡±

    Mnie pushed her hand away and forced a smile, saying, ¡°No, you¡¯ve already helped me so many times. I can¡¯t take your money anymore. Besides, Dad warned me to never ept money from others, no matter what!¡±

    Callie forcefully stuffed the money into her hand. ¡°Your father¡¯s a good,w¨Cabiding man. He doesn¡¯t want you to take money from shady sources, but money from me is just a gift between friends!¡±

    Mnie held the cash, and her eyes reddened slightly. She thought about the so-

    called friends who had betrayed her for money.

    The elevator reached the first floor.

    The two of them walked out and bumped into a man carrying a woman.

    ¡°Wow¡­ That woman is so lucky!¡± Callie immediately cried out in amazement.

    The man looked pretty young, but he was very handsome..

    How would it feel to be carried by a handsome man like him?

    Callie wanted to experience the same thing!

 Chapter 404

    ¡°C¨CCarlisle!¡± Mnie stared at him with her eyes bulging.

    Who was he carrying?

    She looked very young. Perhaps she was his younger sister?

    Callie¡¯s eyes were equally wide with surprise. ¡°That¡¯s Carlisle?¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mnie!¡® Carlisle greeted them both, smiling. He entered the elevator at once.

    Mnie saw it was difficult for him to press the button, so she asked, ¡°What floor are you heading to? I¡¯ll help you press the button!¡±

    ¡°The 16th floor. Thanks, Mnie!¡± He thanked her politely.

    Mnie pressed the button for the 16th floor and asked casually, ¡°Is that your younger sister, Carlisle?¡±

    Heughed and said, ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend!¡±

    Mnie suddenly felt rather hollow, but she squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°She¡¯s so

    pretty. You two are a match made in heaven!¡±

    ¡°Thanks for thepliment!¡± The elevator doors closed.

    Mnie was rather dazed.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle was only in his first year of university, but he already had a girlfriend!

    ¡°He¡¯s gone! You can stop zoning out now!¡± Callie said, looking meaningfully at her<b>.</b>

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t zoning out!¡± Mnie walked out, her heart feeling heavy.

    Carlisle had saved her once.

    Gabriel had called Carlisle an extraordinary person, and even Heath had gotten help

    from Carlisle.

    Not only that, he was also devastatingly handsome.

    How could anyone escape his charms<b>?</b>

    Mnie had been hoping to get to know him more. She had thought that when he got a little older<b>, </b>they could start dating<b>.</b>

    She just hadn¡¯t expected him to already have a girlfriend, especially such a pretty one!

    Callie walked up to her and put an arm around her waist. Sheughed and said teasingly, ¡°Mel, are you interested in him?¡±

    Mnie shrugged Callie¡¯s hand off and said irritatedly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Why would I like a guy who¡¯s barely out of puberty?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten cheeky!¡± Callie giggled.

    ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s due to your bad influence!¡±

    Callie didn¡¯t have anything to say to that.

    Carlisle carried Wanda to the door before putting her down. He took out the key to unlock the door.

    He said worriedly, ¡°I¡¯ll buy medicine and period pads for you. You won¡¯t be afraid to be at home alone, will you?¡±

    Luna had once mentioned that Wanda could not be left alone.

    However, Wanda had period cramps, and Carlisle couldn¡¯t take her with him.

    She bit her lip and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Carlisle was at a loss for what to do. He pulled Wanda inside and turned on all the lights in the house. The only thing he did not turn on was the television.

    At that moment, Wanda¡¯s phone rang.

    Phoebe was calling.

    Wanda picked up her phone, and her eyes went out of focus. She suddenly did not know what button to press to pick up the call.

    Carlisle pressed the correct button and put it on speaker. ¡°What¡¯s the matter<b>,</b>

    Phoebe?<b>¡±</b>

    Phoebe said excitedly, ¡°Carlisle, hurry up and tell Wanda we found an investor<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 405

    Carlisle said, ¡°Wanda isn¡¯t feeling well right now, and I need to go out for a while. You can chat with her!¡±

    He handed the phone to Wanda. ¡°Talk to Phoebe for a while. I¡¯ll be back very soon!¡±

    Wanda held the phone in her hand but did not know what to say.

    She remembered who Phoebe was.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    She knew she owned apany, which Phoebe and Christine were helping her manage, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Wanda, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°My stomach hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you on your period?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go to the toilet?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Wanda grabbed some tissues and went to the toilet.

    Carlisle swallowed. He assumed that Wanda would be able to handle it. He had to go

    and buy some period pads first.

    Carlisle strode out of the room, locked it, and headed for the elevator.

    When he got downstairs, he saw that it was drizzling.

    Carlisle ran out to the pharmacy in the rain to buy ibuprofen.

    The shop assistant was an older woman who was around 30 years old. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re buying this for your girlfriend, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± He nodded boldly.

    The shop

    assistant/said, ¡°Let me rmend some medicine to you. They¡¯re very effective for period cramps. I¡¯m taking them too!¡±

    Carlisle did not even bother thinking about whether or not it would work. He bought everything she rmended.

    He didn¡¯t even look at the instructions. After all, Wanda was alone at home!

    ¡°By the way, we¡¯ve just gotten a new batch of hot chocte. This can help warm her up and can also be effective in alleviating pain. Do you want to take a box to try it out?¡± The shop assistant took out a box of hot chocte and ced it on the ss.

    counter.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Carlisle nodded without even thinking. He put two 100¨Cdor bills on the counter. ¡°Please prepare somemon household medicines for me as fast as you can. I¡¯m in a rush!¡±

    ¡°Okay! Give me two more minutes!¡± the shop assistant said breezily. She went off to get the medicine.

    She brought back medication for cold, aspirin, ointment for bruises, antiseptic, bandages, and band¨Caids.

    By the time he finished buying the items, the rain outside had gotten heavier.

    Carlisle covered his purchase with his clothes and ran over to the convenience store opposite the pharmacy to buy pads and daily necessities.

    Callie and Mnie were eating at Sharna Cafe next to the convenience store.

    They had watched Carlisle buy a huge pile of medicine at the pharmacy before running in the rain to the convenience store to get daily necessities.

    Callie propped her chin in one hand and said in amusement, ¡°That youngdy probably has her period. Look at Carlisle buying that huge pile of medicine! He¡¯s so silly. He¡¯s just the kind of person that pharmacies try to fleece!¡±

    She had seen the shop assistant give Carlisle a box of hot chocte, which was why she had deduced that Wanda was probably on her period.

    Callie was inwardly disdainful. Did Wanda really need to be carried upstairs just because she was on her period? That was rather fussy behavior.

    However, it was grapes.

    ist Sour

    Mnie murmured, ¡°He isn¡¯t silly. He¡¯s in love!¡±

    Callie did not retort. She took a piece of apple pie and put it in her mouth to <b>chew</b>.

    The light in her eyes grew darker, as if she were thinking about the past.

    Mnie sipped her mushroom soup as she smiled and said, ¡°Are you thinking about your ex¨Cboyfriend?¡±

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 406

    Callie¡¯s expression darkened at once, and her tone grew impatient. ¡°Don¡¯t mention him! It annoys me!¡±

    Mnie was unmoved. It wasn¡¯t easy to find Callie¡¯s weakness, and she wasn¡¯t about to let it go easily. She asked. ¡°Did he buy pads for you when you were on your period?¡±

    Callieughed out of sheer anger. She looked angry. ¡°Just the mention of it makes me angry. There was once when I asked him to <b>go </b>and help me buy pads because I was on my period. Guess what he said?¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Mnie looked enthusiastically at Callie. She only remembered Callie had a boyfriend in their second year of university, but they had broken up recently.

    Mnie had never asked Callie about the reason.

    Callieughed wryly and said, ¡°He told me that women in the past used cloths that could be washed and <b>used </b>again. He says it would save a lot of money if I did so too¡­¡±

    Mnie burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know I shouldn¡¯tugh, but¡­ I can¡¯t help it¡­.¡± She wasughing so much that she was crying

    How could he tell her to use cloths as pads?

    He was so weird!

    Callie was furious, and her face and ears reddened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this! We¡¯ve broken up, but he hasn¡¯t graduated yet. If this gets out, it won¡¯t be good for his reputation!¡±

    Mnie stoppedughing with difficulty. She wiped away her tears ofughter and asked, ¡°He¡¯s from the University of Science and Technology, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Callie nodded. ¡°Yes. I hear that there are a lot of literal¨Cminded, tactless men studying there. Make sure you don¡¯t get a boyfriend who goes there!¡±

    Just as Carlisle reached the building, Phoebe¡¯s voice suddenly rang out behind him.

    ¡°Carlisle!¡±

    He turned and saw Phoebe dragging a pink suitcase as she walked toward him, holding an umbre.

    Christine was with her.

    ¡°Did you rent a ce here?¡± he asked curiously.

    Phoebe smiled stiffly. ¡°You <b>think </b>too highly of us, Mr. Zahn. How could we afford to live in such a high¨Cend apartment?¡±

    Christine exined, ¡°We¡¯re here to deliver Wanda¡¯s luggage.¡±

    Carlisle nced at the suitcase, nodded, and said, ¡®I¡¯ll bring you both up.¡±

    Phoebe saw Carlisle was soaked, so she put her umbre over him. ¡°Mr. Zahn, why didn¡¯t <b>you </b><b>bring </b>an

    umbre when it¡¯s raining so heavily? What were you thinking?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any umbres at home. Besides, when I came downstairs, it was only drizzling! Carlisle looked resigned. He hadn¡¯t expected the rain to get so heavy.

    Phoebe praised him. ¡°You¡¯re such a good man. With you looking after Wanda, I feel perfectly assured<b>!</b>¡±

    The three of them chatted together as they walked.

    Carlisle suddenly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get an investor? How much is he contributing?¡±

    Phoebe said triumphantly, ¡°30 million!¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle looked admiringly at Phoebe. ¡°That¡¯s impressive. You managed to find an investor after just a day!

    30 million wasn¡¯t a small amount.

    Only a millionaire could invest 30 million so easily, <b>and </b>he wondered who the investor was.

    Without asking further, he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 16th floor.

    In the elevator, Phoebe said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Christine. She was the one who found the investor on a forum. He doesn¡¯t seem to be in Shorefield, and he wants to talk to thepany¡¯s person¨Cin¨Ccharge, but in Wanda¡¯s current condition¡­¡±

    Carlisleughed and said, ¡°Tell him to set a time. I¡¯ll take Wanda to discuss things with him.¡±

    Christine looked at Carlisle with bright, clear eyes. She hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say

    something.

    Carlisle caught sight of her expression out of the corner of his eye. Heughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t

    me?¡±

    <b>you</b>

    trust

    Christine said carefully, ¡°If this investor is able toe up with 30 million, he must be very wealthy. We¡¯re all so young, and I¡¯m worried it will be a problem!¡±

    Carlisle wished he could tell her he had already managed to get a project worth 1 billion.

    However, they wouldn¡¯t believe him even if he did tell them.

    Therefore, he refrained from saying anything.

    After a moment¡¯s silence, he said slowly, ¡°We¡¯ll have to face it eventually. Yourpany is at the stage where it needs investment funds. The investor has also clearly stated that he wants to meet Wanda. If Wanda doesn¡¯t make an appearance, won¡¯t it make us seem insincere?¡±

    Phoebe felt that he was right. She nodded and said, ¡°Ourpany has a couple of finance consultants now, too. If they go with Wanda when the timees, I think it can help us look more impressive!¡± Christine thought for a while. She inclined her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a time for you then!¡±

 Chapter 407

    In the apartment, Wanda was curled up in bed and wrapped in nkets. Only her eyes peeked out.

    When she heard the door unlock, she felt very nervous. Her heart thumped madly, <b>and </b>she trembled <b>all</b>

    <b>over</b>.

    ¡°Wanda, I¡¯m back!¡±

    When she heard Carlisle¡¯s gentle voice, her heartbeat finally calmed down.

    She threw aside the nkets, got out of bed, and ran barefoot to him.

    ¡°Wanda!¡± Phoebe and Christine greeted her simultaneously.

    However, Wanda ignored them and dove into the embrace of Carlisle, who had just put down his bags of medicines and other necessities.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Carlisle patted her on the back. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t leave you again!¡±

    He asked gently, ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°It hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°Take some ibuprofen. I¡¯ll make you some hot chocte!¡± Carlisle ruffled her hair.

    Phoebe said sourly, ¡°You¡¯re being lovey¨Cdovey in front of us on purpose!¡±

    Christine pursed her lips, and the light in her eyes dimmed.

    Although she had already given up on Carlisle, she still felt jealous when she saw how loving he and

    Wanda were.

    Carlisle picked up the hot chocte and walked toward the kitchen while Wanda followed closely behind

    him.

    Phoebe told Christine, ¡°Hang Wanda¡¯s clothes in the wardrobe while I get her some ibuprofen!¡±

    Christine dragged the suitcase toward the bedroom that Wanda had just run out of.

    Phoebe found the ibuprofen among the medicine and got some warm water.

    While Carlisle boiled some water, he saw that Wanda was barefoot. He pretended to be angry and said, The floor is so cold! Put your slippers on.¡±

    Wanda spread her arms wide. ¡°Hug me.¡±

    Carlisle was amused. He hugged her and said gently. ¡°Be good, Wanda, and put your slippers on.¡±

    Wanda suddenly jumped up and hooked her legs around him.

    He reached out to support her by holding on to her thighs.

    They were both dressed in thin clothes, and Carlisle could feel the soft sensation against his chest. He;

    couldn¡¯t help swallowing.

    He hurriedly muttered to himself to try and empty his mind of all thoughts.

    2/2

    He carried Wanda to the living room and took out a pair of pink Hello Kitty slippers from the necessities.

    he had bought.

    ¡°Wanda, get down and put your slippers <b>on</b>,¡± he said softly.

    Wanda did not have any intention of getting down. She clung to him like an octopus and rested her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

    Phoebe tittered, ¡°Why does Wanda look like <b>a </b>child who <b>is </b>clinging to her father?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not in a good condition right now. She¡¯s no different from a child.¡± Carlisle chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re being such a sweet boyfriend. You¡¯re acting like her father! I want to find a boyfriend like you in the future!¡± Phoebe giggled good¨Cnaturedly.

    She took ibuprofen and water and went around Carlisle so she could persuade Wanda to take it. ¡°Baby Wanda, it¡¯s time to have your medicine!¡±

    Wanda kept her eyes closed, looking as if she were asleep.

    However, she felt another piercing pain in her belly.

    She frowned slightly, opened her eyes, and took the capsule from Phoebe¡¯s hand to stuff into her mouth.

    ¡°Good job, baby.¡± Phoebe beamed as she fed Wanda some water.

    Wanda swallowed the capsule and continued to sleep with her head on Carlisle¡¯s shoulder.

    He suddenly asked, ¡°Does she have socks in her suitcase?¡±

    Phoebe blinked. ¡°Do you mean stockings?¡±

    ¡°No, just ordinary socks!¡± Carlisle had never seen Wanda in stockings.

    Not many people at Rivend University wore stockings. After all, they were in a rather conservative era.

    Only those who were in the workce and were white¨Ccor workers would wear ck stockings.

    Other than that, only women who worked in pubs or hair salons would wear stockings frequently.

    Wanda <b>was </b>shy and conservative, and all her skirts covered her ankles. How could she have stockings in

    her possession?

    ¡°Let me go and have a look!¡± Phoebe went to where Christine was and began rummaging in Wanda¡¯s luggage.

    She soon found a pair of thick, long socks.

    She helped Wanda put them up, and when she held Wanda¡¯s tiny feet, she couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°Look at

    how delicate her feet are! They¡¯re soft, too. Have you yed with them before, Carlisle?¡±

 Chapter 408

    Carlisle¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Why would I y with them?¡±

    Phoebe giggled delightedly. ¡°I was just envying Wanda, but now I envy you! You must be happy to have such a soft, pliable woman being so intimate with you!¡±

    ¡°Get back to your dormitory. Carlisle red at her, but his lips couldn¡¯t help curving into a smile.

    Of course, he was happy!Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    He was happy every second and minute that he was with Wanda. Even the air seemed sweet when he

    was around her.

    Christine walked out after tidying up Wanda¡¯s clothes.

    Phoebe said, ¡°We¡¯ll get going now. See you tomorrow!¡±

    Carlisle nodded. ¡°Make sure to stay safe!¡±

    After they left, Carlisle carried Wanda happily over to the kitchen.

    He finished making the hot chocte and put it on the coffee table to cool.

    ¡°Wanda, do you want to get down for a bit? I don¡¯t think I can handle this!¡± Carlisle was an adult, and it was hard not to react physically when he was carrying her around.

    He hunched slightly, <b>and </b>his voice grew hoarse.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Wanda pouted as she tightened her arms around his neck.

    ¡°Babe, you¡¯re ying with fire here!¡± Carlisle¡¯s eyes darkened.

    Wanda didn¡¯t know what he meant, but she liked being carried by him.

    However, she soon felt ufortable and said, ¡°What¡¯s in your pocket? It¡¯s poking me.¡±

    Carlisle coughed dryly. ¡°It¡¯s probably my phone. Get down. I need to make a call!¡±

    Wanda finally got down.

    ¡°Whew¡­ I¡¯m going to the toilet!¡± Carlisle strode toward the toilet while Wanda followed him in her slippers.

    Just as he was about to close the door, she suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to close the door!¡±

    <b>¡°</b><b>Uh</b>¡­¡± Carlisle wanted to cool down. How could he do that if he didn¡¯t close the door?

    ¡°Shall we y hide¨Cand¨Cseek, Wanda?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no toilet paper left in the toilet. Go and get me some!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Carlisle was at a loss. She was being too difficult to deal with.

    There was a sly sh in Wanda¡¯s eyes. She looked pleased with her own wit as she said, ¡®I¡¯ll <b>get </b>you toilet paper, but you¡¯ve got to feed me using your mouth!¡±

    What a good deal for Carlisle!

    He was grinning so widely that his face was about to split in half. He immediately nodded and <b>said</b><b>, </b>¡°Okay.

    The moment Wanda turned around, he closed the door.

    After a while, Wanda came back with the toilet paper and knocked on the door.

    Carlisle hitched his pants, zipped them up, and opened the door.

    He had just cooled down by sshing cold water over his face from the faucet.

    He hadn¡¯t wanted to waste all his pent¨Cup energy.

    He washed his hands and brought Wanda back to the living room, where the hot chocte <b>had </b>cooled

    until it was merely warm.

    He licked his dry lips and grinned. ¡°I keep my word! I¡¯ll feed you now!¡±

    Wanda sat beside him, smiling brightly, as if her scheme had seeded.

    Carlisle took a sip of hot chocte and kissed Wanda¡¯s plump lips.

    After she had finished it, Carlisle went to the bathroom and adjusted the water temperature for her to

    take a shower.

    Wanda didn¡¯t close the door while she was showering, either. Carlisle sat with his back to the bathroom. as he yed with his phone.

    However, he was distracted.

    He wished he could turn back and look!

    Wanda finished showering and came out of the bathroom wearing a pink spaghetti¨Cstrap nightdress. ¡°I¡¯m

    done.¡±

    Carlisle turned back to look at her, and he felt the fire of desire burn inside him once more.

    Wanda¡¯s hair was still wet from the shower, and she hadn¡¯t toweled herself dry,

    Even her spaghetti¨Cstrap nightdress was wet.

    Her silky, soft skin was vaguely visible, and it <b>triggered </b>Carlisle, especially with the drops of water that dotted her corbone. He could feel the heat rising within him and had to fight the impulse to lunge at her and kiss her.

    His eyes dared not stray down. He swallowed, then blushed and looked away. ¡°Go back to the bedroom and go to bed. I¡¯lle to you once I¡¯ve showered.¡°

 Chapter 409

    ¡°No¡­¡± Wanda shook her head vigorously.

    She only felt safe when she could see Carlisle. When he was downstairs, and she had been huddled in the nkets, her mind had been filled with those terrifying <b>images</b>.

    Damn it! Carlisle would just have to go all out!

    She would be his future wife, anyway.

    She could look at him as much as she wanted!

    Carlisle walked into the bathroom and <b>began </b>taking his clothes off.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes widened, and she covered her face and whined, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any sense of shame? How could you take your clothes off in front of a woman?¡±

    Carlisle looked nonplussed.

    Did she know what shame was?

    Hadn¡¯t she started taking off her clothes as soon as she walked into the bathroom?

    That was so biased of her!

    Wanda turned around and kept her back to Carlisle. She yed with the hem of her dress as she said softly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sing for me while you shower?¡±

    What else could Carlisle do except obey her?

    He began to sing ¡°Love Song¡± while showering.

    ¡°This is just a simple love song¡­¡±

    The next day, Carlisle was dozing off in Susan¡¯s ss.

    Wanda was a restless sleeper, and Carlisle had had to get up for three cold showers.

    He hadn¡¯t slept well at all, so it was no surprise that he was falling asleep.

    Susan noticed that Carlisle wasn¡¯t in the best condition, and there <b>was </b>a look ofpassion in her beautiful eyes.

    Carlisle must have been so busy caring for Wanda that he probably hadn¡¯t had a chance to rest properly. Susan decided to ask him if he needed extra help after ss

    Wanda had slept very well the night before and was fully alert. When she saw Carlisle dozing off, she poked his waist and said sternly, ¡°Listen properly, Carlisle!¡±

    He became fully awake at once and immediately felt <b>as </b>if he had gone back in time to when Wanda used to help him with his homework

    Whenever he daydreamed, she would always get his attention with that mock¨Cfierce tone.

    Carlisle took her slender hand, and the corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily.

    Ruby was sitting in the back row, and when she saw the two of them, she couldn¡¯t help feeling as if she had just swallowed a lemon!

    She had sent Carlisle many messages over the past few days, but he hadn¡¯t replied to any of them.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    She suddenly thought about what Sarah had said.

    As long as Wanda was alive, Carlisle would never look twice at Ruby.

    Could she have Wanda murdered?

    However, that was against thew!

    If Ruby were revealed to be the culprit, her life would be ruined.

    After a long internal struggle, Ruby <b>gave </b>up on the idea.

    She wrote a sentence on a piece of paper, ¡°Carlisle, can we be friends?¡±

    She threw the note onto Carlisle¡¯s desk.

    He opened it, nced at the words, and frowned slightly.

    He had no idea what Ruby was up to.

    Did she really want to be friends with him? Or did she just want to get close to him because she had other

    motives?

    After a moment¡¯s thought, Carlisle picked up a pen and wrote his reply. ¡°Okay!¡±

    It was only one word, but it made Ruby smile.

    Carlisle suddenly threw another note over to her.

    Ruby opened it quickly and saw what was written on the note. ¡°I hope my friends have upright characters <b>and </b>values, and they won¡¯t bully helpless, weaker ssmates!!

    Ruby wrote, ¡°I¡¯ll change!¡±

    She threw the note back to Carlisle¡¯s desk.

    After he had read the note, he did not reply again.

    At that moment, Susan¡¯s phone yibrated while she was

    It was a call from Peter.

    In the middle of her lecture.

    ¡°ss, please take note of the main points written on the ckboard!¡± Susan then took her phone outside to take the call.

    ¡°Mr. Smith?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Lowe, send Carlisle to my office!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Susan said and delivered the message to Carlisle.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 410

    As soon as Carlisle stood up, Wanda followed sult.

    Susan smiled <b>and </b>said, ¡°You can both go.¡±

    Carlisle nodded and brought Wanda to Peter¡¯s office with him.

    When they reached Peter¡¯s office, Carlisle knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Peter¡¯s voice rang out from inside.

    Carlisle pushed the door open and went in.

    He saw Gareth sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.

    Beside him was Max and¡­ Hank?

    ¡°Hank?¡±

    Hank smiled slightly.

    Carlisle said in <b>surprise</b>, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    The next moment, he realized theputer expert Gareth had engaged was Hank.

    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Gareth looked curiously at both of them.

    Hank rubbed his nose. ¡°I¡¯m working for Carlisle!¡±

    Gareth turned to look at Max. Surprise and confusion shed in Max¡¯s eyes.

    Wasn¡¯t Hank theputer genius who was unwilling to work under anyone?

    <i>Why</i>

    would he be willing to work with Carlisle, who had just be an adult?

    Gareth¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Did I just spend 100 thousand to employ someone working for Carlisle to check.

    thatputer for him?¡±

    Hank frowned as well. ¡°Does this have anything to do with Carlisle?¡±

    Gareth nodded and pointed at Wanda, who was standing beside Carlisle. He said, ¡°His little girlfriend is

    the victim.¡±

    Hank¡¯s expression darkened at once. ¡°I¡¯ll pay the 100 thousand back to you!¡±

    He had been obsessed with smart systemstely. After they hade up with a prototype and carried

    out a simtion on theputer, the entire R&D department exploded with excitement.

    That feeling of amazement made him feel as if he had traveled to the future.

    They firmly believed that Carlisle¡¯s phone would take the world by storm.

    The amount of money it would earn in the <b>future </b>was unimaginable.

    That was why Hank thought of Carlisle as a benefactor.

    He had recognized Hank at just the right time!

    In return, Hank was willing to offer his technical expertise to Carlisle.

    He just hadn¡¯t expected Carlisle not toe to him when he needed help.

    It had been Gareth, a rich heir he had met online two years ago, who had contacted him.

    He could not ept the 100 thousand, or else Carlisle would owe Gareth a favor.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. Spilled water can¡¯t be gathered up again, can it?¡± Gareth said firmly. He was determined to do Carlisle a favor.

    ELF

    Hank looked thunderous and tried to fight back, but Carlisleughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Hurry up and check it. After all, you¡¯re a pretty busy man!¡±

    It was now 9:00 am. Gareth and Max had brought Hank to school at such an early hour, which showed they prioritized Carlisle¡¯s affairs. He had to ept their efforts.

    Although Hank worked for him, Gareth had still spent 100 thousand dors to bring him here.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Wasn¡¯t it a win¨Cwin situation to have both of them on his side?

    As for the favor that he now owed Gareth, it was only for the sake of bringing them closer together.

    Carlisle needed him, <b>too</b>.

    Hank acted fast. He looked at Peter and said, ¡°Mr. Smith, where¡¯s theputer?¡±

    Peter said, ¡°It¡¯s still at the stadium. Mr. Spencer has a few people guarding it there!¡±

    Hank nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go over and have a look right now!¡±

    Carlisle was exasperated.

    Why had they called him here when they hadn¡¯t even started checking it?

    Wasn¡¯t this just disrupting his sses?

    Gareth asked, ¡°Carl, do you want to go with us<b>?</b>¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I still need to go to ss. Just tell me the result after you¡¯ve checked it!¡±

    Garethughed awkwardly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have called you over here!¡±

    Carlisle nced at the time. ss was about to end, and the next period was <b>a </b>self¨Cstudy period. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we get some smoothies together?¡±

    Gareth smiled slightly and said to Max, ¡°Max, I¡¯ll leave this to you. I hope we can find the <b>culprit </b>today!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Max walked off without hesitating.

    Things had almost fallen apart because of himst night, and he no <b>longer </b>tried to intervene in the affairs

    between Carlisle and Gareth.

    Carlisle brought Wanda and Gareth to Papplewick Tea Shop.

    Wanda ordered strawberry juice.

    She wanted it iced, but Carlisle changed her order to a warm one, which made her sulk for a long time.

    The three of them sat near the window. Carlisle sipped a vani smoothie as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point. Have you considered it thoroughly?¡±

 Chapter 411

    Gareth had ordered pomegranate juice.

    He wasn¡¯t in a rush to drink it. He sat in his chair, tapping on the table. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°If I

    Invest 200 million, how much of the <b>shares </b>can I get?¡±

    ¡°49 percent!¡± Carlisle said, sipping his smoothie.

    Gareth took a few gulps of his juice. ¡°What <b>kind </b>of games are these<b>?</b>¡±

    Although he had chosen to trust Carlisle, he still had to find out what games they were.

    He didn¡¯t need to know all the details, but he should at least find out what kind of product positioning they <b>had</b>, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Carlisle burped and exined, ¡°One <b>is </b>arge<b>¨C</b>scale multiyer online role¨C<b>ying </b>game, while the other is a 5¨Cversus¨C5 online battle arena mobile game. Both these games will be the most popr in the market

    over the next few years!¡±

    Gareth still had many questions, but he did not ask them.

    Without noticing it, he had finished drinking his huge ss of pomegranate juice.

    He put down the empty <b>ss</b>, smiled, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s <b>have </b>the contract signing ceremony at the Imperial

    Hotel tomorrow at 12:00 pm!¡±

    200 million was not <b>a </b>small sum.

    They had to make things official.

    Carlisle nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled!¡±

    He turned and called out to the waiter, ¡°Let¡¯s <b>have </b>another ss of pomegranate juice. Large, please!¡±

    Only then did Gareth realize he had finished drinking his huge ss of juice.

    When the second ss was served, Gareth sipped on it and said, ¡°Dude, whether or not I can make a

    Carlisle said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If you work with me, I guarantee you¡¯ll make a huge profit!¡±

    <b>Just </b>as he finished speaking, a sour voice came from behind him. ¡°Oh, Carlisle! Are you boasting again?¡±

    It was Sienna.

    She was dressed provocatively and had makeup on. She looked like a delinquent.

    Carlisle looked her up and down and said expressionlessly, ¡°As your high school ssmate, I feel disappointed in <b>you</b><b>.</b>¡±

    Sienna and Sean were at the same university, about a 40¨Cminute drive from Rivend University.

    Even if Sienna was supposed to be ying sports, she shouldn¡¯t <b>be </b>at Rivend University at this time.

    Cinater <b>411</b>

    Either she had taken the day off, or she was skipping ss.

    The way Sienna dressed made it clear that she no longer cared so much about her grades.

    After Sienna heard him, sheughed out loud. ¡°You¡¯re disappointed in me? Do you think you¡¯re worthy of that? Do you think I care that you¡¯re disappointed?¡±

    A woman beside her who was dressed even more provocatively sald, ¡°That¡¯s right! Sienna is now a

    millionaire. What right do you have to order her <b>around</b>?¡±

    ¡°Really? A millionaire?¡± Gareth yelped as if he had just heard something amazing

    Sienna nced at Gareth. He was fairly good¨Clooking, so she jutted her snow¨Cwhite chin and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a million? Why are you kicking up such a <b>fuss</b>? You act like a country bumpkin who¡¯s never been to the city before!¡±

    Gareth grinned as he took a few sips of his juice.

    Sienna looked as if she was around 18 or 19.

    If he took offense at what she had said, it would just make him look petty.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    A million<b>?</b>

    That would be barely enough for him to listen to another song!

    Gareth smiled again and said, ¡°Your high school ssmate doesn¡¯t seem to like you very much!¡±

    Carlisle swirled his straw and said dismissively, ¡°I can¡¯t make everyone like me.¡±

    Sienna looked contemptuously at him before waving a hand at her friends and saying, ¡°Sit down.

    treat!¡± anywhere you like and order whatever you want to drink. It¡¯s my

    ¡°Thank you, Enna!¡± they chorused,

    The other delinquents giggled as they thanked her.

    Sienna loved being put on a pedestal <b>and </b>the sense of superiority it gave her,

    It was <b>true </b>that only money could elevate one¡¯s status in society.

    Austin had introduced her to a rich heir and set them up.

    Although he wasn¡¯t as rich as Austin, he owned severalpanies as well, and he had bought Sienna a branded phone and high¨Cend branded bags.

    He had even promised to give her one million in pocket money annually.

    She had undergone aplete¡¯transformation. She was now the ugly duckling who had be a swan. She was a millionaire.

 Chapter 412

    Sienna was living a life that most people only dreamed of. <b>She </b>reflected that it was important to make friends like Sarah, who had good taste.

    Sienna gritted her teeth when she saw Wanda next to Carlisle.

    No wonder Sarah always looked so drained when she saw Wanda.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Wanda was a true heiress from an elite family. Her father was Shein, the leader of one of Rivend¡¯s most well¨Cknownpanies, Thompson Group.

    Even Yuriel, the richest man in Rivend, had to treat them with deference.

    As for Sienna, she and Sarah <b>had </b>gotten rich by relying on men.

    There was noparison between the two.

    It was impossible for them to surpass Wanda.

    Suddenly, Sienna seemed to think of something. She smiled and said, ¡°Wanda, I heard that you got

    kidnapped-¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Carlisle suddenly grabbed his half¨Cdrunk smoothie and threw it at her.

    The ss smashed against the wall and sshed its contents all over Sienna.

    Sienna was furious. She stood up and said angrily, ¡°Carlisle, have you gone mad?¡±

    The other delinquents stood up at once.

    Carlisle turned to look at Wanda.

    Her pupils had constricted, and she looked terrified. She was trembling slightly.

    Carlisle immediately pulled her into his arms tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Wanda. It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here!¡±

    A woman whose hair was streaked with green came over and mmed Carlisle¡¯s table. ¡°Carlisle, isn¡¯t it? Apologize to Enna!¡±

    ¡°Get lost.¡± He looked expressionlessly at her.

    SHER

    The green¨Chaired womanughed in anger. ¡°Did you just tell me to get lost? Do you know who my man is?¡±

    you people

    Gareth got up and pped her. He said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen all kinds of bullies in

    seen all kinds of bullies in my time, but you

    aren¡¯t even qualified to be bullies!¡±

    The green¨Chaired woman, Zoe Yeager, was stunned at the p. She clutched her face and said in disbelief, ¡°You¡­ You actually hit me?¡±

    Gareth snorted. ¡°So what if I did?¡±

    Sheughed out of sheer fury. ¡°Fine. Stay here if you dare. I¡¯ll make you regret this!¡±

    She pulled out her phone to make a call.

    Sienna nced at Carlisle and said dispassionately, ¡°Carlisle, we¡¯re ssmates, after all. Apologize to me and tell your friend to kneel to Zoe, and we¡¯ll call it even. Otherwise, once Zoe¡¯s man gets here, you¡¯ll find

    it hard to settle this!¡±

    ¡°You want me to kneel and apologize?¡± Gareth dug around in his ear, as if he had heard her wrong.

    ¡°You hit her. Shouldn¡¯t you apologize for that?¡± Sienna said fiercely.

    Gareth stepped forward <b>and </b>pped Sienna, too.

    Sienna was slim, and the force of the p made <b>her </b>fall over.

    Gareth had pped her for Carlisle.

    Carlisle pressed Wanda¡¯s face into his chest and covered her ears.

    <b>Sienna </b>was stunned, and her friends were equally bbergasted.

    Was Gareth crazy? How dare he hit a millionaire?

    ¡°Zoe, call Gaston Luger at once!¡± Sienna yelled, her eyes turning red.

    She pulled out her phone to call Sarah.

    Sarah was in ss when she <b>got </b>Sienna¡¯s call. She frowned slightly. ¡°Carlisle was the one who hit her?¡±

    Sienna sniffed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t him. It <b>was </b>someone else<b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    Sarah hesitated and asked, ¡°Why did he hit you?¡±

    Sienna recounted the <b>events</b>.

    Sarah said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll be right <b>over</b>!¡±

 Chapter 413

    After all, Sienna was Sarah¡¯s best friend, and she didn¡¯t have many real friends.

    Sarah came up with an excuse to take the day off and called Alex.

    Austin had bought Alex a meal once, and he had told Sarah to contact Alex if she ever got into any

    trouble.

    When the call connected, Sarah said, ¡°Alex, it¡¯s me, Sarali. I¡¯d like to ask you to send me some <b>people</b>!¡±

    ¡°Is ten enough?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. I only need five!¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send five men to the university entrance<b>!</b>¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Alex!¡±

    While Sienna had been making her call, Gareth sent a message.

    The truth was that he had no idea who he had sent it to.

    Amos had been the one who gave him the number.

    He had said that if Gareth ran into any trouble while he was in Rivend, he could contact the number.

    Titan was lying on the enormous, luxurious bed in his vi, resting.

    There was a towelid over his forehead to bring down his temperature.

    He had paid 80 million to clean things up, only to have the ce smashed up by Jalen on the very same

    day.

    He had been nning to get back at him, but the police had strengthened the patrols, which angered

    Titan so much that he ended up getting sick.

    Even <b>though </b>he had been on a drip since yesterday, his temperature still hadn¡¯t gone down.

    His phone vibrated on the bedside table.

    He picked it up and saw it was a contact that he hadbeled as ¡°Mr. Spencer¡°.

    Gareth?

    Titan shot up in bed.

    His private doctor had just entered to change his dressings, and the sudden movement shocked him.

    Titan opened the message..

    2/3

    The content read, ¡°I¡¯m at Papplewick Tea Shop. Someone¡¯s trying to mess with me!¡±

    Titan jolted in shock and Immediately roared, ¡°Karl Somers! Karl! Get in here, hurry!¡±

    A burly man walked in. ¡°<b>What¡¯s </b>the matter, Mr. Lynch?¡±

    Titan said, ¡°Take some men to Papplewick Tea Shop to protect Mr. Spencer. Move quickly!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Mr. Spencer?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother about that. Hurry up and gol Titan <b>was </b>so anxious that the veins on his forehead were bulging out.

    Karl did not dare to ask further. He turned and walked out of the bedroom, scratching his head as he muttered, ¡°Who is Mr. Spencer?¡±

    Karl decided to let Manny Lozario take care of it. He went out of the vi, found Manny, and repeated Titan¡¯s instructions.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Manny frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s Mr. Spencer?¡±

    Karl said impassively, ¡°Mr. Lynch didn¡¯t exin, but he must be someone important. Mr. Lynch practically leaped out of his bed!¡±

    Manny nodded and took out his phone to make a call.

    ¡°Mr. Manny!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Papplewick Tea Shop?¡±

    ¡°Near Rivend University.¡±

    ¡°Right. Take some men over there. I¡¯m heading over now, too!¡±

    At Papplewick Tea Shop, Gareth sat in his chair as he continued to drink his pomegranate juice.

    The students and patrons in the shop continued to order more drinks. They wanted to see what would

    happen next.

    <b>The </b>staff and owner of the cafe looked troubled.

    They had already tried to break it up, but it hadn¡¯t been of any use at all.

    The delinquents had even threatened to smash up the cafe.

    Sienna and Zoe asked the owner <b>for </b>ice to put on their faces.

    In Carlisle¡¯s arms, Wanda said anxiously, ¡°Carlisle, I want to go back to the university!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you back!¡± He pulled her to her feet.

    Sienna immediately said, ¡°You haven¡¯t apologized yet, Carlisle! You¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡±

    30

    Gareth stood up and said calmly, ¡°Go on, Carlisle. If they try to stop you, I¡¯ll p them both!¡±

    As soon as he finished, Sarah walked inside with a group of men in tow.

    ¡°You¡¯re <b>bold</b><b>.</b>¡± There were five tall, strong¨Clooking seniors following Sarah. They looked like they majored

    in sports.

    ¡°Sarah, you¡¯re here!¡± Sienna broke into a smile and went up to hug her.

    Enjoy Ad¨CFree Reading>>

 Chapter 414

    Sarah patted Sienna on the back. ¡°Alright, you can let go now. I¡¯vee to stand up for you!¡±

    Sienna let her go.

    When Sarah saw how Sienna was dressed, she frowned slightly.

    She didn¡¯t like what Sienna was wearing. They were supposed to be climbing up the socialdder and

    getting into upper society, not hanging around with delinquents and lowlifes.

    ¡°Are these the people you brought to help? Only five? You¡¯re underestimating me.¡± Gareth cracked his

    knuckles and twisted his neck¡­

    He had been given military training by his uncles since childhood, and he was skilled in various methods

    ofbat

    He had trained in boxing for several years, even having a ck belt in taekwondo.

    Four or five people weren¡¯t a challenge for him at all.

    Sarah looked calmly at Carlisle and Wanda before turning her gaze on Gareth.

    The moment she saw him, her brow furrowed.

    At the bonfire party, Peter had invited an important guest named Gareth, who was the chairman of Scarlet

    Corporation

    That night, she had asked him for his contact number.

    What was Carlisle doing with him?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Spencer¡­¡± Sarah looked very ufortable.

    Gareth looked at her doubtfully. ¡°Do you know me?¡±

    Sarah smiled forcefully and said, ¡°Have you forgotten, Mr. Spencer? I even asked you for your contact

    number!¡±

    Gareth said dispassionately, ¡°I remember now. You came up to me at the bonfire party the day before

    yesterday!¡±

    His expression turned frosty as he said, ¡°Are you going to stand up for them?¡±

    Sarah said quickly, ¡°No, Mr. Spencer. There must be a misunderstanding. Let¡¯s just settle this amicably, shall we?¡±

    There was a sudden bang as the door of the shop was kicked open.

    A loud voice called out aggressively, ¡°Who was bold enough to hit my woman!¡±

    A man in his 30s with a buzz cut rushed in with over 20 men.

    Sarah looked confused, and she said to Sienna in a low voice, ¡°Sienna, tell them to leave.

    <ol start="4">

    <li>Spencer-</li>

    </ol>

    <b>¡°</b>Sarah, my friend got hit, and so did 1. If you don¡¯t want to help us, fine, but how could you tell me to call them off?¡± Sienna interrupted.

    Sarah sighed exasperatedly and pulled out her phone to call Austin,

    When Zoe saw Gaston, she walked over to him tearfully and pointed at Gareth, saying, ¡°Gaston, he was the one who hit mel¡±

    Gaston looked menacing. ¡°Who the hell are you? How dare youy a finger on my woman?¡±

    As he finished speaking, there was the sound of screeching brakes from outside.

    Everyone looked out and saw over a dozen ck cars pull up at the roadside.

    The motorbikes of Gaston and his cronies had been rammed into and were <b>lying </b>haphazardly on the ground.

    30 or 40 heavily tattooed men poured out from the ck cars.

    Zoe looked excited. ¡°Honey, since when did you get so well connected? You should have told me!¡±

    Gaston looked awkward.

    Damn it!

    They weren¡¯t his men!

    With the tiny bit of territory he had, giving each of his men a motorbike was already the extent of his abilities. How could he afford cars?

    Sarah was equally confused. Was Alex worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it? Had he sent more of Jalen¡¯s men?

    Manny brought two muscled men into the caf¨¦ and looked around. He immediately zeroed in on Gareth, who was dressed from head to toe in expensive branded clothing and was clearly well off. He was the only one in the cafe who looked like a rich heir, so Manny asked, ¡°Are you Mr. Spencer?¡±

    Gareth nodded and pointed to Gaston, saying, ¡°He¡¯s the one who¡¯s trying to mess with me!¡±

    Sienna¡¯s legs buckled, and she almost fell to her knees.

    Gareth?

    Sarah had addressed him formally just now, so this man must be Gareth!

    Had Gareth brought all these men?

    ¡°M¨CMr. Manny¡­ I¨Cver said that. There¡¯s been a misunderstanding¡­ The muscles in Gaston¡¯s face were twitching.

    Manny <b>was </b>known for his recklessness, and he was one of the right¨Chand men of Titan.

    He was reticent and cruel.

    Zoe was stunned.

    3/3

    She had met Manny once because Gaston had been hoping to work with him sincest year.

    However, Manny had rejected him.

    She had never imagined that they would meet Manny again under these circumstances.

    Manny smiled and said to Gareth, ¡°Mr. Spencer, you can go. Just leave this to me!¡±

    gh to stop you!¡± GarethContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°Carl, you can take Wanda now. Let¡¯s see if anyone is daring enough to stop you!¡± Gareth swept his gaze over Sienna.

 Chapter 415

    Sienna trembled as she hid behind Sarah.

    Stop Carlisle<b>?</b>

    1/2

    Even Gaston had practically wet his <b>pants </b>in fear. Who would try to

    stop Carlisle now?

    Sienna had only just be rich and hadn¡¯t had enough of living yet!

    Carlisle pulled Wanda out of the cafe.

    Sarah watched them go, looking unhappy.

    Gareth had addressed Carlisle and Wanda in such a familiar way!

    Were they already that close with each other?

    Why was Carlisle so lucky? Why did he always manage to get help?

    Manny walked over meekly to Gareth and smiled as he asked, ¡°How would you like to deal with them, Mr. Spencer?¡±

    Gareth sat down and sipped his pomegranate juice. He stared at Sienna and said, ¡°You were the one who made a fuss and deliberately tried to trigger Wanda. You scared her. Since you¡¯re still young, p yourself

    twice in the face, and I¡¯ll let this go!¡±

    Sienna shivered as she said, ¡°I¨CI¨CI don¡¯t want to¡­ My boyfriend¡¯s.

    ¡°Do you want me to do it?¡± Manny turned and smiled cruelly at her.

    Sienna burst into frightened tears. She grabbed Sarah¡¯s arm and pleaded, ¡°Sarah, help me¡­

    Sarah took a deep breath and stepped forward. She said, ¡°Mr. Spencer, she only just started university, and there are many things she doesn¡¯t know yet. Please, for my sake, Mr. Spencer¡­¡±

    Garethughed. ¡°Why would I do anything for your sake?¡±

    At that moment, another group of people came in.

    Austin walked in with Henry, one of Jalen¡¯s confidantes.

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d do it for the sake of the Gust name, Mr. Spencer!¡± Austin said.

    Gareth was from Yorskle, and Scarlet Corporation was well¨Cknown in the region.

    Austin was from a locally prominent family, and he could not afford to offend Gareth.

    However, Austin had mentioned the Gust name, which was a silent plea to Gareth to let things go

    Yuriel¡¯s sake.

    for

    ¡°Henry¡­¡± Manny squinted at him and clenched his fists.

    The night before, Henry had brought his men and smashed up the ce that Titan had just bought over.

    272

    There were still more than 20 men lying in the hospital and recuperating because of what he had done.

    Henry stuck his hands in his pockets and looked disdainfully at him. He did feel very quilty.

    He had meant to smash Benjamin¡¯s ce, but he hadn¡¯t known Benjamin had already sold all his properties to Titan.

    They were in the wrong in this incident, but Jalen had no intention of apologizing.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    After all, they were enemies. They could each do as they pleased<b>!</b>

    Gareth stood up and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose name you mention today!¡±

    Manny nodded and said, ¡°I understand!¡±

    He strode forward and grabbed Sienna¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ It hurts!¡± Sienna held on to Manny¡¯s hand, looking terrified.

    ¡°Enna, just do as they say! Do you really want them to hit you?¡± Sarah was almost crying from anxiety.

    ¡°I¨CI¨CI¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Sienna burst into loud walls.

    Manny let go. He didn¡¯t like hitting women, especially when they were only students.

    Sienna pped herself in the face.

    She had put a lot of strength behind it, and it was a loud p.

    However, Gareth was not satisfied. He said with a frosty expression, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m easily tricked?¡±

    Sienna closed her eyes and pped herself hard again.

    Both her palm and her face stung with pain.

    She pped herself once more.

    She had put a lot of force behind both ps

    Gareth finally nodded in satisfaction and said impassively, ¡°If you offend Carl again, it won¡¯t be just a p!¡±

    He usually kept a low profile, but he was now working with Carlisle and was counting on him to make money. In order to prevent these people from causing trouble for Carlisle, he had to make an example. Sarah looked at Gareth and asked, ¡°Can we leave, Mr. Spencer?¡±

    He waved a hand. ¡°Go on!!

    Sarah was very unhappy. She looked at Austin, whose face was as ck as thunder.

    Henry said in a low voice, ¡°This is Titan¡¯s territory. Let¡¯s just let it go!¡±

    Austin finally unclenched his fists and said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll see if you can keep being so arrogant, Mr.

 Chapter 416

    Gareth snorted and said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem satisfied with the result. Do you think that I¡¯m just winning

    because I have the majority? Do you want to fight one¨Con¨Cone with me?¡±

    Austin remained silent. He turned and went <b>out </b>with Sarah and Sienna.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Zoe turned to leave as well, but Gareth said coldly, ¡°I told <i>you </i>to kneel and apologize. Do you think you

    <b>can </b>just leave?<b>¡±</b>

    There was a bunch of women whispering to each other at a table in the corner.

    Luna and Queenie were among them.

    Queenie had been worried for Carlisle and Wanda at first, but then Gareth had called over Manny, one of

    Titan¡¯s confidantes.

    Luna said quietly, ¡°Queenie, I think you were right!¡±

    Queenie was startled. ¡°What?¡±

    Luna blushed and said, ¡°Well¡­ Gareth and Naomi didn¡¯t sleep together, so I have the right to try and pursue my happiness, too!¡±

    Queenie rolled her eyes. ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t want to be a recement for Naomi.¡±

    Luna was starry¨Ceyed. ¡°But he¡¯s so cool! I can¡¯t help liking him!¡±

    Carlisle obviously had no idea what was going on.

    However, Arthur had messaged him.

    Carlisle had texted Arthur when Sienna and the others started making calls.

    By the time Arthur rushed over, the cafe was already surrounded by people, which was why he hadn¡¯t -gone in. He had remained in the crowd of onlookers outside.

    Carlisle was in ss when he saw the message Arthur sent, and there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

    Gareth had attracted too much attention this time. He wasn¡¯t an average person, and someone might

    seize the opportunity to find leverage over him.

    He sent a message to Gareth. ¡°There are too many people watching. Don¡¯t go too far!¡±

    The message had prompted Gareth to let Gaston and his men go.

    Zoe knelt to apologize.

    Sienna was the worst off, Her cheeks were swollen, but she had brought it all on herself.

    If Carlisle had been the one to handle it, he wouldn¡¯t have let her off easily, either.

    Mentioning the kidnapping in front of Wanda was tantamount to pouring salt in her wound

    After ss that afternoon, Carlisle brought Wanda to the cafeteria for lunch.

    Wanda¡¯s sense of taste hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, so she craved spicy food. Carlisle refused to let her have any, so she sulked, looking aggrieved.

    He remained adamant despite her sulking.

    She had cramps, and if she were to eat something that would upset her stomach further, she would be sure to suffer for it.

    Wanda didn¡¯t eat much, and Carlisle didn¡¯t have much appetite either. He brought her back to the

    apartment to rest.

    Wanda wrapped herself in her nkets and ignored him.

    However, it was dark under the nkets.

    She poked her head out timidly and was even more frightened when she realized Carlisle wasn¡¯t in the room. She put on her slippers to go and look for him.

    Carlisle was in the kitchen, making hot chocte.

    When he saw Wanda standing piteously at the door to the kitchen, he felt amused. ¡°What¡¯s the matter<b>, </b>babe? Can¡¯t you sleep?¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Wanda crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away.

    Carlisle suddenly felt that she was adorable when she was angry.

    He wished he could grab her and nt a few kisses on her.

    He poured the hot chocte he had made into a mug and walked over to her. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. I don¡¯t want you to have spicy food for your own good. Once your period is over, I¡¯ll buy you whatever you

    want to eat!¡±

    Wanda had always been easily cated, even after she became ill.

    Her expression softened at his words.

    The two of them sat on the sofa. Carlisle took a sip of the hot chocte and grabbed Wanda¡¯s chin to

    feed it to her.

    After drinking half of it, Wanda could not drink anymore.

    Carlisle said sternly, ¡°Phoebe says that you have a heavy period flow. You¡¯ve got to drink more of this to

    feel better!¡±

    Wanda had gone to the toilet,three times that morning, and Phoebe and Christine had been with her every

    time.

    Phoebe had reported Wanda¡¯s condition to Carlisle so he would be aware.

    3/3

    After giving her thest spoonful of hot chocte, Carlisle took her face in his hands and kissed her for <b>a</b>

    while.

    There was a series of knocks on the door, so he let her go and went to open it.

    He looked through the peephole and froze.

 Chapter 417

    There was a middle¨Caged man in a suit outside, with two women standing behind him.

    One of the women was Queenie.

    The other was in her 30s and was an unfamiliar face.

    The middle¨Caged man was Shein, Wanda¡¯s father.

    The knocking started again.

    Carlisle gathered himself before pulling the door open.

    ¡°Mr. Thompson,¡± Carlisle greeted him politely.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Shein nodded, looking affable. It was hard to tell how he was feeling.

    Queenie introduced the other woman to Carlisle. ¡°This is the psychologist that Mr. Thompson hired. Her name is Rochelle Worley!¡±

    Carlisle stood aside and said, ¡°Come in!¡±

    Shein walked inside and looked around. He was fairly satisfied with what he saw. At least Carlisle wasn¡¯t making Wanda live in a cheap rental ce.

    ¡°Please sit down, Mr. Thompson. I¡¯ll get you a drink!¡± Carlisle politely led Shein to a seat, although inwardly, he was extremely nervous.

    The first time he met Shein, things between him and Wanda had been perfectly chaste, so he hadn¡¯t felt guilty.

    This time, he was sharing a bed with Wanda and had already pretty much gone all the way. He felt as if he were having a formal meeting with her parents.

    Shein said to Rochelle, ¡°You know how this all started. Please check on my daughter and her current condition!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Thompson.¡± Rochelle took out a device from her backpack.

    It was connected to a hood that looked like something used to do an electroencephalogram.

    Once the device was connected, the screen was filled with Jarnese.

    Rochelle walked toward Wanda, holding the hood. ¡°You¡¯re such a prettydy. Put this on¡­¡±

    Wanda shrank back on the sofa and shook her head.

    Rochelle said very gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, youngdy. This is just a data cable that will detect your nerve activity!¡±

    She put the hood over Wanda¡¯s head.

    Wanda immediately thought of what had happened when she was kidnapped.

    2/2

    Her defenses copsed, and she covered her head and broke into sobs. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ You¡¯re all evil people¡­¡±

    When Carlisle heard her crying, he strode over with the sses of water he had been filling.

    Wanda looked tearfully at him. ¡°Carlisle¡­ I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±

    Carlisle put the sses of water on the table and took the hood from Rochelle. He said, ¡°Let me.¡±

    Rochelle nodded and handed it to him.

    After taking the hood, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±

    Rochelle exined, ¡°It¡¯s to check how active the nerve cells in her brain are!¡±

    Carlisle put the hood on his head, smiled, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s try out this device!¡±

    Rochelle frowned slightly and turned to look at Shein. ¡°Mr. Thompson¡­¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Shein said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s try it out, then. I¡¯d like to know if this¨Cdevice of yours will be useful or not!¡±

    Rochelle pressed the switch.

    Carlisle immediately felt several currents prickling his scalp.

    He felt as if his head was about to explode.

    He pulled off the hood and tossed it on the table. His expression was cold as he said, ¡°Why is the current so strong? Are you trying to kill her?¡±

 Chapter 418

    <b>Chapter </b>418

    It was a good thing they hadn¡¯t used it on Wanda.

    Even Carlisle had barely been able to withstand it. How could Wanda?

    His heart would have ached terribly for her!

    Rochelle exined, ¡°The device only has a bit of current when it¡¯s started. It¡¯s not strong, either<b>!</b>¡±

    Queenie put the hood on her head. ¡°Turn it on, and I¡¯ll try it out¡­¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Rochelle hesitated and turned it on.

    Queenie¡¯s expression contorted at once. She pulled it off and asked, ¡°Is there a leakage on this device<b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be!¡± Rochelle picked up the hood and put it on her head before turning it on again.

    She did feel a hint of a current, but it wasn¡¯t strong. It would be an exaggeration to say that it would kill

    someone.

    Rochelle smiled stiffly and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s expression was stormy as he said, ¡°Take it back and use it on yourself, then. I won¡¯t let Wanda

    use this!¡±

    Rochelle¡¯s temper red. She turned to look at Shein and said, ¡°Mr. Thompson, since you don¡¯t trust my device, you had better find someone else. I won¡¯t be able to treat her!¡±

    She stuffed the device into her backpack and walked off.

    Shein did not stop her. He drank the rest of his water and looked at Wanda, whose face was streaked

    with tears as she hid behind Carlisle.

    He looked intently at Carlisle and said slowly, ¡°Carl, it¡¯s been hard on you. I would like to take Wanda to the best hospital for neurology in Yorksle to get her checked thoroughly!¡±

    Carlisle looked conflicted. ¡°I support the idea, but I hope that you¡¯ll be more discerning so you won¡¯t be deceived by any chatans.

    ¡°Many doctors know who you are and don¡¯t care whether the patient lives or dies. All they want is to trick. you out of your money. That psychologist looked like the kind of chatan who tricks money out of old men and women in rural areas by using a device that people aren¡¯t familiar with!¡±

    He was being faintly usatory, but Shein did not get angry. He looked shamefaced as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning to take Wanda to a proper hospital to get checked!¡±

    When Wanda heard that she would be taken away, she immediately grabbed Carlisle¡¯s arm and sobbed, Carlisle¡­ Don¡¯t leave me, please¡­¡±

    Her trembling voice seemed to pierce into Carlisle¡¯s heart like a sharp dagger.

    She was being silly.

    2/2

    How could he ever leave her?

    How could he ever have the heart to do so?

    However, Shein was her father!

    If Carlisle wanted Shein¡¯s approval, he would have to be rational about this.

    When Wanda saw that Carlisle remained silent, she hugged him tightly and screamed, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! I¡¯m not going anywhere¡­¡±

    Queenie could not go on watching and turned away, suppressing her own tears.

    Carlisle closed his eyes as tears trickled down his cheeks.

    He did not want Shein to take Wanda, but this wasn¡¯t something that he could decide on his own.

    Shein was polite to him, but that was because Carlisle hadn¡¯t done anything to offend him yet.

    As a renowned entrepreneur, Shein would maintain his image. However, if Carlisle forcibly tried to keep Wanda by his side, Shein would be sure to retaliate.

    Shein said to Carlisle, ¡°Carl, I¡¯m a little thirsty. Get me some water.¡±

    Carlisle knew he wanted to get rid of him so he could speak to Wanda alone.

    However, he could not refuse, so he took Shein¡¯s empty ss and walked over to refill it.

    Shein said to Wanda in a low voice, ¡°Wanda, once you get better, you cane back and continue dating Carlisle. I won¡¯t stand in your way!¡±

    Wana blinked tearfully and looked at Queenie, as if she were asking whether Shein was being truthful.

    Queenie smiled and nodded. ¡°Your father wouldn¡¯t lie to you, but you¡¯ve got to cooperate with the doctors so that you can get better!¡±

    Wanda wiped away her tears and nodded vigorously. ¡°I¡¯ll be obedient.¡±

    At that moment, Carlisle walked over and ced a ss of water in front of Shein.

    Shein stood up and said, ¡°Queenie, take Wanda downstairs. I¡¯m going to the university to apply for a leave of absence!¡±

    Queenie nodded. ¡°Alright, Mr. Thompson!¡±

    Shein got up and left.

    Wanda pressed her red lips together and said, ¡°Carlisle, I¡¯m going to get treatment!¡±

 Chapter 419

    Carlisle had no idea what Shein had said to Wanda.

    He suspected that Shein had deceived her somehow, but Carlisle couldn¡¯t expose him.

    He ruffled Wanda¡¯s hair and fought back the tears.

    He smiled and said, ¡°Okay. Get better soon, and I¡¯ll be here waiting for you!¡±

    Wanda¡¯s condition was not an ordinary one.

    Luna wasn¡¯t a professional neurologist, either.

    Her treatment n might be able to alleviate the symptoms, but it wouldn¡¯t get to the root of the problem.

    Moreover, Shein wouldn¡¯t lie about taking Wanda to Yorksle for treatment.

    Carlisle also hoped that Wanda would recover as soon as possible. He wasn¡¯t contemptuous of how helpless she currently was. In fact<b>, </b>he liked how sweet she was then. Nevertheless, it was still an illness. He didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be a good idea to drag it out.

    Wanda pinched his nose.

    ¡°I¡¯ll continue annoying you when I return.¡±

    Carlisle grabbed her hand.

    He said gently, ¡°You must keep your word and get better as soon as possible.¡±

    Wanda nodded meekly.

    ¡°I want some candy.¡±

    Carlisle often kept a few pieces of creamy candy in his pocket.

    He took one out, unwrapped it, and fed it to Wanda.

    Wanda pouted and said, ¡°I want you to feed it to me with your mouth!¡±

    Carlisleughed and looked awkwardly at Queenie, who pped a hand to her forehead.

    What had she taught them?

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±

    She got up and went out.

    Carlisle popped the candy into his mouth and kissed Wanda¡¯s red lips.

    It was a long, gentle kiss.

    Carlisle explored her mouth hungrily. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she responded in kind.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    The two of them only separated after more than three minutes, and a string of saliva stretched out

    between their

    A1 2:00 pm Wards got into Sheir¡¯s car

    She pressed her face to the window to look at Carlisle, who was standing at the side of the road. Tears

    trickled from her eyes.

    Carlisle smiled and waved.

    Shein said slowly. ¡°Drive straight to the airport.¡±

    Carlisle didn¡¯t return to his senses until the car disappeared at the end of the road.

    He felt as if it had all been a dream, and now he was wide awake.

    Wanda wouldn¡¯t be with him for now.

    He wondered how he could get used to not having her around.

    Queenie stood beside him and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s time for this to end¡­¡±

    Carlisle¡¯s heart jolted violently.

    He turned to her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going to end?¡±

    ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m going back to the university.¡±

    Queenie shook her head and strode toward the university gates.

    Carlisle watched her leave thoughtfully.

    He sensed that Queenie must know something.

    However, she was Zachary¡¯s girlfriend. She would never divulge what she knew to Carlisle.

    A car honked beside him.

    Carlisle turned and saw a yellow Ferrari.

    Gareth cocked his head.

    ¡°Get in. We¡¯re going drinking.¡±

    ¡°I have ss!¡±

    ¡°Will you be able to focus in ss right now?¡± Gareth grinned, shing all his teeth.

    He had passed by three minutes ago and caught sight of Wanda leaving with Shein.

    He reckoned that Wanda¡¯s departure must have devastated Carlisle, seeing that they had been rather

    close recently.

    Gareth didn¡¯t believe that Carlisle could focus in ss at all.

    Carlisle¡¯s lip curled. He pulled open the door on the passenger¡¯s side and got in.

    Gareth put on his sunsses and said, ¡°Sit tight. I¡¯m going to take you for a ride!¡±

    3/3

    Gareth had just recently broken up with his girlfriend, and he knew exactly how to get Carlisle¡¯s mind off things. Although Carlisle hadn¡¯t broken up with Wanda, he was in pretty much the same state as Gareth had been in.

    Carlisle took out his phone and said, ¡°Let me excuse myself.¡±

    He called Susan and told her he was unwell and wouldn¡¯t be in ss.

    Susan epted his reason for being absent. She knew that Shein had pulled Wanda out of university to receive treatment in Yorksle, so she could understand how Carlisle felt.

    A roar sounded as the bright yellow Ferrari sped down the street like lightning.

    The engine rumbled like a wild, roaring beast.

    The people on the street all looked over enviously at the gleaming, luxurious car.

    Some photographers even raised their SLR cameras to capture thevish scene.

    Carlisle sat in the passenger¡¯s <b>seat</b><b>, </b>and the wind whipped his hair back from his forehead.

    He enjoyed the adrenaline rush of the extreme speed and the satisfying sensation of the wind whipping at

    his face.

    From the corner of his eye, he could see the streets on either side fall back rapidly, and the oppressive feeling in his heart slowly disappeared.

    Gareth yed with his phone as he drove, causing Carlisle¡¯s heart to leap into his mouth with

    <b>nervousness</b>.

 Chapter 420

    <b>Chapter </b><b>420</b>

    <b>Carlisle feared </b><b>that </b><b>he </b><b>and </b><b>Gareth </b><b>would </b><b>get </b><b>into </b><b>a </b><b>car </b><b>ident</b><b>.</b>

    <b>His </b><b>life </b><b>had </b><b>only </b><b>just </b><b>begun</b><b>.</b>

    <b>He </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>wish </b><b>to </b><b>die </b><b>an </b><b>untimely </b><b>death</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Gareth </b><b>suddenly </b><b>turned </b><b>to </b><b>face </b><b>him </b><b>and </b><b>asked </b><b>loudly</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>How </b><b>does </b><b>it </b><b>feel</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Good</b><b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Carlisle </b><b>finally </b><b>understood </b><b>why </b><b>rich </b><b>heirs </b><b>enjoyed </b><b>speeding </b><b>down </b><b>the </b><b>streets </b><b>in </b><b>their </b><b>cars</b><b>.</b>

    <b>The </b><b>respectful </b><b>looks </b><b>from </b><b>passersby</b><b>, </b><b>the </b><b>feeling </b><b>of </b><b>superiority</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>the </b><b>thrill </b><b>of </b><b>speeding </b><b>could </b><b>make </b><b>anyone </b><b>temporarily </b><b>forget </b><b>their </b><b>worries</b><b>.</b>

    <b>The </b><b>sports </b><b>car </b><b>stopped </b><b>at </b><b>Riverview </b><b>Bridge </b><b>with </b><b>a </b><b>screeching </b><b>halt</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Carlisle </b><b>panted </b><b>heavily </b><b>and </b><b>turned </b><b>in </b><b>confusion</b><b>.</b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Why </b><b>did </b><b>you </b><b>stop</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Gareth </b><b>smiled </b><b>and </b><b>asked</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Do </b><b>you </b><b>want </b><b>to </b><b>do </b><b>something </b><b>even </b><b>more </b><b>exciting</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>More </b><b>exciting</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Carlisle </b><b>looked </b><b>doubtful</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Wasn¡¯t </b><b>this </b><b>exciting </b><b>enough</b><b>?</b>

    <b>He </b><b>wondered </b><b>if Gareth </b><b>was </b><b>nning </b><b>to </b><b>take </b><b>him </b><b>drinking </b><b>at </b><b>bars</b><b>.</b>

    <b>¡°</b><b>Hold </b><b>on </b><b>tight</b><b>!</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Gareth </b><b>suddenly stepped </b><b>on </b><b>the </b><b>gas </b><b>pedal</b><b>.</b>

    <b>The </b><b>sports </b><b>car </b><b><i>shot </i></b><b>forward like </b><b>an </b><b>arrow </b><b>that had </b><b>just </b><b>been </b><b>released </b><b>from </b><b>its </b><b>bow</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Carlisle </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b><b>ready </b><b>and </b><b>almost </b><b>threw </b><b>up </b><b>the </b><b>smoothie </b><b>he </b><b>had </b><b>drunk </b><b>that </b><b>morning</b><b>.</b>

    <b>At </b><b>Rivend </b><b>Airport</b><b>, </b><b>Shein </b><b>bought </b><b>tickets </b><b>for </b><b>the </b><b>earliest </b><b>flight </b><b>they </b><b>could </b><b>get</b><b>.</b>

    <b>1</b>

    <b>He </b><b>and </b><b>Wanda </b><b>checked </b><b>in </b><b>almost </b><b>as </b><b>soon </b><b>as </b><b>they </b><b>reached </b><b>the </b><b>airport</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Wanda </b><b>sat </b><b>by </b><b>the </b><b>window</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>her </b><b>cheeks </b><b>bulged </b><b>with </b><b>the </b><b>creamy </b><b>candy </b><b>she </b><b>was </b><b>eating</b><b>. </b><b>She looked </b><b>like</b>

    <b>a squirrel </b><b>munching </b><b>on </b><b>pinecones</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>sat listlessly </b><b>in </b><b>her </b><b>chair</b><b>/</b><b>looking </b><b>like </b><b>she </b><b>had </b><b><i>lost </i></b><b>her </b><b>soul</b><b>. </b><b>There was </b><b><i>no </i></b><b>light </b><b>behind </b><b>her </b><b>eyes</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>slowly </b><b>closed </b><b>her </b><b>eyes </b><b>as </b><b>the </b><b>airne </b><b>coursed smoothly </b><b>down </b><b>the </b><b>runway</b><b>.</b>

    <b>A </b><b>tear </b><b>leaked </b><b>out </b><b>of </b><b>the </b><b>corner </b><b>of </b><b>her </b><b>eyes</b><b>.</b>

    <b>fio </b><b>u </b><b>tha </b><b>tale </b><b>da </b><b>far </b><b>suit </b><b>will </b><b>callido </b><b>sugeared </b><b>at </b><b>Har </b><b>mind</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>in </b><b>just </b><b>a </b><b>moment</b><b>, </b><b>her </b><b>face</b>

    <b>The </b><b>Peran </b><b>mua </b><b </b><b>antece </b><b>tax </b><b>million</b>

    <b>#bert </b><b>those </b><b>sporte </b><b>car </b><b>that </b><b>costs </b><b>three </b><b>million </b><b>would </b><b>be </b><b>able </b><b>to </b><b>do </b><b>that</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Saver </b><b>Rashily </b><b>dressed </b><b>businessmen </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><bst </b><b>few </b><b>rows </b><b>of </b><b>the </b><b>ne </b><b>were </b><b>whispering </b><b>to </b><b>each </b><b>other</b>

    <b>opened </b><b>his </b><b>eyes </b><b>to </b><b>take </b><b>a </b><b>look </b><b>it </b><b>was </b><b>too </b><b>far </b><b>away</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>he </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b><b>tell </b><b>who </b><b>was </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>caf</b>

    <b>However</b><b>, </b><b>he </b><b>found </b><b>their </b><b>silhouettes </b><b>familiar </b><b>He </b><b>could </b><b>teil </b><b>that </b><b>the </b><b>young </b><b>man </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>passenger </b><b>seat</b>Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    <b>resembled </b><b>Carlisle</b>

    <b>Shem </b><b>frowned </b><b>slightly</b><b>, </b><b>but </b><b>he </b><b>rxed </b><b>almost </b><b>at </b><b>once</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Me </b><b>nudged </b><b>Wanda </b><b>and </b><b>said </b><b>softly</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>Wanda</b><b>, </b><b>look </b><b>out </b><b>the </b><b>window</b><b>¡­</b><b><i>¡±</i></b>

    <b>Wands </b><b>opened </b><b>her </b><b>eyes </b><b>and </b><b>looked </b><b>out</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>spotted </b><b>a </b><b>familiar </b><b>yellow </b><b>Ferrari</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>immediately </b><b>thought </b><b>of </b><b>two </b><b>words</b><b>¨C</b><b>Gareth </b><b>and </b><b>steak</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Wanda </b><b>was </b><b>short</b><b>¨C</b><b>sighted</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>her </b><b>vision </b><b>doubled </b><b>when </b><b>she </b><b>looked </b><b>at </b><b>the </b><b>figures </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>car</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>could </b><b>not </b><b>see </b><b>clearly</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>pondered </b><b>what </b><b>she </b><b>could </b><b>do </b><b>at that </b><b>moment</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Wanda </b><b>clenched </b><b>her </b><b>fists</b><b>, </b><b>looking </b><b>anxious</b>

    <b>Shein </b><b>prompted </b><b>her</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Where </b><b>are </b><b>your </b><b>sses</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>It </b><b>was </b><b>as </b><b>though </b><b>a </b><b>lightbulb </b><b>had </b><b>turned </b><b>on </b><b>in </b><b>her </b><b>mind</b><b>.</b>

    <b>She </b><b>should </b><b>put </b><b>on </b><b>her </b><b>sses</b><b>!</b>

    <b>Wanda </b><b>extracted </b><b>them </b><b>from </b><b>her </b><b>bag </b><b>and </b><b>put </b><b>them </b><b>on</b><b>.</b>

    <b>immediately</b><b>, </b><b>she </b><b>could </b><b>see </b><b>Carlisle </b><b>clearly </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>passenger </b><b>seat</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Carlisle</b><b>..</b><b>¡±</b>

    <b>Wanda¡¯s </b><b>tears </b><b>began </b><b>falling </b><b>even </b><b>more </b><b>thickly</b><b>. </b><b>She </b><b>pressed </b><b>her </b><b>face </b><b>to </b><b>the </b><b>window </b><b>and </b><b>waved </b><b>wildly </b><b>to</b>

    <b>the </b><b>outside</b>

    <b>Carole </b><b>was </b><b>staring </b><b>fixedly </b><b>at </b><b>the </b><b>ne </b><b>when </b><b>he </b><b>noticed </b><b>someone </b><b>waving</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Chapter </b><b>420</b>

    <b>3/3</b>

    <b>He </b><b>squinted </b><b>to </b><b>focus </b><b>and </b><b>finally </b><b>saw </b><b>Wanda¡¯s </b><b>face </b><b>clearly</b><b>.</b>

    <b>He </b><b>raised </b><b>his </b><b>hand </b><b>to </b><b>wave</b><b>.</b>

    <b>The </b><b>ne </b><b>was </b><b>gaining </b><b>speed</b><b>, </b><b>but </b><b>the </b><b>Ferrari </b><b>was </b><b>keeping </b><b>level </b><b>with </b><b>it</b><b>.</b>

    <b>The </b><b>ne </b><b>left the </b><b>runway </b><b>and </b><b>soared </b><b>into </b><b>the </b><b>air</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>the </b><b>Ferrari </b><b>was </b><b>gradually </b><b>left </b><b>behind</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Gareth </b><b>floored </b><b>the </b><b>gas </b><b>pedal</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>the </b><b>car </b><b>sped </b><b>up </b><b>even </b><b>more </b><b>until </b><b>the Ferrari </b><b>actually </b><b>caught </b><b>up </b><b>with </b><b>the </b><b>ne</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Carlisle </b><b>and </b><b>Wanda </b><b>could </b><b>see </b><b>each other </b><b>again</b><b>, </b><b>even </b><b>if </b><b>it </b><b>was </b><b>only </b><b>for </b><b>five seconds </b><b>more</b><b>.</b>

    <b>As </b><b>Wanda </b><b>watched</b><b>, </b><b>the </b><b>Ferrari </b><b>shrank </b><b>to </b><b>the </b><b>size </b><b>of </b><b>an </b><b>ant</b><b>, </b><b>and Carlisle </b><b>looked </b><b>at </b><b>the </b><b>ne </b><b>as </b><b>it </b><b>flew </b><b>up </b><b>into </b><b>the </b><b>clouds</b><b>.</b>

    <b>Gareth </b><b>finally </b><b>slowed </b><b>down </b><b>and </b><b>stopped </b><b>the </b><b>car </b><b>beside </b><b>a </b><b>field </b><b>of </b><b>corn by </b><b>the </b><b>roadside</b><b>.</b>

    <b>He </b><b>pulled out </b><b>a </b><b>cigarette </b><b>and </b><b>ced </b><b>it </b><b>between </b><b>his </b><b>lips</b><b>.</b>

    <b>He </b><b>smiled </b><b>and </b><b>asked</b><b>, </b><b>¡°</b><b>Well</b><b>? </b><b>Was that </b><b>exciting </b><b>enough</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>

 Chapter 421

    ?Chapter 421

    Carlisle could no longer restrain himself. He went to the side of the road and began throwing up violently.

    His stomach had been churning for a long time, but had forgotten about it when he saw Wanda.

    The love in his heart had overrode his desire to throw up.

    "Thank you, Gareth!" Carlisle thanked him while vomiting,Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He was truly touched.

    Gareth had been on his phone while speeding in his car. He had probably been checking the time of Wanda and Shein''s flight then.

    In his past life, Carlisle had watched TV shows where men tried to chase after trains in their cars after parting from their loved ones. He had never imagined that he would chase a ne one day.

    Gareth''s lips curved slightly. However, his smile soon disappeared.

    He knew who Wanda''s fianc¨¦ was.

    Her fianc¨¦ was from an extremely powerful upper-ss family in Yorksle, and his family''s influence extended to politics and business.

    They had properties across the country.

    Gareth didn''t know if he should tell Carlisle the news or not.

    He looked at Carlisle, who was several years younger than him and shook his head.

    He figured that it wouldn''t do any good to tell Carlisle. He reckoned that it would just make him feel more stressed.

    Shein had taken Wanda away, but perhaps it was only temporary.

    Carlisle and Wanda had been growing too close, and Shein would probably keep Wanda in Yorksle to prevent things from getting out of hand.

    After all, many people wanted totch on to the Thompsons because of their influence.

    Gareth decided that it would be better if he tried to find a way to make Carlisle forget about Wanda.

    He flicked his cigarette stub away.

    "Let''s go! I''ll take you drinking!"

    Carlisle had finally recovered after throwing up for some time. His heart felt heavy, and he nodded. He got into the Ferrari with Gareth.

    Gareth sped all the way to a bar overlooking the river in Tristream District.

    It waste in the afternoon, and few people were in the bar.

    The bar manager greeted Gareth and Carlisle enthusiastically.

    Gareth was clearly a regr customer.

    The host onstage cried out delightfully, "Wee, Mr. Worth!"

    The spotlights fell on Gareth, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes looked over at him from the stage. Most of them looked like delinquents, but there were also a few beautiful women who looked very pure.

    Even students still in uniform were present, though it was debatable whether they were genuine students. Gareth exined to Carlisle, "When I''m out, I go by the name of Gareth Worth!"

    Gareth raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

    The host immediately shouted, "Mr. Worth''s paying the tab today! Let me hear you scream!"

    The room echoed with loud screams.

    "Mr. Worth! Mr. Worth! Mr. Worth!" the young men and women on stage screamed wildly.

    Carlisle did not like the atmosphere.

    He said in a low voice, "Let''s find a quiet, private room!"

    Gareth put an arm around his shoulders and said, "I understand how you feel. Let''s just have some fun, shall we? It''s not like I''ll bring you here often. Besides, this is a bar. There aren''t any private rooms that are quiet here!"

    He turned and said to the bar manager, "Get me a few pretty, clean ones. I prefer the ones who are still in school!"

    The bar manager nced at Carlisle, and a smile yed about his lips as he said, "Don''t worry Mr. Worth. I guarantee that you and your friend will be satisfied!"

    Gareth was a VIP at the bar, and he always spent at least 100 thousand.

    Sometimes, he even paid the bill for the entire bar.

    The person managing the ce had instructed the staff to cater to their star guest''s every whim.

    "You go ahead. I''m leaving."

    Carlisle turned and walked out.

    Wanda had only just left, and yet Gareth had immediately brought him to this kind of ce.

    He could drown his sorrows in alcohol, but he refused to have any women drink with him.

    Wanda was the only one in his world.

    "Hey, hey! Fine. We won''t have any. Let''s just sit in the corner and have a few drinks," Gareth said, hastily grabbing Carlisle''s arm.

 Chapter 422

    ?Chapter 422

    The bar manager scowled, as the escort service of the bar brought in the most money.

    One sentence from Carlisle had caused the bar to lose out on over ten thousand dors in profits.

    Although he was unhappy about it, he refrained from expressing his displeasure. He had no choice but to smile.

    He said, "Fine. I''ll take you to the VIP deck!"

    A beaded curtain separated the row of seats closest to the floor-to-ceiling windows from the rest of the seats.

    The bar manager seated Gareth and Carlisle at thergest table, which already cost 30 thousand.

    He brought them the menu personally so that Gareth could order.

    Gareth gave the menu to Carlisle, who shook his head and said, "You can order!"

    Gareth couldn''t be bothered to order off the menu, so he tossed it on the table.

    "Give me one of everything."

    Carlisle''s lips twitched.

    The kitchen was very efficient, perhaps because Gareth had special privileges.

    Within half an hour, the table wasden with food and more than ten kinds of liquor.

    Carlisle suddenly felt that all the money he had earned was wasted on him.

    He wondered what it was like to enjoy life.

    He thought that perhaps, to truly enjoy life, he should use items from high-end brands that were of very high quality.

    "Can you finish all of this? It''s such a waste to order so much!"

    Carlisle hadn''t had lunch. He picked up his fork and speared a piece ofmb, stuffing it into his mouth.

    Gareth said sternly, "I can spend a million just to listen to music and lighten my mood, but I would never waste a single dor on food. I pack up the food I can''t finish and deliver it to the beggars living near the bridge!"

    There were beggars everywhere in that era. Some were real beggars, while others simply pretended to be beggars to scam people for money.

    With the advent of the Inte and the rapid spread of information, the citizens would eventually find out about the beggars who were scamming people.

    After that, government policies would be more developed, cities would strengthen their

    management, and charities would also begin to develop. Eventually, the beggars would disappear from the public eye.

    Gareth opened a bottle of Louis XIII and put it in front of Carlisle.

    He opened another bottle for himself and said in his Yorksle ent, "Let''s have one bottle each and get drunk tonight!"

    "Wanda and I are only separated temporarily. I''m not heartbroken. There''s no reason for me to get drunk, is there?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle saw that the liquor he was holding contained 40% alcohol.

    He contemted if he would end up with gastrointestinal bleeding if he finished the entire bottle.

    Gareth said rather impatiently, "Are all you Southerners such dawdlers?"

    "Damn! Don''t be so prejudiced!"

    Carlisle red at him.

    He hated people who stereotyped others based on where they were from.

    Carlisle''s phone rang.

    He took it out and nced at it. It was Hank.

    "Mr. Hank?"

    "Carlisle... just call me Hank. I feel like it''s disrespectful of me to let you address me as ''Mr. Hank''!"

    Hank had be a lot more cheerfulpared to before after immersing himself in his work.

    Carlisle smiled and asked, "Have you gotten a result?"

    Hank said, "Yes. The other party is a total rookie. I''ve already plucked all his personal information by following the virus'' IP address trail. However, this guy is in Cloud Valley, and I''ve handed it over to their police so that they can handle the rest."

    Carlisle nced at Gareth, who was drinking moodily on his own.

    "Gareth, should I call some of my friends to drink with you?"

    Gareth rolled his eyes.

    "Why would I want to drink with other men? I want young, prettydies."

    Still, he asked, "Did Hank find something?"

    Carlisle nodded.

    "The truth will be revealed very soon!"

    Gareth grinned.

    "You want to get Hank to drink with me, right? You can''t possibly think that he can outdrink me!"

    "Have you drank with him before?"

    "No..."

    "Well then, try it out. I don''t think you''ll be able to outdrink him."

    Carlisle knew how strong Hank''s tolerance for alcohol was.

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Hank viewed alcohol like it was his life.

    No one else would drink Chardonnay as if it were water and use it to quench their thirst!

    Garethughed slyly.

    "Let''s make a bet. We''ll wager 1% of the shares in our coborative project. I''ll only take 48% of the shares if he can drink me under the table. If the opposite happens, I want 50% of the shares!"

    Gareth was paying 200 million, but he only got 49% of the shares.

    That meant that the price of every 1% was about 4.08 million dors.

    They were going to wager 4.08 million on this drinking contest!

    Carlisle wondered if this was how rich people enjoyed themselves.

    He shook his head and said, "Forget it. Drinking is no big deal. It doesn''t matter who wins or loses. But if something happens, then it would be a huge deal!"

    Gareth was annoyed.

    "Hey, man up! If your gamingpany seeds, you will be part of upper society. This kind of thing happens all the time. Besides, if you want to assimte with the circle that Shein''s family is in, there are bound to be events like this that involve alcohol. Just think of it as practice!"

 Chapter 423

    ?Chapter 423

    Gareth''s mention of Wanda particrly struck a chord with Carlisle.

    "Hank, are you free now? Do you want toe over for a few drinks?" Carlisle asked over the phone.

    "Count me in! It''s been ages since I had a drink!" Hank responded readily.

    He had been thinking of getting some booze since the smartphone prototype was alreadypleted.

    Moreover, he overheard Gareth''s drinking bet with Carlisle. If he could help Carlisle -his benefactor-win the bet, he was more than happy to be of service.

    Half an hourter, Hank arrived at the bar, where Gareth had been waiting patiently for him without taking even a sip of alcohol.

    When Hank saw the table full of premium liquors, he couldn''t help but gulp in anticipation. Louis XIII, XO, Hennessy Richard-all the liquors were worth at least ten thousand dors each.

    "Man, am I thirsty," Hank said as he downed a ss of XO in one gulp.

    Gareth narrowed his eyes. He had heard that many bigpanies rejected Hank due to his drinking problem, yet he wondered how much the extremely talentedputer genius could really handle.

    In fact, Gareth was quite the drink himself, too. He had attended hundreds of drinking asions over the years and had never lost a drinking game.

    "Some manners you''ve got there, huh? Didn''t you see your boss sitting right here? You could at least greet him before drinking. I say you should be punished with three more drinks, man," Gareth said casually.

    Aware of Gareth''s intention to make Hank drink more, Carlisle responded with a smile. "Hank and I are buddies. We don''t bother with those formalities!"

    However, Hank replied nonchntly, "It''s okay, Carlisle. Three more drinks it is. Mr. Spencer must have had a few while waiting. It''s only fair that I have some, too, before our game begins."

    With that, he downed another three sses, finishing a bottle of Louis XIII 40 Degree, leaving Carlisle staring at him dumbfounded.

    Gareth''s expression grew solemn, sensing a challenge as Hank effortlessly polished off a bottle of liquor while he had only consumed a ss so far. He had to hand it to Hank.

    Noticing Gareth''s serious expression, Carlisle couldn''t help but feel smug, knowing that Gareth had met his match.

    Hank opened another bottle of liquor, filled his ss, and said to Gareth with a smile, "So, Mr. Spencer, how should we y this?"

    Clearly, the game had only just begun.

    Carlisle buried his head in his food, avoiding eye contact to avoid being pulled into their drinking contest.

    Without hesitation, Hank raised his ss and dered, "Well, let''s talk less and drink more, Mr. Spencer!"

    He downed another ss in one go.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Gareth smiled lightly and followed suit.

    Hank poured another and said, "Bottoms up!"

    Gareth began to feel a tingling sensation in his scalp, wondering if Hank intended to drown him in alcohol. However, he couldn''t back off now. Otherwise, he would lose the 1% stake he had bet on this game.

    After Gareth downed another ss, Hank immediately refilled his own ss and downed it in one go without hesitation.

    Gareth took a deep breath, downing his third ss of liquor without even a moment to catch his breath, feeling his stomach starting to burn.

    Carlisle suddenly interjected, "Don''t just focus on drinking. Eat something to line your stomach!"

 Chapter 424

    ?Chapter 424

    Hank smiled and cut a piece ofmb leg, shoving it into his mouth.

    Gareth, having filled his own ss, urged Hank, "Don''t just eat. Drink!"

    Hank smirked at Gareth''s enthusiasm and filled his ss. He clinked it with Gareth''s. The two then continued drinking one after another.

    Soon, all the premium liquors on the table were gone. Gareth called for the waiter and ordered another ten bottles of Louis XIII.

    Hank stood up, patting his round belly.

    "I''m going to take a leak. When I get back, I''ll punish myself with an extra ss."

    "ed a leak, too. I''ll take a ss as punishment as well!" Gareth said, standing up and wrapping his arm around Hank''s shoulder.

    The two went to the restroom together.

    Carlisle noticed it was already five in the afternoon, three hours since Wanda had left for Yorksle.

    Casting his gaze at the river outside the window, he murmured, "Wanda, have you reached Yorksle?"

    Wanda was taken to a secluded psychiatric rehabilitation hospital deep in the mountains of Yorksle, where several luxury vis nestled, resembling an isted paradise. The hospital housed only two departments-neurology and psychology.

    Apanied by several good-looking nurses, Wanda underwent various examinations. After the exams, she found her mother waiting outside the ward.

    "Mom..."

    Wanda ran to Josie with a pout.

    Gently embracing Wanda, Josie''s voice choked with emotion as she said, "My poor Wanda..."

    Wanda sniffled and asked, "Will I be staying here for long?"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Josie''s gaze subtly flickered before she gently replied, "No, you won''t..."

    Meanwhile, Shein discussed treatment ns with hospital experts in the meeting room. After reviewing Wanda''s examination reports, the gray-haired experts swiftly concluded her condition.

    "It''s post-traumatic stress disorder-PTSD," announced Noel Dolton, the hospital director, who was sitting in the chairman''s seat.

    Shein was no stranger to the term. A few years ago, one of his bodyguards, a retired special forces soldier, suffered simr mental issues. Whenever triggered, the bodyguard would recall the painful memories that haunted him.

    Clenching his fists, Shein asked, "Is it treatable?"

    Noel and the experts discussed among themselves before replying, "Yes, it''s curable. We have developed several treatment ns: cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnosis, psychoanalysis, sonar EEG therapy, and medication therapy. We have sessfully treated 30 patients in the past three years, achieving a 60% sess rate!"

    Unable to follow Noel''s professional terms, Shein asked calmly, "Can it be cured within a year?"

    "Absolutely," Noel replied confidently.

    But then he hesitated and added, "However, your daughter might suffer partial memory loss."

    Shein scoffed and said, "That would be the cherry on top if she could forget about the memories that are haunting her!"

    Noel continued, "She might not only forget the bad memories but also the happiest moments in her life."

    Assuming Wanda''s happiest moments were her time with Carlisle, Shein''s smile widened. "Suits me just fine!"

    Noel nced at Shein with aplicated expression. He had presumed that Shein was a doting father, but given Shein''s happy reaction to the possibility of Wanda losing her happy memories, it seemed he was wrong.

    With a heavy heart, Noel said, "It''s settled then. The treatment will take about six months. You can visit the patient once a month."

    Shein nodded in acknowledgment.

    "Where do I settle the bill?"

    Noel smiled and said, "You''re a friend of our boss, so we were instructed to charge you only the necessary expenses. The sum is six million dors."

    Among the diseases in the world, fatal illnesses are numerous. Many wealthy people with terminal illnesses invested in specialized research institutions to study extraordinary treatments. The research often required high costs, resulting in extremely high treatment fees.

    Due to the unique nature of such private hospitals, the government had no authority over their charging standards and did not recognize their existence.

    Based on the rehabilitation hospital''s pricing, Wanda''s treatment would typically cost

    around 20 million. Therefore, Shein was offered a good deal at only six million.

    Josie took Wanda to a luxury vi that was surrounded by flower gardens,wns, and fish ponds. The interior design was pink and cartoonish, resembling a princess''s room from a fairy tale.

    The rehabilitation hospital''s attendant smiled and said, "The previous owner of this vi was also a youngdy around 17. She shared simr symptoms with your daughter and was cured in just three months!"

 Chapter 425

    ?Chapter 425

    Josie gently squeezed Wanda''s cold hand and asked, "Wanda, do you like it here?"

    Wanda pouted, shaking her head, her eyes devoid of joy. Even if this were paradise, she wouldn''t want to stay a minute longer without Carlisle by her side. All she wanted was to recover as soon as possible so she could return to her everyday life.

    Josie nced around andmented concernedly, "Everything here seems fine, but it could use some more liveliness."

    The thought of leaving her daughter in such a cold, unfamiliar environment made her feel reluctant.

    The attendant chuckled and replied, "This is a rehabilitation hospital. All our patients are admitted through connections, and each of them will receive a personalized team ofpanions and teachers to keep thempany while keeping up with their studies."

    Josie finally smiled in relief upon hearing the attendant''s reassurance.

    That night, Kelly and seven of her ssmates were drinking in a corner booth at The Pearl Lounge. Kelly sat alone in the corner, sipping her beer.

    Since junior high school, Kelly had always been the center of attention among her ssmates. She thought she would continue to enjoy such privilege even in university, but reality didn''t meet her expectations.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Despite Kelly being a wealthy kid with a monthly allowance of two thousand dors, her schoolmates were equally affluent. Some of them even drove a BMW to school. Her ssmate, Laura Robinson, used customized LV bags worth at least 80 thousand dors as schoolbags.

    Laura, in fact, had organized this gathering where all attendees were to split the bill. Kelly nced at the total sum of 32 thousand dors. This meant that each person needed to pay four thousand dors.

    Kelly''s father had recently taken a 500 thousand dors loan for arge project, resulting in her allowance being cut in half. Despite this, she agreed to attend the gathering to mingle with the wealthy. However, her savings amounted to only 3.5 thousand dors.

    "I wonder who that Mr. Worth is. He''s paying for everyone. That''ll probably cost him millions!" remarked Laura as she nced at the biggest booth in the bar.

    Ywain Bulton, another ssmate, whispered, "That''s nothing. When I wasst here on a weekend, they had a promotion, and the ce was packed. I heard Mr. Worth also footed the bill, spending over three million!"

    Everyone present gasped in awe at Mr. Worth''s generosity and extravagant spending.

    Laura sighed.

    "Even Austin Gust wouldn''t dream of spending that much money, I guess."

    Ywain frowned and eximed, "It''s too bad we didn''t arrive earlier. Otherwise, we could have gotten a freebie tonight."

    They had only arrived ten minutes ago.

    ording to the bar''s rules, when someone decided to foot the bill, it only covered orders ced before their arrival. If not, even beggars might seize the opportunity to grab a few bottles of Louis XIII for free. Therefore, getting a freebie still depended on luck.

    Laura pursed her lips and asked, "Ywain, isn''t your father''spany expanding? Has he found investors?"

    Ywain''s gaze flickered before he raised his ss to sip the Louis XIII.

    He replied with a smile, "Who knows? I''m only concerned about receiving my monthly allowance. I don''t bother with his business."

    Laura chuckled and turned to Kelly.

    "Is something bothering you, Kelly? You seem quiet tonight."

    Kelly shook her head with a smile.

    "There''s nothing. Just thinking about the homework our teacher assigned."

    Everyone exchanged meaningful smiles at her response.

    Laura adopted a disdainful tone as she said, "We''re merely Tier 3 university students for crying out loud! Why so serious? Your father''s a businessman, isn''t he? Why are you worried about getting a job in the future?"

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    ?

    Kelly weakly tugged at the corners of her mouth.

    "I... I''m just¡ª"

    Laura nonchntly interjected, "Come on. We''re here to have a good time. Quit thinking about school. You can always hire someone to do your homework for a few bucks-"

    A female ssmate abruptly stood up and said, "Sorry, everyone! My mom asked me to go shopping with her, so I gotta leave now!"

    She then took out five thousand dors and handed it to Laura.

    "Here''s five thousand. Give me back the change, if any, okay?"

    "Alright. See you!"

    Laura smiled sweetly.

    Ywain asked, "Does anyone still want to order? If not, we''ll settle the bill now!"Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ncing at the bill, Laura added, "It''s a total of 32 thousand, so it''ll be four thousand each."

    As everyone began counting cash from their bags, Kelly felt her heart in her throat.

    She didn''t know what to do. She only had 3.5 thousand dors with her, and she felt that it would be humiliating if she couldn''t pay her share of the split bill.

    Suddenly, Kelly noticed a familiar face stumbling toward the restroom.

    "Carlisle? That was Carlisle, wasn''t it? What was he doing here? The minimum spending here was over ten thousand. How could he possibly afford that?" Kelly thought to herself.

    "Kelly..." Laura called out to Kelly, who was lost in her thoughts.

    Kelly was the only one who hadn''t paid yet.

    "M-My stomach hurts. I need to run to the restroom now..." Kelly frowned as she clutched her stomach.

    She stood up and headed to the restroom.

    "Running to the restroom when the billes? Isn''t that a ssic trick to skip out on paying?" Yelena Scott, another ssmate,mented while sneering.

    Laura nced at her.

    "Quit with the snide remarks. Kelly''s father is a businessman too, you know?"

    Yelena retorted, "Even selling at the roadside stand or a farmer''s market is considered a business too, Laura. Just look at her knock-off designer clothes! She''s got some nerve, trying to blend in with us rich kids!"

    Laura was left speechless by Yelena''s remark. As much as Ywain wanted to speak up for Kelly, he decided to remain silent.

    Yelena''s father was Terrence Scott, Rivend''s semiconductor industry leader, making her the most affluent among them.

    Yelena crossed her arms.

    "Well, I''ll wait right here and see how Kelly''s game ys out."

    Meanwhile, Kelly waited outside the restroom. She nned to borrow five hundred dors from Carlisle to cover her bill. She waited for several minutes, but there was no sign of Carlisle.

    Kelly had no choice but to approach the nearby booths and ask if anyone wanted her to apany them for a drink at 100 dors per ss.

    After being rejected by a few booths, she finally found a few half-naked middle-aged men who epted her offer. The men were low-tier consumers judging from the beers and small snacks on their tables.

    After finishing five sses of beer, Kelly said with a content smile, "There. I''ve finished. So, pay up!"

    When the men suddenlyughed, Kelly''s expression changed. She felt rmed.

    "Y-You agreed to pay."

    Cody Ledger, a man with yellowish teeth who had epted Kelly''s service, said, "Youngdy, you drank our beer, and now you''re asking us to pay you? We should be the ones charging you."

    "Y-You liars,"

    Kelly''s eyes reddened, realizing she had been tricked.

    The men exchanged nces andughed loudly.

    Paul Fry, a shirtless man with a big belly, pulled Kelly into his arms, his hands resting on her waist.

    "Why don''t you give me a kiss, and I''ll give you five hundred, pretty?"

 Chapter 427

    ?Chapter 427

    Kelly broke free from Paul''s grasp and responded angrily, "Stay away from me. You can keep your money."

    With that, she turned to flee from the scene, only to find that the exit was being blocked by a few men.

    Kelly''s expression turned as pale as a sheet. She recalled a vocational high schooler from her neighborhood who had jumped off a roof after being assaulted by a group of men in a nightclub. Unfortunately, such tragedies were not umon.

    "Youngdy, you drank our beer. Now you''re leaving without paying?"

    Cody sneered, his gaze lustrous and malicious as he eyed Kelly''s body.

    They were ustomed to frequenting bars to take advantage of intoxicated women. Lately, luck hadn''t been on their side, so they were reluctant to let go of Kelly, who had unwittingly fallen into their trap.

    Kelly couldn''t stop quivering, her face filled with horror.

    "I-I''ll pay you. How much do you want? I''ll pay you..."

    The bar was noisy. It was filled with women shrieking when they lost in games and people shouting on stage. Kelly doubted anyone could hear her if she screamed for help.

    Cody scratched his crotch.

    With a cheeky smile, he said, "It''s been a while since we''ve had some fun with a woman. All we want is to enjoy ourselves a bit."

    Sensing Paul holding her from behind, Kelly let out a shocked cry. "H-Help!"

    Paul covered her mouth and pushed her down onto the couch.

    In the dimly lit bar, it was hard to make out others'' expressions within 16 feet. Cody and his gang kept watch over their booth while smoking cigarettes, their faces filled with excitement.

    Despite Kelly''s efforts to break free, as a freshman university student, she was powerless against the strength of a middle-aged man.

    Kelly felt like her head was about to explode as Paul ripped her jeans'' belt in two. Suddenly, she saw Carlisle walking past Cody and his gang.

    "Carlisle..."

    Kelly shook her head vigorously, trying to shout for help. Paul firmly covered her mouth and nose, almost suffocating her.

    At the faint sound of his name being called, Carlisle turned around and nced at Cody and his gang, who were smoking in the hallway.

    Cody stared at him fiercely, gesturing for Carlisle to look away and mind his own business. He was confident that he could intimidate Carlisle into leaving them alone.

    Shaking his spinning head, Carlisle figured he might have had too much to drink and possibly misheard.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    As he headed toward his VIP booth, he heard the voice again from behind Cody and his "Carlisle... Help..."

    gang.

    "Kelly?"

    Carlisle''s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he grabbed a brand-new bottle of champagne from a nearby booth and headed toward Cody.

    "Hey, that''s my cham-"

    Carlisle smashed the bottle against Cody''s head, causing the champagne''s owner to fidget and grab a fruit te to shield herself.

    Cody let out a painful shriek while clutching his head.

    As Cody''s gang swarmed to attack, Carlisle jabbed the broken bottle into one of the men''s thighs.

    "Damn it!" the man shouted in agony.

    Hearing themotion, Paul quickly got up from the couch, leaving Kelly with her torn T- shirt. Grabbing the shattered remnants of her shirt, Kelly wrapped herself in fear, her hair disheveled as she quivered uncontrobly.

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    With Paul joining the fight, Carlisle found himself outnumbered by the four middle-aged men, powerless against their strength. Soon, two punches mercilesslynded on his face.

    Amidst the chaos, he grabbed an ashtray from the table and smashed it against Paul''s face. With blood streaming down his face, Cody pulled a small knife from his belt and lunged at Carlisle.

    "Carlisle, watch out!" Kelly screamed, covering her face.

    Carlisle reacted swiftly, dodging the attack. Nheless, his shoulder was grazed.

    Cody''s face contorted in rage as he shouted furiously, "Damn it! I swear on my 40 years of life that I''ll make you regret this today!"

    With that, he aimed another lunge at Carlisle''s throat.

    Carlisle managed to seize Cody''s wrist with both hands, but Cody brutally pinned him against the wall.

    "Stop!" shouted the bar manager, arriving with a dozen security guards.

    However, Cody had no intention of stopping. Clenching his teeth, he tightened his grip instead.

    Recognizing Carlisle, the manager immediately instructed the guards, "Q-Quick, release him from that guy! He''s a friend of our top customer!"

    Realizing the gravity of the situation, the guards swiftly pulled out their batons and

    skillfully subdued Cody and his gang.

    Carlisle gritted his teeth while clutching his burning shoulder.

    The manager hurried over and asked concernedly, "Are you alright, sir?"

    Carlisle nodded and replied, "I''m fine."

    The manager turned around and kicked Cody in the face.

    "How dare you cause trouble in The Pearl Lounge! Do you have any idea whose ce this is? You''re ready to kiss your ass goodbye, aren''t you?"

    Cody stared angrily at Carlisle and said, "I''ll remember you, punk! Just wait. I swear on my life that you''ll pay for this one day!"

    Seeing Cody''s defiance, the manager instructed the guards, "Take them away and teach them a lesson!"

    As ordered, the guards dragged Cody and his threepanions to a small ck room.

    The manager immediately understood the events that had transpired when he saw Kelly curled on the couch.

    He spat on the ground and cursed, "These scumbags must be from the drunk rape gang! Filthy animals!"

    Suddenly, the manager''s phone rang. ncing at the caller ID, his face immediately changed to a sycophantic smile.

    "Mr. Lee... Yes, of course we have seats for you. We always save a seat for you, sir," the manager said as he walked to a quiet corner to answer the call.

    Carlisle approached the booth, removed his white shirt, and handed it to Kelly.

    With an expressionless face, he asked, "What are you doing in a ce like this?"

    Although Carlisle didn''t have a high opinion of Kelly, they still shared the samest name and had the same grandparents.

    Before Kelly could say anything, she noticed Laura and Yelena approaching. She quickly put on Carlisle''s shirt and tidied her disheveled hair.

    "Well, well, Kelly! I thought you went to the restroom, but it seems like you''re hitting on some guy now," Yelena said mockingly.

    Carlisle frowned at Yelena.

    Laura quickly interjected, "Kelly, where''s your four thousand dors? Yelena doubted you coulde up with the money. Why don''t you show her the money and shut her up!"

    Carlisle gathered Kelly was there for a wealthy kids'' gathering. He sat quietly aside, observing how she would handle the situation.

    Kelly lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. For the sake of five hundred dors, she had nearly been assaulted.

    Not only had she realized that she shouldn''t pretend to be as wealthy as others, but she also regretted looking down on Carlisle''s family.

    She might be wealthy, but there were countless people wealthier than her. While her group''s 30-thousand-dor bill might seem high, Mr. Worth was capable of paying everyone''s bill at The Pearl Lounge. This realization made her wonder what the point ofparing with others was.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "So, does this mean you lied to us, Kelly?" Laura''s gaze tinged with slight disappointment.

 Chapter 429

    ?Chapter 429

    "That''s right. I don''t have the money. I don''t deserve to be in your circle. I''ve only got 3.5 thousand dors in my bag, and that''s all I could gather after breaking my piggy bank!"

    Kelly lifted her head and admitted resolutely.

    After what she had just experienced, she ultimately came to terms with reality. She wasn''t poor. She was simply not as wealthy as these rich kids.

    She knew that her allowance was twice that of most of her ssmates, allowing her to enjoy all the food and drinks as she pleased. So why should she live with a face facade every day?

    Yelena covered her mouth and giggled.

    "Is that why you excused yourself to the restroom? Don''t tell me you''re trying to offer this guy your service to earn money?"

    Yelena cast a meaningful nce at Carlisle, prompting others to look at him and the shirt Kelly was wearing.

    "Oh my God, I can''t believe we have such a lowlife in our group!"

    "How despicable! It''s just five hundred dors for crying out loud! If you don''t have the money, I can always spare you some!"Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "I must request to change my seat tomorrow. Having her sit in front of me is such a sore sight!"

    "I think we should report this to the dean''s office. We can''t have such a problematic student in our school!"

    Noticing Yelena''s dislike toward Kelly, the female students added some insults to side with Yelena. They figured that if they could please Yelena, perhaps she would treat them next time.

    "Cut it out,dies. We''re all ssmates, after all. Is it necessary to take things to that extent? "Ywain interjected, unable to tolerate it further.

    The female students immediately fell silent.

    In the world of the rich, whoever had the most money naturally had the most say. Therefore, Ywain-who had been driving a BMW 5 series since he was 18 and received a monthly allowance of at least ten thousand dors-was one of the most influential in their group.

    However, Yelena chuckled and added, "You guys probably haven''t heard, but Ywain''s family business, East Edge Ventures, had its majority shares taken over by other shareholders. His dad isn''t thergest shareholder anymore!"

    "East Edge Ventures? So he''s Harry Bulton''s son?" Carlisle thought as he nced at Ywain. "N-Nonsense!" Ywain roared, his face reddening.

    In fact, Ywain was aware of the situation. That was why he had made up an excuse to cover it up when Laura asked him about his family''spany expansion. He hadn''t expected Yelena to expose it to everyone.

    It was normal for people to want to maintain their dignity, especially the rich. Yet, Ywain had always kept a low profile and never acted superior to those from less affluent backgrounds.

    Yelena exposing his family''spany affairs before others had undoubtedly trampled on his dignity.

    "You, of all people, should know whether I''m talking nonsense or not, Ywain."

    Yelena sneered.

    "That''s it! The bill''s on me today!

    "You poor fellows should just stop pretending to be rich and ept the fact that you''re poor! Don''t mingle in the circle you don''t belong to. That''ll only make you stick out like a sore thumb."

    Despite Yelena''s harsh remark, Carlisle didn''t speak up for Kelly. He hoped that this would teach Kelly a lesson and help her to be a more mature person.

    Yelena suddenly turned to Carlisle and advised him with a smirk, "A piece of advice, handsome. You''d better get checked out at the hospital. Considering Kelly would sell herself for a mere five hundred bucks, there''s no guarantee what kind of disease she carries."

    "I did not sell myself!" Kelly bolted up and shouted, her whole body trembling with emotion.

    "Then, how do you exin the man''s shirt on you and your fake Chanel belt on the floor?" Yelena questioned mockingly.

 Chapter 430

    ?Chapter 430

    Laura and Ywain lowered their heads in silence. Despite their decent rtionship with Kelly,Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    they were reluctant to offend Yelena, who came from a wealthy background and had strong connections at school.

    Tears welled up in Kelly''s eyes as she bit her quivering lips without uttering a word.

    "Are you done?"

    Carlisle finally broke the silence.

    Yelena stared at Carlisle and asked, "Do you attend our university too?"

    Carlisle calmly replied, "I''m from Rivend University."

    "Ah, Rivend University! So, does that make you feel superior to us? Do you think attending a Tier 1 university guarantees you''ll earn big in the future?" Yelena mocked.

    She felt displeased as she thought about how her cousin had also been epted into Rivend University while she had only managed to get into a Tier 3 university.

    With a smile, Carlisle responded, "Did I hit a nerve? You seem worked up. Did someone you dislike get into Rivend University while you were only epted by a Tier 3 university?" Yelena''s smile vanished.

    With a cold expression, she retorted, "You''ve gotten into Rivend University, so what? You''ll still end up working for someone for a living. Do you know how many Rivend University graduates and top-notch students from prestigious universities work for my father?"

    Carlisle''s smile widened as he replied, "Here, I thought you were talking about your own aplishments. Turns out you''re just boasting about your father''s achievements instead of your own. Seriously, what would you be without your father?"

    "I''m my father''s only child, so hispany will one day be mine! On the other hand, what do you have? You''re just a poor guy who will pay five hundred bucks to have fun with a woman. The hostesses here charge at least eight hundred, you know?" Yelena retorted, her tone fueled with rage.

    She had always been the one mocking others. No one had ever humiliated her like this.

    Carlisle remained unaffected by her provocation, aware that losing his temper now might jeopardize his stance.

    "First of all, Kelly is my cousin. She was harassed by some drunks earlier, and her clothes were torn. That''s why I gave her my shirt. The manager had them escorted out. You can verify with him if you doubt my words.

    "Secondly, I''m a freshman at Rivend University''s Emerce Department and a startup

    entrepreneur-not the ''poor guy'' you im me to be."

    "Lastly, your father, whom you boast about, means nothing to me. There''s no need to unt his achievements," Carlisle calmly stated, crossing his legs and maintaining eye contact with Yelena.

    Laura and Ywain breathed a sigh of relief at Carlisle''s exnation, grateful that Kelly hadn''tpromised herself out of desperation and had preserved her dignity.

    Laura nced at Carlisle. She was surprised to find Kelly''s cousin as good-looking as her. Clearly, their good genes ran in the family.

    "Birds of a feather flock together indeed. I thought Kelly was shameless, pretending to be rich, and now her cousin is pretending to be some big shot, too!" Yelena remarked.

    She then added, "My father means nothing to you, huh? Do you know who he is? Ever heard of Wind Semiconductors? Even scions from the Thompson and Gust families are scrambling to coborate with him. Still think he means nothing to you?"

    Regaining herposure, Yelena smiled confidently, thinking she had plenty to boast about.

    If Kelly couldn''t evene up with four thousand dors, Yelena doubted that her cousin was any better off.

    Carlisle chuckled and said, "Oh, so you''re Terrence''s daughter. Like father, like daughter¡ª" Gareth abruptly interrupted with a burp.

    His words slurred as he said between hups, "...Who called my bro a fake big shot?... The scions of the Thompson and Gust families? They''re nothingpared to me..."

 Chapter 431

    ?Chapter 431

    Gareth stumbled over, his stomach churning. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he approached Kelly.

    "M-Mr. Worth?" thought Kelly and her ssmates, their eyes widening in surprise.

    Gareth cupped Kelly''s face, peering at her intently.

    Sweeping her hair away, he murmured, "Carlisle, buddy... Why is your hair so long..."

    Carlisle chuckled wryly and responded, "I''m right here, Gareth."

    Turning to Carlisle, Gareth narrowed his eyes and said, "Nonsense... My buddy Carlisle was wearing a white shirt!"

    Carlisle smiled helplessly.

    "Can''t you recognize my voice?"

    Rubbing his eyes, Gareth took a good look at Carlisle''s face and eximed happily, "Carlisle! Buddy!"

    "You''ve had too much to drink."

    Carlisle sighed.

    Gareth swiftly sat up straight and dered clearly, "No, I haven''t. I just ordered another 12 bottles of champagne. Gotta knock that bastard Hank out cold."

    He abruptly turned to Yelena and the others, his gaze cold and fierce.

    "Were you the ones bullying my buddy Carlisle?"

    Yelena remained silent with her head lowered while her female ssmates shivered uncontrobly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    did they?"

    Laura approached Kelly and gently asked, "Kelly, those drunks didn''t hurt you, Kelly shook her head, then she turned to Carlisle and said, "Cuz... your wound..." Carlisle was taken aback by the unfamiliar address. Kelly had always addressed him by his name since they were kids. Perhaps her sudden change in address indicated her gratitude toward him for rescuing her.

    "I''m alright," Carlisle calmly replied, not particrly enthusiastic about the new address. "Wound? Are you hurt?"

    Gareth pulled Carlisle toward him, only to find blood dripping from Carlisle''s fingers as he covered his shoulder.

    "Who did this? Who hurt my buddy?" Gareth questioned furiously.

    Carlisle quickly smiled to reassure him.

    "It''s nothing serious. The manager has already taken the perpetrators downstairs to teach them a lesson."

    Gareth snorted coldly.

    "That''s it? I want those men to spend the rest of their lives in jail!"

    With that, Gareth took out his phone and dialed a number. Aware that he wasn''t sober enough to talk on the phone, he put it on speakerphone.

    "What''s up, Gareth? Why the sudden call?"

    "Chief Welsh, my friend was almost killed. Please hurry over with your men. Don''t let those bad guys get away with it!"

    "What? Where are you?"

    "The Pearl Lounge!"

    "Got it. I''ll send someone over right away."

    "Great! Thanks, Chief Welsh!"

    "Don''t mention it. Just doing my job."

    Gareth hung up the call, his anger dissipating somewhat. Carlisle was dumbfounded by the situation, finally realizing the terrifying power of top aristocrats.

    "n Welsh, the head of the city police department?" Yelena and the others pondered, trembling all over.

    They wondered about his identity and how he became acquainted with n.

    Apparently, Mr. Worth possessed the wealth and power everyone desired most.

    Gareth turned to Yelena and questioned, "Weren''t you just boasting about yourself earlier? Why the silence now?

    "You called my bro poor just now, didn''t you? Do you know that he earned 200 million in just half a month? In fact, we just partnered on a project worth 400 million. Do you seriously think Zachary and Austin are big shots?"

 Chapter 432

    ?Chapter 432

    "Call them over. Let''s see if they''ve got anything to boast about before me!" Gareth demanded of Yelena.

    His voice was as loud as thunder, piercing her heart like sharp thorns.

    Yelena was taken aback by Gareth''s statement about Carlisle earning 200 million within half a month. She wondered if that was even possible. She was even told that Carlisle even partnered with Mr. Worth on a project worth 400 million, which caused her to feel more puzzled.

    Yelena had no doubt that Mr. Worth was capable of such feats, but she refused to believe that Kelly''s cousin had the same capability.

    However, these words came from Mr. Worth himself. Why would he fabricate such a lie to deceive her?

    Lowering her head, Yelena remained absolutely still and silent.

    "Apologize to my cousin now," Carlisle demanded calmly.

    Yelena raised her head to re at Carlisle but met Gareth''s bloodshot eyes instead.

    Facing his intense gaze, akin to that of a raging beast, Yelena swallowed hard and softly mumbled to Kelly, "Sorry..."

    "Louder."

    "Sorry..." Yelena raised her voice.

    "To whom?" Gareth asked casually.

    "Kelly, I''m sorry!" Yelena said loudly, her eyes brimming with tears.

    She felt wronged.

    Kelly responded expressionlessly, "I don''t need your apology. All I ask is that you leave me alone at school."

    Gareth mmed the table hard and said, "A cousin of Carlisle is also a cousin of mine. If anyone dares to bully you at school, just tell me, and I''ll make sure justice is served!"

    Carlisle waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

    "What happened today ends here. You can leave now."

    Not wasting a single second, Yelena swiftly walked out of the bar, only to find several police patrol cars parked outside.

    Yelena felt a tingling sensation on her scalp, her mouth dry. Mr. Worth indeed had

    connections with the police. In other words, he meant what he had said. It seemed she really shouldn''t mess with Kelly.

    The police entered the bar to check the surveince footage, but the booth was located in a blind spot, so they didn''t find anything.

    Fortunately, many eyewitnesses could testify to the events. Consequently, Cody and his gang were taken away by the police.

    After sorting things out for Kelly, Carlisle rejoined Gareth and continued their drinking. Kelly exited the bar and got into Laura''s car, lost in thought.

    Everything that night seemed unreal to her. Had Carlisle really be a billionaire within a few months? How did he manage to earn 200 million in half a month? Was it true that he had partnered with Mr. Worth on a project worth 400 million?

    Sitting in the back with Kelly while her driver drove them home, Laura suddenly broke the silence, "Kelly, why have you never mentioned having such a handsome cousin?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    With a bitter smile, Kelly replied, "There''s a grudge between my family and his."

    "What kind of grudge?" Laura eximed in disbelief.

    Kelly slowly recounted how her family had looked down on Carlisle''s family.

    After listening to Kelly''s ount, Laura sighed softly.

    "Social inequality has always been the norm. In the past, the poor were generally poorly educated, unaware of their ignorance, making it difficult for them to turn their lives around.

    "Now that the country has begun promoting nine-yearpulsory education, I believe this phenomenon will be greatly improved soon."

    Gazing at the scenery outside the car window, Kelly choked up.

    "ver imagined Carlisle would save me from danger!"

    Wrapping her arms around Kelly''s shoulders, Laura remarked, "This shows he has a big heart and is more mature than his peers. He''s someone with vision and ambition. That''s why he could achieve sess at such a young age!"

    Laura leaned into Kelly''s shoulder and sniffed.

    "What are you doing?" Kelly asked, feeling goosebumps on her neck as she realized Laura had moved close to her.

    Laura chuckled and said, "Sell me Carlisle''s shirt, will you? I have a feeling he''ll be someone influential in Rivend''s business industry one day!"

 Chapter 433

    ?Chapter 433

    Since Carlisle was a university freshman like herself, Laura assumed he was around 17 or 18 years old. Yet, despite his youth, he had partnered with Mr. Worth on a project worth 400 million. Laura couldn''t imagine how far he could go in just a few years.

    A business prodigy like him was indeed someone she admitted and looked up to. Therefore, Laura was eager to keep his shirt as a source of motivation for herself.

    "No. This shirt belongs to Carlisle. I must return it to him someday," Kelly insisted, shaking her head.

    Laura nced at the blood-stained hole on the shirt and remarked, "The shirt is already torn. I doubt someone like Carlisle would wear it again!"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "You''ve got a point."

    Kelly nodded in agreement.

    "So, why don''t you sell it to me?"

    Laura''s expression lightened up.

    "No. This shirt was torn because Carlisle tried to save me. I''ll hang it by my bed as a reminder for me to repent," Kelly replied firmly.

    Kelly''s perspective toward Carlisle had clearly changed after he risked his life to save her. After all, Carlisle was a teenager like her, too, and yet he had bravely confronted those middle-aged thugs.

    Laura pouted. Her expression was filled with disappointment.

    After a brief silence, she smiled and asked, "Then, could you give me Carlisle''s messenger username?"

    Kelly lowered her head gloomily.

    "I don''t have his messenger username."

    She used to detest Carlisle so much that she would rather not see him, so how could she possibly have his messenger username?

    At The Pearl Lounge, Gareth took off his coat and draped it over his shoulders as he and Carlisle headed toward thergest booth, their arms around each other''s shoulders, looking like a pair of ruffians.

    Gareth had a good physique. He appeared slim in clothes but muscr without them. His eight-pack abs resembled rugged mountain ranges, exuding a wild and powerful charm. ga

    Carlisle nced down at his belly. Although he didn''t have a beer belly, he certainly didn''t

    have abs. Recalling his earlier powerless situation, he decided to carve out time for daily exercise and perhaps learn some self-defense techniques, too.

    When he noticed Carlisle staring at his abs, Gareth smirked proudly as he patted his own stomach and asked, "Envious of my abs? Want to feel them?"

    "No thanks!" Carlisle replied, his expression showing disgust.

    Hank had already fallen asleep on the couch. However, Gareth hadn''t outdrunk him. Rather, Carlisle had sent him a message telling him to get himself drunk.

    In fact, before Carlisle headed to the restroom, Gareth had already had too much to drink, while Hank was only slightly tipsy. Despite Hank iming he could handle more alcohol, Carlisle worried Gareth might overdo it, so he urged Hank to speed up his drinking.

    "Carlisle, buddy. Are you ready for our next round?"

    Gareth leaned weakly on Carlisle''s shoulder, clearly feeling the effects of alcohol.

    "Next round? You should take a break now!"

    Carlisle''s face twitched, feeling the pressure on his wound from Gareth''s leaning.

    Gareth didn''t respond,pletely knocked out. Carlisle quickly pushed him onto the couch.

    Hank opened one eye to confirm that Gareth was thoroughly drunk.

    He then swiftly got up and asked, "Carl, did you really gamble on shares worth 4.08 million dors?"

    He wondered what kind of shares would cost 4.08 million. Even selling off Govan Technology Limited couldn''t fetch that amount.

    "Leave that for now. Let''s find him a room to rest," Carlisle said, patting his pockets.

    He still had his phone and keys, but it seemed that he had forgotten to bring some money.

    "Can you lend me some money for a cab?" Carlisle asked Hank, who lent him a hundred dors.

    Hank escorted Gareth to a luxurious guest room on the fifth floor of the bar while Carlisle took a cab back to Willow Grove.

    After showering and tending to the wound on his shoulder, Carlisle sat on the couch to check his phone. There were over ten missed calls from the same unidentified caller.

    Carlisle returned the call and heard Christine''s voice on the other end.

    She said, "Carlisle, the investor agreed to meet you and Wanda tomorrow at noon at Imperial Hotel to discuss the coboration."

    "Okay. Please arrange the venue and give me the room number," Carlisle replied.

    "I, um, heard Wanda has taken a break from studies. If she''s not there tomorrow, I''m worried the investor might think we''re not serious enough," Christine said, concerned

    about the 30 million investment potentially falling through.

    "Taking a break from studies?"

    Carlisle''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    He frowned and remarked, "I thought she was just on a few days'' leave."

    He ended the call and dialed Susan''s number.

    "Hi, Carlisle-"

    "Ms. Lowe, I''m sorry for disturbing you at this hour. I just wanted to ask if Wanda has taken

    a break from her studies?"

    "Yes, she has."

    "For how long?"

    "Indefinitely. Didn''t you know?"

 Chapter 434

    ?Chapter 434

    "I just found out about it now. Thank you, Ms. Lowe," Carlisle replied, his voice drained of energy as the phone slipped from his hand.

    It turns out that Shein hadn''t taken Wanda away for medical treatment purposes only. He probably nned to separate Wanda from Carlisle. In other words, even if Wanda recovered, she might not return to Rivend.

    Carlisle tried to call Wanda, but her phone was switched off. Closing his eyes, Carlisle felt his heart in disarray.

    After a brief moment, he opened his eyes and gently touched the couch cushion beside him, vividly remembering when Wanda had just been sitting there that morning, requesting him to feed her the imported ck tea. The cup of ck tea was still unwashed on the coffee table.

    Carlisle returned to his room to collect his clothes from the balcony and put them on. He then wandered around the room, recalling Wanda''s presence in every corner.

    When he entered the bedroom, Wanda''s purple camisole was still on the bed, her scent filling the room.

    Carlisle closed his eyes and let out a breath before whispering, "Wanda... I''ll bring you back in no time!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    His eyes were filled with determination.

    "Shein, Zachary, you both look down on me, don''t you? In that case, I''ll show you what I''ve got," Carlisle murmured before taking out his phone to call Leon.

    "Mr. Zahn-"

    "Get me some suits," Carlisle abruptly interrupted Leon.

    "No problem."

    Leon offered some styles and brands for Carlisle to choose from, but Carlisle left the decision to Leon, trusting his expertise.

    After the call, Carlisle went to a high-end hair salon in the city and spent five hundred dors on a trendy hairstyle.

    Then, he called Logan, informing him that Govan Technology Limited mustunch its first phone in two months.

    Sitting in her apartment, Logan eximed in shock, "Two months? That''s too rushed! Our system is still a prototype. Most of the software is still in development, and the hardware is far from ready!"

    "Downgrade it," Carlisle said calmly, looking at his reflection in the mirror at the hair salon.

    "Downgrade?"

    Logan didn''t get it.

    "Yes. Downgrade all functions and hardware of the phone. As long as the phone surpasses the other phones avable on the market, I don''t mind if it doesn''t meet our expectations," Carlisle borated, eager to make profits so he would surpass Zachary, Austin, Shein, and Yuriel.

    "Mr. Zahn, are you under some kind of stress?" Logan asked cautiously.

    However, Carlisle ended the call without offering any exnation.

    Sighing helplessly, Logan made a call to her secretary.

    "Ms. Cooper-"

    "Notify all department heads of a meeting at 8:00 am tomorrow. Everyone must arrive on time!" Logan instructed directly.

    "Yes, Ms. Cooper!" the secretary replied.

    Carlisle returned to his apartment and phoned Francis.

    "Boss-"

    "Return to Rivend."

    "Roger."

    Without dy, Francis embarked on an overnight trip back to Rivend.

    Carlisley on his bed and stared at Wanda''s pillow beside him, feeling as though she alsoy there, her innocent eyes gazing at him. With a gentle smile, he soon drifted off to sleep.

    The next morning, Carlisle woke up with a start.

    "Wanda!"

    His face was covered in sweat, his heart racing.

    He had a nightmare. In his dream, Wanda was locked in a cage by Shein and was forced to marry someone else. He called out to her, but she didn''t seem to recognize him.

 Chapter 435

    ?Chapter 435

    Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Carlisle nced at the clock. It was only 6:00 am.

    Devoid of any desire to sleep, he decided to get up and go for a morning jog. During his jog, Francis received a call informing him that he had just arrived in Rivend due to a traffic jam.

    Carlisle sat on the bench to catch his breath.

    With a slight pant, he said, "Where''s the security team you promised to find me?" "They''re already in Rivend. I''ll have them gather at Willow Grove," Francis replied.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle then ended his morning jog and returned to Willow Grove.

    Meanwhile, outside Willow Grove, seven nondescript men with buzz-cut hairstyles gathered and engaged in lively conversation. They were seasoned special forces veterans, having served longer than Francis in the military.

    After being discharged, they were dissatisfied with the job opportunities provided by the government and harbored ambitions to carve out a new path. However, they encountered repeated setbacks in their careers.

    Hence, when Francis told them that his boss would offer a sry of at least five thousand, they epted the job without hesitation. In fact, they would have been grateful even for a job offering only a thousand dors.

    Hands in pockets, Wendell Webb asked skeptically, "Francis, what exactly does your boss do? Just to be clear, if this job involves anything shady, count me out!"

    The others nodded in agreement.

    Francis sighed in response.

    "Come on. Do you really think I''d get involved in anything shady?"

    Despite his confident tone, Francis felt a twinge of unease. After all, aside from legitimate business, Carlisle did have close ties with Prince Heath.

    Spotting Carlisle approaching in the distance, Francis gestured toward him and told his oldrades, "Therees my boss."

    Wendell and the others turned their gazes toward Carlisle, their eyes widening in disbelief. "A rich kid?"

    Wendell smirked.

    Francis shook his head and replied, "Self-made. I just visited his parents. They''re ordinary folks who run a convenience store and breakfast shop. He''s the one who funded them!" Francis'' exnation left everyone dumbfounded. Before Wendell could inquire further, he

    noticed Carlisle had already approached them, so he withheld his questions.

    "Hi, everyone!" Carlisle greeted them first.

    "Hi, boss!"

    Wendell and the others instinctively straightened up, lifting their heads.

    Francis nced at Carlisle''s new hairstyle before introducing the team to him.

    "Boss, these are myrades from the Leopard Strike Team. They''re as capable as me, if not better."

    Carlisle nodded calmly and said, "Let''s head upstairs where we can talk."

    Noticing the slight displeasure on Carlisle''s youthful face, Wendell couldn''t help but frown, thinking that Carlisle might be dissatisfied with them.

    However, since Francis had followed Carlisle for some time, he knew something must have happened to thetter, which was why Francis was summoned back to Rivend. Still, he knew this wasn''t the time to pry, so he followed Carlisle back to the apartment as requested.

    Carlisle led them into the apartment and offered them some energy drinks from the fridge. He then took off his sweaty shirt and changed into a clean short-sleeve shirt which wasid on the couch.

    Francis noticed the bandages on Carlisle''s shoulder and asked with concern, "Boss, are you injured?"

    "Yeah. I got into some troublest night when I was out for a drink. No big deal," Carlisle replied after sipping his energy drink.

    He then nced at Wendell and the others, who had lined up in a row, and said, "Since you''re all Francis''rades, I''ll certainly reward you handsomely. I''ll offer you a monthly sry of six thousand for now. Take the next few days to familiarize yourselves with Rivend, and then I''ll assign a task to all of you."

    Wendell and the others were stunned by the offer of six thousand in monthly sry. In their previous attempts to secure security jobs, all they had encountered werepanies offering a mere thousand as base pay, with a chance for a 40%mission if they were hired by clients.

    Carlisle''s straightforward offer of six thousand dors amazed them. They realized that Francis had been right all along.

    ncing at the time, Carlisle realized he only had half an hour before his ss began.

    As he headed toward the bathroom to freshen up, he instructed, "Francis, please take them to the game studio. There''s three million in cash in my room. Use it to pay them a year''s sry in advance."

    Wendell and the others gasped. They were astonished that Carlisle wanted to pay them a year''s sry in advance before they even started working. They wondered if Carlisle was

    even worried they might run off with the money.

    When Carlisle entered the bathroom, Wendell whispered to Francis, "Francis, are you sure the boss won''t involve us in anything illegal?"

    Everyone stared at Francis anxiously, their eyes filled with doubt.

 Chapter 436

    ?Chapter 436

    "So, do you want the job or not? If not, I''ll find someone else. I heard that the retirees from the Dragon Special Force are looking for jobs now!" Francis retorted, rolling his eyes.

    Wendell immediately smiled broadly.

    "Oh,e on! I was just kidding. The Dragon Special Force is no match for us. They can''t do a better job than we can!"

    The others nodded in agreement.

    With a smile, Francis replied, "Why don''t you guys wait for me downstairs? I want to have a quick word with the boss."

    Wendell nodded and led the rest down the stairs.

    Shortly after, Carlisle emerged from the bathroom and found Francis in the living room.

    "Did something happen to Wanda again?" Francis asked, noticing Wanda''s belongings were still present in the apartment.

    Since Wanda should have been living there with Carlisle, her absence raised concerns.

    After hesitating briefly, Carlisle replied, "Wanda''s father took her to Yorksle for treatment. I suspect he wants to separate us. I can''t reach Wanda now, but I really need to know how she''s doing."

    Francis quickly understood Carlisle''s concern.

    "So you want us to search for Wanda?"

    Carlisle nodded, affirming, "That''ll be myst resort. I''ll try to gather some information over the next few days. If I can''t find anything in two days, then you''ll head to Yorksle to look for her."

    "Alright. I''ll arrange for the team to stay in a hotel during these two days."

    "I''m off to ss now. Remember to lock the door when you leave!" Carlisle reminded Francis before leaving the apartment.

    When Carlisle entered his ssroom, all his ssmates stared at him in astonishment and disbelief.

    "Carl, where did you get your haircut?"

    "Seriously, Carl? You already had a dashing face, and now this haircut makes it even more stunning. Are you trying to win all thedies'' hearts? Save some for the rest of us, will you?"

    "Oh, Carlisle! You''re the man of my dreams!"

    The whole ss buzzed with lively conversation.

    Carlisle''s outstanding performance at the bonfire party had already made him a heartthrob among the female students at his school. With his new hairstyle elevating his charm even further, the girls in his ss were swooning.

    With his talent and captivating appearance, he would surely be a top star if he ever ventured into the entertainment industry.

    Carlisle returned to his seat, his expression remaining cold and impassive, devoid of his usual amiability.

    Noticing his unusual demeanor, the ss began to gossip among themselves.

    "Wanda didn''te to school with Carlisle today. Did they have a fight?"

    "Beats me. Let''s ask Phoebe!"

    Amid their spection, Phoebe eventually disclosed Wanda''s temporary withdrawal from school to several ssmates. The news quickly spread throughout the ss.

    Ruby, who was in the process of packing up her books to return to ss 1, paused when she heard the news.

    She suspected that Wanda was taking a break from her studies to be treated. She wondered if this was her opportunity to approach Carlisle.

    When Ruby saw Carlisle enter the ssroom earlier, her heart had fluttered uncontrobly, making her reluctant to return to ss 1.

    She thought that she should perhaps continue staying in ss 2 so she could admire Carlisle''s dashing appearance.

    Ruby poked Carlisle''s back and whispered, "Carlisle, did Wanda leave for treatment? How long will she be away?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 437

    ?

    Carlisle was engrossed in his book andpletely ignored Ruby''s attempts to get his attention.

    Ruby wrote a note and ced it on his desk, but Carlisle didn''t even look at it.

    Her spirits sank. Carlisle had agreed to be her friend before. She wondered if he treated his other friends the same way. She assumed he must be in a bad mood since Wanda had just left.

    "Whatever! I can wait," she thought to herself.

    Ruby pouted before she took out a book and started studying as well.

    Carlisle''s concentration on his book was interrupted when his phone buzzed with a message from Logan.

    "Mr. Zahn, I need to ask you a favor. A close friend of mine has an ounting firm in Yorksle, but itspetitors have crushed it. You''ve registered a gamingpany, right? Could their team work for you?"

    "Sure!" Carlisle agreed without hesitation.

    After all, he needed a professional ounting team to manage the funds and handle the taxes. Logan''s friend had shown up at the right time.

    "That''s great. I''ll send them to Rivend right away!"

    After reading the message, Carlisle put his phone down. He had a morning of back-to-back sses ahead of him.

    At noon, when school was dismissed, Carlisle received a call from Leon. Leon had picked up his suit for him.

    Just then, Phoebe and Christine stopped Carlisle outside the ssroom.

    Christine looked anxious.

    "Carlisle, the investors have already arrived at Imperial Hotel. Are youing with us now?

    ||

    "You guys go ahead and entertain the investors for me. I''ll be there shortly," Carlisle replied before heading off.

    Phoebe and Christine exchanged nervous nces. They were dealing with a 30 million dor investment. Coming from humble backgrounds, it was a sum neither of them had ever imagined they woulde close to in their lifetimes.

    Gareth had booked an entire floor for the asion at Imperial Hotel. Through his father''s

    connections, he had even managed to invite several high-ranking officials from the Department of Culture and Tourism to the signing ceremony.

    The presence of government officials drew Yuriel, Shein, and local businessmen alike from Rivend to witness the event. The banquet hall was set up with five tables. It wasn''t a grand affair, but each guest was a billionaire in their own right.

    Zachary and Shein sat together.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "It''s just a 200 million dor deal. What''s so special about this signing ceremony?" Zacharyined.

    Shein sipped his tea elegantly before replying calmly, "Our goal today isn''t the ceremony itself but towork with the high-ranking officials from the Department of Culture and Tourism.

    "They outsource many projects yearly. Building a rtionship with them could be extremely beneficial for your future business endeavors. Make the most of this opportunity!"

    Zachary''s eyes lit up with interest.

    "Just who exactly is in charge of this project? How did they manage to get officials from the Department of Culture and Tourism to attend this ceremony?"

    "The investor is Mr. Spencer from Scarlet Corporation. I don''t know who the contracting party is."

    At another table, Shania whispered to Lethan, "Lethan, do you think Carlisle is the contractor?"

 Chapter 438

    ?

    Lethan stroked his chin and smiled.

    "You think so too?"

    Shania said, "Gareth attended Rivend University''s bonfire party for Carlisle. And now he''s suddenly having a big signing ceremony. It has to be for a deal with Carlisle. I can''t think of anyone else!"

    Lethan nced at Josie, who was happily chatting with some businessmen across the room, and sighed softly.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "I wonder what Josie and Shein would think if they knew."

    "Besides, Wanda isn''t with Shein today. I wonder what he''s up to!"

    Shania looked around before furrowing her brow.

    All the guests were prominent Rivend businessmen. It would have been beneficial for Wanda towork in such a setting.

    Lethan chuckled.

    "Yuriel didn''t bring his daughter either. They should focus on their studies for now. They still have a long way to go!"

    While the two whispered to each other, Gareth entered the banquet hall in a red suit. He was apanied by two secretaries.

    They were followed by government officials from the Department of Culture and Tourism.

    Everyone in the room stood up and greeted them warmly.

    Phoebe, Christine, and two financial advisors from SwiftFunds Financial Investments hosted Liam Ziegler, an investor from Shorefield, in the executive suite on the eighth floor.

    After ten minutes of waiting, Liam became increasingly frustrated. As an investor, he expected immediate attention from the contractors. Instead, they kept him waiting.

    He would have walked out if he hadn''t been interested in the project.

    "Mr. Ziegler, we''re still students and can onlye after school. We apologize for the wait!" Christine apologized respectfully.

    Liam was a foreign man in his 40''s. He wore a floral shirt and several gold rings on his fingers.

    He nced at Christine and Phoebe, then waved his hand dismissively and urged, "It''s fine, it''s fine. Just call Ms. Thompson and tell her to hurry."

    Christine and Phoebe exchanged worried looks. Their faces were clouded with worry. They couldn''t reach Wanda, so they wondered about their next steps.

    They feared Liam would reconsider his investment if Wanda weren''t there.

    A knock at the door interrupted their thoughts. Christine hurried to open it.

    When she swung the door open, she was stunned.

    Standing in front of her was Carlisle, who stood six feet tall. He wore a crisp white shirt beneath a sleek ck suit and paired it with a navy blue tie. His tailored trousers and polished ck shoes, which reflected his face,pleted the look.

    SwiftFunds Financial Investments had hosted many ambitious young clients in suits and ties, but none matched the presence that Carlisle exuded. It was like night and day.

    "Sorry for the dy, Mr. Ziegler."

    Carlisle ignored Christine''s astonishment and walked past her into the suite.

    Liam frowned.

    "Who are you?"

    Carlisle sat beside the equally surprised Phoebe and held out his hand.

    "I''m Carlisle Zahn. Ms. Thompson, my girlfriend, isn''t in Rivend at the moment. I''m here to discuss the business deal with you."

    "Do you take me for a fool?"

    Liam didn''t even look at Carlisle. He grimaced and sipped his red wine.

    He had tolerated waiting for over ten minutes, but Wanda''s absence was a significant blow to his pride.

    Carlisle withdrew his hand with a nk expression and stated bluntly, "I''ve made it clear that Ms. Thompson is currently unavable. If you insist on her presence, then there''s no need to continue this discussion."

    Phoebe and Christine paled at Carlisle''s words. Even Jenny, the SwiftFunds financial advisor, frowned.

    She felt that Carlisle wasn''t there to negotiate but to vent his frustrations. They had finally calmed Liam down, but Carlisle''s words seemed to worsen the situation rather than improve

    it.

    As she had expected, Liam mmed his hand down on the table. It made the two secretaries next to him tremble with fear.

    "Is this how you do business?" Liam snapped.

    "I have eight more investments waiting for me. I''ve never met anyone as arrogant as you."

    Carlisle couldn''t be bothered with Liam. He turned to Phoebe.

    "I have a 200-million-dor investment signing downstairs. You handle this one. If you can make a deal, great. If not, just forget it!"

    With that, he stood up and left the room without looking back.

 Chapter 439

    ?Chapter 439

    It wasn''t until Carlisle mmed the door that Christine and Phoebe returned to reality. They nced cautiously at Liam, whose face was flushed with anger.

    Phoebe stammered, "M-Mr. Ziegler, Ms. Thompson is¡ª"

    "That''s enough."

    Liam cut Phoebe off with a coldugh.

    "A 200 million dor investment? If he can secure a 200 million investment, I''ll eat my hat. You guys are way too unreliable for that!"

    With that, he got up and left with his secretaries in tow. Christine and Phoebe exchanged confused looks.

    Phoebe turned to Jenny with tears in her eyes.

    "Ms. Robson, what are we going to do now?"

    "Let''s just eat to cut our losses."

    Jenny picked up a fork and began to dig in.

    It was obvious that Carlisle had thoroughly infuriated Liam. The situation could not be salvaged unless Wanda herself showed up.

    Back on the third floor of Imperial Hotel, the governor, his secretary and n had arrived. Once again, the assembled businessmen marveled at the grandeur of the signing ceremony. Gareth and Max greeted the governor and n with great respect. The governor, Sheldon Darnell, had neat, graying hair and was dressed modestly.

    He shook Gareth''s hand warmly and said, "Gareth, you didn''t tell me you wereing to Rivend for business. I hope you don''t mind me showing up uninvited!"

    "Mr. Darnell, you''re a busy man. I didn''t want to bother you."

    Sheldon had once been Theodore''s secretary and owed his current status to Theodore''s mentorship. When he heard that Gareth was conducting business in Rivend, he naturally wanted to show his support.

    Just then, Sheldon''s secretary smiled and added, "Mr. Darnell did indeed have a busy schedule today. In fact, he canceled several lunch meetings just to be here!"

    "Hey, don''t tell him that."

    Sheldon frowned at his secretary, who quickly fell silent.

    Gareth looked touched.

    "Mr. Darnell, you honor me. Please, have a seat..."

    After his guests were seated, Gareth checked his watch. It was almost one o''clock, and Carlisle still hadn''t arrived.

    Zachary had been sitting idly for over an hour.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Frustrated, he grumbled, "Who are we waiting for? He must think highly of himself to keep everyone waiting like this."

    "If the governor can wait, so can you," Shein replied calmly.

    Zachary took a sip of coffee to quench his thirst before pulling out his phone to chat with his guildmates.

    Meanwhile, Gareth stepped out to call Carlisle. Just as he dialed Carlisle''s number, he saw Carlisle exit the elevator.

    Gareth hurried over, slightly annoyed.

    "Carlisle, hurry up. Everyone''s here, and they''re waiting for you."

    "Got held up with something," Carlisle exined briefly before following Gareth into the banquet hall.

    As Gareth led Carlisle into the room, dozens of eyes turned to look at them.

    Zachary''s eyes widened in shock.

    "C-Carlisle?"

    He pinched his leg hard, doubting his senses. The sharp pain confirmed that it wasn''t a dream.

    "No way. He couldn''t have secured a 200 million dor investment. Something''s definitely wrong!"

    Shein frowned slightly but quicklyposed himself.

    Lethan and Shania smiled when they saw Carlisle. Josie drank her coffee, her eyes showing surprise. She had expected Gareth''s business partner to be someone closer to his age, not someone so young.

    Josie had never met Carlisle and didn''t know that he was the same student who almost ran off with her daughter.

    "Dad, could Carlisle be the contractor?" Austin whispered, frowning.

    Yuriel shook his head.

    "Not necessarily. He could just be here for the signing ceremony."

 Chapter 440

    ?Chapter 440

    Gareth led Carlisle to the frontmost table which was where the contract was ced. With a smile, he introduced Carlisle to the crowd.

    "First of all, I''d like to thank everyone for taking time out of their busy schedules to witness the signing ceremony between myself and Dragonaire Game Company.

    "Allow me to introduce my business partner, the chairman of Dragonaire Game Company, Carlisle Zahn!"

    "He''s so young!"

    "Dragonaire Game Company? Never heard of it. Do we have such apany in Rivend?" "No. I''m in the gaming industry, and I know pretty much every gamepany in Rivend, big or small. I''ve never heard of this one!"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "This kid is probably fresh out of high school and started a business with his parent''s money."

    The crowd buzzed with chatter.

    A high-ranking official from the Department of Culture and Tourism smiled at Sheldon. "Rivend sure is filled with extraordinary people. What a young entrepreneur!" "Brookfield State has never been short of talent," Sheldon replied while smiling broadly.

    Rivend is part of Brookfield State. While the officials had praised Rivend, Sheldon wanted to elevate the entire state.

    "Mr. Darnell, doesn''t that young man look familiar?" the secretary beside Sheldon whispered.

    Sheldon nodded and smiled. "I noticed him as soon as he entered. He''s the student who finished the SATs in just 30 minutes!"

    Josie''s calm face turned into one of astonishment upon hearing Gareth''s introduction. She had finally seen who Carlisle was. It was no wonder he could win over Wanda-he had some skills. But unfortunately, that wasn''t enough. Moreover, Wanda was already betrothed.

    Josieposed herself and elegantly sipped her red wine.

    "Hello, everyone. My name is Carlisle, and I''m a student at Rivend University. I''m a novice in the world of entrepreneurship, and I look forward to learning from all of you."

    Carlisle waved at the crowd.

    The crowd was taken aback once more by the fact that he was still a student at Rivend University. While their children were squandering resources at Carlisle''s age, he had already started a business-and not a small one at that. They began to specte about his origins.

    After leaving the suite, Liam stormed into the elevator. It stopped on the third floor, where he ran into an acquaintance from Rivend on the phone.

    Liam''s eyes lit up.

    "Mr. Cagney?"

    Randy Cagney was startled. When he noticed it was Liam in the elevator, he hung up the phone and grinned.

    "Mr. Ziegler, what brings you to Rivend?"

    Liam stepped out of the elevator and shook hands with Randy.

    "I''m in Rivend to discuss a business deal!"

    "If it brought you here personally, it must''ve been a big one."

    Liam waved his hand in frustration.

    "Don''t get me started. I was nearly driven mad."

    "Calm down. Let me take you to Mr. Spencer''s signing ceremony!"

    Randy chuckled.

    "Mr. Spencer?"

    "Come on. You''ll find out soon enough!"

    Randy led Liam to the banquet hall. Liam gasped in surprise when he saw the two biggest entrepreneurs of Rivend there. He became more nervous when he noticed the governor of Rivend.

    Finally, Liam''s eyes locked onto Gareth and Carlisle. He stared intently at Carlisle, recalling thetter''s earlier words. A chill ran down his spine.

    He couldn''t believe that Carlisle actually had a 200 million investment deal in the works.

 Chapter 441

    ?Chapter 441

    Carlisle noticed Liam as soon as he entered the banquet hall. He wasn''t fond of him as he suspected his insistence on meeting Wanda might have ulterior motives. Moreover, Carlisle was in a hurry to sign the contract with Gareth, so he didn''t want to waste time dealing with Liam upstairs.

    "Mr. Zahn, shall we start signing the contract now?"

    Gareth gestured for Carlisle to proceed.

    Carlisle nodded and gestured for Gareth to go first.

    Gareth didn''t insist further and took his seat between his two secretaries. Carlisle sat alone on the other side as the contractor. Gareth confidently signed his name on the contract.

    Carlisle briefly scanned the contract and noticed that Gareth only took 48% of the shares.

    He couldn''t help but remind Gareth about the deal, "You should take 50% of the shares since you wonst night."

    "Come on. After Hank dropped me off at the hotelst night, we opened another bottle of red wine. You let him lose on purpose, didn''t you? I can take a loss!"

    Carlisle grinned as he picked up the pen and signed his name.

    "Well, I''ll take you up on that, then. Besides, I have another project that needs your investment."

    Gareth quickly shook his head.

    "Slow down. I''m out of funds for now!"

    "This project only needs three million," Carlisle said, ncing up at Gareth before continuing with his signature.

    Gareth hesitated. After investing 200 million in a gamingpany, he didn''t have much money left. An additional investment of 30 million would stretch his finances even thinner.

    Carlisle continued, "Dragonaire Game Company won''t see profits for six months, but this other project will profit quickly. Don''t miss this opportunity!"

    The potential for a quick return on investment lifted Gareth''s spirits.

    "I''m in. I guess I''ll be having soup for a while."

    Carlisle ignored Gareth''sints about being broke. Someone who could spend a million dors in a nightclub wouldn''t resort to soup, would they?

    After signing the contract, Gareth''s secretary brought over two sses of red wine. Gareth raised his ss with a smile.

    "To a fruitful partnership!"

    Carlisle clinked sses with Gareth, and they both drank up.

    "Quite the turnout today, huh?" Garethmented.

    Carlisle nced at the table where the governor was seated. Even with his seasonedposure, he couldn''t help but feel a flutter of excitement.

    "It''s impressive..."

    Gareth, pleased with himself, said, "Come on, let me introduce you to Mr. Darnell."Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    As a native of Rivend, Carlisle knew exactly who Gareth was referring to. He thought that getting acquainted with the governor wasn''t a bad idea.

    Gareth led Carlisle to Sheldon''s table and introduced him to everyone seated there. Carlisle respectfully toasted each person. After making the rounds, Carlisle''s face was flushed.

    Just then, Yuriel approached with a ss in hand.

    "Mr. Spencer, Mr. Zahn, congrattions on your partnership!"

    Gareth smiled and raised his ss at Yuriel.

    Carlisle, however, poured himself a cup of water.

    "Mr. Gust, I can''t hold my liquor, and I have sses this afternoon. I''ll toast with water instead."

    Yuriel''s expression darkened.

    "Mr. Zahn, I''m personally offering you a toast but you''re using water? That''s rather inappropriate, isn''t it?"

    As the wealthiest man in Rivend and being older than Carlisle''s father, Yuriel felt snubbed. Even a token sip would have sufficed.

    Carlisle appeared troubled.

    "I''m really in a difficult position, Mr. Gust. Please understand."

    Yuriel''s face turned sour as he held his ss. He showed no intention of drinking.

 Chapter 442

    ?Chapter 442

    With a wry smile, Randy shook his head.

    "Young people are clueless when ites to socializing."

    "He''s just lucky, that''s all. If he wants to make it in Rivend, he can''t afford to disrespect Yuriel. No matter how many investors he ropes in."

    Liam scoffed.

    Gareth quickly intervened as Carlisle and Yuriel were engaged in a staredown.

    "Mr. Gust, Mr. Zahn is still a student. He''s the future of our nation. We can''t let a night of drinking derail his studies. How about I drink this one for him?"

    Yuriel''s gaze remained unyielding as he waited for an opportunity to step down. Sheldon chuckled.

    "Mr. Gust,e on. You''re a senior here. Why get worked up over a young man?"

    Since the governor himself spoke up, Yuriel relented. He forced a smile.

    "Starting a business isn''t a walk in the park. Many fail before they even get off the ground. You still have a lot to learn."

    The threat in his tone was unmistakable. He then downed his drink in one go.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Cross me today, and I''ll make sure yourpany faces a hard timeter," Yuriel thought.

    Gareth simply narrowed his eyes at Yuriel''s threat before finishing his own drink. He now understood why Carlisle hadn''t backed down.

    Yuriel''s words were distasteful as they showed that he had no regard for Gareth or Carlisle. After finishing his drink, Yuriel apologized to Carlisle before heading to Shein''s table to have a toast with the governor and high-ranking officials.

    "Dad, are you going to toast as well?" Zachary whispered.

    Shein responded with a resigned smile.

    "Of course. They''re the hosts, after all. Plus, the governor and n are here. It''s only natural that we greet them."

    "Carlisle won''t drink!" Zachary grumbled.

    Shein smiled and walked over to Gareth. As Zachary had predicted, Carlisle politely declined the alcohol, opting for water instead.

    Shein didn''t show any displeasure. He offered his congrattions before downing his drink.

    Other businessmen followed suit one by one. With Yuriel and Shein setting the example, they didn''t expect Carlisle to drink.

    At around 1:30 pm, Carlisle had to return to school for ss. After exining his reasons to the governor and his men, he grabbed his coat and left unsteadily.

    Gareth had Max drive Carlisle back to campus. Once at his dorm, Carlisle changed into casual clothes and headed to his ssroom.

    Phoebe, who was dozing off at the ssroom door, suddenly perked up at a call from Liam. "Mr. Ziegler..."

    "Ms. Locke... Could you let Mr. Zahn know that I''m interested in investing?"

    "Really?"

    Phoebe raised her voice out of excitement, attracting curious nces from her ssmates. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Are you serious, Mr. Ziegler?"

    "Absolutely," Liam replied.

    Despite his doubts about Carlisle''s gamepany, he saw value in the connections Carlisle could offer. Building a rtionship with Carlisle could open doors with Gareth and other local officials.

    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Phoebe hung up and beamed at Christine.

    "Christine, Mr. Ziegler agreed to the partnership!"

    "Did Carlisle apologize to him?"

    Christine looked up from her book.

    Phoebe nced at Carlisle and rolled her eyes. He looked slightly tipsy.

    "I''m guessing he did. He probably set up another meeting to smooth things over. Otherwise, why would Mr. Ziegler change his mind?"

    "It''s so typical of him. He''s always too proud to admit it. We''ve known each other for so long. Does he really think we''dugh at him for it?"

 Chapter 443

    ?Chapter 443

    The afternoon was packed with sses. Just before school ended, Carlisle handed Susan an application to participate in the ss council. He was running for ss monitor.

    After reading Carlisle''s application, a faint smile appeared on Susan''s face.

    Wanda''s break from school had spurred Carlisle into action. He was determined to better himself, likely to avoid disappointing Wanda.

    Carlisle caught up with Luna and Queenie at the school gates.

    "Queenie, Luna..." he called out, stopping them in their tracks.

    "Carlisle, I love what you''ve done with your hair..."

    Luna eyed Carlisle''s hairstyle with a smile.

    Carlisle ignored Luna''sment and turned to Queenie.

    "Got a moment? I''d like to treat you both to some coffee!"

    "Sure!"

    Queenie nodded. She already had an inkling of what Carlisle wanted from her.

    She would''ve usually ignored him, but she had heard from Zachary about the afternoon signing ceremony between Carlisle and Gareth. The news had taken her by surprise.

    Zachary thought Carlisle had somehow tricked Gareth into investing in hispany, but Queenie thought differently. Wanda had always been sharp, so anyone she fancied must be exceptional.

    Carlisle had proven his worth at the bonfire party, and it was no secret that he was close to Zachary''s rtives, Lethan and Shania. He was likely even doing business with them.

    Queenie suspected that Gareth''s attendance at the Rivend University bonfire party was primarily for Carlisle. Someone capable of establishing Scarlet Corporation wouldn''t be easily duped into a 200 million investment by a college freshman.

    At Papplewick Tea Shop, Queenie and Luna ordered their favorite drinks while Carlisle stuck to a regr coffee. Sitting by the window, Carlisle stared nkly at the seat beside him.

    "Thinking about Wanda again?" Luna asked, sipping her drink.

    Carlisle snapped back to reality and turned to Queenie.

    "I"

    "I know what you''re going to ask," Queenie interrupted.

    She sighed and continued, "I don''t know where Mr. Thompson has taken Wanda, and neither does Zachary..."

    "I see..."

    Carlisle''sst bit of hope was crushed.

    Luna suddenly chimed in, "Mr. Thompson must have taken Wanda to a neurologist or a psychiatric rehabilitation hospital!"

    "That''s not exactly helpful," Queenie retorted before stirring her coffee.

    After a few sips of her coffee, Queenie looked at Carlisle earnestly.

    "Listen to me, Carlisle. Give up on Wanda. You two will never be together."

    Luna nced at Queenie disapprovingly.

    "Why do you have to be such a wet nket? Carlisle and Wanda are perfect for each other. Why can''t they be together?"

    "You don''t understand," Queenie said with an undecipherable expression on her face.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    A thought dawned on Luna, and her eyes widened.

    "Wanda isn''t betrothed, is she? I''ve heard that many wealthy families have arranged marriages!"

    Queenie was caught off guard by Luna''s words.

    With Carlisle staring intently at her, she quickly said, "Don''t be ridiculous. I don''t know anything about her family''s affairs."

    Carlisle noticed Queenie''s unease but didn''t read too much into it. Wanda being in an arranged marriage seemed unlikely. In his previous life, Wanda had married a senior executive from Thompson Group.

    Not getting the answers he sought, Carlisle excused himself.

    "I have some other matters to attend to..."

    He paid at the counter and left the shop.

    Luna watched Carlisle''s leave and sighed.

    "Why is it so hard for true lovers to end up together?"

    As soon as Carlisle had left the shop, his phone rang. It was Phoebe.

    "Carlisle, Mr. Ziegler has agreed to invest in thepany. He''s staying at Imperial Hotel. We can meet him now."

    Phoebe didn''t ask if Carlisle had apologized to Liam, as it would have been impolite. She simply appreciated his efforts for thepany. However, Carlisle''s next words shocked her.

    "I''ve found a new investor. Someone will contact you tomorrow." Carlisle hung up, leaving Phoebe stunned.

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    ?

    Phoebe wondered about what Carlisle had told her right before he hung up on her.

    She thought, "He''s not going to work with Liam anymore? But he just managed to salvage that deal!"

    Just then, Christine had hailed a taxi. When she noticed that Phoebe was lost in her thoughts, she waved her hand in front of thetter''s face.

    "What''s wrong, Phoebe?"

    "Carlisle said he''s not going to work with Liam. He''s found us another investor."

    Back at Carlisle''s apartment, he logged into MSN Messenger and started a new group named "Astral Holdings". After a moment''s thought, he deleted the first word and reced it with " Aurora".

    The group''s name read as "Aurora Holdings". He then added Sean, Owen, and Hank to the group.

    Sean was the first to message.

    "Carl, what''s this?"

    "This is a holdingpany I''ve just registered. All ourpanies will be under Aurora Holdings from now on," Carlisle exined via text.

    "Looks like the boss is aiming to dive into capital investment!"

    "Carl, you''re amazing!"

    "Shouldn''t we add Logan to the group?" Hank suggested.

    "I don''t have her messenger username."

    "I''ll invite her," Hank offered and proceeded to add Logan to the group.

    Logan was working overtime, so she hadn''t noticed the notification on her phone. Moreover, she rarely checked her messenger, so Hank called to let her know about it. Upon hearing about the new MSN Messenger group, she logged in and epted the invitation.

    Logan knew what Carlisle wanted to do when she read the group''s name. He intended to use Aurora Holdings to consolidate all their businesses so that it was easier to integratepany profits. It was likely that her friend whom she had rmended to Carlisle would join Aurora Holdings.

    "Logan, when is your best friend''s team arriving in Rivend?" Carlisle asked. "They''ll be here tomorrow!"

    "Let''s have a wee dinner at A1 Seafood Restaurant tomorrow night," Carlisle suggested. "Got it!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle logged off MSN Messenger and started browsing the Widetalk Forum, a hub for talent. He was on the lookout for human resource professionals there. Largepanies never stopped recruiting. They would often poach talent frompetitors with lucrative offers.

    Soon, Carlisle came across an article expressing frustration with the unrealistic expectations of recent graduates. The author, known as "Keen_Eye", was a Human Resources Director with 20 years of headhunting experience at a listedpany in Shorefield.

    After reading the post, Carlisle agreed with its sentiment. Experienced professionals demanded high sries because they were valuable.

    In contrast, it was unreasonable for fresh graduates to turn their noses up at lower wages. The post particrly pointed out that these graduates were from second-tier universities. Carlisle then browsed through the user''s history. The manager had never recruited on the forum and mainly shared headhunting experiences and analyses.

    One post described how they had rejected a marketing director from apany of three thousand employees who applied for a lower position. Through the interview questions, the manager analyzed the applicant''s mindset and identified subtle ws, leading to the rejection.

    Carlisle was engrossed. He spent three hours reading almost all the posts. He concluded that the headhunter had a sharp eye for detail and was adept at analyzing people''s psychology. Carlisle felt that the headhunter was definitely worth a high sry.

    He tried calling the number on the homepage, but it was switched off.

    Realizing that it was after office hours, Carlisle opted for a text instead.

    "Hello. Are you interested in switching jobs for an annual sry of 500 thousand dors?"

 Chapter 445

    ?

    The offer was straightforward and transparent. If Carlisle wanted to win over the talent, he would have to offer him a sry that would make anyone do a double-take. In this day and age, an annual sry of half a million was nothing short of astonishing. It was likely more than what some smallpanies made in a year.

    As the clock struck at 10:00 pm, Carlisle finished his canned soup, freshened up, andy down to sleep. Just as he closed his eyes, his phone rang. It was Wade calling.

    "Mr. Mora"

    "Just Wade is fine, boss," Wade interjected quickly.

    Carlisle said, with an apologetic tone, "I didn''t know you were getting out today, or I would''ve picked you up."

    "It''s fine, boss. You don''t have to do that!"

    Then, he changed the subject.

    "I''m nning to avenge Heath!"

    Carlisle frowned.

    "Let''s wait until Heath wakes up before making any decisions. Don''t do anything rash!"

    The security in Rivend had been tightened. Despite having his ce trashed by Jalen, Titan had swallowed his pride. Wade seeking revenge now would be a bad move.

    "But we have nowhere to go!" Wade protested.

    "Has everyone been released?"

    "Yes!"

    "How many are left?"

    "Just over 80. The rest ran off."

    "Where were you guys staying before?"

    "We had two motels as dormitories, but they''ve been closed down temporarily..."

    "Do you still have money?"

    "About 500 thousand dors. It shouldst us for about five months."

    "I see. I''ll have Benjamin transfer some money for you and your loyal men."

    After ending the call with Wade, Carlisle dialed Benjamin''s number.

    "Carl, I was just about to call you!"

    "I know what''s going on. How are you nning to support Wade and the others?" Carlisle asked.

    Benjamin solemnly replied, "I will transfer five million to Wade until Heath wakes up..."

    "Yeah, I was thinking the same. How''s your brother doing?"

    Carlisle had intended to give Wade the 15 million he had gotten from Benjamin, but he worried about what Benjamin might think. So, he decided to have Benjamin transfer the money to Wade, ensuring Wade''s unwavering loyalty to Heath and Benjamin.

    "Heath woke up once today but quickly fell back into aa."

    Benjamin''s voice trembled with excitement.

    Carlisle smiled.

    "Sounds like he''s recovering well. He might fully wake up

    within a month."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Carlisle hung up.

    Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Carlisle slipped into his slippers and walked toward the door. Through the peephole, he saw Gareth. He was holding a case of beer with some brisket and wings on top of it.

    "Mr. Spencer, you sure have a way of finding people," Carlisle remarked as he opened the door.

    Gareth chuckled and made his way to the couch.

    "I thought you might be pining away, so I came over to keep youpany with a drink."

    Carlisle closed the door and sat across from Gareth. He grabbed a can of beer and took a few swigs. He hadn''t eaten since noon and was feeling quite hungry.

    Gareth watched Carlisle drink in silence before sighing.

    "Carlisle, there''s something I''m not sure if I should say..."

    "Go on."

    Carlisle took some brisket and munched on it.

    Gareth opened a bottle of beer and downed half of it in one go. He looked at Carlisle and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. He let out another sigh.

    "Never mind. Let''s just drink."

    Wanda''s departure had taken a toll on Carlisle. He hadn''t smiled in days. Gareth didn''t think Carlisle would be able to handle it if he told him the news now.

 Chapter 446

    ?Chapter 446

    Carlisle put his beer down.

    His dark eyes were fixed intently on Gareth as he asked, "Do you know anything about Wanda?"

    Gareth raised his beer.

    He forced a smile and said, "Just drink..."

    Carlisle put his beer down and said mildly, "If you still consider me your friend, then tell me what you know!"

    He was fine with being unaware nor was he interested. However, he could not do so when it came to Wanda.

    After hesitating for a long time, Gareth took a deep breath.

    He then looked up, stared at Carlisle, and said, "Just give up on Wanda. The both of you can''t be together!"

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes.

    "Why?"Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Queenie wanted him to give up on Wanda because she sided with Zachary. Gareth wanting him to do the same was odd.

    "Wanda''s engaged!"

    Gareth decided to tell Carlisle about the engagement.

    He lifted his head to look at Carlisle as he continued, "The groom is from one of the top families in Yorksle. His family is incrediblyplex and has influence in both the political and business world."

    "How... how is that possible?"

    Carlisle''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    In his previous life, Wanda had married a high-ranking executive from Thompson Group. It made no sense for her to marry into the Thompson family. He wondered if something else had happened to Wanda during her university years.

    "I knew you wouldn''t be able to ept it! There are so many fish in the sea. There''s no need to be hung up on her.

    "She''s just a woman. Look at us. We''ve moved on, haven''t we?

    "It''s not like we''re poor. Plenty of women will line up to get in our beds with a wave of our hands."

    Gareth could understand Carlisle''s current feelings as he had been through a simr experience.

    Carlisle downed half his can of beer and said, "Gareth, can you help me locate Wanda?"

    Gareth shook his head.

    "I''ve already tried... I can''t find her unless I use my grandfather''s connections. But the old man is stubborn and never abuses his power."

    Carlisle opened another beer can.

    "Then I''ll take my time investigating."

    Gareth looked at Carlisle, puzzled.

    "Did you listen to a single word I said?"

    Carlisle tilted his head back and guzzled down half his beer.

    He said firmly, "In this life, I won''t marry anyone else but her!"

    Upon seeing Carlisle''s determination, Gareth said dumbfoundedly, "You might have a chance topete with them if you be the wealthiest man in the country."

    "My goal is not to be the wealthiest man in the country," Carlisle said calmly.

    "So your goal is..."

    "To be the richest man in the world!"

    "Fuck!" Gareth blurted.

    Carlisle red at Gareth and asked, "Don''t you believe me?"

    Gareth raised his beer can and grinned.

    "I believe you!" he replied.

    The truth was, Gareth didn''t believe him. He felt that having dreams was good but thought

    that Carlisle should at least have dreams that stood a chance ofing true.

    Although the country''s economy was rapidly improving, it was stillgging behind the major economic powers.

    The present wealthiest man in the country had a worth of only 1.5 billion dors. Meanwhile, the wealthiest man in the world was the chairman of Microsoft, with a personal fortune of 40 billion dors.

    Carlisle''s dream was to be the richest man in the world. Wasn''t that crazy?

    "Just drink..."

    Carlisle knew that Gareth wouldn''t believe him, nor would anyone else.

    However, that did not matter. After all, Rome wasn''t built in a day. This would take time.

    Gareth asked as he chewed on some meat, "Have you found people for the gamepany''s development team?"

    Carlisle replied as he ate, "No..."

    Gareth was speechless.

    He frowned and asked, "What about the office space?"

    "It''s still being renovated."

    "Alright then. Let''s talk about that 30 million dor investment in detail. About online loans

    ||

 Chapter 447

    ?Chapter 447

    Carlisle and Gareth chatted and drank as time slipped away quietly. Before they knew it, it was 2:00 am.

    Gareth hadn''t had his fill. He intended to drag Carlisle to a bar to continue drinking, but Carlisle declined, stating he had school tomorrow.

    Gareth was disappointed that he had to go to the bar alone.

    The next day, after hepleted his morning run and freshened up, Carlisle went to school.

    On the way to school, he received a phone call from a stranger.

    "Hello... Hello, may I know who this is?"

    "You called me, yet why are you the one who''s asking?" he trailed off.

    Carlisle stopped mid-sentence and looked at the caller ID. Sure enough, it was the number he had textedst night.

    He quickly said, "My name is Carlisle. I''m a businessman from Rivend, and I''d like to hire you."

    "You''re just starting out, right?"

    "Yeah!"

    "I''ll switch jobs for a sry of 500,000 dors a year, but I''ll need three years'' sry in advance."

    "Sure!" Carlisle answered without hesitation.

    The person on the other end of the line had 20 years of headhunting experience. Carlisle could gauge Anthony''s age from his voice. Yet, Anthony didn''t question Carlisle, indicating that he had his own opinions on this matter.

    "My name is Anthony Swanson. I''m currently the HR Director at Wick Group."

    "When are you avable in Rivend?" asked Carlisle.

    "I''m actually on a business trip in Rivend. Let''s set up a meeting to chat!" Anthony replied.

    "Let''s meet at 7:00 pm at A1 Seafood Restaurant."

    Meanwhile, in Yorksle, at a psychiatric rehabilitation hospital hidden deep in the forest, Wanday in an extremelyplex sleeping pod. Various data cables were attached to her body.

    Outside the sleeping pod were over a dozenputers. An elderly man in a whiteb coat sat

    before theputers.

    At that moment, Wanda felt both nervous and excited. Noel Dolton, the chief psychiatrist, had just informed her that as long as she cooperated with the treatment in the sleeping pod, she would soon bepletely recovered. She would then be able to meet the person she wished to meet.

    "Wait for me, Carlisle," Wanda thought as she gently closed her eyes.

    Noel looked at the time.

    He then said slowly, "Let''s begin."

    His assistant pressed the green button on the sleeping pod. The ss cover of the sleeping pod turned green.

    Various neuron connection patterns immediately appeared on theputers outside of the pod.

    These neurons were extremelyplex. The neurons disyed on the tenputers were merely a fraction of the entire thing. These neurons were distributed in the temporal lobe and hippocampus and were mainly used to generate memory responses.

    The stronger the connections between these memory-storing neurons, the deeper the memory. The neurons for some insignificant memories would gradually loosen, eventually leading to a tenuous or even broken connection. That was why people had blurry memories or forgot certain events.

    Theirtest device could sever some of the neuron connections using ultrasound, thus achieving the effect of erasing memories.

    "y the audio!"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Following Noel''smand, audio recordings of the news reports about Wanda''s kidnapping began ying in the sleeping pod.

    Wanda''s eyebrows instantly furrowed. The scenes of her kidnapping resurfaced in her mind.

    Meanwhile, a staff member stared at the screen disying the abnormally active neurons and said, "Noel... We''ve found it..."

    Noel''s lips curled into a faint smile.

    "Activate the ultrasound disconnection!"

    After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, Wanda slowly opened her eyes. Her previously unfocused gaze was now exceptionally clear.

    She squinted at the ss cover of the sleeping pod and murmured, "Where am I?"

    The pressurized door opened with a hiss. Noel approached the sleeping pod with a stack of photos.

    He first showed Wanda a photo of Shein and asked, "Do you recognize him?"

    Wanda nodded.

    "He''s my father!"

    Noel then took out another photo.

    Wanda spoke softly, "She''s my mother."

 Chapter 448

    ?Chapter 448

    "What about this one?" asked Noel.

    "That''s my uncle!" answered Wanda.

    "And this?"

    "My aunt!"

    "What about this picture?"

    "This picture... That''s my brother!"

    "Very good. It seems our treatment is very effective!"

    Noel beamed with joy.

    He then took out a photo of one of the kidnappers and asked, "Do you recognize this person?

    Wanda''s brows scrunched up as she thought about it. Noel held his breath as his keen eyes scrutinized Wanda.

    Wanda shook her head.

    "I don''t recognize him..."

    She did not recall ever seeing him.

    Noel then pulled out a photo of Carlisle and asked, "Do you recall this man?"

    Wanda stared at the photo for a long time.

    Noel reminded her, "He''s your ssmate."

    Wanda shook her head and said, "I don''t recall him."

    Noel breathed a slight sigh of relief and said with a smile, "The treatment was very sessful, but you''ll need to stay here for a few more months for observation. During this time, we''ll arrange your sses so you won''t fall behind on your studies."

    Her neurons were active, but even severed neurons could reconnect.

    This situation was akin to dissociative amnesia. As proven by research, dissociative amnesia was caused by neurons losing their vitality, resulting in the disconnect of stronger synaptic connections. This thus led to the loss of significant memories.

    Those neurons may recover and reconnect if the memory cells regain vitality. Thus, there was also a chance to recover from dissociative amnesia.

    Monthly ultrasound suppression was necessary to prevent the reconnection of Wanda''s neurons until the memory cell''s activity patterns changed.

    Wanda massaged her temples and asked, "What was I sick with? It seems that I can''t remember certain things."

    She felt as if shecked some memories.

    She wondered what her illness was and how she got there. It also seemed that she had forgotten a close friend.

    "You had an extremely rare neurological illness. It caused your amnesia. However, those were some insignificant memories."

    Noel fabricated a very reasonable answer.

    Wanda sat up in her sleeping pod and asked softly, "May I call my brother?"

    Noel chuckled in a friendly manner and replied, "You can''t contact those outside during the treatment period. However, your parents will visit you once a month..."

    At Rivend University, Susan announced the ss and club representatives during thest ss of the morning.

    Carlisle was elected as the ss monitor.

    Ruby assumed the role of discipline chairperson.

    Christine became the academic chairperson.

    Joanne Redd took on the role of organization chairperson.

    Hailey Autumn was appointed as chairperson in charge of sports.

    Lydia Rickson was chosen as the publicity chairperson.

    Phoebe became the student union branch secretary.

    The bell rang. Susan announced that the ss had ended and left the ss.

    Carlisle had slept ratherte the night before. He nned to return to his apartment for an afternoon nap due to his packed afternoon schedule.

    Upon reaching the door, Phoebe suddenly said, "Carlisle, someone really contacted us, huh? Would you like to follow us to thepany?"

    After all, it was Carlisle who found the investor. She and Christine both thought it was better if Carlisle met him.

    "The both of you may go ahead. I want to take a nap!" replied Carlisle, shaking his head.

    He then left without turning back.

    Phoebe watched as he left and mumbled softly, "I wonder when Wanda will return. CarlisleCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    doesn''t smile as often now."

    Christine remained silent as she looked at the floor. She felt extremely conflicted. She had given up on Carlisle, so why was she still hoping that Wanda wouldn''t return?

    She shook off herplicated thoughts and said softly, "Let''s go to thepany. We shouldn''t keep the investor waiting for long!"

    Carlisle skipped his meal at the cafeteria. Upon reaching his apartment, he set an rm before going to sleep.

    Soon, he started dreaming. He dreamt that he and Wanda were married.

    He was holding a bouquet of white flowers in front of arge crowd as he walked up to Wanda, who was in her wedding gown.

    "Wanda... I love you!"

    Carlisle lovingly extracted a wedding ring from his pocket.

    However, Wanda only stared at Carlisle in confusion and asked, "Who are you?"

 Chapter 449

    ?Chapter 449

    "I''m Carlisle, your husband!"

    Carlisle still wore a smile on his lips.

    He realized that Wanda''s illness hadn''t been cured. In fact, it seemed to have worsened.

    Wanda shook her head and backed away.

    Her face was fearful as she said, "I don''t know you. I don''t know you. Stay away from me...''

    "Wanda... what''s wrong?" asked Carlisle.

    "Wanda..."

    Carlisle tried to approach Wanda, but she pushed him away and ran out of the hall. Carlisle quickly chased after her. As soon as he exited the hall, he saw an endless sea before him.

    He stared nkly at the ocean in front of him.

    This...

    Was this a dream?

    He turned and looked behind him. The hall had vanished.

    "Wanda..."

    Carlisle slowly closed his eyes. Tears streamed down his face.

    Suddenly, Wanda''s voice echoed in his ears.

    "Carlisle..."

    Carlisle opened his eyes and turned his head. All he saw was Wanda in her high school uniform as she stared at him with a smile.

    "Wanda..." said Carlisle.

    He then ran over and hugged her tightly.

    "Wanda, I''ve missed you so much!"

    Wanda gently patted his back as she replied, "Silly, haven''t I always been here?"

    Carlisle choked up.

    "This is a dream..."

    Wanda chuckled in return.

    "Are you silly? How could this be a dream? Would someone in a dream know they''re dreaming?"

    Carlisle held Wanda tightly. He feared that she would disappear if he let go. He knew it was a dream, but he simply wanted to hold Wanda a little longer in the dream.

    The round rm clock on his bedside table rang loudly. Carlisle''s eyes were startled open.

    He turned off the rm and was about to go back to sleep. He tried desperately to recall his dream as he wished to return to it.

    But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t fall asleep again.

    Carlisle grabbed the rm clock and threw it hard against the wall.

    He had not used an rm clock ever since. He even hated the sight of rm clocks.

    After taking a moment to calm down, Carlisle got up and went to school.

    Christine and Phoebe were already back in the ssroom. They sat in their seats and were still in a state of shock. They had never thought that the investor Carlisle had found was the same handsome man who casually donated 30 million dors to the school.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Gareth had invested 30 million dors and wanted 30% of SwiftFunds shares in exchange.

    Christine, Phoebe, and Jenny discussed it and were only willing to give up 20% of thepany''s shares. Wanting to appear gracious, Gareth agreed without haggling.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org

    "Christine, it''s so easy to talk to Mr. Spencer. He just gave up on 10% of the shares without a second thought!" Phoebe said as she bit on her finger with a smile.

    Christine smiled and replied, "This shows how great Carlisle''s reputation is."

    Phoebe chuckled.

    "I think Mr. Spencer is even more handsome than Carlisle."

    With defined brows, bright eyes, and a handsome face, Gareth looked like Prince Charming.

    Previously, it was too dark at the bonfire party. The power went outter on, so Phoebe hadn''t really seen what Gareth looked like. Upon seeing him up close, she felt like she was about to fall for him.

    With a faint smile, Christine nced at Phoebe and asked, "You like older men?"

    Gareth was at least 25 years old, whereas Phoebe had just turned 18 in September. There was quite an age gap between them.

    "Mr. Spencer is not that old! He looks very young, so he looks more like an older brother than an older man," Phoebe retorted immediately.

    Christine sighed softly.

    "It''s over. I''ve lost another one to love!"

    Carlisle walked into the ssroom as the twodies were whispering to each other. The

    noisy ssroom instantly quieted with his appearance.

    Carlisle turned to them and asked, "How much of the shares did Gareth want?"

    Phoebe replied, "He wanted 30%, but we only gave him 20%."

    Carlisle nodded and started walking toward his seat. After a few steps, he suddenly noticed someone sitting in Wanda''s seat.

 Chapter 450

    ?Chapter 450

    It was Leah Brighton.

    Carlisle''s face darkened instantly. He then strode over. Leah sensed the ss monitor''s piercing gaze and hesitated to look up at him.

    Just as Carlisle reached his seat and was about to speak, Ruby, who was in charge of discipline, beat him to it.

    "Leah, who gave you permission to change seats?"

    Leah stuttered, "I-I wanted the ss monitor to tutor me."

    Ruby furrowed her brows.

    "You still need to get the teacher''s approval. You can''t just change seats on your own."

    Leah blushed and started to cry.

    Carlisle said calmly, "Go back to your seat."

    Leah wiped her tears and returned to her original seat behind Ruby. Carlisle sat down and started to skim through his management textbook.

    Ruby swallowed nervously, discreetly took a hundred-dor bill from her drawer, and handed it behind her.

    Leah took the money and put it in her pocket. She then lowered her head to read.

    The afternoon sses included an introduction to emerce, marketing management, inte operations, and physical education. After his physical education ss, Carlisle returned to the ssroom to continue studying.

    He wanted to quickly master all the knowledge in his emerce major so he could focus on his career. He had set a goal for himself. He wanted to be the world''s richest person within five years.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    As school was about to end, Carlisle gave Gareth a call.

    "Want to grab a drink?"

    "Yeah. Come pick me up at school."

    "Got it!"

    Gareth immediately drove his yellow Ferrari to Rivend University. As soon as the bell rang, Carlisle went straight for the door.

    "Carlisle, join us for dinner tonight. We n to celebrate!" yelled Phoebe when he reached the door.

    "I''m busy," Carlisle replied without even breaking his stride.

    Phoebe gave Christine an unamused nce.

    Christine chuckled and said, "He''s a busy man!"

    Carlisle ran into Ruby downstairs.

    "Good-"

    "I''m busy," interrupted Carlisle.

    Ruby had previously agreed just to be friends. Yet she continued pestering him, especially by using others to test his boundaries. Carlisle hated her behavior.

    He wondered if Ruby genuinely thought he was unaware that she had ordered Leah to upy Wanda''s seat. He thought her to be childish.

    Carlisle''s cold and indifferent demeanor wounded Ruby once again. Frustrated tears welled up in her eyes as she watched his retreating figure.

    At the school gate, Carlisle immediately spotted the yellow Ferrari parked by the roadside. Amid the envious nces of passersby, Carlisle slid into the passenger seat.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org

    Gareth floored the elerator, causing the car to roar like a beast before it shot off like an arrow into the street. His driving reduced a 40-minute journey to 20 minutes.

    At A1 Seafood Restaurant, Logan and her best friend, Felicia Yates, were happily catching up. The sudden screech of brakes caught their attention. They looked over simultaneously and saw a yellow Ferrari parked by the roadside.

    "A Ferrari Enzo. It''s worth over six million!" Felicia''s eyes sparkled as she muttered. Logan recognized the car as a Ferrari but couldn''t identify the model. Upon hearing the price of that luxury vehicle, she immediately took out her phone to take a picture.

    "Holy shit! A car worth over six million! Guess I learned something new today."

    She had justunched her camera app when she saw Carlisle stepping out of the car.

    "Carlisle is here. Let''s go greet him."

    Logan led Felicia over to meet Carlisle. She wanted Felicia to make a good impression on him.

    Meanwhile, two ck Volkswagens were parked in the roadside parking lot in front of the Ferrari. A middle-aged man in a white shirt with slicked-back hair exited the car.

    Anthony nced at Carlisle and Gareth upon exiting his car. He recognized the six-million- dor Ferrari Enzo.

    He wondered if the person who could afford that car was Carlisle, who had offered him a high sry.

    Anthony looked at the duo. He felt that the man on the left looked older. The chances of him

    being Carlisle were thus slim, leaving the younger man on the right as a better match for Carlisle''s voice.

    "Mr. Zahn..."

    Logan greeted Carlisle first and then introduced her friend, "This is Mr. Zahn!"

 Chapter 451

    ?Chapter 451

    "Hello, Mr. Zahn.. My name is Felicia. I''m the founder of Yorksle''s Yates ounting!"

    Felicia smiled and held out her hand. She was experienced and did not lose herposure upon seeing how young Carlisle was. Besides, her best friend, Logan, had warned her in advance.

    "Hello..." Carlisle shook her hand.

    Gareth looked surprised and said, "You''re Felicia?"

    Felicia looked up at him, and there was a sh of surprise in her eyes. "Are you Mr. Spencer, the chairman of Scarlet Corporation?"

    Gareth nodded and smiled. "I engaged yourpany to do a capital verification report for mest year, but you weren''t around at the time!"

    Felicia looked regretful. "I was out of town. Otherwise, I would definitely have attended to you personally, Mr. Spencer!"

    Felicia immediately smiled at Carlisle and said, "I didn''t know the two of you knew each other!"

    Carlisle was her future boss, and she could not neglect him for an old client.

    "We do coborate!" Carlisle nodded calmly.

    Felicia noticed his expression at once.

    It confused her.

    Hadn''t Logan said that Carlisle was easygoing and good-natured?

    Was Carlisle unhappy with how she had behaved earlier?

    Logan was also very anxious, but she smiled forcefully and said, "Mr. Zahn, we''ve ordered the food already. Let''s talk in our private room!"

    Carlisle suddenly looked over at a middle-aged man standing at the side of the road. The man had been staring at him.

    He looked very familiar.

    It was Anthony!

    Anthony had posted on Widetalk Forum with the topic "Should apany executive at the age of 40 keep striving to improve, or should he be content withcency?"

    The post criticized executives who tookrge sries but did not do anything noteworthy. He had revealed his work environment and photos in the post.

    "Wait a moment!" Carlisle said before walking quickly to Anthony.

    Felicia pressed her lips together, feeling rather down. She said, "Logan, Mr. Zahn doesn''t seem very happy with me!"

    Logan looked at Carlisle doubtfully and said, "It is rather strange. You didn''t do anything wrong!"

    Felicia guessed. "Perhaps it was because I greeted Mr. Spencer and neglected him!"

    Gareth overheard their conversation. He lit a cigarette, smiled, and exined," Stop guessing. Carlisle is just in a bad mood because of some rtionship issues!"

    Felicia breathed a sigh of relief.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org

    Logan smiled andforted her. "See, I told you that Mr. Zahn wouldn''t be so petty!" Carlisle had reached Anthony.

    Anthony spoke first. "Are you Mr. Zahn?"

    Carlisle reached out a hand and said, "Hello, I''m Carlisle!"

    "Hello, Mr. Zahn!" Anthony took his hand and shook it.

    Carlisle was too young!

    He was much younger than Anthony had expected!

    However, Carlisle exuded an authoritative air.

    Carlisle gestured politely. "Let''s talk while we eat!"

    "After you." Anthony was also very respectful.

    There were two tables in the private room.

    There were eight mature-looking women dressed in office attire seated at one of the tables, and all of them were between the ages of 25 and 30.

    Carlisle waited for the others toe in, and when they did, the women stood up simultaneously to greet them. "Hello, Mr. Zahn."Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "You may all sit." Carlisle nodded to them.

    Logan brought Carlisle to a seat at the other table. "Have a seat, Mr. Zahn."

    Carlisle did not object. He walked over to the seat of honor and sat down. Gareth obviously had no objections.

 Chapter 452

    ?Chapter 452

    Although Gareth was an investor along with Carlisle, thetter still held 52 percent of the shares.

    Since Carlisle had therger share, he should sit in the seat of honor.

    Once he had taken his seat, Gareth sat on his right while Logan sat on his left.

    Felicia and Anthony dragged their chairs over and sat down.

    Everyone was very clear about the order in which they should take their seats.

    Once Carlisle''s table was seated, the eight women at the other table sat as well. Anthony scanned the table and realized that they weren''t just average people.

    They were all elite professionals.

    Gareth, who was next to Carlisle, looked rather raffish. From the uninhibited way he was drinking, Anthony guessed that he must be a good friend of Carlisle''s.

    He had seen Gareth get out of a Ferrari, so he guessed he was a wealthy heir.

    While Anthony was sizing Logan and Felicia up, they did the same to him.

    They had been working for a long time, and they could see respect in Anthony''s eyes when he looked at Carlisle. He was clearly not a businessman on the same level as Carlisle. He looked as if he was the executive of argepany.

    He was either here to discuss a coboration with Carlisle, or perhaps he was a talent that Carlisle had brought into the fold.

    At that moment, Carlisle raised his ss and said, "Let me introduce you to my partner, Gareth!"

    Anthony and the others raised their sses to toast him.

    Carlisle continued, "This is Logan, the head of the R&D department of Riley Corporation!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "This is Felicia from Yates ounting!

    "Lastly, this is Anthony, the current Director of Human Resources at Wick Group!"

    Gareth looked again at Anthony.

    Wasn''t Wick Group the listedpany in Shorefield?

    Had Carlisle managed to poach him?

    "This is the first time we''re meeting." Anthony smiled as his gaze swept over their faces." Mr. Zahn, Mr. Spencer, Ms. Cooper, Ms. Yates, let me toast all of you!"

    He raised his ss and downed it in one gulp.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org

    Felicia smiled and said, "Me too."

    Carlisle and the others raised their sses and emptied them.

    Carlisle refilled his ss and raised it as he said to the eight women on the other table," Thank you for taking the trouble toe all the way here! It must have been a tiring journey.

    The eight women immediately stood up and raised their sses, murmuring that it hadn''t been any trouble at all.

    Carlisle finally sat down after he had downed both sses.

    Felicia felt warm and fuzzy inside.

    Carlisle hadn''t neglected the subordinates that she had brought with her.

    It seemed that Logan was right. Carlisle really was approachable.

    At that moment, he continued, "This is my n. Mr. Swanson wille to Aurora Holdings and continue being the Director of Human Resources, while Ms. Yates will be the Director of ounting!"

    Aurora Holdings?

    Felicia looked at Logan in confusion.

    Hadn''t she said that it was a gamingpany?

    Why had it be a holdingpany?

    Although Felicia hadn''t said anything, Logan immediately knew what she was thinking.

    She was equally confused.

    Since when had Carlisle registered a holdingpany?

    Gareth put down his ss and frowned slightly, saying, "You have a holdingpany?"

    A holdingpany was a capital operation strategy.

    Carlisle was very ambitious!

    Most people started with small businesses, but Carlisle was investing in phones and games right off the bat.

    He was starting at such a high point that he was basically running before he could even walk.

    Carlisle said calmly, "Currently, I have a phonepany, a gamingpany, a semiconductorpany, and I have holdings in a few phone hardware manufacturers. In order to make it more convenient for fund integration, I''m nning to transfer all my shares to Aurora Holdings!"

    Since he had chosen to be high-profile, Carlisle had decided not to hold back and revealed

    all his properties to them.

    His business would only expand, and he still had to attend sses. He had no time to manage it all, so he had to start Aurora Holdings as soon as possible.

    Gareth raised his ss and took a huge gulp. He had thought he knew Carlisle well, but all he knew was the tip of the iceberg. When he had investigated Carlisle, he hadn''t realized that thetter had shares in so manypanies.

    Anthony already knew how extraordinary Carlisle was, but he still gasped.

    He had never imagined Carlisle would have so manypanies under his name at his age. However... Did the phone industry really have a future?

 Chapter 453

    ?Chapter 453

    Anthony was suddenly doubtful of Carlisle''s eye for business.

    However, he remembered the conditions Carlisle had promised him, so he kept his worries to himself.

    He only earned 240 thousand dors annually at Wick Group, and Carlisle had doubled his sry.

    There was no existingpany in the country that would give a Director of Human Resources an annual sry of 500 thousand.

    Anthony raised his ss and said, "Thank you for your interest in me and your

    acknowledgment of my skills, Mr. Zahn. I won''t disappoint you!"

    Carlisle raised his ss and clinked it with Anthony''s. "Trust goes both ways. Since you trust me, I''ll be sure to treat you well!"

    The two of them drank.

    Felicia also expressed her gratitude.

    Carlisle poured himself another ss and clinked sses with Felicia.

    Gareth noticed the beautifuldies on the neighboring table hadn''t started eating yet, so he picked up his knife and fork and said, "Let''s eat! We shouldn''t just focus on drinking!"

    If Carlisle didn''t start eating, Felicia wouldn''t either.

    Naturally, her subordinates would follow suit.

    It was one of the unspoken rules of the corporate world.

    Carlisle picked up his knife and fork and said, "Everyone, please make yourselves at home!"

    They began to have several rounds of drinks, and Carlisle did not bring up work again.

    His main purpose for the day was Felicia and Anthony.

    It wouldn''t be appropriate to speak about work before they had officially joined him.

    After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Logan went to the counter to pay the bill. She took the receipt so she could im it as an expense.

    Gareth had drunk too much, so he called Max to drive him back.

    Anthony wanted to quit his job as soon as possible, so he bought a ticket for an overnight flight to rush back to Shorefield.

    Felicia and the others checked into a hotel that Logan had arranged for them.

    Carlisle returned to his apartment and sat in front of hisputer to log in to MSN Messenger.

    He added Felicia and Anthony to Aurora Holdings'' MSN Group. Then, he called Diego to ask how the renovation was going.

    Diego told Carlisle that it would take at least three weeks for the renovations to bepleted.

    Carlisle did not rush him. The fact that they could finish renovating an office area of several thousand square feet in about ten days was already quick work.

    For the next few days, Carlisle poured all his energy into his studies.

    That Friday, he went to change the name of Astral Holdings to Aurora Holdings.

    In the blink of an eye, the weekend had arrived.

    It was a beautiful day, so Carlisle moved his coffee table and chair out to the balcony so he could read there.

    Gareth had called to ask him to go drinking, but Carlisle found an excuse to reject him.

    Christine sent a message and invited Carlisle out, saying it was a pany dinner" to try and persuade him toe.

    Carlisle did not reply to her message.

    Sean and Owen called consecutively to ask him out for a meal.

    Carlisle made his excuses and decided to turn his phone off. Before he could do: So, it rang again.

    This time, it was Hilda.

    Carlisle picked up. "Mom?"

    "Are you busy, Carlisle?"

    "No, I''m reading."

    "Are you really that studious?"

    "Well, I can''t afford not to be. You and Dad want me to make the family proud, don''t you?"

    "You little scamp. Don''t tire yourself out. I just miss you too much!" There was a tenderness in Hilda''s tone.

    Carlisle was busy with his studies and establishing his businesses at the same time, so he must be tired.

    He was even studying on the weekend!

    How could Hilda''s heart not ache for him?

    A rare smile appeared on Carlisle''s face. "Studying isn''t tiring at all. I''ll take care of my health!"

    He asked, "My friends haven''t caused any trouble for you and Dad, have they?"

    Hilda said quickly, "No, no. Ben is very obedient and always tries to help us out. Whenever

    Heath needs to go to the toilet, Ben is the one who takes care of him!"

    They chatted for about half an hour before Hilda reluctantly hung up.

    Before Carlisle could put his phone down, Ryan called.

    Ryan didn''t usually call him unless he didn''t have enough funds for development.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Carlisle picked up and said, "Mr. Scott.

    Ryan coughed dryly. "Mr. Zahn, um..." "Not enough funds?"

 Chapter 454

    ?Chapter 454Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle asked Ryan about the funds without being prompted.

    Ryan said, "ording to Mr. Quilton''s requirements, we''ve already downgraded the chip''s functions. But we need a 72 nm lithography machine for the photolithography we''re aiming for.

    "Currently, the best lithography machine in the country can produce a 90 nm processor, so we need a 72 nm lithography machine to make our sample. Right now, only Micro Corporation has a 72 nm lithography machine!"

    Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose. "Approximately how much money do you need?"

    After a moment''s silence, Ryan said slowly, "A conservative estimate would be about 100 million!"

    2004 was the year of 90 nm chips.

    Micro Corporation hadunched a 72 nm chip in December 2004-

    That meant that at this particr time, there were very few lithography machines that could produce 72 nm.

    Carlisle asked tentatively, "If we have enough money, will you be able to get a lithography machine?"

    "Yes." Ryan did not think twice before he answered. "I happen to have a friend who works in that lithography machinepany. However, since there is a technical blockade, that country is probably going to prevent advanced lithography machines from being exported to our country!"

    Before Carlisle could speak, Ryan continued, "Well, there''s still a solution. It''s just that it will take longer to transport it here."

    "Come and get the money from me this afternoon!" Carlisle avoided mentioning the issues with transport.

    He only wanted results. He shouldn''t have to worry about the process.

    At about 2:00 pm that afternoon, Ryan arrived at the apartment ording to the address Carlisle had given him.

    Carlisle handed over the check that he had prepared.

    Ryan was once again overwhelmed with Carlisle''s trust in him. "Aren''t you worried I''ll run off with this 100 million, Mr. Zahn?"

    Carlisle said calmly, "Between earning ten billion and 100 million, which would you choose?

    Ryan''s hands trembled slightly as he held the check. He looked intensely at Carlisle before

    stuffing the check in his pocket and turning to leave.

    Carlisle was right. If he could develop that phone and start producing chips, a full-screen phone would be sure to overturn the entire phone industry in the future.

    When that happened, Xenos Factory would have countless orders. Even 100 billion would be possible, let alone ten billion.

    Carlisle sat in his chair and twirled a pen in his fingers.

    He hadn''t started up the game project yet. Gareth had invested 200 million, so he would use 100 million to buy a lithography machine.

    Making phones did cost a lot of money, especially for the chips.

    Once chips and lithography machines became more advanced, they would probably require an even bigger investment.

    The game project had to start quickly.

    At that thought, Carlisle pulled out his phone to call Sunny.

    "Boss?"

    "Have you hired anyely?"

    "We have 12 now. Should I continue?"

    "Don''t stop hiring. The more there are, the better!" Carlisle hung up and called Anthony at once.

    "Mr. Zahn?"

    "Anthony, I urgently need a batch of programmers who have experience in game development. Find some for me over the next few days!"

    "Approximately how many do you need?"

    "The more, the better. We can offer a higher sry if required!"

    Carlisle was nning to start the operations of Dragonaire Game Company by next Wednesday.

    The popr multiyer online game called "The Journey" was developed by Colossus Corporation in December 2004. It was tested in 2005 andunched in 2006.

    Carlisle did not have time to wait until 2006.

    He had tounch the game by the following year.

    It was Sunday, and Wanda was at the psychiatric rehabilitation hospital in Yorksle.

    She was sitting in the study and reading.

    The bookshelves behind her were filled with books about emerce.

    Ding-dong!

    She heard the sound of the vi''s doorbell.

    Wanda left the study to open the door, only to see several Ferraris parked in the vi''s yard.

    A young man in his 20s got out of his car.

    His hair was dyedpletely white, and he looked very pale.

    He looked sick.

    He wore a white shirt and pants, and even his leather shoes were white.

    Wanda looked doubtfully at the young man.

    Had hee to receive treatment as well?

    All the people here were from wealthy families, and she wondered how much Shein had spent.

    The young man walked into the yard and said slowly, "Hello, my name is Finn Murray."

 Chapter 455

    ?Chapter 455

    Finn?

    He did seem very fair, which coincidentally was what the name "Finn" meant.

    Wanda said calmly, "Hello. Are you here to receive treatment, too?"

    Finn shook his head. "I didn''te here for treatment. I came to see you."

    Wanda was confused. "You came to see me? Do we know each other?"

    The driver in the car behind Finn was watching them through the rearview mirror when he saw Finn smile. He was immediately excited and took out his phone to make a call.

    Before he could speak, a woman''s voice traveled over the phone. "How did it go? Did my son like her?"

    The driver covered his mouth and said hushedly, "Mr. Finn is smiling!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The woman''s voice immediately sounded excited. "R-really?"

    The driver nodded vigorously. "It''s true. I was watching him the whole time!"

    He had been Finn''s driver since thetter was ten, and this was the first time he had seen Finn smile in over ten years.

    "Alright, alright! Let him interact more with Wanda!"

    Wanda did not know there was someone in the car watching her closely.

    When she heard Finn''s answer, her lip curled, and she said, "You''re ridiculous. I''m going back in to read!"

    Wanda turned to go back inside the vi. She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

    She turned and asked, "Who are you?"

    Finn was startled. "Didn''t I introduce myself just now? My name''s Finn..." Wanda said, "You said you''re here to visit me, but we don''t know each other!" Finn smiled and said, "This rehabilitation hospital belongs to my family!"

    Wanda''s brow furrowed even more. "So your father knows my father?"

    Finn nodded and said, "Yes!"

    Wanda blinked and suddenly shed a smile. "Does that make us friends, then?"

    Finn stuck his hands in his pockets, nodded, and smiled. "Of course it does."

    Wanda immediately said, "Give me your phone then!"

    Without a phone, she had no way of contacting Christine and Phoebe.

    She had no idea how SwiftFunds was doing.

    Finn hesitated, then shook his head and said, "You''re getting neurological treatment. You can''t be in contact with any electronic products that have radiation!"

    The light in Wanda''s eyes dimmed at once. "You can leave. I''m going back inside to read!"

    She turned and walked into the vi without looking back.

    Finn stood for a while and only turned to get back in the car once Wanda had closed the vi''s door.

    The driver asked tentatively, "Mr. Finn, are you satisfied with your fianc¨¦e?"

    Finn nodded. "She''s alright."

    Wanda returned to the study and sat down in her chair. She propped her chin in her hands and gazed out the window as she murmured to herself, "Why did I open a loanpany?"

    She took out a diary from the drawer and flipped to the secondst page.

    There were rows of rectangles drawn on the page and a name written on each.

    It was the seating chart of her ssroom when she was in high school.

    There were 62 seats but only 61 names.

    Wanda stared at the rectangle without a name, and her brow tightly furrowed.

    A long while passed, but she still couldn''t remember who the missing ssmate was.

    She took a deep breath and flipped to thest page of the diary.

    It was the seating chart of her ss at university.

    There were 46 rectangles, but only around 20 had names written inside.

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    "We have too few sses, and there are so many ssmates whose names I can''t remember! "Wanda muttered to herself.

    She flipped to the secondst page once more and frowned. "But I can name all my high school ssmates. Who could the missing ssmate be?"

    At 12:00 pm that Wednesday, Dragonaire Gaming Company, Alumni Network, Aurora Holdings, and Govan Technology Limited all officially moved into the Windex Building.

    In the conference room of Aurora Holdings, Carlisle sat at the head of the table.

    Gareth, Ryan, Sean, Owen, Hank, Felicia, Logan, Anthony, and Renee sat on either side of him.

    Carlisle said, "Aurora Holdings has officially begun operations. Anthony, draw up thepany''s organization chart as soon as possible and start hiring people for the corresponding positions. While you''re at it, draft a payroll."

    Anthony picked up a pen and jotted down some notes in his notebook. He nodded and said, '' Yes, Mr. Zahn!"

    Carlisle looked at Felicia and said, "Ms. Yates, you''ll take over the finance departments for Xenos and Govan. In the future, 100 percent of our holdingpanies and finances will be inspected and checked by Aurora''s ounting department!"

    Renee''s expression changed slightly.

    She was currently in charge of Govan Technology Limited''s finances, and she had been preparing for the role of finance manager.

    Since the opportunity had been given to Felicia, Renee''s n to get promoted was probably ruined.

    Logan spoke up. "Mr. Zahn, do we need to remove our finance department for Govan?"

    Ryan said, "If we eliminate the finance department, the purchasing orders in the future will all be sent to the Windex Building. Some materials and parts that are needed urgently will have to be requisitioned on the day itself, so under special circumstances, we may need to make several trips!"

    Carlisle wanted to integrate fund management, but he had neglected this aspect. He turned to look at Felicia and asked, "Do you have any suggestions, Ms. Yates?"

    Felicia understood what Carlisle wanted, so she said, "If we merge the finance departments under Aurora Holdings, we can redistribute the finance staff for the threepanies. Everypany needs a finance manager and someone in charge for the final approval of orders."

    Carlisle nodded. "We''ll do as you say."

    At the mention of the position of CEO, Carlisle looked rather worriedly at Sean and Owen.

    He had promised that he would guide them to earn huge profits, but they were both too young and would probably find it hard to handle the position of CEO.

    Besides, Owen hadn''t even graduated from vocational high school.

    Owen seemed to know what Carlisle was thinking. He said quickly, "I''m not going to be the CEO. I just want to manage my own game studio!"

    He knew his strengths well.

    Dragonaire Studio was going to make arge-scale game soon.

    Owen knew he wasn''t educated or experienced, and even if he were to be the CEO, he would find it hard to win people over.

    Carlisle had given him enough.

    In this era, having a sry of more than ten thousand a month already put him in a much better position than over 99 percent of workers!

    Carlisle looked at Sean.

    Sean hastily said, "Don''t look at me. I can''t do it either!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Despite this, Carlisle could see disappointment in Sean''s eyes.

    He noticed everything.

    After a moment''s silence, he said, "Owen will be the CEO of Dragonaire Studio, and Sean will be the CEO of Alumni Network. Additionally, Logan will be the CEO of Govan Technology!"

    Owen and Sean looked up at Carlisle.

    Logan''s eyes widened, and she sneaked a nce at Hank. Hank was Carlisle''s confidante, but Carlisle was making her the CEO of Govan Technology instead.

    Hank''s expression hadn''t changed much, and he wasn''t displeased either.

    Logan was one of the founding members of Govan Technology''s precursor.

    If Carlisle had made Hank CEO, it would be hard for him to gain the trust of the other executives.

    Sean stammered, "Carl, I really don''t want to be the CEO. You know I''m still studying and don''t have any time to manage thepany. Besides... I don''t have the ability to do it!"

    ||

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    ?Chapter 457

    Carlisle said impassively, "That''s your problem!"

    As the saying went, uncut gems wouldn''t sparkle.

    He had given them their chance, and it was up to them whether they would rise to the asion or not.

    The muscles in Sean''s face twitched violently.

    It seemed like he had to spend more time learning how to manage apany.

    Carlisle looked at Felicia and said, "Ms. Yates, we''re a little short of hands at the moment, so I''ll have to trouble you to purchase theputers!"

    Felicia puffed her chest and said, "It''s no trouble! You''re paying me to work, after all."

    Carlisle smiled slightly and said to Anthony, "Anthony, you''ll have to work hard during this period too!"

    Anthony looked stern as he said, "It''s what I should do!"

    The meeting only ended after about an hour.

    They walked out of the conference room, and Owen suddenly asked, "Carl, do we need to move our studios here too?"

    Carlisle shook his head and said, "The studio is like an independent department, so you don''t need to move it here. However, the finances will be managed by Dragonaire Studio!" After that, Carlisle brought Gareth, Owen, and Anthony to Dragonaire Studio''s office space.

    Sunny had hired 20 people over the past few days, while Anthony had brought in 38.

    Dragonaire Studio had 58 elite programmers in total.

    As he still had sses that afternoon, Carlisle let Anthony choose five of the most experienced staff to be in charge of management.

    He handed a journal to Gareth. "Gareth, this is the background story of the game and the direction for development."

    Gareth grinned. "Aren''t you afraid that I''ll run off with it? I think this journal of yours is worth much more than 200 million!"

    Carlisle hadn''t revealed any information prior to this, but now he was even handing Gareth the direction for the game''s development!

    "This isn''t the only property I have that will make money. What do I have to be worried about?" Carlisle rolled his eyes. Why did they all like asking him that question?

    Did they really think he would be scared easily because of his age?

    Both Govan Technology, Xenos, and Alumni Network would all grow to be enterprises worth hundreds of billions.

    With the support of Govan Phones, the phone hardware suppliers were sure to stand out and be one of the top yers in their field.

    Gareth guffawed, "I''m just teasing you. I want to earn big bucks with you, after all!"

    Carlisle tapped Owen on the shoulder. "Owen, this is your chance. Don''t disappoint me!"

    Owen nodded vigorously. "Don''t worry, Carl! I''ll study hard!"

    Outside the Windex Building, Francis sat in his car, smoking. He suddenly received a call from Rence.

    "Francis..." Renee hesitated.

    "What is it?" Francis asked. "Is the meeting over?"

    Renee took a deep breath and then forced herself to say, "C-can you ask Mr. Zahn to give me a chance for promotion?"

    "Govan Technology''s finance manager was fired, right? You have a huge chance to be promoted," Francis said in confusion.

    "I thought so too at first, but Mr. Zahn reorganized the finance department in the meeting. Now, the finances of thepanies have been handed over to Ms. Yates, and she has about eight ountants under her.

    "She will surely arrange for her people to take up the position of finance manager in eachpany. Francis, I know that you''re in a difficult position, but I really don''t want to remain stagnant," Renee said moodily, pouting.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Francis thought for a moment and said. "I-I''ll try. However, don''t get your hopes up. After all, I''m just a driver!"

    "Alright. Thanks, Francis!" Renee immediately sounded happier.

    Francis was with Carlisle every day. They were sure to be on good terms with each other.

    Carlisle would grant Francis'' request, wouldn''t he?

    After hanging up, Francis turned to look at the Windex Building. He caught Carlisle walking out in a rush.

    "Francis, drive me back to the university quickly! I''ll bete!" Carlisle called out from afar.

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    ?Chapter 458

    Francis hastily opened the car door. After Carlisle got in, he immediately got into the driver''s seat and started the car.

    They were silent on the journey there.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Francis nced at Carlisle in the rearview mirror from time to time.

    He did not know how to start.

    "Do you have something to say?" Carlisle asked. He had noticed Francis'' expression in the rearview mirror.

    Francisughed awkwardly and said, "Well, Renee wants to improve herself..."

    Carlisle immediately knew what he meant. He took out his phone and called Felicia. "Hello, Ms. Yates? Promote Renee to finance manager of Govan Technology!"

    "Alright, Mr. Zahn!" Felicia answered crisply.

    Both Xenos and Govan had their own finance departments.

    Even if she merged them, she would be careful about interfering with their management.

    Besides, Carlisle must have brought Renee in for a reason.

    She had thought Carlisle would promote Renee to be vice CEO, but he had not done so. The meeting hadn''t even had anything to do with Renee.

    Only Carlisle would know the reason for that.

    Carlisle was young, but he was enigmatic.

    In the car, Carlisle hung up and looked at Francis in the rearview mirror as he said, "Done!"

    "Thank you, boss!" There was a grateful look in Francis'' eyes.

    His hands tightened on the steering wheel.

    When they reached the university, Carlisle got out of the car. "Tell Wendell and the others toe to my apartment for a meeting tonight!"

    Francis watched Carlisle walk through the gates to the university before taking out his phone to tell Renee the good news.

    "Thank you, Francis!" Renee had just gotten a call from Felicia, and her voice was choked up as she thanked Francis.

    "Do your work well." Francis leaned back in his seat and lit a cigarette.

    "Francis, you''ve done me a huge favor. Let me buy you dinner tonight!"

    "There''s no need for that. I''ve got a meeting tonight."

    "Oh, okay then." Renee was clearly disappointed.

    Francis hung up without thinking much about it.

    Soon, night fell.

    The moment ss was over, Carlisle went straight back to the apartment.

    Francis, Wendell, and the others were waiting outside Willow Grove, and Carlisle brought them to his apartment.

    Wendell rubbed his hands together. "Boss, do we have work to do?"

    Carlisle crossed his legs as he sat on the sofa. "I want you to go to Yorksle and find someone for me."

    Wendell smiled and said, "Do you want us to look for Wanda?"

    Francis had told them about Wanda and that Carlisle would probably want them to go to Yorksle to find her.

    Carlisle nodded and said, "Since you already know, I won''t speak more about it. If you can find Wanda, I''ll award you 50 thousand dors each. If you can''t find her, you don''t have toe back, either!"

    Wendell immediately felt the stress.

    Francis had said that even Zachary didn''t know where Wanda was.

    To find someone in a huge city like Yorksle was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

    Francis said confidently, "I guarantee we''llplete this mission."

    Carlisle looked up and stared at Francis as he said, "You don''t need to go. I need a bodyguard. Last time, I almost died in that bar!"

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    ?Chapter 459

    Francis was worried about that too, but when he thought about how important Wanda was to Carlisle, he decided to go with Wendell and the others to Yorksle to find her.

    Wendellughed and said, "Boss, I''ll take two people with me to Yorksle. The rest can stay to protect you!"

    Carlisle asked, "Yorksle is so big. How can two or three people be enough?"

    Wendell chuckled confidently and said, "We haverades in Yorksle, and they work in the public security system."

    Carlisle''s eyes gleamed.

    The bodyguard team that Francis had found him had exceeded his expectations.

    Wendell asked, "Boss, when we find her, should we bring her back to Rivend?"

    ording to the information Francis provided, Wanda had been brought to Yorksle by her father to get treated for her condition.

    If they brought her back by force, it would go against Wendell''s principles.

    Carlisle shook his head and said, "There''s no need for that. I just need to know her condition and where she is right now. Once you find her, protect her in secret!"

    Wendell breathed an inward sigh of relief.

    Protecting someone secretly was also part of a bodyguard''s responsibility.

    It wasn''t against the rules.

    The next day, Wendell got tickets on the first flight to Yorksle for himself and two team members.

    Francis arranged for the rest to stay near the university and protect Carlisle in secret.

    For the next few days, Carlisle asked Francis every morning if Wendell and the others had made any progress on their mission.

    However, the more he anticipated it, the more disappointed he was.

    Wendell had been unable to find any trace of Wanda, even after using his contacts in the police system.

    There were too few surveince cameras on the streets in the current era, even in Yorksle.

    Another Sunday dawned.

    The weather was good, with a slight chill in the air.

    Carlisle sat on the balcony and flipped to 13th November on the calendar he was holding.

    "The weather is turning colder. Wanda, are you doing okay? I... I miss you..." A slight breeze ruffled Carlisle''s fringe, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.

    There was a buzzing noise as his phone suddenly vibrated on his desk.

    Carlisle''s eyes shed, and he immediately grabbed it.

    When he saw that it was Gareth calling, he smiled bitterly.

    "Hello..." Carlisle said lethargically as he picked up the phone.

    "What''s up with you, Carl? Were you still sleeping?" Gareth asked in surprise.

    "Get to the point." Carlisle''s tone was impassive and authoritative, as a leader should be.

    "I wanted to ask you to go out drinking tonight, but I guess you''re not in the mood." Gareth sighed in disappointment.

    "Let''s go and have steak." Unexpectedly, Carlisle agreed to go.

    However, Gareth knew that Carlisle must be missing Wanda.

    Wanda liked eating steak.

    After the conversation ended, Carlisle sat in his chair and stared into space.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Meanwhile, Wanda had just closed the door of the vi where she was staying.

    She rushed to the study, took out her diary, and flipped to the middle.

    She took a pencil and drew a rough sketch of all the facilities in the rehabilitation hospital. Wanda was beginning to sense that there was something wrong with the ce.

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    Wanda was only allowed to move around the living area, and she could not contact anyone outside the hospital.

    She wasn''t even allowed to call her parents.

    It didn''t seem like she was here to get treatment.

    She was clearly being held prisoner here!

    Although the treatment had allowed her thought process to return to normal, she did not like the feeling of being restricted.

    She also had to figure out what was going on with her missing memories.

    Wanda finished sketching out the rehabilitation hospital, and the light in her beautiful eyes dimmed further.

    "Apart from the living area, there are guards everywhere else. I even heard the cook say there''s a military headquarters stationed outside... Even a fly wouldn''t be able to get in!" she muttered to herself.

    There was a knock on the door.

    "Wanda, it''s time to eat. I made your favorite steak today!" The voice of the housemaid came from outside.

    "Coming..." Wanda put away her diary, got her emotions under control, and went to open the door.

    The housemaid, Maisie Galen, was a pretty woman who was around 30 years old.

    Apart from taking care of Wanda''s daily needs, she would also chat with Wanda to keep her entertained.

    However, she never mentioned anything about the rehabilitation hospital.

    At the dining room of the vi, Wanda sat at the head of the oval dining table, which had a sumptuous lunchid out on it.

    Maisie smiled and said, "I put some ck pepper on the steak today! Try it and see how it tastes!"

    Wanda picked up her knife and fork and put a piece of steak in her mouth. Her eyes immediately crinkled into half-moons. "It tastes delicious! Maisie, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"

    Maisie covered her mouth and giggled. "You''re so sweet, Wanda!"

    Wanda suddenly pouted and began whining, "Maisie, I want to call Dad!"

    Maisie''s smile disappeared gradually. "Wanda, you''re not fully recovered yet. You can''t

    Wanda hung her head dispiritedly. She had immediately lost her appetite.

    Maisie sighed and said, "Just focus on getting better and don''t think about anything else, alright? Once you''re fully recovered, you can go back to your parents!"

    Wanda nodded, picked up her knife and fork once more, and began eating.

    She continued to praise Maisie. "Your cooking is the best I''ve ever tasted. It''s better than the stuff they make in five-star hotels! Maisie, teach me how to cook tomorrow!"

    Maisie was the one person she interacted with the most here, and if she wanted to escape or make contact with the outside world, she would have to use Maisie to make a breakthrough. She decided to develop a closer rtionship with her first.

    Wendell and his two teammates were munching on bread at a cheap inn in Yorksle.

    One of them scowled and said, "Wendell, we''ve been eating bread every day. It''s not nutritious at all! How would we have any energy to keep looking?"

    They had been in Yorksle for a week.

    Apart from the day they had arrived, when Wendell had treated his old friend to a meal at a restaurant, they had been living off bread for the entire week.

    Another man piped up, "That''s right! Our sry is so high! Even if we can''t feast every day, fast food shouldn''t be a problem, right?"

    Wendell had some ham with his bread and squinted as he said, "We''ve been in Yorksle for a week, but we have no leads at all. How can you have the audacity to eat fast food?"

    "Boss gave us a high sry, but we can''t even do this one job that he gave us. Don''t you think it''s embarrassing? Even if you don''t feel so, I do!"

    Seeing that Wendell was angry, the other two hunched their shoulders and bent down to eat their bread.

    Wendell pulled his phone out of his pocket as he ate.

    When he saw that his friend was calling, he immediately perked up. "Percy!"

    Percy Wellington''s deep voice came from the other end of the phone. "I''ve checked all the neurology and psychiatric hospitals in Yorksle. I didn''t find the woman you mentioned." Wendell''s face fell at once. "Could it be that Shein didn''t bring his daughter to Yorksle for treatment?"

    Percy was silent for a moment before saying, "There is one possibility. Perhaps Wanda has been sent to a private hospital for the rich. However, these hospitals are privately owned and aren''t dered to the government. They may even hide these hospitals deep in the mountains, so it''s very difficult to find them."

    Wendell shuddered at what Percy had said. "There are hospitals like that?"

    Everyone knew that doctors needed licenses to treat patients. Both private and government hospitals were subject to the same regtions and procedures in order to be established.

    This was the first time Wendell had heard of hospitals that didn''t need to be dered or make any reports.

    Percy sighed and said, "It''s normal for you not to know about it. I only found out two years ago. At the time, there was an academician who was terminally ill, and none of the hospitals were able to do anything.

    "A wealthy businessman brought him to his private hospital, and he was cured. That academician is still alive and kicking even today!"

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    "You''ve really opened my eyes." Wendell burst intoughter.

    He asked eagerly, "Do you know how many private hospitals like that exist?"

    Percy answered, "I know of three, but all three of these hospitals are for cancer patients. These hospitals generally only focus on one terminal illness to conduct research.

    "They would definitely not ept a psychiatric patient like Wanda. Rather than hospitals, they''re more likeboratories that are sessful in their research."

    Percy added in a low voice, "Wendell, keep this to yourself!"

    "Come on, we''ve known each other for almost ten years! Don''t you know what kind of person I am?" Wendell understood what Percy was hinting at.

    Most of the privateboratories researching on terminal illnesses would get terminally ill patients for experiments.

    Although they could try their best to cure the patients and would usually reimburse the patient''s family with a huge amount of money if any problems urred, it was still hical. It was why these hospitals were built in remote forests and mountains.

    At Wondend Steakhouse, Gareth and Carlisle had just ordered two steaks.

    Max wasn''t with them that day, but Sean hade with Gareth.

    Sean was there because he had good news for Carlisle.

    The three of them had just sat down when Carlisle stared at Sean and asked, "Is the Alumni Network ready?"

    Sean''s delight disappeared at once, and his face fell as he said, "Carl, couldn''t you just let me tell you myself?"

    He turned to look at Gareth and said, "Gareth, did you tell Carl?"

    Gareth shrugged. "I''m not that much of a bbermouth."

    Carlisle opened a bottle of beer and poured out a ss. He said casually, "You managed to make it within half a month, which is faster than I expected. Good job."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sean''s face lit up into a smile at Carlisle''spliment. "You''re too kind, Carl. You provided the content for the functions, and I just programmed it. I think 15 days was actually too long!

    Carlisle''s lips curved slightly, and he raised his ss and said, "Congrattions, Mr. Woodsen."

    Sean hastily poured himself a ss to clink it with Carlisle. "I didn''t let you down, Carl! But

    ... Why are you calling me Mr. Woodsen?"

    Carlisle took a sip of beer. "Owen''s younger than you, and I call him Mr. Barlow."

    Seanughed. He downed his ss of beer. "I''d forgotten about him. Should I call him that in the future as well?"

    Carlisle merely smiled and said nothing. He looked as if something was weighing on his mind.

    Sean had heard about Wanda, so he saidfortingly, "Carl, look on the bright side. Wanda is sure to be back very soon!"

    Carlisle took another sip of beer, picked up his knife and fork, and said, "Let''s eat our steak." Gareth suddenly asked, "What''s this Alumni Network for?"

    He had been hanging around Dragonaire Studio for the past few days, and all he knew was that Alumni Network made websites, Xenos was for semiconductors, and Gavon was making phones.

    He hadn''t really tried to understand in detail, nor did he have the time to do so. After all, apart from Dragonaire Studio, the otherpanies had nothing to do with him.

    Sean exined the role of the Alumni Network to Gareth.

    After Gareth heard about it, he pursed his lips and said, "Can this even earn money?"

    Sean said confidently, "As long as there are users, it will definitely make money. However, it does require a lot of funds to promote it at the beginning!"

    Sean stole a furtive nce at Carlisle.

    The website had been made, but the server room hadn''t been built yet.

    They would need at least five million in funds, including the fees for promotion, advertising, and maintenance.

    Even then, that would only be sufficient for light advertising and promotion.

    Carlisle put down his knife and fork, took a sip of his ice-cold beer, and asked, "How are you nning to promote and advertise it?"

    Sean said, "We''re nning to hand it over to an advertisingpany. It''ll save time and effort, and they''re professionals!"

    Carlisle shook his head and said, "That''s why the publicity department is so important. It may save time and effort to outsource to an externalpany, but they cost a lot and may not reach my expectations. We''ve only just started our business and should save money where we can!"

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    Gareth moodily took a sip of beer in silence.

    He often felt that Carlisle did not act like someone who had just started a business.

    He had a phonepany, a semiconductorpany, Alumni Network, and a gamingpany. Not only that, he had even invested in several phone hardware suppliers!

    Who on earth would start a business at this scale?

    Sean looked awkward as he said, "We don''t have the appropriate channels for advertising. We could get customized promotional materials made for us and look for people in the major universities to promote it. But it would slow us down and require a lot of manpower..."

    Carlisle thought of Emazon, the emerce tform that had be a listedpany in just three short years.

    He lifted his ss and downed the rest of his beer before saying, "Promote by promising rewards for bringing someone new in. I''m sure there''ll be an unexpected result!"

    Sean did not understand what Carlisle meant, so he turned to look at Gareth, who was staring straight at Carlisle.

    Carlisle exined patiently. "For example, if someone registers an ount with Alumni Network, they''ll get an invitation code. When a new user registers their ount using that invitation code, the owner of that code can get a reward. The more people they bring in, the bigger the reward."

    "What''s the reward?"

    "Money," Carlisle said calmly.

    He exined, "If they bring in one person, they get one dor. The one who was invited needs to be verified via the National Student Website, after which they''ll get a reward of two dors.

    "If they log in consecutively for a month, they''ll get three dors as a reward... If they manage to bring in 1000 people, they''ll be elevated to the status of a campus agent. Every month, they''ll get 200 dors as a sry."

    Greed was a staple of human nature.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    In this era, most viges were still in poverty, and most university students came from those viges.

    They lived frugally and would definitely not miss such an easy way to earn money.

    "That is amazing!" Realization dawned on Sean, and he gave a thumbs-up as heplimented Carlislevishly.

    Even Gareth gasped. "Why does it sound like you''re doing multilevel marketing?"

    Sean hunched his shoulders. "Carl, this isn''t going to cause any problems, is it?"

    Carlisle was miffed. "Have you seen any multilevel marketing group that doesn''t ask for any money but gives out money instead?"

    "How will we transfer the money to users?"

    "With gift cards, phone credit, through bank transfers, or online banking..." Carlisle said.

    Online transfers weren''t as widespread in the current era, and there was still no WhatsApp. It was difficult to transfer money from person to person.

    "One user can get six dors, which means 10 thousand users would get 60 thousand. 100 thousand users can get 600 thousand, and a million users would get six million..." Sean woodenly took a sip of his beer.

    Garethughed and said, "Six million isn''t much. When I was promoting Scarlet Corporation, I burned through a hundred million in just half a year."

    He paused and fixed an intense gaze on Carlisle as he continued, "Carlisle''s n is tantamount to buying users with money. A website with a million users would already be doing very well, and as the majority of these users are university students, they have great potential.

    "When the website matures in a few years, these university students will have graduated and have purchasing power. At that time, we''ll carry out traffic mization, and the profits will be huge!"

    "That''ll take several years, though." Sean deted, his mood dropping at once.

    He had been nning to achieve financial freedom by the time he graduated from university.

    Garethughed and said, "You won''t have to wait that many years. My friend once did a survey which showed that starting from the year 2000, university students from the

    countryside already made up 60 percent of the poption.

    "That means that there are 40 percent whoe from cities, and they have buying power. However, this demographic may not join Alumni Network for six dors!"

    As he spoke, Gareth looked at Carlisle, who was eating his steak. He seemed to want to confirm his theory.

    Carlisle continued scarfing down his steak and did not even look up as he said, "That''s because you don''t understand Alumni Network!"

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    ?Chapter 463

    "Alumni Network is a socialworking site tailored for university students. It''ll have photo albums, a diary, live chatting, and games that will allow them to interact with their

    ssmates!" Carlisle exined.

    "Users can also share their daily moods and upload their photos," Carlisle said, describing some of the functions of the Alumni Network.

    It was 2004, and MSN still hadn''t enabled users to have their own space. The functions of Alumni Network would seem innovative and would be able to retain most users.

    Gareth squinted when he heard Carlisle''s description and asked, "Is Alumni Network based on that foreign website, Facebook?"

    Facebook was a socialworking site that had just beenunched in February by a foreignpany. There were very few people who knew about it.

    Not only did Carlisle know about it, he had even created a domestic version, the Alumni Network. He had a very keen sense of business and was clearly destined to make money!

    Gareth swallowed and looked tentatively at Carlisle as he asked, "Carl, um... does Alumni Network stillck investors? I think I can invest about eight to ten million in it."

    Alumni Network would make money, and it would be a huge sum of money.

    It was now or never if he wanted to invest!

    Carlisle hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ten million, and I''ll give you ten percent of the stock!"

    Investing ten million could not directly determine how much stock Gareth could get.

    Dividing the stock was done ording to thepany''s articles of association and byws, as well as the agreement made between the shareholders. It also included the specific investment situation.

    Both Dragonaire Studio and Alumni Network had less registered capital than the amount Gareth wanted to invest.

    The total investment for Alumni Network was about one million, and Gareth wanted to invest ten million.

    If they only calcted it based on the investment amount, ten million would be enough to buy ten Alumni Networks.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Giving Gareth ten percent of the stocks was a negotiation agreement between shareholders. As for whether or not Gareth would ept it, that was out of Carlisle''s consideration.

    "That''s about as much as I expected!" Gareth grinned widely, revealing two rows of straight white teeth.

    He was more concerned about the future of the Alumni Network.

    Carlisle''s goal was to be the richest man in the world.

    If all the industries he was exploring were to progress well, it would be possible.

    Business was always a gamble.

    If he won, he would make a huge profit.

    If he lost, he would lose everything.

    He was still young, and even if he did lose everything, he could start again.

    "Gareth, you''ll be my superior in the future. Let me make a toast to you!" Sean picked up his ss with both hands and tried to get up.

    The shareholders had more authority than the CEO did.

    "Just sit down and drink it. Think of me as a friend. We don''t have to be so formal when

    we''re out for a casual drink." Gareth said, frowning as he pressed Sean back down into his seat.

    Sean and Carlisle had grown up together.

    Although Gareth was a shareholder, he could not use his authority against them.

    Sean sat down rather guardedly, and Gareth picked up his ss to clink sses with him." Let''s cut the crap. Cheers!"

    After he had finished drinking, Gareth''s phone rang in his pocket.

    He took it out and saw that it was n.

    "Mr. Welsh, did you just get off work? Would you like toe out for a drink or two?"

    "I''ll pass on the drinks. I called to tell you that we''ve caught the hacker, but he''s tight- lipped, and we can''t get anything out of him. Shein''swyer is only suing him on the charge of illegally hacking intoputers, so I expect he won''t be able to escape three to five years in jail!"

    "Okay, thank you, Mr. Welsh!" Gareth hung up and told Carlisle what n had said. "I''m d he''s been caught!" A cold smile appeared on Carlisle''s face.

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    ?Chapter 464

    There must be someone pulling the strings behind that hacker.

    Was it the person who was deaf and mute?

    Since the mastermind behind it managed to find him, it meant he couldmunicate normally.

    Since he wasn''t willing to tell them anything, he could stay in jail for a few years.

    It would also be revenge for Wanda.

    As for the mastermind, he was sure to be exposed one day.

    "By the way, Carl, have they caught the kidnappers?" Sean asked suddenly.

    Before Carlisle could speak, Gareth said, "Hendrix has run off to Mianna while his cronies have all been caught trying to cover his ass!"

    Sean said through gritted teeth, "How could we let the leader get away?"

    Carlisle picked up his ss and gulped the entire thing down aggressively.

    Although he had said nothing, Gareth could tell he was annoyed, so he said, "They''ve already sent someone from Yorksle to liaise with Mianna. Hendrix will definitely be caught, even if they have to chase him overseas!"

    Sean looked confused. "Isn''t Yuriel richer than Shein? Why didn''t Hendrix kidnap Yuriel''s family?"

    After being insulted by Austin, Sean remembered him very clearly.

    If Yuriel''s family had been kidnapped, he would have pped in delight.

    Carlisle said impassively, "That''s because Yuriel is probably behind this!"

    "Damn, really?" Sean''s pupils constricted. "Was it Yuriel who told Hendrix to kidnap Shein and the others? How could he? We''re all civil people. Couldn''t hepete properly?"

    Gareth snorted inughter.

    Sean was such an innocent, naive young man.

    However, it wasn''t surprising.

    After all, he hadn''t really gotten into the business world yet.

    Once the Alumni Network expanded, he would realize what it meant to live life with caution, like treading on thin ice.

    Carlisle drank his beer, and his thin lips parted slightly as he said, "Business is like a battlefield. There''s a saying that says soldiers need to be cunning, and it''s the same in business. You haven''t reached that level yet, so you''ll never understand how dark it really is!

    Sean was only 18, so he did not have the knowledge that Carlisle did after living two lifetimes.

    After hearing what Carlisle had to say, Sean hung his head in silence. "Carl, I''m just too dumb. I don''t understand what you mean."

    "It doesn''t matter if you can''t understand it. Let''s drink!" Gareth smiled and raised his ss.

    The three of them clinked sses and downed their drinks.

    Gareth put down his ss and looked troubled. "How much money do you think one will need to make before they''re satisfied?"

    "When ites to money, the more, the better, right? Who would ever think that they had too much money?" Sean grinned. He felt that Gareth was being rather ridiculous.

    Gareth continued, "We only live for about 300 thousand days. Wee into this world in a hurry and leave it in a hurry. If we earn enough money, wouldn''t it be better to enjoy a rxed life?"

    "Gareth, you already have enough money to enjoy the rest of your life. If you really thought this way, why would you continue to invest and make money?" Sean was confused.

    It was normal to hear something like this from other people, but Gareth''s investments were close to a hundred million. How could he say something like that?

    Gareth was unperturbed as he said, "I have money, but you can''t imagine how I spend it. People earn money to have a high-quality lifestyle and for the sake of their pride."

    He continued, "The wealthy want more money because there are different ways of earning money, and they have the means to make big gambles. Some rich people just earn money for fun. I''m probably more of thetter!"

    Carlisle suddenly interrupted. "Do you still have a lot of money now?"

    Carlisle did not know how much money Gareth had.

    If Gareth still had ample funds, Carlisle wanted to get him to continue investing so that he could speed up the development of all his projects.

    The more, the better!

    With the same technology and experience, a research team of ten people would never be able to beat a research team with 100 people.

    "I... still have about 20 million left...." Gareth scratched his head awkwardly. Carlisle''s lips twitched. "What''s the point of what you just said, then?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 465

    ?Chapter 465

    20 million might seem like an impossible amount for ordinary people. They may not even spend that much in their entire lives.

    However, to someone like Gareth, who could spend a million every time he went to a nightclub, 20 million was a small sum he would use very quickly.

    Sean suppressed a smile and took a sip of his beer.

    Gareth continued, "I was just building up to what I wanted to say. I have a friend who works at a statistics office, and one of the statistical results that he releasedst year showed that more than eight million people died.

    "Among them, more than ten thousand were businessmen with established careers, and only eight thousand of them died of natural causes. The other two thousand died of various idents!"

    Carlisle finally understood that Gareth was trying to hint indirectly to Sean about how cruel the business world was.

    However, Sean didn''t understand his meaning. He thought Gareth was tipsy and casting around for a subject to talk about.

    Therefore, he nodded seriously and said, "Our country has a veryrge poption, and there are a lot of people who die in road idents every year. There are several other kinds of idents as well. That''s normal.

    "I believe that our country will raise the standards of safety in production and guard against all kinds of idents so that they can lower the death rate that arises!"

    Gareth could no longer help himself and smacked Sean on the back of his head.

    He hadn''t used much force, but it scared Sean, who jumped and said, "Gareth... I... What did I say wrong?"

    Carlisle nced at Sean. "He wants to tell you that it''s highly probable that the two thousand businessmen who died in idents were murdered."

    Sean was startled again, and his pupils constricted immediately. "D-did their business rivals do it?"

    Gareth said slowly, "I can''t be sure if they were all murders, but I know of three who were killed by their business rivals. However, the culprits have been caught and brought to justice.

    Sean finally understood Gareth''s intentions.

    Gareth had said that he didn''t need to understand it, but then he had shared this information with him to hint about the sinister side of the business world.

    "D-do people actually die?" Sean''s mouth was dry, and his hand trembled as he raised his ss to take a sip.

    Gareth had used such a roundabout way to tell him, so there had to be some truth in it.

    Carlisle also seemed to know about it.

    "So, was the kidnapping of Shein really nned by Yuriel? Isn''t he afraid of getting shot?" Sean looked agitated, and his voice had risen, which drew the attention of the people at neighboring tables.

    "You''d better lower your voice. Saying anything without evidence is nder! If Yuriel hears about it, he can get you put in jail with just a word!" Gareth lifted his ss to take a small sip.

    He wasn''t afraid of Yuriel, but people like Sean, who did note from an influential family, would be an easy target for someone like Yuriel. All it would take was a mere word. Sean covered his mouth, looking like he had forgotten how to breathe.

    Carlisle said, "You don''t have to worry needlessly. There''s a small probability of something like that happening. When you get to Shein''s level, you''ll have a strongwork of connections, and you''ll always have bodyguards with you. Generally, no one will be able to harm you!"

    Due to the economy and the general education level, the crime rate in this era was rather high.

    The authorities were not equipped to deal with it.

    Despite that...

    Even a legendary ruffian like Hendrix wouldn''t dare to kidnap Shein in broad daylight in the city.

    He could only take action while Shein was on the way to his vige to pay respects.

    Most businessmen would only use strategies in business to bring their rivals down.

    People like Yuriel were exceptions.

    Sean took a long time to recover. When he thought of what Carlisle had just said, his eyes shone. "Carl, can I really get to Shein''s level?"

    Shein was probably a billionaire!

    His countless assets made him one of the richest men in Rivend.

    If Sean could reach Shein''s level, he would make his family proud.

    Carlisle had given Sean five percent of the shares in the Alumni Network.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Owen had gotten five percent of the shares in Dragonaire Studio.

    This was only temporary. Once they could fully manage their respective fields, Carlisle would raise their shares to ten percent.

    As CEOS, their sry was temporarily set at 240 thousand dors annually, which came to about 20 thousand a month.

    Even without the five percent in shares, their sry was already unthinkable for the average working adult.

    Carlisle said calmly, "Is that all the ambition you have?"

    Alumni Network was the equivalent of SociableNet in Carlisle''s past life.

    At its peak, SociableNet was valued at 600 billion.

    With the dividends from Sean''s ten percent of shares, he would be worth billions in the future.

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    ?Chapter 466

    However, Carlisle did not want to sound too confident.

    He was changing history, which would cause other historical events to change.

    Alumni Network may not have a smooth road ahead of it.

    After a few rounds of drinks, the ground around them was littered with empty beer bottles.

    Sean had drunk a little too much, and he was in a tipsy state when he got a call from Lily.

    He huped. "What is it?"

    "Aren''t you back at the dormitory yet?" Lily sounded rather cold.

    Sean huped again and said, "N-not yet!"

    "Have you been drinking?"

    "I''ve been drinking with Carl!" Sean huped as he spoke.

    "Don''t drink too much. It''s already sote, and it''s not safe out there. I''lle and get="

    "Aren''t you being a little too bossy?" Sean interrupted her, frowning.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    He had wanted toe out drinking with Carlislest week, but thetter had been busy.

    It was a rare opportunity to drink with Carlisle, but now Lily was trying to boss him around. It wasn''t like he was out drinking with those raucous friends of his from university.

    Carlisle was the guy who was teaching him to earn money. He was almost like a foster father

    to Sean.

    Lily was momentarily stunned, and then her voice turned icy. "I''m not trying to boss you around. I''m just worried about you!"

    Last week, one of the upperssmen in the same course had been wandering outsidete at night when he was robbed. Although he tried to fight back, they had stabbed him. He was still in the ICU and wasn''t out of danger yet.

    Sean went to the office every day after school and would only return to the university at around 9:00 pm.

    After getting back to the dormitory, Sean would call Lily punctually to talk to her.

    If Lily didn''t get a call by 9:10 pm, she would call him first.

    Sometimes, Sean fell asleep as soon as he got back to the dormitory because he was too tired.

    If Lily couldn''t get through to Sean''s phone, she would call his roommate to check if he had returned safely.

    She had called Sean just now, but he hadn''t picked up, so she had called his roommate. He had told her that Sean wasn''t back yet.

    Lily had been so worried that she could not sit still. She had been calling relentlessly.

    She had finally gotten through to Sean, only to find him being annoyed at her for being bossy!

    "I''m hanging up." Sean picked up his ss to toast Gareth. "Come on, Gareth. Let''s go for one more!"

    Carlisle''s alcohol tolerance wasn''t as high as Gareth''s, and Gareth had forced him to drink several sses just now. Sean wanted to avenge Carlisle.

    Besides, it was Sunday the next day, and he had no sses. It would be alright, even if he drank a little too much.

    Gareth clinked sses with Sean, and a smile yed about his lips as he asked, "Did your girlfriend call?"

    Sean nodded and looked displeased as he said, "We aren''t even married yet, and she''s already starting to boss me around. Can you imagine what she''ll be like when we are married?"

    Gareth did not know what Lily had said on the phone, so he just nodded and said, "You have to make sure to keep your wits about you when choosing a girlfriend.

    "It''s no fun if she doesn''t know what she should keep her nose out of. When you start having to socialize more for business, it''s going to be troublesome if she has her eye on you all the time."

    Sean pped his thigh. "You''re absolutely right. My mother is always bossing my father around, and they argue very often. Honestly, I''m like my father, and I don''t like being told what to do!"

    Gareth nodded in agreement. "I don''t like having to cater to others!"

    "Ahem... We''re out of beer!" Carlisle suddenly coughed.

    Gareth and Sean looked at the steakhouse owner and shouted, "Let''s have some more beer!"

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    ?

    Carlisle shook his head and said, "It''s gettingte. Let''s call it a night and meet again next time."

    "Forget about the beer! We want the bill instead!" Gareth took out his wallet at once to pay. Sean pressed his hand down. "Gareth, what are you doing? Don''t you respect me?"

    Gareth swatted Sean''s hand aside and took out two hundred-dor bills. "It''s the same no matter who pays. You''ve been working hardtely, so take it as a treat from me. Invite the other staff someday, and I''ll take them to the Imperial Hotel for a big meal!"

    Sean was drunk and looked annoyed as he said, "You''re older than I am. I should pay for this meal!"

    While they were arguing about who should pay, Carlisle had already gotten the bill and walked over to the road.

    By the time the other two came out with their arms around each other, Carlisle had already finished smoking one cigarette.

    Sean said tipsily, "Carl, that''s not very nice of you. We asked you out for a meal. How could you get the bill?"

    Francis drove the car over and stopped in front of Carlisle before getting out to open the door for him.

    Carlisle got into the car and looked up at Sean as he said, "Don''t get back toote. Don''t make Lily worry."

    "Oh, okay!" Sean nodded obediently.

    Francis asked, "Should I drive them home, boss?"

    Sean did not want to take up Carlisle''s time, so he said quickly, "I want to sit in Gareth''s Ferrari! I''ve never been in such an expensive luxury car before."

    Gareth looked Carlisle''s car up and down and said, "Carl, this car is too lousy. It doesn''t fit someone of your status."

    Carlisle leaned against his seat and said, "I don''t have any money..."

    He had been nning to get a better BMW, but funds were tight, and he had used up 100 million from Dragonaire Studio. He had decided to dy his ns of getting another car.

    Francis got into the driver''s seat and got ready to drive off.

    Sean put a hand on his waist and waved. "Bye, Carl!"

    Carlisle stared at Sean and said, "You should spoil your girlfriend, not yell at her. You need to differentiate between someone who''s showing you concern and someone who''s bossing

    you around."

    After saying his piece, he leaned against his seat and closed his eyes.

    Francis saw in the rearview mirror that Carlisle had closed his eyes, which meant that he had finished speaking. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove off.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sean watched the car''s tail lights disappear into the distance. He scratched his head and said, "Why do I feel like Carl is more mature than my dad?"

    Gareth patted him on the shoulder. "Let''s go. I''ll drive you home."

    Sean''s phone rang.

    However, he had no intention of picking up. Instead, he said, "I''ve never been in a sports car. Take me out on a ride, Gareth!"

    "Alright, I''ll call the driver. You should take that call." Gareth took out his phone to call Max.

    Sean did not want to take the call.

    It was probably Lily again.

    However, after thinking about what Carlisle had just said, he took out his phone.

    The caller was Bart Peterson.

    He was the poorest student in the dorm, and he earned some loose change by running errands for his roommates every day.

    As long as the gates to the university weren''t closed, he would go and help his roommates buy anything, whether rain or shine.

    "What''s he calling me for?" Sean muttered to himself before taking the call. "Hello, Bart? What is it?"

    "Sean... S-something''s happened..." Bart was stuttering, and his voice trembled.

    "What''s the matter? Is there a rat in the dorm again?" Sean was disdainful. There were often rats in their dorm, and Bart was scared of them, just like a sissy.

    "No, I-I-I just saw your girlfriend get mugged. She was hit on the head with a hammer!" Bart was barely intelligible. He seemed to have had a huge fright.

    Sean burst intoughter and said, "Are you dumb? Lily just called me! If you want to lie to me, find a better excuse. If you had said that Leonard or Fred got mugged, I might have

    believed you!"

    Leonard Vellon and Fred Mosby, their other roommates, often went to cybercafes. They would climb over the wall at night to get back to the dormitories.

    Lily was always at the university. Apart from when she was on dates with Sean, she barely stepped outside the campus grounds.

    How could she have been mugged?

    Would those muggers have been bold enough to enter the campus grounds?

    Bart was even more agitated when Sean did not believe him. "Sean, I''m not lying to you. I

    swear on my life!"

    Sean''s smile froze at once.

    Bart had sworn on his life.

    Even a stranger would have to believe what he had said.

    However...

    Why would Lily be out thiste at night?

    Sean''s voice trembled as he asked, "Where''s Lily?"

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    ?

    Although Sean and Lily had just gotten into an argument, she was still his girlfriend.

    "S-she got up and went back to her dorm..." Bart was very ashamed.

    He had seen it happen with his own eyes, but he hadn''t had the courage to step forward and stop them.

    "Damn..." Sean hung up and hastily gged down a cab.

    Gareth frowned and asked, "What happened?"

    Sean was distracted as he said, "My girlfriend''s been mugged, and she got hit on the head with a hammer!"

    Gareth''s expression darkened. He did not have time to wait for Max, so he got into the driver''s seat. "Get in."

    Sean said hesitantly, "Gareth, you... You''ve been drinking..."

    "Damn you, is this really the time to harp on about whether I''ve been drinking or not?" Gareth swore. "Don''t you know that a blow to the head can cause death?"

    Sean''s eyes reddened, and he got into the passenger''s seat quickly.

    With a roar, the Ferrari started. It sounded like a beast that had been released after years in prison.

    The sound of the engine resounded along the entire street.

    At the female dormitory in Rivend''s University of Science and Technology, Lily sat on her bed in a daze, her face covered in blood.

    Her roommates surrounded her, almost crying in anxiety.

    "Lily, what happened?"

    "Don''t scare me!" Gillian Sullivan, one of the roommates closest to her, sobbed as she

    pressed a towel to the wound on Lily''s head.

    The white towel was stained red with blood.

    One of her other roommates said with reddened eyes, "I''d better call 911!"

    Lily finally said, "You don''t need to, I''m fine..."

    Her voice was very hoarse, and she sounded weak.

    "We can''t stop the bleeding! How can you be fine?"

    "Peony, call 911! Iris, call the warden!"

    Gillian was the resident assistant of the dormitory and was older than the others because she had been held back a year.

    Both Peony and Iris had phones.

    They had both frozen in fear and hadn''t called emergency services because Lily didn''t want to go to the hospital.

    Since Gillian had given an order, they decided to go against Lily''s wishes and began to make the call.

    Lily began crying at the concern her roommates were showing her. "Please don''t call... I don''t want to go to the hospital, and I don''t want anyone to know!"

    "Lily, can you please be more sensible? You''re going to die if this goes on!" Gillian hugged her tightly and tried tofort her.

    It was all because of that scumbag, Sean.

    Lily had run out in the middle of the night because she was worried that something would happen to him as he had been drinking so much.

    "I-I''m fine..." Lily''s voice was getting weaker.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Her heart ached.

    Sean was now the CEO of apany, and she was just someone who came from the countryside. It was natural that he would feel she was no longer worthy of him!

    Peony said carefully, "Gill, should we still call?"

    "Yes! Do you want to watch Lily die?" Gillian red at Peony.

    How could Peony consider not calling just because Lily didn''t want her to?

    They were adults! Why were they so naive?

    Peony''s fingers trembled as she dialed 911.

    She had just pressed the button to call when there was a sudden bang. The door to their dormitory was kicked open, and two men barged in.

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    ?

    The women in the dormitory were shocked.

    It was 10:00 pm.

    When Lily had returned with her face covered in blood, it gave them a fright. They had all gotten out of bed and were still in their pajamas, some of which were rather revealing.

    The abrupt entrance of two men left them speechless and dazed.

    Once they recovered their senses, some screamed and jumped back into bed to hide under the nkets.

    The remaining women rushed back to their own beds.

    "Lily..." Sean called in a trembling voice. His eyes were red as he looked at Lily, who was in Gillian''s arms.

    He saw the bloodstained towel that Gillian was holding, and he felt as if something had pierced his heart.

    "Lily..."

    Sean strode over to her.

    Gillian frowned and asked, "Are you... Sean?"

    Sean nodded.

    "Give Lily to-"

    "You scumbag!"

    Gillian pped him with a bloodstained hand.

    She suddenly felt as if Lily had gone limp, and when she looked down, she saw that Lily''s eyes were closed, and her face was pale and bloodless.

    "Lily! Lily! Wake up!"

    Gillian pushed her gently.

    Gareth said loudly, "Sean, what are you standing there for? Take her to the hospital!"

    Sean returned to his senses, turned, and crouched, saying, "I''ll carry her to the hospital."

    Gillian hadn''t wanted to give Lily to him, but since the circumstances were special, she helped Lily get on Sean''s back.

    Sean ran out with Lily.

    In the corridor, the housekeeper ran up with several security guards.

    The housekeeper pointed at Gareth and Sean, panting as she said, "Th-that''s them... They barged into the women''s dormitory..."

    Several young security guards rolled up their sleeves and walked up to them.

    At that moment, Gillian walked out of her dormitory room.

    "Move aside, all of you!"

    The young security guards immediately stepped aside when they caught sight of Gillian.

    Gillian''s grandfather was an executive at National Electronics Technology Institute and an honorary professor at Rivend University of Science and Technology. Even Peter would have to be polite to her if he were there.

    The university''s security department also had clear instructions about Gillian''s safety.

    She had bodyguards with her whenever she left the campus grounds.

    They were just security guards who only got paid 700 or 800 a month. They would never dare to offend someone like Gillian.

    Sean ran with all his might, with Lily on his back.

    Lily''s head drooped on his shoulder. Her blood drenched his neck.

    Gareth followed beside him and frowned as he said, "Her head is still bleeding. We need to hold something to it."

    Sean finally realized what the sticky substance on his neck was. His mind went nk.

    He stopped and said helplessly, "Gareth... W-what should I do?"

    Gillian caught up to them, holding a clean towel. She had put on a coat and pressed the towel against Lily''s head wound.

    She said expressionlessly, "Keep going."

    Sean continued running toward the stairs.

    "It''ll be faster if we leave through the emergency escape," Gillian advised.

    Sean went toward the doors leading to the emergency stairs, and Gareth pushed the doors open at once.

    Half an hourter, Lily was pushed into the emergency room at the hospital.

    Sean sat dazedly on a bench outside. He looked as if he had lost his soul.

    When he heard his phone ring, he picked it up.

    "Sean, I heard that something happened to your girlfriend. Where are you? We''lle see

    you!"

    Brady Hilton, one of his roommates, was calling.

    Sean said hoarsely, "We''re at the affiliated hospital!"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    There was a busy signal on the other end of the phone.

    At that moment, the doors to the emergency room opened.

    The doctor was holding an Informed Consent Form that implied the severity of the situation.

    "Which of you is the patient''s family?"

    Sean ran over quickly.

    "I am..."

    The doctor frowned and asked, "What''s your rtionship with her?"

    "I''m her boyfriend."

    "Does she have any direct family here?"

    "No!"

    "You''d better sign this first, then."

    The doctor handed Sean the form.

 Chapter 470

    ?

    "I-Informed Consent Form?"

    Sean felt as if he had been struck by lightning as he stared at the words on the document.

    The doctor''s expression was cold as he questioned, "Why didn''t you bring her here sooner? She''s been injured for almost an hour, hasn''t she? She was anemic, to begin with, and she''s lost so much blood-"

    "What are you talking so much nonsense for? Is this really the time to criticize him?" Gareth yelled impatiently.

    The doctor red at Gareth, but he knew that what Gareth had said was true.

    He stared intently at Sean and said, "The patient has the rare blood type of Rh-negative, and we don''t have any inventory of this blood type at the hospital. I''m calling the blood bank right now, but you had better prepare yourself."

    Sean felt dizzy and almost passed out on the spot.

    The doctor urged, "Hurry up and sign it!"

    Sean''s hand trembled as he signed his name in a messy scrawl.

    At that, the doctor went to his office to make the call.

    Gillian was also stunned.

    Since they had issued an Informed Consent Form, did that mean that...

    Gareth''s brow was furrowed as he said, "Rh-negative is a rare blood type. If the blood bank has none, we must send her to the provincial hospital. However, we may not be in time..." "Lily..."

    Sean crouched and burst into tears, clutching at his hair.

    He had just taken her to a movie the day before, and she had chatted animatedly beside him the entire time.

    That day, shey on the ice-cold operating table.

    He couldn''t ept it.

    "Do you regret it now? Why didn''t you think about Lily while you were drinking?

    "Were you annoyed at her for bossing you around?

    "Now, no one will boss you around anymore!" Gillian shrieked tearfully, her eyes red.

    Sean pped himself hard in the face.

    "I''m not fit to be human... I was wrong..."

    He pped himself in the face again and again, using his entire strength every time.

    Every time he pped himself, he would curse himself.

    "What a performance..."

    Gillian walked away from them, wiping her tears.

    At that moment, three people ran down the corridor toward them.

    "Sean!"

    Sean''s roommates had arrived.

    Their footsteps quickened when they saw Sean crouching on the ground and pping himself.

    When Sean saw Bart, he shot to his feet and fastened his hands around his throat.

    "Why didn''t you save her? Why didn''t you take her to the hospital in time?"

    Brady, the resident''s assistant, pulled them apart quickly.

    "Sean, calm down!"

    Gillian shook her head in disappointment.

    "I really don''t know what Lily sees in you. Why are you ming other people for mistake? I feel like you don''t have any values at all!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    your

    In that era, motorcycle gangs ran rampant, and barely anyone was bold enough to stand up for justice.

    Sean calmed himself down and choked as he said, "I''m sorry, Bart..."

    Bart shook his head and said guiltily, "I''m sorry, Sean. There were two motorcycles at the time, and they were both holding hammers. I didn''t dare to go over..."

    The doctor walked over from his office, looking very serious.

    Sean rushed over and said, "Doctor..."

    The doctor shook his head and said, "Send her to the provincial hospital. There''s no Rh- negative blood avable in the whole of Rivend right now, but... she may not make it in time!"

    "G-Gareth..."

    Sean''s mind went nk again, and he could not muster any thoughts at all.

    He looked at Gareth, trembling.

    "How much longer can she hold on?" Gareth asked the doctor.

    The doctor said heavily, "One hour at most."

    Gareth took a deep breath.

    "Even at my fastest speed, it would take me one and a half hours to get to Brookfield State!"

    Gareth''s phone rang in his pocket.

    It was Carlisle.

    "Have you taken Sean back to the university?" Carlisle asked.

    "Something''s happened to his girlfriend."

    "Huh?"

 Chapter 471

    ?

    Carlisle had just gotten out of the car in the underground garage of Willow Grove. He got back in after he heard what Gareth had said.

    "She was mugged after she left the campus grounds, and she got hit on the head with a hammer. She wasn''t sent to the hospital in time to stop the bleeding. She''s lost too much blood. The hospital has issued an Informed Consent Form!"

    "She has a brain hemorrhage?"

    Carlisle''s brow furrowed tightly.

    Lily was his high school ssmate and was Wanda''s best friend in high school.

    His heart grew heavy upon hearing the news.

    "No, she doesn''t have a brain hemorrhage. It''s just blood loss. She has the Rh-negative blood type, and right now, none of the hospitals in Rivend has this blood type, so she needs to be sent to the provincial hospital. The doctor says she may not be able to make the journey," Gareth exined the situation in one breath and slowly exhaled.

    Carlisle asked, "Which hospital are you in right now?"

    Gareth said heavily, "The university-affiliated hospital. You don''t need toe over. I''m going to drive them to the provincial hospital. Although we may not arrive in time, I still want to try."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Carlisle said slowly, "My blood type is Rh-negative!"

    Carlisle hung up and told Francis, "Take me to the affiliated University of Science and Technology hospital. Make it quick!"

    Francis hadn''t heard the conversation over the phone. However, he heard Carlisle mention that he had the Rh-negative blood type, and he was now being ordered to take Carlisle to the hospital.

    It was clear to Francis that Carlisle was rushing over to save someone, and there must be no dys on the way.

    Francis started the engine with a roar and drove out of the garage. He honked several times to alert the security guards to open the gates.

    When the security guard saw that they were driving out again after just returning, he looked annoyed and slowly walked out of the security guardhouse.

    Carlisle said impassively, "Don''t wait. Let''s just go!"

    Francis floored the gas pedal and broke through the barrier gate.

    "Damn you! Are you in a rush to go to hell? You''ll pay for that!" the security guard yelled behind them.

    Francis sped the whole way there and ran seven red lights.

    Several patrol cars began tailing them.

    Carlisle called 911 himself and exined the situation to the police.

    Five minutes after that, the patrol cars behind them gradually slowed down.

    At the hospital, Gareth told Sean and the doctor about Carlisle''s Rh-negative blood type.

    "This youngdy is fortunate. It''s not yet her time to die."

    The doctor looked amazed.

    Rh-negative was a very rare blood type.

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say it was one in a million.

    The probability of a Rh-negative blood type donor appearing right at the moment when

    another was in critical condition was so low that it was truly a miracle.

    In this era, most people did not know their blood types, and mostpanies did not require health checkups when employing workers.

    The blood donationw had onlye into effect in 1998.

    14th June 2004 was the first World Blood Donation Day.

    At that time, when information channels were limited, very few people donated blood.

    That was why Rh-negative blood was extremely rare.

    A young nurse eagerly awaited outside the hospital as Francis stopped the car outside the main lobby.

    Carlisle had just exited the car when the nurse asked, "Are you Mr. Zahn?"

    Her bright eyes moved quickly away from his face.

    Carlisle nodded.

    "Yes, I am!"

    The nurse smelled alcohol on him, and she couldn''t help asking, "Have you been drinking?" Carlisle nodded.

    The nurse muttered, "You might not be allowed to donate blood if you''ve been drinking."

    Carlisle said, "It''ll only affect the blood''s quality. The patient needs blood sma to save her life, so just treat this as a special circumstance!"

    "Come with me then."

 Chapter 472

    ?

    The nurse was already preparing to draw blood.

    Carlisle had donated blood in his previous life and knew that an anticoagnt had to be added to the blood bag to prevent the blood from congealing.

    "Oh-oh, right... The anticoagnt..."

    The nurse was flustered as she retrieved heparin off the shelves.

    After she had added the prescribed dosage ording to regtions, she sat back down.

    Carlisle noticed her breathing was shallow, and he couldn''t help asking worriedly, "Can... can you find the vein?"

    The nurse was clearly an intern.

    He was worried that she wouldn''t be able to find his vein and would just prick him blindly. "I-I can!"

    The nurse confidently got ready, but Carlisle increasingly felt that she was unreliable.

    After a while, the nurse pricked him for the third time but was still unsessful in her attempt.

    The nurse was about to cry.

    She said tearfully, "D-don''t be nervous! It must be because you''re nervous, which is causing the arteries to constrict!"

    Carlisle raised his eyebrows.

    "Do I look nervous to you?"

    The nurse pricked him twice more before she finally burst into tears.

    She had pricked him five times without getting it right even once.

    Fortunately, the hospital''s deputy director passed by, and the nurse looked like she had been thrown a lifeline. She hastily ran over and grabbed his white coat.

    Carlisle pped a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

    He thought that the hospital was too unreliable.

    The deputy director approached and said apologetically, "I''m sorry, Talia is new and is still an intern. She''s introverted and gets nervous when she sees handsome men. Whenever she''s nervous, she makes mistakes!"

    The deputy director of the hospital was clearly very diplomatic.

    Any other man would have been mollified by thepliment, but Carlisle just said

    impassively, "Hurry up and draw the blood. Stop wasting time!"

    The deputy director found the vein easily and handed the blood bag back to Talia Hornby before leaving.

    Talia tentatively shook the blood bag so the coagnt could spread evenly throughout the blood.

    She kept her head lowered, not daring to look at Carlisle.

    The deputy director was right.

    Talia had indeed gotten nervous the moment she saw Carlisle.

    She thought that he was very handsome.

    Carlisle propped his head on one hand and shut his eyes to rest.

    He had been drinking, and he felt rather dizzy.

    Talia stole a nce at him, her heart thumping madly.

    She couldn''t help admiring his handsomeness.

    She was very attracted to him.

    It was no wonder that Talia was so besotted.

    She had graduated from nursing school, where 80% of the students were women.

    There hadn''t been a single man in her sses in all of the three years she had been there.

    Three whole years!

    "Are you from the University of Science and Technology?"

    Talia mustered up the courage to strike up a conversation with him.

    Carlisle did not open his eyes as he answered impassively, "No. I''m from Rivend University."

    Talia asked, "Then... what year are you in?"

    "My first year."

    "Only your first year?"

    "What''s the matter?"

    Carlisle opened his eyes and looked at her.

    Talia hastily shook her head.

    "N-nothing... I thought you were in your second year!"

    Carlisle closed his eyes again and continued resting.

    Lily needed his blood so that she could be saved.

    He was in no mood to chat with Talia.

    Talia tactfully stopped asking any other questions.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    At that moment, Gareth walked over with Sean and Gillian.

    Sean''s eyes werepletely red, and he knelt down the moment he got to Carlisle.

    "Carl..."

    "Hey, what are you doing?"

 Chapter 473

    ?Chapter 473

    Carlisle tugged Sean''s arm with his other hand to get him to stand.

    Unfortunately, his left arm didn''t have much strength.

    He could not budge Sean at all, as he was over 150 pounds.

    "Thank you, Carl!"

    Sean groveled to him on the floor.

    His forehead rubbing against the floor sounded grim, and everyone in the hall could hear it.

    "You idiot. Get up!"

    Carlisle looked meaningfully at Gareth.

    Gareth immediately understood and hauled Sean to his feet.

    Sean wiped away the tears and snot on his face.

    When he saw the blood bag being filled, his tears flowed even more thickly.

    He felt that none of this would have ever happened if he hadn''t argued with Lily.

    Carlisle had had to give so much blood because of his mistake.

    He was filled with regret.

    Carlisle looked at Sean''s swollen face and asked, "Who hit you?"

    Gareth interrupted.

    "He did it himself!"

    Carlisle rolled his eyes.

    "Calling you an idiot would be an insult to idiots. Stop trying to be macho! It''s not embarrassing to be afraid of your girlfriend!"

    It was apparent that Sean was very fond of Lily.

    He had simply been putting on a tough act after drinking.

    Was it worth it?

    However, in this era, most men upheld traditional masculine values.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    It had only been 20 years after the previous, more conservative era.

    Most of the workforce at this time were men.

    As the country''s culture and standard of life were still very backward, there was a severeck of gender equality, and most people held very traditional values.

    This would change as the country progressed, and they would eventually disappearpletely.

    Naturally, traditional values had held sway for so long that they were practically engraved in people''s minds. Even ten years into the future, there would still be many men who still acted with machismo.

    "Carl, just scold me as much as you like. I really made a huge mistake this time!"

    Sean was not angry at all about being scolded by Carlisle. He wished that Carlisle would continue reprimanding him.

    Carlisle looked at Gillian and asked, "Are you Lily''s roommate?"

    Gillian hadn''t wanted to pay any attention to Sean''s friends. However, Carlisle had donated

    blood for Lily, proving he was a good person.

    So, she nodded and said, "Yes."

    Carlisle asked, "Lily went out to look for Sean, didn''t she?"

    Gillian became angry again at the mention of this.

    Her chest heaved, and she said huffily, "That silly woman was worried that Sean wouldn''t be able to get back to the university after getting drunk, so she wanted to go get him. The moment she left the university, she got into trouble. She even refused to go to the hospital. I

    She raised her hand as she spoke to p Sean.

    Sean closed his eyes and stood upright. He clearly had no intention of dodging.

    Ultimately, Gillian did not p him.

    She said menacingly, "Don''te looking for Lily in the future. You''re not worthy of her love. Don''t even think that having money makes you so amazing because I know plenty of wealthy heirs. Some of them asked me for Lily''s number during the bonfire night!"

    Sean shuddered at Gillian''s words.

    He hadn''t known anything about that.

    Carlisle noticed Sean''s expression.

    Everyone grew and matured through challenges and obstacles.

    He hoped that Sean would be more mature and reliable from this.

    After all, Sean had to shoulder the responsibility for Alumni Network.

    40 minutester, the blood bag was full. Talia immediately took the blood to the emergency

    room.

    Carlisle waited outside with Sean and the others.

    Sean was filled with anxiety, and he could not sit still.

    Another hour passed, and Lily was pushed out on a gurney.

    She was conscious and had received 12 stitches on her head.

    Her head was wrapped in bandages, and the color returned to her cheeks.

    Sean walked over to the gurney.

    His voice trembled as he said, "Lily..."

    Lily looked at him and pressed her dry lips together.

    She weakly said, "I''m sorry. I''ve caused trouble for you again..."

    Sean had saved her once, which was why she had decided to try dating him. Carlisle''s

    encouragement had helped, too.

    She had been very happy with him, but he was now the CEO of apany.

    The distance between them would only grow bigger.

    She thought it would be better for her to leave of her own ord.

    Sean had never imagined that the first thing Lily would say to him would be an apology

    rather than ming him for what had happened.

    He inwardly cursed at himself for being such an asshole.

 Chapter 474

    ?

    Unable to imagine Lily''s disappointment, Sean shakily held her cold hand and said, "No, Lily, you''re not the one who should apologize. It was all my fault..."

    The doctor advised, "The patient is weak now. Considering the donor gave blood after drinking, the blood quality is questionable. We need to observe the patient in the intensive care unit overnight. Please do not disturb her rest."

    He then instructed the nurse to take Lily to the ICU.

    ording to protocol, they couldn''t transfuse questionable blood to patients. However, since theycked Rh-negative blood, they had no choice but to take the risk. They would have to observe overnight before knowing if the patient''s condition had stabilized.

    Sean followed Lily to the ward, unwilling to leave her alone. He decided to stay by her side until she was discharged.

    Gareth nced at Carlisle, who looked pale, and asked, "Are you alright? You don''t look well.

    "I feel like throwing up, and my knees are weak," Carlisle replied, resting his arm on Gareth''s shoulder and constantly swallowing hard.

    "You''re probably dehydrated. It''s normal to feel that way after donating blood, especially after drinking. Drinking lowers our immunity. You''ll feel better after taking some glucose and resting for a few days," exined the doctor.

    After drinking two bottles of glucose in the hospital, Carlisle returned to his apartment. It was already midnight. Feeling unwell, he went straight to bed without showering.

    The following day, Carlisle woke up from his dream, his eyes wet with tears. He had dreamed of Wanda again.

    In it, Wanda wanted to break up with him. He held her tightly, refusing to let her go, but she left regardless.

    Getting up from his bed, Carlisle opened the window and took a deep breath of fresh air, his mood growing more depressed.

    He couldn''t help but wonder where Wanda was. Even with the help of the public security system, Wendell and the team couldn''t locate her anywhere. He wondered where on Earth Shein had sent her.

    Carlisle took out his phone and called Lethan.

    "Hi, Carlisle-"

    "ed a favor from you," Carlisle interjected directly.

    As though he had expected Carlisle''s call, Lethan slowly responded, "It''s no use, Carlisle.

    Shania talked to Shein and Josie, but their lips were sealed. She couldn''t get anything from them."

    "I see..."

    Carlisle hung up the phone, his expression gloomy.

    Meanwhile, Gareth was sleeping soundly on the luxurious king-size bed in Imperial Hotel. His slumber was abruptly interrupted by the vibration of his phone.

    "Damn. Which bastard calls this early?"

    Gareth groggily picked up his phone.

    "Hello? Grandpa!"

    "The Murray family owns a psychiatric rehabilitation hospital in Maple Hill."

    Theodore''s voice came from the other end.

    Gareth sat up abruptly, his eyes wide open.

    "Maple Hill? Isn''t that a restricted area?"

    "Yes, it is. It''s guarded by military personnel, too."

    "Damn. Are the Murrays mobilizing military authority for personal use?"

    "Not exactly. They imed there''s a rare mineral mine owned by the nation in Maple Hill, which justifies stationing military personnel there," Theodore exined.

    "That''s just their stupid excuse!"

    Gareth snorted.

    "That''s all I could find out so far. Consider it part of my repayment to that kid. I''m not sure if Wanda Thompson is there," Theodore added.

    "She''s gotta be there! The Thompson family is allied with the Murray family. If I were Shein Thompson, I would definitely send Wanda to the psychiatric rehabilitation hospital conveniently owned by the Murrays!" Gareth said confidently.

    "I''m off to a meeting now."

    Theodore ended the call.

    A smile crept onto Gareth''s lips.

    "Carlisle, get ready for a surprise!"

    He got out of bed and walked over to hisputer desk, retrieving another phone from the drawer. After turning it on, he made a call.

    "Hi, Mr. Spencer!"Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    A voice came from the other end.

    "Wendell, I need you to do something for me," Gareth said.

    "Where are you now? Let''s meet and talk. I happen to be in Yorksle too," Wendell said.

    "Well... I''m in Rivend now."

    Gareth smiled helplessly.

    However, Gareth was d to know that Wendell was now in Yorksle. It was exactly where he needed him to help with something.

    "Too bad. So, what can I do for you?" Wendell asked. "Okay. So, here''s the thing. My friend''s girlfriend..."

 Chapter 475

    ?Chapter 475

    After Gareth exined Wanda''s situation to Wendell over the phone, there was a moment of silence on the other end.

    Thinking Wendell might hesitate, Gareth quickly added, "If you agree to help me with this, I''ll reward you with five million dors!"

    After a long pause, Wendell finally spoke.

    "That friend of yours... Is he Carlisle Zahn?"

    Gareth fell silent, sensing Wendell''s presence in Yorksle was somehow rted to Carlisle.

    "Yeah," Gareth replied.

    Wendell chuckled softly.

    "What a coincidence. My buddies and I are working for Carlisle now. We''re here at Yorksle to look for Wanda, too!"

    Gareth smiled awkwardly. He hadn''t expected Carlisle to hire Wendell''s team, especially considering Wendell''s background as a retired special forces leader.

    Gareth swallowed nervously and asked, "Have you found any leads?"

    Wendell sighed.

    "No luck so far. We''ve practicallybed through every hospital in Yorksle!"

    Gareth smiled triumphantly and said, "I know where she is!"

    "Huh?"

    "She''s in Maple Hill. But it''s guarded by military personnel."

    "What? The military''s involved?"

    "It''s the Murrays'' doing!"

    "What a pain!" Wendell muttered, narrowing his eyes while taking a drag of his cigarette.

    "Come on, Wendell. Don''t tell me you can''t handle that?" Gareth teased.

    "Wow, kid. Do you know who you''re talking to? If your brother''s still-"

    Wendell abruptly paused, realizing his slip.

    "Sorry, I shouldn''t have brought that up."

    Gareth chuckled and replied, "Don''t worry about it. I''ve moved on. My brother will always live in my heart."

    After ending the call, Gareth sat before hisputer and retrieved a USB stick from the

    drawer. Inserting it into the CPU, he opened the folder stored on it.

    The folder contained photos of a fully armed special forces soldier-Zayden Spencer, Gareth''s biological brother, codenamed "Wolf Fang". Zayden had served as themander of the Leopard Strike Team.

    Gareth''s thoughts drifted back to their school days. Back then, with his father and grandfather preupied with work, he and Zayden had relied on each other since childhood.

    Theodore didn''t want his grandsons to grow up privileged, so he sent them to live with their grandmother. Due to Gareth''s poor health, he was often bullied in school. Whenever he was about to be beaten, Zayden would bravely step in.

    "Gareth, stand behind me. They''ll have to go through me first if they want to touch you.

    "Gareth, who punched you in the face? Take me to him now!Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "My brother punched your son. So what? Your son was at fault, too!

    "What? My brother identally scratched a BMV while riding his bike? Is he okay?

    "Bullshit! If you dare to expel my brother, I''ll shut down this whole school!

    "Gareth, I''m enlisting. I won''t be able to protect you anymore, so take good care of yourself, okay?

    "Gareth... Will you... call me bro... just onest="

    When Gareth was 18, he received Zayden''s final call. Before he could utter his brother''s name, a loud bang pierced through the phone. The next time he saw his brother, all that remained of him was an urn of ashes.

    Suddenly, a knock on the door snapped Gareth back to reality. Wiping away his tears, he removed the USB stick and ced it back in the drawer.

    He then went to open the door. It was Max.

    Ignoring Gareth''s red eyes, Max said, "The top-of-the-line cost 8.6 million!"

 Chapter 476

    ?Chapter 476

    After Carlisle picked up Daniel and Shane from Rivend University, he instructed Francis

    to drive them to the Windex Building. Carlisle intended to arrange job positions for Daniel and Shane to train them.

    "Carl, did you sneak off to the hair salon yesterday?" Daniel suddenly asked, noticing Carlisle looking tired as if he had been up all night.

    "Oh, busted," Carlisle replied nonchntly.

    Daniel smirked.

    "Some friend you are. I know I''m not qualified to shine your shoes, but you could have invited me at least."

    Nudging closer to Carlisle, Daniel inquired, "So, how was it? Was she a virgin?"

    Suddenly, Francis mmed on the brakes, causing Daniel, who hadn''t fastened his seatbelt, to m against the seat in front of him.

    Carlisle and Shane were restrained by their seatbelts, struggling to catch their breath.

    "Where did you learn to drive, Francis?" Daniel asked, covering his nose as he sat up.

    "Looks like someone''s staging a crash," Francis remarked, unfastening his seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

    In front of them was a teenage girl, visibly shocked. Her hair was dry and tangled, and her clothes were patched.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Are you out of your mind?" Francis asked coldly.

    He hadn''t been speeding, so he had seen her sudden appearance about six feet ahead. If he hadn''t stopped in time, she might have ended up killing herself in an attempt to scam them for apensation.

    "Help! I''ve been hit by a car!"

    Zadie Zeigler finally shook off her shock and bumped her head on the car.

    Francis grabbed her clothes but identally tore apart her worn-out garments, exposing the bruises underneath.

    Zadie covered her chest in fear, shielding herself from the onlookers.

    Carlisle leaned out of the window and said, "Francis, give her some money."

    Zadie appeared timid, her forehead damp with sweat. It seemed that this might be her first attempt at staging a crash.

    Judging by her patched clothing, she likely came from a poor background and urgently needed money.

    Shane unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

    He took a handful of small change from his pocket and offered it to Zadie, saying, "Take this money. Don''t put your life at risk like this again!"

    Zadie looked at him, her eyshes slightly trembling.

    She pushed away the money Shane offered andy on the ground, stating, "My whole body hurts! My head hurts, too! Either give me two thousand dors or take me to the hospital for a full-body check-up!"

    Francis, who had just taken out two hundred dors, was furious at Zadie''s unreasonable demand.

    He shouted, "Two thousand? You might as well go rob a bank!"

    Shane was equally dumbfounded by her request, remembering he had only earned four hundred dors by selling 40 of blood to the ck market during his summer break in Shorefield. Even underground figures collecting protection money wouldn''t demand such a

    sum.

    Carlisle said solemnly, "Let''s call the police. There''s a surveince camera at the intersection ahead. It should capture what happened."

    Clearing their name in such a scam could prove challenging, especially since the cars at that time were not equipped with dashcams.

    Noticing Francis was about to call the police, Zadie panicked and grabbed his leg, tearfully pleading, "Please don''t call the police! Five hundred dors, that''s all ed!"

    Zadie''s desperate plea softened Francis'' heart, causing him to nce silently at Carlisle.

    Carlisle sighed and nodded reluctantly.

    "Just give it to her."

    Daniel shook his head andmented, "Carl, Carl, Carl... You''re too kind-"

    Daniel suddenly stopped mid-sentence as he took a good look at Zadie.

    Then he frowned and asked, "Why does thisdy remind me of Carlos'' daughter?"

    "Who''s Carlos?"

    "Carlos Zeigler, the director of Xenos Factory''s R&D department!"

    "Why would the daughter of an R&D director dress so shabbily and resort to scamming like this?" Carlisle asked in puzzlement.

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    "It''s a long story. Carlos favors sons over daughters. Though his wife gave birth to a daughter, their second child¡ªa son-was stillborn. The surgery caused severe bleeding and infected his wife''s uterus, leading to a life-saving hysterectomy. Soon after, Carlos divorced his wife and remarried, not providing a cent in child support!"

    Daniel revealed thepany rumor through gritted teeth.

    "That scumbag! Why didn''t your father fire such an employee?"

    Carlisle couldn''t help but curse, his rage fueling.

    "We can''t interfere in other people''s family matters, can we? My dad only cares if his subordinates can bring profit to thepany. Besides, the Xenos Factory had over a thousand employees at its peak. He didn''t even have time to rest, let alone interfere with other people''s private affairs," Daniel responded honestly.

    Daniel''s words left Carlisle silent. Daniel had a point. With multiplepanies in hand, Carlisle began to feel the weight of his job, knowing that he would have more and more employees as his business expanded. He wouldn''t have time to poke his nose into his employee''s private affairs simply because of gossip.

    Therefore, he decided to establish a Supervisory Board at Aurora Holdings. This board would be in charge of monitoring the corporate management''s discipline.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Francis..."

    Carlisle stuck his head out to call Francis.

    "Yes?" Francis responded after handing five hundred dors to Zadie, who thanked him in

    tears.

    "Get her toe closer," Carlisle added.

    Francis said to Zadie expressionlessly, "Our boss wants to see you."

    Zadie timidly stood up and approached the car.

    "Zadie Zeigler! It''s really you!"

    Eyes widening, Zadie turned to run but was caught by Francis.

    "What are you running from?" Francis questioned, gripping her wrist.

    "Let go of me! Let me go!"

    Zadie struggled frantically.

    Barely using his strength, Francis held her effortlessly. Zadie lowered her head to bite his arm, but Francis seized her with ease.

    "Zadie, we''re not going to hurt you. If you''re in trouble, you can tell me. Even though my

    family has fallen on hard times, I can still provide you with some financial aid," Daniel said, his eyes filled withplex emotions.

    "I''m not Zadie! You''ve got the wrong person! Let go of me! Help!"

    Zadie shook her head vigorously, her disheveled hair falling over her face.

    Daniel''s expression darkened.

    "Is there anyone you can turn to besides me?"

    Zadie stopped struggling at his words.

    "Carl, I''ll take a cab to Windex Building. See you there!" Shane said before hailing a cab by the roadside.

    "Let''s get in the car," Carlisle urged.

    Daniel moved to the front passenger seat while Francis shoved Zadie into the back seat, making it look as if he were a human trafficker.

    As the car resumed its journey, Daniel turned to Zadie and said, "Zadie, that guy sitting next to you is the current chairman of Xenos Factory."

    Zadie slightly trembled and moved away from Carlisle to keep her distance.

    Carlisle kept his head down, showing no intention of engaging with her.

    Meanwhile, at Xenos Factory, Ryan was in the middle of a management meeting.

    Hearing his phone buzz, he nced at it and found a message from Carlisle.

    "Send your R&D director to the chairman''s office on the 18th floor, A block, Windex Building!"

    Ryan was puzzled. He wondered why Carlisle wanted to see the R&D director instead of himself. He considered if it was because Carlisle didn''t trust him or that Carlos had perhaps undermined him in front of Carlisle.

    "Mr. Zeigler, you''ve been requested to go to the chairman''s office on the 18th floor, A block, Windex Building," Ryan informed the gentleman seated in the first seat on his right.

    Adjusting his sses, Carlos smiled and asked, "Are they nning to work with us on a new project?"

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    Ryanughed and replied, "Aurora Holdings belongs to our chairman too.

    Carlos was taken aback by Ryan''s words.

    ||

    Considering how Ryan was responsible for all the departments at Xenos Factory, Carlisle would usually consult with Ryan aboutpany matters. He wondered why Carlisle was requesting to meet with him instead. He considered if Carlisle wanted him to help Ryan with thepany''s tasks.

    On second thought, perhaps Ryan was too naive. Since Carlisle had fully acquired thepany, why would he keep Ryan around? It was highly likely that Carlisle nned to have Carlos rece Ryan.

    With that thought in mind, Carlos adjusted his cor and gently smiled.

    "Then I shall head over now."

    Sensing something was amiss, the other directors appeared concerned. Carlos was the director of the R&D department, the person in charge of thepany''s core technology. In other words, his role was as important as Ryan''s.

    They suspected that Carlisle nned to team up with Carlos to remove Ryan from his position. If Ryan really was ousted, these directors who had sided with him might be affected, too.

    "Harper, go make me a cup of tea," Ryan instructed as he handed his teacup to his secretary.

    On his left, the director of the production department asked in a deep voice, "Mr. Scott, aren''t you worried?"

    With a smile, Ryan replied, "What about?"

    The production director replied seriously, "Stop pretending you''re not concerned. We all know what''s going on."

    The HR manager chimed in, "Exactly. Mr. Zahn kept you around to maintain morale. Now that our research is showing results, he probably thinks it''s time to eliminate you. That''s why he wants to see Carlos!"

    "That''s what I thought, too, but I find it highly unlikely. Mr. Zahn gave me shares in thepany and entrusted me with 100 million to buy lithography machines. He wouldn''t have given me such responsibilities if he had other intentions," Ryan exined confidently, showing his full trust in Carlisle.

    Despite his earlier concerns, Ryan had dismissed them, even though he didn''t understand why Carlisle wanted to see Carlos.

    "Let''s not dwell on that and get back to the meeting, shall we?"

    Ryan changed the subject, opening the meeting agenda and moving forward.

    Shane had never been to Windex Building before. Seeing the luxurious building for the first time, he couldn''t help but feel out of ce.

    Arriving at Aurora Holdings'' office, which spanned over ten thousand square feet, his heart skipped a beat. ncing at his dirty shoes, he began to worry about potentially sullying the floor.

    Well-dressed professionals were bustling around the office, busily working on theirputers.

    Since thepany''s organizational chart had yet to be finalized, the new hires didn''t recognize their chairman, Carlisle.

    Felicia walked out of her office and greeted Carlisle, saying, "Mr. Chairman, you''re here!"

    The new employees working in the open office area were stunned by her address and surprised to discover that their chairman was a good-looking teenager. None of them had ever imagined that the chairman of Aurora Holdings, apany managing three otherpanies, would be so young.

    Donned in a sleek professional outfit, Felicia pped her hands to gain everyone''s attention. "Everyone, this is our chairman, Mr. Zahn!"

    "Hello, Mr. Zahn!"

    All the employees stood up and greeted Carlisle in unison.

    Carlisle responded calmly, "Hello, everyone. Please sit down and continue your work."

    With that, he headed straight to the chairman''s office, thergest private office centrally located in the workspace. Even its door frame was taller than that of the adjacent director''s office.

    Felicia opened the brand-new security door and reported, "Mr. Zahn, Mr. Spencer has transferred ten million to thepany''s ount today. He said it was for investing in Alumni Network."

    Carlisle''s office was about 1300 square feet and adorned with new floor tiles. Itsrge one- way window allowed upants to see outside without being seen. The office was well- equipped with amenities such as a water dispenser, couch, coffee table, desk, and even a bedroom and bathroom.

    Despite its decor resembling that of a high-end office from a decade ahead, Carlisle, who had been reborn, still found the styles of the chandelier, couch, and water dispenser somewhat outdated.

    As he walked toward his desk, Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment and responded, "I was

    aware. Draft a contract to transfer 10% of Alumni Network''s shares to Mr. Spencer."Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "Yes, Mr. Zahn."

    Felicia nodded, then continued, "Oh, and Mr. Zahn, the sry tables for Govan Technology Limited, Alumni Network, Dragonaire Studio, and Aurora Holdings are on your desk. We''ve prepared them as per your instructions, with sries set 20% higher than those in first-tier cities. Please review them at your convenience."

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    ?Chapter 479

    ncing at his desk, Carlisle found a thick stack of documents waiting for him.

    Felicia said, "These are the procurement lists. We can only pay the suppliers after obtaining your signature."Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Aware of the chairman''s arrival, Anthony went to Carlisle''s office with a thick stack of personnel action forms. When Carlisle heard the knock at the door, he gestured for him to enter.

    Entering the room, Anthony said, "Mr. Zahn, these are the personnel action forms for

    Dragonaire Studio, Alumni Network, and Aurora Holdings. We need your signature on them.

    Carlisle took the documents and looked through some of them. They were all management- level trainee personnel action forms, each attached with a resume. Owen and Sean''s forms were there too.

    Felicia, Anthony, and Logan were directly appointed, so there weren''t any forms for them.

    "Anthony, hire a few senior secretaries to oversee Alumni Network, Dragonaire Studio, and Aurora Holdings. I want someone with relevant working experience," Carlisle instructed.

    Considering how his work would be too cumbersome in the future, he needed

    professional secretaries to help him schedule and assist with his tasks so he wouldn''t leave out important matters.

    "Yes, Mr. Zahn," Anthony responded before leaving with Felicia.

    Carlisle sat in his office chair and said, "Make yourselvesfortable."

    Shane pulled up a chair and sat down, pondering. So, this was Aurora Holdings. The two directors had mentioned severalpanies earlier, all apparently belonging to Carlisle. It seemed that Carlisle was even more influential than he had imagined.

    Daniel sat on the couch with his legs crossed.

    "Carl, do you have an opening for a CEO position? My dream is to be a bossy CEO!"

    Carlisle calmly replied, "I''m appointing you as the Head of Support Services."

    "What the "

    Daniel stood up from the couch as if his tail had been stepped on. Head of Support Services? He thought is sounded like a janitorial position. He might have to manage the toilets, too!

    Carlisle ignored him and browsed through the directory on his desk. It had a list of six-digit extension numbers. He found Owen''s extension number and dialed it.

    Meanwhile, Owen was sitting in the CEO''s office at Dragonaire Studio, legs crossed, swirling in his chair.

    "Can''t believe I''d be a CEO one day. This is fucking amazing! Mom! Dad! Your son has made it!" Owen eximed.

    Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang. Without checking the number, Owen slid forward with his feet hooked on both sides of the desk and casually picked up the receiver.

    "Who is it?"

    "Come to my office," Carlisle said from the other end.

    Owen immediately sat upright and replied, "M-Mr. Zahn."

    Carlisle continued, "Come to my office now! I have something I want to discuss with you."

    With that, Carlisle ended the call and instructed Daniel, "Daniel, I need you to go downstairs to escort someone up¡ª"

    "Who is it? A man or a woman? Shane can go if it''s a man. If it''s a woman, I''ll go!"

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you going to or not?"

    Carlisle''s sharp gaze sent a shiver down Daniel''s spine. Without hesitation, Daniel swiftly stood up and hurried out of the room.

    "Shane, get Zadie a ss of water," Carlisle instructed.

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    ?Chapter 480

    Upon hearing Carlisle''s instruction to Shane, Zadie quickly said, "N-No. It''s okay. I''m not thirsty. Thank you!"

    Shane handed Carlisle a ss of water first before fetching one for Zadie and himself. Then, they heard a knock at the door. Owen had arrived.

    "Come in," Carlisle responded calmly.

    Owen entered the room and greeted nervously, "M-Mr. Zahn."

    After working with the cultured white-cor professionals, Owen began to realize Carlisle''smanding presence and his own insignificance.

    Aside from the ount Farming Department, Dragonaire Studio''s R&D Department, nning Department, Team Techno, and Art Department members were allposed of elites. Consequently, Owen couldn''t help but feel a profound sense of inferiority among them.

    Aurora Holdings, which oversaw Dragonaire Studio, Alumni Network, and Govan

    Technology Limited, boasted a wealth of talented individuals. Mr. Zahn was at the helm of Aurora Holdings.

    Owen wondered why people could lead such different lives. He started to regret not taking his studies more seriously.

    While Owen was lost in his thoughts, Carlisle pointed at Shane and instructed Owen, "Take him to the Alumni Network''s PR Department. Ask the PR team to teach him how to handle publicity at school."

    Owen gulped and said, "I... I don''t know anything about Alumni Network. Besides, I''ve never been to their office either!"

    Carlisle couldn''t help but chuckle.

    "Just tell them what I said."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sensing Carlisle''s silent disapproval, Owen lowered his head deeper as his sense of inferiority intensified.

    Carlisle sighed and said, "Please take him there, Owen. Once we find one, I''ll have your secretary mentor you."

    This was precisely why Carlisle wanted to hire senior secretaries with relevant work experience. While Owen and Sean were justing of age, like him, Carlisle had experiences from his past life, giving him a psychological age that was nearing 40.

    Despitecking achievements in his previous life, Carlisle possessed extensive work experience and knowledge from the future.

    In contrast, Sean and Owen were merely teenagers without any prior work experience. Therefore, Carlisle nned to arrange experienced secretaries to guide them, much like their nannies.

    After Owen and Shane left the office, Carlisle turned to Zadie and asked, "Tell me, why did you resort to staging a crash? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

    With her head lowered, Zadie remained silent, her dry, cracked lips pressed together.

    Carlisle continued, "You''ll have to settle your problem sooner orter, you know? What you did today was reckless. If my driver didn''t react promptly, you might be in the morgue right now. Maybe you don''t care about your own life, but have you thought about your mother?"

    Despite tears in her eyes, Zadie quietly kept her head down.

    "Your mother''s health should be poorer after her hysterectomy. Yet, your father left you and your mother, leaving her to work to support your life and education despite her poor health.

    "You might think that death could release you from hardship, but what about your mother? Not only has she lost her uterus, but she also suffered psychological damage from the divorce. If something were to happen to you, how could she possibly ept it, let alone live on?"

    Carlisle''s words pierced deep into Zadie''s heart like sharp thorns, causing her to cover her face and sob.

    "I didn''t want to die! But they keep forcing me to pay up. If I can''te up with the money, they''ll send me to the nightclub!"

    ncing at the bruise on Zadie''s corbone, Carlisle asked lowly, "Who are they? How much do you owe them?"

    Wiping away her tears, Zadie replied anguishly, "They are debt collectors. I tried to borrow 15 hundred but only got 12 hundred. Now, they''re asking me to return two thousand! I was supposed to have 30 days to clear my debt, but they came collecting after just seven days!"

    It turned out to be a loan scam. Once caught in their trap, it would be quite impossible to escape. Reporting them to the police would only invite harsher retaliation. After all, Zadie had indeed borrowed money from them.

    As for why they collected earlier than the promised date, it was highly possible that they had altered the contract. Such loan scams were not umon, but they were supposed to be rampant only when online loans were booming. Carlisle wondered if this could be a result of Wanda''spany.

    As soon as the thought crossed Carlisle''s mind, he couldn''t help but call himself a fool. Aside from Wanda''s righteous conduct, Christine and Phoebe were both grounded individuals. They would never conduct such illegal activities.

    As he tapped the armrest of his chair, Carlisle slowly asked, "Whichpany did you borrow the money from?"

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    ?Chapter 481

    "SchrLoan!" Zadie replied.

    "Do they specifically provide loan services to students?"

    "Yes, exclusively for female students."

    "Did you give them anything as coteral?"

    "No, bu-but they took some photos and videos of me..." Zadie stammered, blushing deeply and avoiding Carlisle''s gaze.

    Carlisle naturally understood what kind of photos she was talking about.

    This proved troublesome. If they angered the loanpany, thepany might release those photos at Zadie''s school. Those photos kept the borrowers from reporting to the police.

    Carlisle inquired further, "Where is thispany located?"

    After a moment of silence, Zadie shook her head and replied, "I can''t tell you. If they find out, they''ll beat me up again!"

    Carlisle didn''t bother asking further. He took out his phone and sent a message to Francis.

    Daniel waited downstairs for nearly an hour, his legs turning numb. He bought a bottle of milk to drink while scanning the area, wondering who he was supposed to meet.

    Since Carlisle had asked him to escort someone, he figured it must be someone he knew. So, he kept an eye out for familiar faces.

    Suddenly, he heard a honk from a ck Santana and realized it was Carlos'' car. He wondered if Carlos was the person he was supposed to escort.

    "Daniel? What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be in school today?" Carlos asked, pulling up next to Daniel with a gentle smile.

    "Carlos Ziegler, you old man, don''t you remember? It''s Sunday today!"

    "Oh, excuse me! I''ve been working so muchtely, my brain just assumes it''s a workday!"

    Carlos tapped his forehead.

    He had be ustomed to Daniel addressing him by his first name. Ever since news of his family matters spread around the office, most people had started treating him differently. Daniel had also started calling him by his first name around that time.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Despite asking Ryan to discipline Daniel, Ryan had dismissed him as too rebellious to heed his advice. Eventually, Carlos had no choice but to ept Daniel as he was.

    "As for why I''m here... I''m here to escort you, Mr. Zeigler!" Daniel said, tossing the empty

    bottle casually next to the security booth.

    The bottle hit the ground, prompting a tall, muscr security guard to emerge from the booth. His expression was dark as he fixed his intense gaze on Daniel.

    Daniel shrugged and quickly picked up the empty bottle, properly disposing of it in the bin. Then, with an innocent smile, he returned to Carlos'' car.

    Still taken aback by Daniel''s respectful address, Carlos asked, "What... what did you just call me?"

    Daniel replied honestly, "Mr. Zeigler, of course."

    Carlos smiled lightly.

    "Were you sent by the chairman?"

    Daniel nodded firmly.

    "That''s right!"

    Carlos felt a thrill, finding it hard to believe that Carlisle had actually sent someone to escort him. Clearly, Carlisle recognized his importance.

    However, Carlos wondered about Daniel''s rtionship with Carlisle. He suspected that Ryan had asked Carlisle to train Daniel at one of hispanies, and Carlisle couldn''t find the proper excuse to turn him down. Hence, Daniel was there.

    Carlos chuckled, his face flushed with amusement.

    "Daniel, since you treated me with respect, I''ll make sure to make your father a security guard when I take over his ce."

    Daniel was startled as he pondered, "Is this old idiot hearing himself? What makes him think he''s taking over my dad''s position? Has he lost his mind?"

    Daniel wondered if Carlos had misunderstood Carlisle''s intentions. If Carlos thought Carlisle was going to promote him as CEO of Xenos Factory, Daniel thought he might as well y along.

    Daniel sniffled and choked out, "That''s very kind of you, Mr. Zeigler. No wonder you''ve been such a loyal friend to my father for over ten years!"

    Carlosughed heartily.

    "Indeed we have been. Let''s go. Take me to the chairman!"

    Carlos parked his car in the lot. He walked with his hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a leader overseeing hispany. Daniel walked alongside him and guided him to the elevator, where they encountered Anthony and three striking, mature women.

 Chapter 482

    ?Chapter 482

    Daniel caught the fragrant scent of the three women and couldn''t help but close his eyes and take a deep breath. Even Carlos couldn''t resist stealing a few more nces at the three beauties.

    "Dang! Why doesn''t Xenos Factory have such stunning women? If it did, I wouldn''t have settled for a in woman in my second marriage," Carlos thought.

    "Hello, Mr. Swanson," Daniel greeted Anthony respectfully.

    With a light smile, Anthony responded, "You are?"

    Considering Sean and Owen were both CEOS, Anthony was confident that the teenagers Carlisle brought along were no ordinary people. He figured that these young men would also undoubtedly be elites in the workce someday.

    Daniel grinned broadly and said, "Daniel Scott, at your service!"

    Anthony vaguely recalled that "Daniel Scott" was the son of Ryan Scott, the CEO of Xenos Factory.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    He smiled gently and extended his hand.

    "Anthony Swanson. You can call me Anthony like Mr. Zahn does."

    "Oh no, that won''t do. I can''t possibly address you like Carl does. I''ll call you Mr. Swanson!" Daniel replied as he shook Anthony''s hand with both hands, presenting himself as a humble junior.

    Anthony''s eyes filled with admiration, finding Ryan Scott''s son well-mannered and humble.

    ncing at Anthony''s work badge hanging on his chest, Carlos realized he was the Director of Human Resources at Aurora Holdings. A director at Aurora Holdings held higher authority than one at Xenos Factory. This implies that Anthony was superior to Carlos.

    However, Carlos wasn''t too bothered about it. He figured that once he became CEO, he would report directly to the chairman. By then, even a senior director like Anthony would have to treat him respectfully.

    With that thought, Carlos straightened up and turned to Daniel.

    "Daniel, do you know what business Mr. Zahn has with me?"

    Daniel replied, "Beats me. But there''s a stack of personnel action forms on his desk."

    Daniel''s words settled Carlos'' anxious heart.

    ncing at Anthony, Carlos said, "Mr. Swanson, I''m Carlos Zeigler. I assume you''ve heard of me."

    Anthony was momentarily startled. He remembered receiving a call from Carlisle, who

    instructed him to prepare a termination notice to remove Carlos from his role as Director of R&D at Xenos Factory.

    "Mr. Swanson, you''re looking at the future CEO, Mr. Zeigler! Where are your manners?"

    Daniel winked at Anthony.

    Being a seasoned white-cor professional, Anthony immediately understood Daniel''s implications. Without hesitation, he extended his hand and smiled politely.

    "Mr. Zeigler, it''s nice to meet you!"

    "Nice to meet you?"

    Carlos raised his brows at Anthony''s hand, clearly displeased.

    He then spoke in a superior tone, "Don''t you mean ''It''s an honor to meet you''? There''s a difference."

    Anthony found Carlos'' arrogant demeanor annoying and decided not to y along anymore. Fortunately, their elevator had arrived on the 18th floor just in time. Anthony quickly stepped out with the three female colleagues, rushing to prepare Carlos'' termination notice.

    Anthony''s disrespectful attitude left Carlos momentarily stunned.

    Gritting his teeth, Carlos turned to Daniel and said, "Daniel, when you start working, you must take note of the hierarchy in the workce. With that kind of attitude, Anthony won''tst long in thepany!"

    Daniel chuckled and replied, "Got it, Mr. Zeigler. Let''s head to Aurora Holdings."

    Carlos went to the restroom to tidy himself up. Clenching his teeth, he plucked a few stray hairs from his beard and wet his hands to smooth down hisrge pompadour.

    After adjusting his tie three times, Carlos finally followed Daniel to the chairman''s office. When Daniel knocked on the door, Carlisle''s voice sounded from inside, "Come in."

    Carlos was taken aback by the youthful voice. He couldn''t help but wonder if it belonged to the chairman''s son.

    Xenos Factory''s organizational chart hadn''t been updated yet, so no one knows what the chairman looks like aside from Ryan.

    Daniel opened the door, his smile fading as he said coldly, "Please, go ahead."

 Chapter 483

    ?Chapter 483

    Taken aback by the young man seated at the desk, Carlos didn''t notice Daniel''s expression change.

    "Daniel, is that man Mr. Zahn''s son or grandson?" Carlos asked in a low tone.

    Daniel sneered.

    "He''s the chairman, Carlisle Zahn!"

    Carlos was dumbfounded. He found it difficult to believe the chairman was someone around Daniel''s age.

    Carlos took a deep breath and regained hisposure. He considered that perhaps having such a young chairman could work to his advantage, as he might be easier to manipte. Making his way to Carlisle''s desk, Carlos slightly lowered his head and said, "Mr. Zahn." Carlisle continued working, paying no attention to Carlos.

    A smile crept onto Carlos'' face when he noticed Carlisle signing personnel action forms. Suddenly, Carlisle said, "Carlos, do you recognize the person on your right?"

    Carlos turned to the couch as instructed. When he saw the youngdy seated there, he froze like a statue.

    He wondered why Zadie was there.

    The office fell silent. Only the sound of Carlisle''s pen scratching against paper could be heard. Suddenly, the cap from Carlisle''s pen fell to the ground, making a soft thud that startled Carlos.

    Carlisle calmly retrieved the cap and ced it back on his desk. He then stood up with his cup in hand and poured himself some water.

    He calmly said, "On my way here, I encountered this youngdy staging a crash."

    Carlos was surprised to hear that. He wondered if it meant that Carlisle wanted to discuss the trouble Zadie caused rather than a job promotion.

    Carlos said, "Mr. Zahn, you can handle her however you see fit. If you like, I can take her to the police on your behalf. I''ve severed all ties with her and her mother."

    Carlisle remained silent, returning to his seat with his cup refilled. Daniel clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles cracked audibly.

    He thought that Carlos was a scumbag, who didn''t deserve to be a human, let alone a father.

    Carlisle blew on his steaming hot water before taking a small sip, filling the room with the sound of his sipping. Carlos had never felt such overwhelming pressure before, not even at Xenos Factory''s peak under Ryan''s chairmanship.

    The only other person from whom he had ever felt such pressure was perhaps the mayor of Rivend. When the mayor visited the enterprises, he held a meeting at Xenos Factory. Carlos had felt the same pressure from the mayor as he felt from Carlisle now, which made him wonder if Carlisle was a scion nurtured by some upper-ss family.

    After Carlisle finished drinking half his cup of water, he raised his eyes and stared at Carlos.

    He calmly asked, "Aren''t you going to ask why she did it?"

    Upon hearing Carlisle''s question, Carlos finally rxed his tension, his face sweating.

    "W-Why did she do it?"

    "Seriously? You don''t know the reason?"

    Carlisle chuckled, feeling dumbfounded.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Carlos swallowed hard and replied, "Mr. Zahn, I''ve divorced her mother, and the court granted custody to her. In other words, I hold no responsibility for her actions."

    "Oh," Carlisle replied nonchntly.

    Carlos was drenched in sweat.

    "Mr. Zahn, I understand she offended you. If it appeases your anger, I''ll have her kneel and apologize to you."

    Zadie sat expressionless on the couch. She knew Carlos had never treated her like a human since her birth. In fact, Carlos'' offer was considered merciful. If Carlisle hadn''t been present, Carlos might have grabbed her hair and pped her hard by now.

 Chapter 484

    ?

    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

    "Come in," Carlisle said.

    Holding a stack of documents, Anthony entered with three elegant, professional -looking women.

    He handed Carlisle three r¨¦sum¨¦s and said, "Mr. Zahn, these women are top graduates from prestigiousw schools with over five years of experience as senior legal advisors. And they''ve never lost a case!"

    "Take a seat," Carlisle instructed as he took the r¨¦sum¨¦s and set them aside.

    Anthony and thedies settled onto the couch as Carlisle attended to Zadie''s affairs.

    While eyeing Carlos, Carlisle asked, "Are you prepared to provide alimony for your daughter?"

    Daniel now understood why Carlisle had hired legal advisors. Clearly, Carlisle was determined to secure the alimony Zadie was rightfully due.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    With three seasoned legal advisors present, Carlos found it difficult to refuse Carlisle''s request.

    "C-Certainly," Carlos replied, catching Carlisle''s implication.

    He understood that declining could lead Carlisle to take immediate legal action against him. "When are you nning to do that?" Carlisle asked casually.

    "Tomorrow! I''ll hand it to her by tomorrow!" Carlos quickly responded, aware that he was at risk of losing his position as Director of the R&D department, let alone any chance of a job promotion.

    Despite Carlos'' eagerness, Carlisle turned to Anthony and asked, "Anthony, have you prepared Carlos'' termination notice?"

    "It''s under the r¨¦sum¨¦s I just handed you, Mr. Zahn," Anthony replied.

    Retrieving the notice from the stack of r¨¦sum¨¦s, Carlisle signed it and slid it across his desk.

    The termination notice read:

    "Dear Mr. Carlos Ziegler,

    After carefully considering thepany''s needs, we have decided to terminate your position as Director of the Research and Development Department at Xenos Factory, effective immediately.

    We appreciate the contributions you have made during your tenure with us. Please ensure a smooth transition of your responsibilities as per the instructions provided.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    Aurora Holdings

    Signed by Carlisle Zahn"

    Carlos nearly passed out at the sight of the notice, finding it difficult to believe that his worst nightmare had reallye true-he had been fired. With his employment terminated, Ryan could easily assign him to work as a security guard instead.

    Carlos red at Zadie wordlessly, his eyes filled with intense hatred.

    Carlisle broke the silence, "Carlos, I hope you won''t feel that you''re not obligated to pay the alimony now that your employment has been terminated. If Zadie doesn''t receive the alimony you owe her over the years, you would need to hirepetentwyers to go against my legal team. It''d also be a good opportunity for me to test their capabilities."

    The legal advisors pursed their lips at Carlisle''s remark.

    Noticing their slight change in expression, Carlisle asked, "What''s the matter? You seemn displeased with my suggestion."

    Lilian Zeller, the most striking legal advisor, exined, "I handled these types of cases part- time during university."

    "Can you take on cases without awyer''s license?" Carlisle asked, admitting his ignorance of thew from his previous life and his recent purchase of several legal books to gain some legal knowledge.

    "ording to Criminal Procedure Law Article 33 and Civil Procedure Law Article 58, defense attorneys or appointed representatives are not limited to licensed attorneys," Lilian emphasized.

    The other two legal advisors nodded in agreement.

    Anthony chuckled bitterly and remarked, "Clearly, fighting for alimony is a piece of cake to them."

    Carlos'' expression was filled with desperation. He knew he stood no chance in thewsuit, and it seemed he had no other choice but to pay the promised alimony.

    Suddenly, a possibility crossed his mind. He thought he could perhaps seek a job at Terrence''s Wind Semiconductors. With his over 20 years of experience in chip research,

    Terrence would certainly value him if he joined thepany.

    With that thought, Carlos'' expression lit up. He straightened his cor and exited the office with his head held high.

    Zadie turned to Carlisle with reddened eyes and said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Mr. Zahn!"

    With a wry smile, Carlisle shook his head.

    "Don''t thank me just yet. We''re not done with you."

 Chapter 485

    ?Chapter 485

    Considering SchrLoan still retained explicit photos and videos of Zadie, Carlisle understood that such loan scams wouldn''te to an end so easily. Even if Zadie had settled her debts, SchrLoan might have refused to delete those photos and videos to continue ckmailing her for money.

    Carlisle felt it was time to ask Wade to intervene and handle the matter.

    "Daniel, please take Zadie to Arthur and have him take you both to Wade."

    "I''m on it!" Daniel promptly replied.

    He knew who Wade was. With Wade and his team involved, unless SchrLoan was owned by Jalen Holder or Titan Lynch, he believed Zadie''s issues would be resolved quickly.

    After Daniel and Zadie left the office, Carlisle reviewed the r¨¦sum¨¦s of the three legal advisors.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Lilian Zeller, 29, graduated from Yorksle Law University. With seven years of industry experience, she served as Senior Director of the legal advisor department at Wick Group for four years, indicating that she achieved the senior director position just three years after graduating.

    Anthony left a note in the remarks column demonstrating she was an exceptional attorney.

    Considering Lilian was a former employee of Wick Group, Carlisle understood she was likely recruited by Anthony from his previous employer.

    Although persuading a coworker, especially one at the senior director level, to switch jobs together might not seem ethical, Carlisle was nevertheless impressed. He felt he had made a shrewd bargain decision in hiring Anthony with an annual sry offer of 500 thousand dors.

    The other two legal advisors were equally impressive too.

    Zuri Summer, aged 33, was a topwyer from a prestigiousw firm.

    Yasmin Crane was 32 years old and managed a listedpany''s legal advisor department. She specialized in corporate andborw.

    Carlisle assumed Zuri and Yasmin were ssmates from their graduation years at Mocuwait Law University.

    As Carlisle reviewed the r¨¦sum¨¦s, Lilian and Yasmin exuded confidence, while Zuri appeared to be on edge. Her previousw firm specialized in social cases, leaving her with limited experience in corporate matters.

    "All of you are impressive!" Carlisle remarked, setting down the r¨¦sum¨¦s.

    He then instructed Anthony, "Get them to familiarize themselves with ourpany."

    Anthony nodded, then turned to thedies.

    He smiled and said, "Please wait for me outside. I''ll be with you shortly."

    After the three left the office, Zuri let out a sigh and patted her chest, saying, "Yasmin, this chairman sure is intimidating."

    She was taken aback by Carlisle''s assertive attitude toward Carlos earlier.

    Yasmin smiled casually.

    "He needs that kind of charisma to be chairman at such a young age."

    In fact, Yasmin herself was surprised to find a teenager as the chairman of Aurora Holdings. She had expected the chairman to be a man in his 30s, if not 50s.

    Zuri said anxiously, "This is frustrating. I don''t think I''ll get the job after all."

    After all,wyers and legal advisors were twopletely different roles. Whilewyers were licensed legal professionals who served a broad group of clients, legal advisors provided internal advice exclusively for the corporation they work for, prioritizing corporate legal affairs with business goals.

    Having never worked in a corporate environment before, Zuri worried if she was fit for the position at Aurora Holdings.

    With a gentle smile, Yasmin reassured her, "Don''t worry. Aurora Holdings needs manpower now. You saw it just now, too. The chairman even intervened in his employee Carlos'' child custody matters, which means he will not only need internal legal advisors but alsowyers to handle other affairs."

    With Yasmin''s assurance, Zuri breathed a sigh of relief. The rapid proliferation ofw firms led to thepetition in the industry bing increasingly intense.

 Chapter 486

    ?Chapter 486

    Although Zuri had never lost awsuit, it didn''t guarantee her receiving aw case every month. Despite her morous appearance, she was, in fact, in a dire situation.

    Zuri and Yasmin graduated from the same university, but Yasmin''s monthly sry was clearly higher and more stable than Zuri''s.

    When Anthony came out of the office, Yasmin quickly asked, "Mr. Swanson, Mr. Zahn is hiring Zuri, isn''t he?"

    She was certain that Anthony had discussed their job assignments with Carlisle during their absence. She was anxious to know whether Zuri would be joining her at Aurora Holdings, too.

    Anthony lightly smiled and replied, "Aurora Holdings is establishing a Legal Affairs Department and a Legal Consulting Department. Zuri will be assigned to the Legal Consulting Department, which handles our employee''s legal disputes. You and Lilian will be in the Legal Affairs Department, which handles all the internal legal matters of the

    Yasmin was thrilled to hear that.

    Holding Zuri''s arm, she eximed, "See! I told you so. However, I didn''t expect Mr. Zahn to assign the Legal Consulting Department to handle employees'' legal disputes. Isn''t he something?"

    Zuri''s eyes were tinged with tears of joy, too.

    "Thank you so much, Yasmin."

    "You should thank Mr. Swanson, not me. Mr. Swanson must have offered some advice to Mr. Zahn," Yasmin said.

    "Thank you, Mr. Swanson," Zuri said sweetly to Anthony.

    Anthony, an honest man in his 40s and father to teenagers, epted her gratitude without any ill intentions.

    He smiled and said, "You don''t have to thank me. It was entirely Mr. Zahn''s decision."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Lilian suddenly chimed in, "Mr. Swanson, am I keeping my previous position?"

    Anthony nodded and replied, "Certainly. In addition, you should expect a 20% increment in your sry."

    Lilian smiled contentedly at his reassurance, recalling that her annual sry at Wick Group used to be 200 thousand dors.

    It was normal for one to aim high and seek better opportunities. When Lilian had acquired the role of Legal Affairs Director at Wick Group, her sry barely increased, if at all.

    Now that she had joined Aurora Holdings, she was promised a 20% sry increase, which would make her annual sry 240 thousand dors.

    She was quite pleased with the offer, though she disliked adapting to a new environment and mingling with new colleagues. She wasn''t a fan of office politics.

    Lilian nced at Yasmin, who had shown no intention of greeting her until now. Her worries intensified inwardly.

    Looking at the women, Anthony said, "By the way, Mr. Zahn wanted me to convey this message to you if any of your subordinates or acquaintances in the industry are interested in joining Aurora Holdings, you may introduce them to apply for the job. If they''re epted, you will receive a referral bonus of three months after they begin working with us."

    Lilian''s eyes lit up at Anthony''s words, seeing it as a good opportunity to recruit her team from her former employer. Then, she wouldn''t need to worry about office politics with her old teammates. Best of all, she could earn a referral bonus, too.

    "Ms. Zeller, I look forward to working with you in the future," Yasmin suddenly said, extending her hand for a handshake.

    With a calm expression, Lilian shook her hand and replied, "Likewise."

    Yasmin smiled cheerfully and added, "Do you have any ns tonight, Ms. Zeller? Perhaps we could have dinner together."

    Sensing Yasmin''s friendly approach, Lilian smiled faintly and replied, "Dinner''s on me then.

    Yasmin quickly declined, "Oh, no! I''m the one who invited you, so the treat''s on me!"

    Anthony promptly interjected, "No need to fight for the bill,dies. Tonight''s dinner is on Mr. Zahn!"

    Lilian was taken aback.

    "Is Mr. Zahn joining us for dinner?"

    Anthony shook his head and said, "No. The dinner''s on him, but he probably doesn''t have time to join you all."

    Meanwhile, in his office, Carlisle received a call from Francis.

    "Boss, I''ve found it. The owner behind Schr Loan is a thug operating near Rivend University. His name is Landon Johnston," Francis reported.

    "Landon Johnston?"

    Carlisle frowned, recalling that it was the name Kelvin Knox had mentioned when he told him that someone nned to abduct Shein.

 Chapter 487

    ?Chapter 487

    Landon was one of Jalen''s men.

    Considering that the nature of SchrLoan was worse than ordinary loan sharks, it was

    unlikely that Jalen was the one who initiated such a business. Landon might have been behind this himself.

    However, Kelvin had also mentioned that Landon had approached him to borrow money. Carlisle wondered where Landon could have gotten the money to begin his loan scams if that were the case.

    "Alright. Got it."

    Carlisle ended the call and dialed Wade''s number.

    "Hey, Carl!" Wade greeted Carlisle with a yful tone.

    "Has Arthur reached out to you?"

    "No. What''s his business with me?"

    "Well, here''s the story..."

    Carlisle told Wade about Zadie''s affairs with SchrLoan, then instructed him to talk to Landon to see if they could retrieve those explicit photos and videos for Zadie.

    Licking his dry lips, Wade asked, "What if he doesn''t agree?"

    After briefly pondering, Carlisle replied, "I''ll leave it to you then."

    "Very well, Mr. Zahn!" Wade dly responded.

    Having been bored the whole day, he was itching for some fun now. Since he had nothing to lose, he wasn''t worried if Landon would seek revenge on him anyway.

    Carlisle had initially nned to report Landon''s scams to the authorities if Landon refused their request. However, he worried that it might lead to harsh retaliation against Zadie. Therefore, he concluded that the best way to deal with these thugs was by force.

    Carlisle picked up the payroll chart to review it.

    The average sry at Dragonaire Studio was around 2.8 thousand. The R&D department had an average sry of 3.2 thousand, and their CEO, Owen, had an annual sry of 200 thousand.

    At Alumni Network, Sean also earned 200 thousand annually as its CEO. Technical staff earned around three thousand, and general management staff was paid 3.5 thousand. The sries for management-level staff appeared to be about the same across bothpanies. The payroll chart included a fixed sry list of management staff. Although eachpany offered different sries, the amounts were more or lessparable. Team leaders earned

    between three and four thousand, supervisors earned between four and 5.5 thousand, managers earned around six thousand, directors earned over eight thousand, and senior directors earned over 15 thousand.

    These were the sries offered to employees who had applied for job vacancies. Those recruited from otherpanies were offered slightly higher rates.

    The sries of the general manager and CEO were not fixed yet. Since the chairman appointed these positions, he would also determine their sries.

    Carlisle left his signature on the payroll chart as a sign of his approval.

    Suddenly, his mobile buzzed on the desk. ncing at his phone, Carlisle found that it was a call from Heath.

    Overjoyed, Carlisle picked up the call.

    "Heath!"

    Slightly coughing, Heath replied weakly, his voice almost inaudible, "I... I survived..."

    "Don''t talk. Save your breath and rest well to heal your wounds," Carlisle gently advised. Heath mumbled in response.

    Then, Benjamin''s voice came from the other end.

    "Carl, Heath can finally speak now!"

    Heath had woken up several days ago, but he couldn''t move or speak.

    "Surviving that kind of ordeal means he''s not destined to die yet. I''m happy for him! Look after him well. It''ll take some time before he''s fully recovered," Carlisle remarked.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    After a brief exchange, Carlisle ended the call and headed to Govan Technology Limited''s office in Block B.

    Govan Technology Limited focused on software development. Its nearly 11,000-square-foot office housed over ten departments.

 Chapter 488

    ?

    Thepany''s five core departments were the R&D, production, operations, design, and marketing departments. The office building housed about a hundred people but still felt spacious.

    Carlisle stood at the entrance, eyeing the words "Govan Software". He considered

    separating the software into a separate entity as it was intended to be released to the public.

    "Who''s that kid outside?"

    "No idea. Probably somebody''s younger brother?" a couple of new employees from the design department, who were cking off, whispered among themselves as they watched Carlisle stand outside the window.

    The oldest employee in the office was only 35 years old, while the handsome young man outside looked about 17 or 18. That ruled out the possibility that he was someone''s child.

    Sandy sat at her desk, absorbed in her work. Her cheeks were puffed out, and her desk was littered with creamy candy wrappers.

    Noticing the new employees'' chatter, she pounded on her desk and red at them.

    "What are you whispering about? Aren''t you interested in bing permanent employees?"

    Spurred on by their supervisor''s outburst, the group quickly returned to work. It was then that Sandy finally noticed Carlisle at the entrance.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She choked on her candy. The chairman had arrived unannounced and must have seen the employees cking off.

    She had just started her probation period as a supervisor. She feared her chances of being made a permanent staff member would be jeopardized if Carlisle got mad.

    Sandy spit out the candy and hurried to the front door.

    "Mr. Zahn..."

    She was extremely nervous. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, like a student who was caught misbehaving by the principal.

    Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment.

    "Is Logan in?"

    Sandy''s heart skipped a beat. She wondered if he was going straight to the CEO. If even the CEO got mad, not being made a permanent employee would be the least of her worries.

    Carlisle noticed that Sandy was shaking.

    "Are you okay?"

    "I-I''m fine, Mr. Zahn. Could you please not go to the CEO? It''s my fault for not supervising

    them properly. They''re new employees and haven''t been here long. I''ll make sure to keep them in line..."

    Sandy pleaded with teary eyes. The air was filled with a faint smell of the creamy candy.

    Carlisle was slightly confused.

    "What... are you talking about?"

    "Mr. Zahn, did you not see what happened?"

    Realizing what she meant, Carlisle smiled and said, "You mean the cking off? Isn''t it normal to ck off at work? They''re technical staff who need to use their brains, so short breaks can lead to more efficient work!"

    His presence had distracted them. It was a good reason for them to take a short break to reset their minds.

    Sandy couldn''t believe what she was hearing from the chairman. She hadn''t expected him to be so understanding.

    Carlisle continued, "I''m not advocating cking off, but I do believe that a proper rest is necessary as long as it doesn''t affect the team''s efficiency!"

    With that, Carlisle entered the office building. He looked around before locating the CEO''s office and going straight in.

    Logan was busy testing a software application. She didn''t notice Carlisle''s arrival until he knocked on the door.

    Setting aside her work, Logan weakly said, "Come in..."

    Carlisle entered, causing Logan to jump to her feet.

    "Mr. Zahn..."

    "I''m thinking of splitting off Govan Software. What do you think?"

    "I don''t think that''s necessary..."

    Logan stepped away from her desk and gestured for Carlisle to sit at the coffee table.

    Carlisle took a seat.

    Logan poured him a ss of coffee and continued, "Mr. Zahn, you want to publish the software and make it avable to the public, right?"

    "Developing software isn''t cheap, and releasing it will attract more users. The more users we have, the more value we create!"

    "Mr. Zahn, have some coffee."

    Logan ced the tea in front of Carlisle, then added, "If we open our software to the public, other smartphone developers will eventually catch up. We''ll lose ourpetitive advantage.

    ||

    Carlisle took a sip of coffee.

    "Have you considered that by the time other smartphones are released, ours will have already taken over the world?"

    As the first smartphone, its poprity was undeniable. In his previous life, the world''s first smartphone, the HTCG1, wasunched in 2008 and sold a million units in just three months. New models were released over the next two years, and sales reached tens of millions of dors.

    At the moment, it was only 2004. Other phonepanies had no concept of smartphones.

    By the time Carlisle''s phones hit the market, thepetition would be just getting started. They wouldn''t be able to keep up.

 Chapter 489

    ?Chapter 489

    Carlisle and Logan spent nearly an hour discussing whether to make Govan Software independent. Ultimately, they decided against it.

    The Govan system, a hybrid of the Ember and Android of the future, would be the pioneer of the smartphone industry. The Govan software was tailored specifically for the Govan system and wouldn''t bepatible withter Android or Ember phones.

    Logan''s reasoning was sound. The Govan phone, system, and software formed a cohesive ecosystem, and integrating them would make them morepetitive in the mobile industry. Later, Carlisle visited Alumni Network''s marketing department. The department head was a middle-aged man nearing his 40s. He patiently exined the features and promotional strategies targeting the schools to Shane.

    The head of marketing furrowed his brow when he saw Carlisle walk in. He was about to shout when Shane abruptly stood up.

    "Carl..."

    The head of the department swallowed his words.

    "Carl?"

    The CEO had addressed the chairman as "Carl". He wondered if the man before him was the chairman himself.

    With his hands in his pockets, Carlisle asked Shane, "So, do you know how to promote thework now?"

    "I guarantee the promotion will be wless," Shane assured confidently.

    He knew Carlisle was giving him a chance, which was a test of his skills.

    Alumni Network''s features were perfectly catered to the online needs of that day''s college students.

    Shane was confident that he could make the socialwork a hit at Rivend University.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Zahn!" the department head greeted nervously.

    Carlisle nodded calmly.

    "Is the promotion n in ce?"

    "Mr. Cannon briefed us this morning. We''ll follow your n and also set up campus contact points at nine universities in Rivend."

    As he spoke, he stole a nce at Carlisle. At 17 or 18, Carlisle was about the same age as his daughter. She was still dependent on her parents while Carlisle ran several businesses.

    It would have been one thing if his businesses had been inherited, but he had built them from the ground up.

    The head was especially stunned when he heard about Carlisle''s marketing strategy.

    As a senior marketing executive who had been in the industry for over a decade, he was so taken aback that he almost bit his tongue. The referral-based strategy resembled multi- level marketing and was sure to quickly attract arge user base for Alumni Network.

    In addition, the tform''s various features were designed specifically for inte users, ensuring a high retention rate among registered members.

    Carlisle sat at the head''s desk and tested Alumni Network''s features. Since it wasn''t connected to a server, they had to use special tools to test it.

    After a thorough check, Carlisle was generally pleased.

    Alumni Network beat out SchoolSpace, which was set tounch in 2005. It had perfectly replicated SociableNet''s features. But unlike SociableNet, Alumni Network wouldn''t bepletely public.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    A fully open tform would attract a mix of users, diluting the site''s quality.

    "When will the server be ready?" Carlisle inquired suddenly.

    Time was money, and he was anxious to get Alumni Network up and running.

 Chapter 490

    ?Chapter 490

    The marketing head was visibly nervous.

    "Well... that''s being handled by Aurora Holdings, so I''m not too clear on the details!"

    In the workce, being unable to answer a superior''s question could easily lead to a scolding. If the superior was understanding, it wasn''t a big deal because the task wasn''t his responsibility. But with a temperamental superior, he was guaranteed to get an earful.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    The marketing head braced himself as he imagined Carlisle''s possible outburst.

    "Don''t you have a mouth? Can''t you ask if you don''t know? Do I have to do everything myself?"

    However, Carlisle simply took out his phone and called Felicia.

    "Mr. Zahn..."

    "How soon can we have the servers ready for Alumni Network?"

    "It will take at least a week. The vendors we''re negotiating with aren''t willing to lower their prices..."

    "Are they that expensive?" Carlisle asked, puzzled.

    He didn''t remember servers being particrly pricey.

    Felicia exined, "They''re not expensive, but we need many of them. Alumni Network is building arge socialwork that requires a significant number of servers. Dragonaire Game Company needs a huge server room, and so does the Govan software and system.

    "We''re going to need a lot of servers in the future, so I decided to buy server rooms for all threepanies at once. That''s why I''ve been negotiating with several vendors over the past few days."

    She paused before adding, "There''s also an issue regarding the location. We need at least threerge server rooms. The radiation and noise from the server rooms are considerable. If we put them in the office area, it could affect the work environment. We can get the servers in a week, but the location is more challenging.

    After a moment of thought, Carlisle spoke up.

    "I''ll handle the location. You focus on getting the servers."

    Carlisle ended the call and dialed Shania''s number. Shania was inspecting a construction site at Holly Fisheries. She stepped aside to answer when she realized it was Carlisle calling.

    "Carl, what''s up?"

    "Shania, are you busy?"

    "Just inspecting the greenhouse construction site..."

    "Thanks for all your hard work!"

    "It was such a big investment that I have to be hands-on," Shania said,ughing.

    "So, what do you need?"

    "I want to rent another floor in Windex Building for office space. Are there any suitable floors avable?"

    "Isn''t the 18th floor enough? You''re not expanding your business again, are you?"

    Shania gasped. She suspected that Carlisle had started several newpanies, given his partnership with Gareth.

    "Not really. I need some server rooms and n to rent an entire floor to set them up," Carlisle rified.

    Shania''s mouth twitched.

    "You don''t need an entire floor for a server room. Any of your four office areas could amodate a server room."

    If this were any other client, she''d be thrilled. But Carlisle was practically family, and she felt obligated to give him a friendly warning.

    Knowing that Shania had his best interests at heart, Carlisle simply replied, "ed a lot of servers. With more serverses more radiation and noise. So as not to disrupt the work environment, I''m renting an entire floor."

    After hearing Carlisle''s exnation, Shania said, "I''ll call the sales department and have them reserve the 15th floor for you."

    The 15th floor of Windex Building had been reserved on opening day, but the client kept dying the contract and payment. Tired of waiting, Shania decided to offer the floor to Carlisle for his server rooms.

    Half an hourter, Windex Building''s sales manager presented Carlisle with a contract. After going over the contract, Carlisle was confused.

    "Is Shania not interested in making money?"

    The 15th floor consisted of four office spaces totaling 45 thousand square feet. However, it was priced at an annual rent of just 300,000 dors.

    Windex Building had just beenpleted and was a high-end office building of its time.

    On opening day, Carlisle had rented the 18th floor for a monthly rent of 200 thousand dors. With only a three-floor difference, the 15th floor should''ve cost over 100 thousand dors a month. Yet, the contract stated that it was only 300 thousand per year. Shania definitely gave Carlisle a generous deal.

 Chapter 491

    ?Chapter 491

    "Well, we''ll all be family soon anyway. No need for formalities," Carlisle reassured himself as he signed the contract.

    Once done, he inquired curiously, "I thought all the office space in Windex Building was leased on opening day. Why is the 15th floor avable now?"

    The sales manager awkwardly exined, "The client kept dying the contract and didn''t pay the deposit. Our boss got tired of waiting, so we released the 15th floor to you!"

    "Let''s head to the finance department to settle the payment then!"

    Carlisle handed a copy of the contract back to the sales manager.

    He mentally noted Shania''s favor and nned to return it when he ventured into the real estate business.

    Shortly after the manager left, Felicia entered the office with several documents.

    "Mr. Zahn, here''s your sry statement... I... identally left you out!"

    Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she wished she could disappear into the floor.

    All the employees'' sries had been set except for the chairman''s. She had just taken over the office and had already made a mistake. She was afraid that Carlisle would be angry about her mistake.

    Carlisle nced at his sry details. As CEO of Aurora Holdings, his annual sry was 1.2 million dors.

    "That much?"

    He didn''t care about the amount. As the founder and legal representative of severalpanies, he held most of the shares. Most of the year-end dividends eventually ended up in his ount.

    Felicia exined, "Since we don''t have a board of directors, we couldn''t list you as chairman. We''ve made you the CEO of Aurora Holdings. This sry statement is based on the annual sries of the CEOs of several publicly tradedpanies in Yorksle."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I don''t need a sry. Thepany''s running low on funds right now, so let''s save where we can," Carlisle decided, crumpling the sry sheet and tossing it into the trash.

    Gareth''s 200 million investment was originally meant for Dragonaire but had been transferred to Carlisle''s ount for his discretion. 100 million went to Xenos Factory, and the other 100 million was injected into Aurora Holdings.

    Dragonaire didn''t receive a single cent, but Aurora Holdings provided all the necessary funds.

    Shortly after Felicia left, Anthony arrived with a work badge.

    "Mr. Zahn, here''s your work badge. Windex Building''s management has announced that in three days, anyone without one won''t be allowed entry for security reasons."

    Carlisle examined his badge. It had Aurora Holdings in bold letters and his name. His employee number was 0001, and his position was as the CEO.

    The badge was an identification card with his details printed on it, and it had a purplenyard, which signified the highestpany position.

    Carlisle pocketed the badge and asked, "How many employees do we have now?"

    "Aurora Holdings has 35 employees. Alumni Network has 86. Dragonaire Game Company has 227. Xenos Factory has 398. Govan Technology Limited has 2050. Altogether, we have 2796 employees," Anthony replied without hesitation, having a thorough grasp of the employee numbers across all of Carlisle''spanies.

    Nearly 3000 employees worked at Govan Technology Limited, about 1600 of whom were production line workers. The rest were technical staff and management.

    "Let''s quickly finalize the department structures for allpanies and ensure we''re fully staffed," Carlisle directed.

 Chapter 492

    ?Chapter 492

    It was noon, and the office building was buzzing with people leaving for the day. A crowd had gathered at the 18th-floor elevator.

    "Who touched my butt? That''s gross!"

    "Watch where you''re stepping!"

    "Stop pushing! It''s annoying!"

    "This is ridiculous. I''m taking the stairs!"

    Tower A was home to Aurora Holdings, which had just 35 employees. The rest of the crowd came from otherpanies in the building. Everyone wore their new work badges from either Govan Technology Limited, Dragonaire Studio, or Alumni Network.

    "Pervert! Stop touching me!"

    A gorgeous woman in front of Carlisle turned around and red at the people behind her. Carlisle was right behind her, so it looked like she was staring at him.

    A few people nearby also looked in his direction.

    "It wasn''t me," Carlisle denied.

    The woman was very attractive. Almost immediately, a man stepped in to defend her.

    "You were right behind her. If not you, then who? You''re just a kid, yet you''re openly touching women? Who raised you?"

    The man wore a crisp white shirt and had slicked-back hair. He wore sunsses indoors and looked well-mannered. His badge identified him as Lincoln Ward, an assistant team leader at Dragonaire Studio. He was on probation.

    The woman was also a Dragonaire Studio employee, Millie Caghan. She was an intern concept artist and was also on probation.

    Carlisle locked eyes with Lincoln.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Are you delusional?"

    Millie turned to Lincoln for confirmation.

    "I saw it with both eyes. He touched her twice!" Lincoln imed after a moment of hesitation.

    The usation caused some of the women to shuffle away from Carlisle instinctively. They gave him looks of contempt and disgust.

    Carlisle might be a good-looking guy, but that didn''t give him a free pass to do whatever he wanted. Not every girl was a sucker for looks. Such behavior in public was disgusting.

    Millie''s eyes reddened as she red at Carlisle.

    "Whichpany are you from? I''m reporting you to your supervisor!"

    Carlisle ignored Millie''s threat and continued to re at Lincoln.

    "Adults should stand by their words. Can you stand by yours?"

    Lincoln looked around. He noticed the security cameras in every corner of the ceiling and immediately became nervous.

    "I-I..." he stammered.

    "What''s the matter? Can''t you back up your im? Or are you just trying to deflect me?" Carlisle''s voice was ice cold.

    The crowd sensed Lincoln''s hesitation and began to shift their suspicion to him.

    "He probably has plenty of admirers. He wouldn''t have to do something like this," said one. "Exactly! He''s being falsely used."

    "Let''s not jump to conclusions. We should check the security footage," suggested another.

    "Is this guy an employee? He looks too young to work here."

    "Maybe he''s somebody''s younger brother."

    Carlisle had never been to Dragonaire Studio before, and the new employees didn''t recognize him.

    Feeling the pressure from the crowd, Lincoln''s face flushed.

    "I''m not trying to deflect me! You''re just shooting in the dark!"

    As an assistant team leader, he had some authority in his team. His subordinates had been eager to please himtely, which inted his ego.

    Being questioned by people from other departments felt like a blow to his pride. He''d be aughing stock if word got back to his team.

    Trying to regain hisposure, Lincoln continued, "If it wasn''t you, then who was it? You were right behind Millie. You were in perfect position..."

    "There are cameras, right? Why not have your manager check the footage?" Carlisle looked at the security cameras again.

 Chapter 493

    ?

    The elevator doors opened. It was already packed to the brim as it descended. The people inside pushed the button to close the doors.

    As the elevator left, Millie took a deep breath.

    "Even though we''re not from the samepany, we all work for the same boss. We''re

    trained professionals in this office building. Let''s keep our hands to ourselves and not ruin thepany''s reputation."

    With that, she turned and waited for the next elevator. It was clear that she would not pursue the matter further.

    "Wow, that''s a lot of people..."

    Just then, Felicia and Anthony arrived. Theirnyards were colored red, indicating director- level positions. The crowd instinctively parted to make way for them.

    "Let''s form a line. We''ll line up, too."

    Felicia turned to Anthony.

    "Don''t the otherpanies coordinate with each other? Everyone leaving at the same time just wastes more time!"

    Anthony sighed.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Most of thepanies are willing to coordinate. It''s just a few that don''t want to adjust their schedules. I''ll talk to them again over the next few days."

    As the two talked, the crowd didn''t dare make a sound.

    "Mr. Zahn?"

    Felicia finally noticed Carlisle in the crowd.

    Anthony looked up and walked over to him after a pause.

    "Mr. Zahn, over eight thousand people are simultaneously going in and out of Windex Building. That''s why the elevator system is overwhelmed.

    "I''ve contacted the otherpanies, and we''re working on adjusting their schedules."

    Carlisle nodded.

    "If some of thepanies aren''t willing to reschedule, we can make the changes ourselves. We could move our start and end times back an hour or even two if necessary!"

    "Two hours might be too much. Most employees prefer to take the elevator, so the congestion really onlysts about an hour."

    Carlisle frowned at the revtion that it might take an hour.

    "In that case, I''ll take the stairs."

    He turned and headed for the stairwell, with Felicia following behind.

    The crowd at the elevator was stunned.

    The handsome young man was Carlisle Zahn, the head of Aurora Holdings. Lincoln''s face drained of color as he realized he had falsely used his boss.

    Millie was equally shocked. She was surprised at how young Carlisle was. She feared she might lose her job.

    Carlisle, however, had no intention of holding a grudge. If he had, he would have contacted their superiors by now. He had to have a broader perspective and more tolerance as a boss.

    The restaurants around Windex Building were booming with business. Their prices increased ordingly.

    A typical six-dor dish had gone up to eight dors. A nine-dor dish was now 12 dors, and a 12-dor special was now 16 dors. Freshly cooked dishes were generally over 20 dors.

    Carlisle ordered three main dishes and three side dishes. He even added a bowl of soup. The total came to one hundred dors.

    "The cost of living here is almost as high as Yorksle."

    Felicia sighed.

    Anthony chuckled.

    "The Windex building is full of professionals with high sries. The cost of living reflects that, of course. The vendors won''t pass up the opportunity!"

    Carlisle was also shocked. In his previous life, when he worked as an office worker from 2010 to 2015, fast food cost about ten dors.

    "We need our own cafeteria and dormitory for the staff. Without providing food and housing, we''re paying a lot of money every month for food and housing allowances. In the long run, that cost will exceed the cost of building our own facilities," Felicia suggested.

    Carlisle took a spoonful of his soup and nodded.

    "Find a suitable location nearby for a cafeteria and dormitory. We only have a one-year lease in Windex Building. We must earn enough within that year to build our own industrial

    park."

    Felicia and Anthony exchanged nces. They didn''t doubt Carlisle''s ambition.

    Even though the Govan phone hadn''t been produced yet, and game development at Dragonaire Studio had just begun, the potential of Alumni Network was obvious. Its sess seemed inevitable despite not having beenunched yet.

 Chapter 494

    ?

    It was the evening at Dragonaire Studio.

    Owen, shirtless, was in the middle of a card game with his colleagues. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he cocked his head at an angle. The table was littered with ten-dor bills. The stakes had been raised to about four hundred dors.

    "Let''s see them," Sunny said.

    He tossed ten dors into the pile and turned over his three cards. They were all in the same suit three kings.

    "Damn. That''s a hit."

    Sunny immediately regretted his bold move. If only he had checked his cards first.

    But knowing Owen, he probably would have gone all in blindly. With Owen''s annual sry of over 200 thousand dors, Sunny felt that now was the perfect time to rob him clean.

    "Owen''s done for!"

    "It''s good that Sunny didn''t peek at his cards, or Owen would be down to his boxers!"

    Everyone gave Owen pitiful looks.

    Owen grinned.

    "Don''t count me out just yet. What if I have an ace up my sleeve?"

    He gathered his cards into a pile and revealed a pair of hearts as the first card.

    Slowly, he slid the first card away, revealing a red three underneath.

    "Round, round, round..." he sang, hoping for a heart.

    When the corner of another heart appeared, Owen beamed.

    "Not so fast, Sunny. You haven''t won yet."

    He began to reveal the third card.

    "Spiky, spiky, spiky..."

    "Oh crap, it''s pointy..."

    And indeed, the tip of a red ace appeared. Sunny leaned in.

    "Could be a four, you know?"

    Owen revealed a bit more of the card, showing that the tip was slightly askew.

    "Just as I thought, a four. Even a straight can''t save you now!"

    Sunny burst outughing.

    Owen blinked.

    "But what if it''s a straight flush?"

    The smile disappeared from Sunny''s face. A third red card-if it were a heart-would be a straight flush, trumping Sunny''s three kings.

    "Be round, be round," Owen continued as he revealed the third card.

    The others joined in the chant. But the third card turned out to be from the diamond suit.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Owen covered his cards.

    "Damn it!"

    "I win! Mr. Barlow, you''re a CEO now. Watch yournguage. We''ve got a reputation to uphold," Sunny teased as he collected all the money.

    Owen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and sighed.

    "Sunny, I''m as stiff as a board back at headquarters. Ie here to rx, and yet you''re still on my case."

    Sunny looked surprised and offered an awkward smile.

    "My bad. Rx. You''re home now. Let''s keep going."

    Just then, there was a knock at the door. A night worker opened it.

    At the sight of Carlisle, he stammered, "C-Carl... I mean... Mr. Zahn..."

    "Just Carl is fine, I don''t mind."

    Carlisle waved him off with a smile.

    The worker grinned.

    "Carl..."

    Carlisle nodded and entered the living room. Everyone stood to greet him.

    Owen struggled to put on his shirt and fix his hair. Carlisle''s presence was more imposing than ever. He felt like he was standing before a schoolteacher.

 Chapter 495

    ?Chapter 495

    Carlisle looked at the cards on the table and asked, "Why the small stakes?"

    "Only Heath ys high stakes. We keep it small, just for fun!"

    Owenughed awkwardly.

    Carlisle nodded in agreement. Thest time Heath dragged him into a game, he lost a few

    thousand dors. He agreed that small bets were fine for entertainment, but high stakes

    were harmful. The best option was not to gamble at all.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What brings you here, Carl?" Owen inquired cautiously.

    "I''m here for some pictures."

    Leon''s photos from then had been delivered to Owen. Carlisle decided to take them to his apartment so he could look at them whenever he wanted.

    Owen pointed to the room Carlisle had used earlier.

    "They''re on your bed. No one dares enter your room without your permission."

    Carlisle entered the room and turned on the light. A suitcase filled with cash and a thick photo album was on the bed.

    After a moment, he opened the first page. It was a picture of him and Wanda looking deep into each other''s eyes in front of Leon''s bridal shop.

    A smile crept across Carlisle''s face as he turned to the next page. It was a photo of the two of them embracing.

    "Wanda... Where are you?"

    Carlisle traced her image as his eyes watered. Work kept his mind upied, but the moment he stopped, Wanda filled his thoughts.

    He flipped through the album as memories of Yearning Ind flooded his mind.

    He remembered being chased by a group of elderly people, the giant cotton candy, making wishes with a skyntern, and sharing snacks on a stone bench under a streetmp. More importantly, he remembered the scene where he stole a kiss from Wanda, her eyes wide with surprise.

    There were about 50 photographs. Each one was clear and beautifullyposed, and each one was wallpaper-worthy. After looking at them three times, Carlisle reluctantly closed the album and took it with him back to Willow Grove.

    Once home, he received a call from Daniel.

    "Carl, we took care of Zadie!"

    "Did it go smoothly?"

    "Very smoothly. Thanks to Wade, they solved it without any problems."

    "That''s good to hear."

    Three days flew by. Carlisle hadn''t been to the office but waspletely immersed in his studies. Gareth had dragged him out for drinks a few times, but they avoided bars, opting instead for Wondend Steakhouse.

    Carlisle had invited Gareth to a bar for a drink the night before, but Gareth had declined. Carlisle suspected that Gareth was on a tight budget and didn''t want to appear cheap.

    After ying basketball with his ssmates, Carlisle took a break on the grass while sipping his Coke. Coincidentally, Sarah''s ss also had gym ss. After ying badminton, she also went over to rest.

    "Sarah, are you going to the Alumni Networkunch event tonight? I''ve got three invitations -here''s one for you!"

    "Not interested," Sarah replied without hesitation.

    She was in a terrible mood as Sienna''s trial run of SchrLoan had been reported and shut down within a week.

 Chapter 496

    ?Chapter 496

    Sienna suspected that a client named Zadie was behind the report. Sarah wanted revenge, but Zadie had Wade to back her up.

    Wade was a former general under the now-absent Heath. Even though Heath wasn''t

    around, Wade and his men were not to be messed with. Even someone like Alex wouldn''t provoke Wade.

    The only option would be to involve Jalen, but with his recent standoff with Titan, no one wanted to stir up trouble with a third party at such a critical time.

    "Be, are you going?"

    "Of course! You will receive a box of premium coffee for attending the event. It only costs two dors to take the bus there and back. It''s a total win!" Be replied.

    "I was thinking the same thing. Let''s go after school!"

    "Sure. Wait for me after ss."

    Sarah looked at her disdainfully.

    "It''s only one box of coffee. I''ll get you two boxes if youe over and watch TV with me tonight."

    "Really? Sarah, you''re the best!"

    Be''s eyes lit up.

    The bell rang, signaling the end of sses.

    Just then, Daniel came running from the field.

    "Carl..."

    Sarah froze before turning her head. She spotted Carlisle in his jersey and frowned.

    "Let''s go back to ss. Seeing him ruins my mood."

    Sarah''s friends nodded and followed her into the building.

    Carlisle finished his Coke and looked up at the panting Daniel.

    "Carl, is the server room ready?"

    "Not yet. It''s still being renovated, and we''re still negotiating the server prices," Carlisle replied.

    Daniel handed him an invitation.

    "Then how do you exin this?"

    Carlisle scanned the invitation.

    "Dear student, we cordially invite you to the uing Alumni Networkunch event. We''ll introduce you to our new college social tform, designed with a user-friendly interface, powerful features, and rich content. At theunch, we will demonstrate the site''s features and answer any questions you may have about Alumni Network. You''ll also have the opportunity to discuss and share feedback with our team."Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    The event was scheduled for November 7th at 8:00 pm at Rivend Convention Center. It even stated that attendees could im a box of premium coffee after the event with their invitation. Finally, there was Alumni Network''s tagline, "Real connections, remarkable experiences."

    Carlisle was confused. It was November 7th, and he hadn''t heard anything about it. He tried to call Sean, but his phone was off. Carlisle figured that he was probably in ss.

    Then, he called Felicia.

    "Mr. Zahn..." Felicia began nervously.

    Carlisle got right to the point.

    "Is the Alumni Network server ready?"

    Swallowing hard, Felicia replied, "The vendor sent over two servers for testing. They can handle the initial load of a hundred thousand users. Mr. Woodsen was so eager to have theunch that he even used his own money to buy two thousand bottles of coffee for the attendees.

    "He was afraid of your reaction, so he told me to keep it a secret from you. I figured since this was his first big decision, I shouldn''t discourage him. So, I kept it from you."

    Carlisle''s mouth twitched in annoyance. At that moment, he thought Sean was an idiot. Two thousand bottles of coffee would cost over 40 thousand, even at wholesale prices.

    Besides Carlisle''s million, Sean didn''t have that kind of money. "Mr. Zahn, you''re not mad, are you?" Felicia asked cautiously.

 Chapter 497

    ?Chapter 497

    After a moment of silence, Carlisle smiled and said, "I wouldn''t say that I''m angry. Alumni Network is his responsibility, so he should handle it himself."

    As Felicia mentioned, Sean rarely made any major decisions on his own. As such, Carlisle should not discourage his enthusiasm by offering any opinions. Sean must have thought it through carefully if he chose to make such a decision.

    Nothing came without sacrifice. The press conference was the first step in promoting the product. The next step was to trudge ahead.

    At 8:00 pm in Rivend Convention Center, many students from various universities gathered around booth No. 6.

    Rivend had nine undergraduate universities and 12 vocational colleges. Approximately 2000 invitations were sent out via Alumni Network. On average, each school received a hundred invitations.

    Another 20 invitations were sent to journalists from various media outlets. The Rivend News Observation team under Rivend TV Station came too.

    Even the teachers and the principal of University of Science and Technology attended the event. They naturally came to support their students who started a business. If thepany grew to be sessful, it would also be a source of pride for the school.

    Glory Textile Factory was located in Rainville. It was more of a workshop than a factory, with an entire work area of about 300 square feet.

    That day, Rory and his wife shut down the machines early. They even treated their employees to some snacks. Had they not been employed for a long time, the employees would have thought it was Rory or his wife''s birthday.

    At that moment, everyone was seated as they paid attention to an old, broken ck-and- white TV. Rivend TV was currently ying amercial.

    One of the employees couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Woodsen, is there a special program today?

    Rory chuckled and said, "You''ll know soon enough!"

    His wife, Sharyl Langley, extended her hand, which was wrinkled from excessive dye.

    She grabbed a handful of peanuts and said as she ate them, "The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. You shouldn''t get your hopes up."

    Rory red at her.

    "Can''t you be a little more optimistic? Kids need encouragement, not criticism," he retorted.

    Displeased, she threw the peanuts onto the floor and replied angrily, "You gave him 30 thousand dors! All our work for the past six months would be for nothing if he deceived you.

    "You even asked everyone in the vige to watch their TVs tonight. Let''s see how you''ll salvage the situation if our son doesn''t appear on TV!"

    "Hey, what are you two arguing about?"

    Gordon walked in with Hilda. As soon as they reached the door, they saw Rory and his wife in the middle of a heated argument.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Rory smiled as he weed them.

    "Gordon, you''re here. Here, have a seat and some beer..."

    Sharyl reigned in her anger. Arguing in front of their employees was normal, but doing it in front of outsiders was somewhat embarrassing.

    She stood up and said, "Why don''t you two have a seat? I''ll get you some drinks."

    Helena Zander had also entered with Gordon and his wife. Rory had invited Helena over the phone.

    His son had started a business and held a press conference that night. He even invited reporters from Rivend TV for live coverage. Rory felt that such an impressive moment had to be shared with everyone.

    He had also invited a few old friends besides Gordon, Hilda, and Helena.

    Shortly after Gordon and his wife sat, Rory''s old friends arrived one after another. The small room was soon filled with over 20 people.

    Sharyl added more snacks and drinks.

    At 8:10 pm, Rivend Insight finally aired.

    "News without boundaries. Current affairs at your fingertips. Keep up with the times.

    "Wee to Rivend Insight''s live broadcast. I''m your host, Han Reynolds. Today, we will be discussing the current hot topics in Rivend..."

    Just as the host finished his introduction, the TV screen flickered violently. "Rory, you''re a boss, yet you''re still so cheap. Isn''t it time to get a color TV?" Gordon teased.

 Chapter 498

    ?Chapter 498

    Hilda chimed in as she snacked on her peanuts, "He''s right. You make tens of thousands of dors a year.

    "If you''re being so frugal, what are we, the poor, supposed to do?"

    Rory scratched his head awkwardly.

    "It must be the wind. It probably knocked the antenna out of ce.

    "I''ll go check it out. Stay seated, you guys!"

    He hurried out once he was done speaking.

    The workshop was in a rented single-story house located in an urban vige. Every household had a ck-and-white TV with an antenna outside.

    The TV''s reception would be severely affected whenever there was wind or rain.

    After Rory left the room, Sharyl couldn''t help but say, "Hilda, how could you call yourself poor? The convenience store the both of you opened recently must have cost tens of thousands of dors!"

    Hilda rolled her eyes.

    "It''s not as if you are unaware of our financial circumstances. We borrowed money from you for Carl''s tuition two years ago."

    Sharyl asked, puzzled, "Then where did you get the money to open the convenience store? Was it from Gordon''s severance pay?"

    Hilda couldn''t hold back herughter.

    She then looked at Gordon and said, "Severance pay... Does he look that important?"

    Gordon''s lips twitched. He stepped on Hilda''s foot in retaliation. He wondered why she couldn''t spare him the shame while they were out.

    The TV buzzed as it returned to the TV program.

    "Next, we will contact our on-site reporter to check out the socialworking tform this young 18-year-old university student willunch..."

    At Rivend Convention Center, Alumni Network''s product manager was on stage warming up the audience.

    He exined Facebook and analyzed why it had be so popr among universities abroad. Behind him, a projector disyed Facebook''s interface and various features on a

    screen.

    Sean was adjusting his outfit below the stage. He wore a loose gray suit jacket with pants that were a tad too long for him that day. Half of his white shirt was tucked while the other remained untucked.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    He looked somewhatical.

    Sean smiled as he looked at Lily, who was rather weak.

    He then asked as he slicked back his hair, "Lily, do I look like a domineering CEO?"

    Their rtionship had mended after Lily had been cared for attentively over the past few days.

    Lily couldn''t help but chuckle, "Do you want the truth or a lie?"

    Sean immediately lost interest.

    "Neither sounds good, so I don''t want to hear it!"

    Gillian frowned and asked, "Squirt, did you pick this outfit yourself?"

    "Don''t call me Squirt. My name is Sean! This outfit cost me 600 dors."

    Sean scratched his head in frustration as he looked at himself in the mirror.

    "Why do I feel like this jacket is a little too big?"

    Gillian snickered.

    "You have bad taste. Do guys never try on clothes when buying them?"

    She suspected his suit could easily fit her 180-pound father.

    Lily chimed in, "Just take off the jacket. The white shirt looks fine on its own."

    Since Lily said so, Sean reluctantly took off the jacket and tucked his shirt fully into his pants. However, the white shirt was still quite loose. Lily still thought it looked rather awkward no matter how she looked at it.

    She sighed and said, "Take me with you the next time you go clothes shopping. I might not know much about suits, but I do have an eye for style."

    Sean blushed at Lily''sment.

    To ease the awkwardness, he smiled and exined himself, "Darling, you may say that I suck at buying clothes, but you can''t say Ick an eye for aesthetics. Otherwise, how could I

    be so smitten with you?"

    Gillian''s lips twitched.

    "How shameless... The two of you aren''t married, yet you both flirt like husband and wife."

    Lily shot Sean a re as she blushed furiously. However, she felt warm inside. She finally understood the feeling Wanda described when dating Carlisle.

    Lily''s eyes dimmed slightly upon thinking of Wanda.

    She couldn''t help but wonder about Wanda''s whereabouts.

    "Mr. Woodsen..."

    Alumni Network''s publicity director walked over. Sean immediately tensed up.

    "Is it my turn to go on stage?"

    The publicity director smiled and shook his head.

    "Mr. Zahn is here..."

 Chapter 499

    ?Chapter 499

    "You know that''s Mr. Zahn. So why didn''t you bring him over?"

    Sean instantly couldn''t bear the sight of the publicity director.

    Carlisle had arrived, yet the publicity director approached Sean to report to him instead of greeting him. Sean wondered if the publicity director understood his priorities. He

    questioned if his years of working experience had taught him anything.

    The publicity director quickly exined himself.

    "Mr. Zahn and the others arrived without notifying anyone beforehand. They were standing at the end of the convention center.

    "It seemed they wanted to join this press conference as an audience member. I saw them, so I came over to inform you."

    Sean looked less irritated upon hearing that.

    "How many people are standing in the audience?"

    "About a hundred or two."

    "Go borrow some chairs from the booths."

    "Alright, Mr. Woodsen!" replied the publicity director. He then turned and left.

    Sean turned to look at the audience. The final row was too dark, so he couldn''t see Carlisle and the others.

    Meanwhile, the product manager on stage was about to wrap up.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Other countries have social media tforms for their universities. Our country should have the same.

    "Now put your hands together for the CEO of Alumni Network, Mr. Sean Woodsen. He''ll be introducing our soon-to-beunched university SNS tform-Alumni Network."

    When the product manager finished his closing remarks, a fierce round of apuse erupted. After all, the audience was still waiting to receive their box of premium coffee.

    If they weren''t proactive, they would miss out on grabbing themselves some, which would be a huge loss.

    Sean steadied his nerves and walked toward the stage.

    The product manager handed Sean the microphone. The moment the thousands of students saw Sean, chatter erupted.

    "Holy shit. He''s so young."

    "Wow, isn''t that Sean from our ss?"

    Someone in the audience chuckled and replied, "That guy is from our dorm. Impressive, right? So, will you agree to be my girlfriend now?"

    "You''re nuts..."

    "Do you see him? That''s my student. I knew he was extraordinary the moment he stepped into my ssroom!" eximed a teacher in the audience.

    "Yeah, I see him."

    Someone else chimed, "He''s younger than me. Why is he better than me?"

    "If you had an awesome dad, you could be a president at his age, too!"

    "Mr. Woodsen''s taste in clothing is rather indescribable,"mented another.

    Felicia crossed her arms. She could barely suppress her smile.

    Perhaps she was used to being in argepany. Thus, she naturallypared Sean with the CEOs of otherrgepanies.

    Anthony smiled and said, "I''ll have someone order some workwear from Islo Clothing tomorrow."

    Felicia chimed in softly, "Islo Clothing isn''t cheap. I think it''s fine if you order the clothes from a smaller clothing brand."

    Thepany had just started out and required a lot of capital in multiple areas, especially Xenos and Govan. Thosepanies were a money pit.

    Saidpanies didn''t usually require a lot of capital. But when the need arose, it would start in the eight-figure range.

    Although Aurora Holdings had a billion dors in thepany ount, the amount definitely wouldn''tst long. As Director of ounting, it was her responsibility to control costs.

    Anthony nodded and said, "I''m nning to have uniforms custom-made for the CEO and Mr. Zahn at Islo Clothing. After all, they represent thepany. They need to maintain a good personal image when attending business events in the future."

    Just then, a group of staff members arrived with chairs. Anthony dragged a chair over for Carlisle to sit on.

 Chapter 500

    ?Chapter 500

    At Glory Textile Factory,ughter was heard.

    "Do you see that? That''s my son."

    Rory stood up from the excitement upon seeing Sean on stage.

    Sharyl covered her mouth in surprise. She was teary-eyed.

    Sean really was on TV. Her boy was all grown up now.

    "Rory, your son has just started his studies, yet he has started a business. He shouldn''t neglect his education!" one of Rory''s long-time business associates said worriedly.

    The others nodded in agreement.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "That''s right, Rory. Sean should prioritize his studies at this age. He wasn''t parented properly..."

    "Call him quickly. Tell him to stop and focus on his studies. It isn''t toote to start his business after he has graduated!" eximed another.

    Several suppliers who had a good rtionship with them chimed in. They felt rather envious.

    Their sons not only had poor grades, but they also refused to learn the trade. Instead, their sons spent all day either at inte cafes or arcades.

    They wondered how such a big difference could be between their sons and Rory''s son. They thought that perhaps Rory''s family had some incredible luck.

    Sharyl was swayed by their words. She took out her phone, ready to call her son.

    Rory grabbed Sharyl''s hand and asked coldly, "What are you doing?"

    She replied, "They''re right. Sean should be focusing on his studies at this age. We''re not so old that we can''t work anymore.

    "We can still earn a living. Do we need to rely on him financially?"

    Rory furrowed his brows. He was torn.

    He wanted his son to be sessful and independent, but he also didn''t want him to neglect his studies.

    However, running a business meant being constantly busy. He wondered how Sean could possibly focus on his studies.

    "Gordon, isn''t your son also carrying out a business? Aren''t you worried he''ll neglect his studies?" asked Sharyl upon being stopped by her husband.

    She turned to Gordon, hoping he could help persuade Rory.

    Gordon smiled and said, "Sharyl, I think we''re worrying too much. Studying requires

    brains, and so does running a business. The kids have their own ideas and must have thought them through.

    "Remember how Sean and Carlisle used to spend all their time online, and we thought they were academically hopeless?"

    Sharyl hesitated for a moment. She then looked at Hilda.

    She and Rory hadn''t received much education, but Gordon and Hilda had both attended high school. In the 80s, high school graduates were considered intellectuals.

    Gordon would naturally side with Rory, so she wanted Hilda''s opinion.

    Hilda hesitated for a moment.

    She then smiled and said, "Gordon and I used to share your sentiment. However, we eventually understood that kids can only get into college if they work hard. It was not due to our strict management of them.

    "Let''s look at it from another angle. If he didn''t get into university, wouldn''t he be learning the trade from you or spending money on a vocational school and then finding a high- paying job?

    "Kids

    path."

    grow up eventually. I think we should support them as long as they are on the right

    Hilda had recentlye to realize those thoughts. A weight had been lifted off her chest when her son entered university.

    Her son could choose his own path in the future as long as it was the right one.

    As she munched on her peanuts, Helena remarked enviously, "You should be content. My boy didn''t even get into high school. He dropped out halfway through vocational school and ran away!"

    Sharyl felt much better when she heard that.

    She red at Rory and said, "Move. Don''t block my view of our son."

    "Alright," Rory grumbled as he stepped aside.

    Sean was speaking confidently on TV. Behind him, the screen disyed animated visuals of Alumni Network in sync with his speech.

    "Today, I''m introducing a product ourpany has meticulously crafted for college

    students a social tform called Alumni Network!

    "Alumni Network provides a safe, convenient, and fun space for you to share your life, studies, and entertainment.

    "On Alumni Network, you can create your personal homepage to showcase your talents. You can upload photos, post updates, and share videos. This will help more students to get to know you.

    "At the same time, you can follow people you''re interested in and stay updated on theirtest activities."

 Chapter 501

    ?Chapter 501

    "The Alumni Network has set up a ''Top Student'' section where you can seek help from other top-ranking students. The section is divided into different courses, and registered users can join ording to the subjects they''re taking.

    "These will contain abundant learning resources from top students from their respective courses. You''ll be able to find all kinds of learning resources, exam information, supplementary sses, and many other things to help you study even better!"

    Sean stood beside the screen and watched as students from various courses gave detailed exnations on how to solve the various difficult questions. The audience was equally engrossed.

    Carlisle rubbed his chin and murmured, "I had no idea that a Course Section was added to the Alumni Network."

    Anthony smiled and said, "Mr. Woodsen probably had a stroke of inspiration and added it in. I do think that it''s a little redundant. It would be more efficient for them to post on the main page and tag the corresponding course to indicate the one they need answers from!" Felicia had a different opinion. "I think it''s a good idea to have a section like that. That way, students who may be a little socially anxious or don''t like interacting with others can find the answers they need in themunity rted to their course!"

    "Sean''s idea is a good one." Carlisle agreed with Felicia. "When the number of users increases, having all kinds of posts asking for help on the main page will only affect the overall user experience. This section will categorize students'' posts ording to their course!"

    The Alumni Network wasn''t just a tform for learning.

    It also focused on socializing, entertainment, and sharing.

    After all, most people surfed the Inte in their spare time, and only a small portion of students would use it for research.

    Anthony nodded in approval after hearing what Carlisle had to say.

    "I am a top student, but why should I share the fruits of my learning? If I had that free time, wouldn''t it be better for me to study and gain more knowledge?" a student suddenly asked.

    He drew everyone''s attention at once.

    Carlisle turned and frowned slightly.

    The student who had raised the question wore sses and had a buzz cut. He looked rather thin and weak and was average-looking. It was the kind of face that would get lost in a crowd.

    "Damn, I thought the top students were all very humble. If he''s a top student, I''ll eat my hat.

    ||

    "Ahem, that student was the top scorer in physics and mathematics in 2002 for Eastvale. He''s currently studying at Eastvale University, and he''s the president of the student union."

    Eastvale was Cascade State''s capital, and Eastvale University was one of the top universities in the country.

    Sean smiled and said, "That''s why we''ve set up a point umtion system. Whenever you help someone solve a problem, you can gain points. We''ve also set up a function for those who answer questions to receive "likes" from users.

    "Users who give reviews on these answers can also umte points, which can be used for lucky draws to get prizes. In the future, we''ll also have an online mall where users can exchange their points for school supplies!"

    The Eastvale top student did not seem impressed. "It''s not like school supplies cost much. Who would care about that?"

    Damn!

    Well, no one cared whether he would use the website.

    It wasn''t as if the Alumni Network would cease to operate without him as a user.

    Sean almost threw the microphone at him, but he controlled his temper and maintained a calm smile. He sounded a little inexperienced as he said, "Alumni Network is just a free tform that''s only open to current college students.

    "What you''ve said is reasonable, and we do take feedback from our users seriously. If you would like to earn money, we can also set up a function where you can receive a fee by answering questions. However, I''d like to ask the other students if they have an opinion on that."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Carlisle''s brow furrowed.

    Sean was clearly provoking dissent among the crowd!

    Although he had vented his annoyance, this was theunch of the Alumni Network.

    He shouldn''t have offended future users at this event, especially when his opponent was an influential top student representing Eastvale University.

    Besides, the moment the top student voiced his doubts, Carlisle had sensed something was off.

    He suspected that the top student had an ulterior motive.

    "Are you crazy about money? Is that how top students are? Share if you want to, but you should be a tutor if you just want to earn money. Are you here to try and validate your existence?"

 Chapter 502

    ?Chapter 502

    "That''s right! You''re acting as if you''re the only top student here. You''re just finding fault with this on purpose because Sean is younger than you but has already established his ownpany. You feel like he''s more aplished than you are!"

    "Fuck, what are you guys bbering on about? If you want to get things for free, be open about it!"

    "That''s right! Only beggars would want something for free. What''s so good about this website, anyway? Isn''t it just a duplicate of Facebook? I could do it with my eyes closed!" Several Eastvale University students stood up to support the top student.

    "A beggar? How much money does your family make? How many of us can say that our families are farmers?"

    "So what if it''s a copy? There are so many knock-off products in the country. Why don''t you go and make a fuss about those?"

    The venue rapidly descended into chaos.

    Several students stood up and began arguing. It looked as if they were about to start a physical fight.

    Sean was stunned.

    He had been trying to teach the top student a lesson, but he had never expected things to progress in this manner.

    The executives of the Alumni Network were equally at a loss. They looked very anxious.

    The venue could hold two thousand people. If anything happened, the Alumni Network''sunch would have to be aborted.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The security of the venue had already started trying to control the situation.

    At Glory Textile Factory, the live broadcast on the television had cut.

    The host looked awkward as he said, "There''s been a bit of a disturbance at the Alumni Network press conference. For now, we''ll be showing you somemercials."

    Rory and Sharyl looked pale.

    There were tears of anxiety in Sharyl''s eyes. "Oh no, oh no! Sean''s press conference won''t be able to go on!"

    Rory gritted his teeth. "Damn that top student! He was obviously there to cause trouble. He just can''t bear seeing someone more aplished than he is!"

    Gordon said heavily, "Doing business isn''t easy. Sean is still too young and inexperienced.

    He shouldn''t be provoked with just a few words from that student!"

    Anyone could tell that Sean had been trying to stir up feelings of hostility and hatred toward the top student.

    At Genius Apartments in the heart of Rivend''s city center, Sarah and a few of her friends were gathered in room 808, a luxurious suite. They were watching television together. It was a color television that was 24 inches wide.

    The coffee table was covered with various snacks, desserts, and expensive liquor.

    Sienna''s face was red from drinking. She giggled as she hugged a bottle of wine to herself. "I bet Carlisle is furious right now!"

    Sarah crossed her legs as she held a wine ss in her hand. Her lips curved slightly. "He''s no match for me!"

    Sienna stopped smiling and said, "I have to say, Alumni Network does sound pretty good. Carlisle must have a good head for business if he can make a website like that!"

    Sarah said carelessly, "It''s just a knock-off. It''s not as if he came up with it on his own. When our loanpany starts earning money, we can also imitate things from overseas and make knock-offs!"

    Sienna looked depressed as she said, "My SchrLoan has been seized, and I got a hefty fine. Now I don''t have any money at all. I''ve already tried this out for you, and this method doesn''t work. You''ve got to change the rules of that loanpany of yours!"

    Opposite them, Ruby took a huge gulp of wine and looked scornfully at Sarah as she said, " Sarah, you are too naive!"

 Chapter 503

    ?Chapter 503 "I''m naive?"

    "Am I wrong?"Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sarah looked at Ruby in confusion. She was a little annoyed.

    She was Ruby''s future sister-inw, after all. Didn''t she deserve a little respect?

    Couldn''t Ruby see that they were surrounded by Sarah''s friends?

    Ruby noticed the look in Sarah''s eyes. Sarah was just a small-town nobody, but she was bing more arrogant aftering into some money.

    Did she really think she was the Gust family''s future daughter-inw?

    Whether she could marry into the Gust family was beside the point. Even if she did marry Austin, she would never have more authority than Ruby.

    "Do you know why Carlisle wasn''t the one to stand in front of the crowd at the Alumni Network press conference?" Ruby asked, still disregarding Sarah.

    "Of course I do. He likes to keep a low profile and has been like that since high school. He doesn''t want to draw too much attention to himself." Sarah was full of confidence as she spoke as if she knew everything.

    She sneered. "He has no idea how foolish that is. They invited reporters from the broadcasting stations for this press conference. If he had grabbed the opportunity to get exposure on television, he would definitely be able to attract the attention of several investors!"

    Sienna immediately nodded in agreement. "What Sarah said makes sense! Carlisle is the kind of person who keeps a low profile. He was like that in high school, and he''s exactly the same now that we''re in university!"

    Ruby looked at the two of them with pity.

    She had met idiots before, but never anyone as idiotic as the two of them.

    They proved that birds of a feather did flock together.

    Sienna said curiously, "What are youughing at, Ruby?"

    Ruby nced at them and said impassively, "There are fourpanies on the 18th floor of Windex Building. Thesepanies are Alumni Network, Dragonaire Studio, Gowan Technology, and Aurora Holdings.

    "Sean is the CEO of Alumni Network and Owen is the CEO of Dragonaire Studio. The CEO of Govan Technology is called Logan, and all three of thesepanies are managed by Aurora Holdings, which is managed by Carlisle.

    "That means that Carlisle just wants to be the boss behind the scenes. He won''t care that you messed up Alumni Network''s press conference because you pose no threat to the

    foundations of Aurora Holdings!"

    At her words, Sarah and Sienna fell into silence for a while.

    Theirpany was on the 19th floor.

    They knew Carlisle had started a business on the 18th floor, and they had bits and pieces of information about what was going on there.

    Within the short space of a month, Carlisle had started from nothing and now had fourpanies.

    Sarah had tossed and turned for nights because of that.

    She did not want Carlisle to be doing better than she was and hated that he was better at making money.

    Sienna saw that Sarah was silent, so she hastily saidfortingly, "Sarah, don''t overthink it. Their Alumni Network press conference is ruined, and that website will just be a joke among all the universities. That gamingpany of theirs won''t be able to achieve anything, either.

    "Think about it. Computers aren''t even amon household product. There aren''t that many people who y games. As for that Govan Technologypany, I heard they''re making phones. Only someone insane would choose to make phones, right?"

    "You''re so ignorant." Ruby looked at Sienna as if she was an idiot.

    Sienna looked irritated. "Why are you calling me ignorant? I heard that your father invested in phones and ended up losing his entire investment!"

    Ruby did not protest at the mention of the phone industry. She only said, "Alumni Network isn''t going to be destroyed, and the press conference will conclude well. As for Dragonaire Studio, that''s thepany that Gareth invested 200 million in, but you talk about it as if it were worth nothing!"

    "2-200 million?" Sienna''s eyes were bulging out of their sockets.

    Sarah frowned slightly. "Where did you hear about that?"

    Ruby said impassively, "Last week, there was a contract-signing cocktail party at Imperial Hotel which rocked Rivend.

    "Carlisle attended as the representative of Dragonaire Studio, while the other party was Gareth. Even Sheldon and executives from the Department of Culture and Tourism were in attendance. My father and brother went as well!"

    Sienna was confused, while Sarah was stunned.

    Carlisle had managed to get 200 million in investment funds?

    Sarah felt her heart wrench painfully, and her lips trembled as she said, "No... Carlisle must

    be lying to Gareth. He must be deceiving Gareth through multilevel marketing. I... I''m going

    to call the police..."

    She pulled out her phone, her hand trembling.

    Not even Austin had ever done business worth 200 million.

    How could Carlisle?

    There must be something wrong.

    If she called the police, Carlisle''s reputation would be ruined, and he would have to return

    the 200 million!

    He would be bankrupt, and the university would expel him.

    Besides, he was now legally an adult and could go to jail.

 Chapter 504

    ?Chapter 504

    There was a crazed look in Sarah''s eyes, and her hands trembled as she dialed the numbers.

    Ruby shook her head and said, "You''re hopeless."

    Seeing that Sarah was about to make the call, Sienna grabbed her wrist at once. "Sarah, calm down! If Sheldon attended the contract-signing ceremony, how could there be any deception involved? No matter how bold Carlisle is, he wouldn''t deceive the governor, would he?"

    Sarah''s eyes reddened, and her hand drooped slowly, still holding the phone.

    Carlisle had really gotten 200 million in investment funds.

    Sarah said in a daze, "Why? Why does he always have such good luck?"

    Ruby''s gaze swept over Sarah, and she pondered the matter deeply.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Was Carlisle really just lucky?

    Wasn''t it because he was very aplished?

    There must be a reason that Wanda liked him.

    At the press conference, there were several upperssmen from Eastvale University who were threatening to beat Sean up.

    The security and staff from Alumni Network formed a human wall to hold the

    troublemaking students at bay outside.

    Seeing that the event had descended into chaos, Carlisle finally could not resist it any longer.

    He stood up.

    However, at that moment, all the lights in the exhibition hall turned on.

    The hall was immediately filled with light, and it was as bright as day.

    Severalw enforcement officers in uniform came in from outside.

    Gabriel was in the lead and yelled loudly, "What are all of you doing? Sit down at once!"

    His deep, booming voice was filled with threatening authority.

    Silence fell at once.

    The troublemaking students had epted a thousand dors for their trouble, and they knew they were in the wrong. They were afraid they would be exposed, and it would affect their studies, so they dispersed like rats fleeing from the scene. The other students all sat back down.

    Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief at the sight and slowly sat in his seat.

    Even Gabriel hade.

    Surely Sean wasn''t important enough to get Gabriel toe personally...

    Carlisle thought of Mnie.

    He looked around, and sure enough, he spotted her in a seat nearby.

    Good turns always deserved another.

    Although, on second thought, Mnie didn''t know that Alumni Network belonged to Carlisle!

    As Carlisle sat there in confusion, another group of people came in.

    They were even more intimidating.

    Among them was n, who was in in clothes, and Sheldon.

    Gareth walked beside them.

    It was Gareth!

    Carlisle smiled slightly.

    Gareth had managed to get Sheldon toe and support the event.

    Sheldon often appeared in the Rivend Evening News and on television.

    Many of the students present recognized him, but Sean did not. He was still sunk in regret and was ming himself.

    Gillian and Lily had gone over to Sean in the chaos.

    Gillian stepped hard on his foot. "Snap out of it! The governor''s here!"

    Sean gasped, and his eyes widened. He was immediately tongue-tied. "T-the governor?"

 Chapter 505

    ?Chapter 505 Damn...

    Sean felt his legs go weak, and he almost bit his tongue.

    Sheldon was the main person in charge of Rivend City.

    Sean had never seen the county mayor before, but now he had a chance to meet the governor, Sheldon!

    Had hee to attend the press conference?

    Would he be disappointed at finding the press conference in this state?

    Carlisle would also be disappointed, wouldn''t he?

    "Sean, why are you in a daze?" Lily tugged on his sleeve.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sean finally jolted back to his senses and immediately hurried over to meet Sheldon with a few of his executives in tow.

    The reporters from various media outlets surged forward as well.

    Sheldon looked sideways at Gareth and smiled. "This press conference doesn''t seem to be going very smoothly!"

    He was interested when Gareth told him about the Alumni Network. It was established by a university student and was a social tform for university students to discuss their studies and socialize. That was why he wanted to take a look after work.

    He had learned about Facebook, and if Alumni Network had been made with Facebook in mind, it was sure to be explosively popr in all the universities.

    That was why Sheldon felt it was apany with a lot of potential, andpanies like that would raise the region''s ie and increase Rivend''s GDP. He was very supportive of suchpanies.

    Additionally, Gareth was the grandson of Sheldon''s mentor.

    If Gareth came to Rivend and invested in a business here, it would be beneficial to them.

    Sheldon had epted his invitation, both as a favor to Gareth and to assuage his curiosity. It was a win-win situation. However, the press conference seemed to have run into some unexpected difficulties.

    Gareth sighed and said, "Well, it''s inevitable that there''ll be rivalries in business. This isn''t even a big incident. Last year, on the opening day of one of my partner''spanies, someone jumped off the office building."

    "Really? Does stuff like that actually happen?" Sheldon looked shocked.

    Gareth nodded heavily. "It''s prettymon."

    Sheldon said harshly, "Some business owners really are crooked."

    He began lecturing him. "Gareth, you should take it as a warning. Don''t be blinded by profits!"

    Gareth nodded as meekly as a child. "Yes. I''ll keep that in mind, Mr. Darnell."

    When he saw the huge group of reporters gathering around them, Sheldon''s secretary went over to stop them.

    However, Sheldon said, "You don''t need to stop them. They can interview us if they want. We came to support Rivend''s local businesses so they can ask whatever they want."

    Several reporters began to chatter simultaneously as they called out their questions.

    Sheldon answered every question they had, although he did avoid the more controversial questions.

    Rivend Insight''s reporters immediately sent word of Sheldon''s arrival at the press conference to the live broadcast backstage.

    The program director backstage immediately notified the crew to end themercials.

    He told the host that Sheldon was now at the press conference.

    As time was tight, the backstage crew ended themercials as soon as they had finished their discussions.

    The host adapted very quickly. He immediately smiled and said, "Hello to all our viewers in front of the television and the radio! Wee back to Rivend Insight''s live broadcast!

    "The little issue at Alumni Network''s press conference has been taken care of, and thetest news is that Rivend''s governor, Sheldon Darnell, is here as an audience member of this press conference.

    "This conference is hosted by a university student. Now, let''s get back to our live reporter to see what Mr. Darnell thinks about the Alumni Network!"

    At Glory Textile Factory, the discouraged Woodsens perked up, their eyes widening at once. Gordon was in disbelief. "What? Even Mr. Darnell is attending?"

 Chapter 506

    ?Chapter 506

    Hilda grabbed Sharyl''s arm and said excitedly, "Sharyl, your son is such a sess! He managed to invite Mr. Darnell!"Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The look of excitement on her face was for both Sean and Carlisle, which was proof of the friendship between their families.

    Hilda had often borrowed money from Sharyl, so Carlisle would not have to worry about going hungry.

    Sharyl often agreed.

    In fact, she would take the initiative to ask. She also urged Hilda to let her know if she was in need of any money.

    That was why Hilda was genuinely happy that Sean was so sessful.

    Sharyl''s eyes were red as she wiped away her tears. "Yes, my son has seeded..."

    Rory looked at Sheldon on the television. He was in a daze and filled with conflicting emotions.

    There would be an important, sessful figure in the Woodsen family!

    Gordon patted Rory''s shoulder. "Did you see that? What did I tell you? You have to have confidence in your son! With an aplished father like you, your son will be no different. If you don''t believe in him, that means you don''t have confidence in your genes!"

    Rory looked delighted as he beganughing. "That''s right! A distinguished father will also raise an aplished son. Otherwise, how could Carl have earned so much money so quickly? Carl must have been a huge help to Sean in starting up hispany!"

    Gordon had held a party when his convenience store opened, and everyone in their circle knew Carlisle was doing quite well.

    Sean''spany looked prettyrge-scale, too.

    Rory knew how much money he had.

    Sean had asked Rory for 30 thousand dors just a few days ago for the press conference, which was a reasonable amount, but where had he gotten the money to establish thepany?

    Rory suspected that the Alumni Network wasn''t established by Sean at all.

    Even if it were Sean, Carlisle would definitely be one of the major shareholders.

    No matter who had established thepany, Rory was still very happy.

    Sean and Carlisle had grown up together from junior high to high school. Based on how close their friendship was, neither of them would forget the other, no matter which one of

    them seeded and got rich.

    On the television, Sheldon was led onto the stage by Sean.

    Sean demonstrated the functions of the Alumni Network and its social functions once more.

    Sheldon nodded continuously,vishing praise on him.

    Finally, Sean finished exining about Alumni Network.

    The live reporter from Rivend Insight saw that the program had almost ended, so he asked, "Mr. Darnell, what is your opinion on Alumni Network and on university students starting their own businesses?"

    Sean hastily handed his microphone over to Sheldon reverently.

    Sheldon smiled and took the microphone. He said slowly, "After seeing the functions of Alumni Network, all I have to say is that there are always geniuses in every generation.

    "With the advent of the Inte, there are more opportunities for young university students to start their own businesses. Supporting them in their endeavors can stimte the development of the economy and create employment opportunities.

    "Whether it''s now or in the future, I feel that it is essential to support young university students in starting their own businesses because the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation is an important factor in pushing the progress of society.

    "Through this press conference, I can see the unlimited creativity of young university students and their sensitivity to the trends in the development of the Inte. I express nothing but praise and support for their spirit of entrepreneurship.

    "The youths are the future of society, and their spirit of entrepreneurship represents Rivend and how innovative we are. We should actively provide more support and resources for them and help them achieve their dreams of starting their own business.

    "At the same time, we should take notice of the advancement of the Inte and grab the opportunities as they crop up. The rapid development of the Inte has already changed our way of life and how we socialize. In the future, it is sure to have an even greater effect in various fields.

    "As the governor, I will put my effort into creating a conducive environment for entrepreneurship. We will increase our investment in technology innovation and provide more support through policies and funds to encourage young university students to start their own businesses.

    "Apart from that, we will also strengthen our cooperation with technologicalpanies so that we can collectively stimte the development of online businesses in the city and nurture them.

    "I believe that with our collective effort, the development of businesses in our city will be sure to wee an even brighter tomorrow!"

 Chapter 507

    ?Chapter 507

    There was a thunderous round of apuse after Sheldon finished speaking.

    He encouraged and supported university students to start their own businesses.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    At the same time, the students could hear what he was saying between the lines.

    The age of the Inte was imminent.

    After Sheldon finished his speech, he spoke to Sean for a while more.

    He encouraged Sean to be bold and told him to go to the city council building to see him if he had any difficulties he couldn''t resolve.

    Sean could not tell if Sheldon meant it or was just being polite, so he just nodded vigorously and thanked him.

    Sheldon looked at the audience, and his gaze rested shortly on Carlisle, who was in the back row. He smiled and said, "It''s gettingte. I won''t disrupt your press conference any further, Mr. Woodsen."

    Sean hurriedly said, "It''s not an interruption at all! Having you here is a great honor, Mr. Darnell!''

    Gareth said, "Mr. Darnell has a busy schedule, and he postponed a few investment recruitment events toe to your press conference. He''ll be moving on now."

    Sean blushed in embarrassment. "I''ll send Mr. Darnell off."

    Sheldon raised a hand to stop him. He smiled and said, "It''s alright. Carry on with your work!"

    Then, he went off with his entourage.

    After watching Sheldon leave, Sean picked up the microphone again and said, "Firstly, Mr. Darnell isn''t an aplice I hired to collude with me, and I don''t have the authority to invite him. After he got to know about our product, he gave us high praise, and we were determined not to disappoint him.

    "Our team will do our best to make this product well so that all our users will have a good experience. Now, I will speak about the reward system for bringing in new users. It will be implemented once the Alumni Network isunched."

    Back at Genius Apartment, Sarah threw an empty wine bottle onto the floor with an almighty crash.

    She was furious!

    She had paid almost 20 thousand dors for those people, and they hadn''t managed to mess

    up the press conference at all.

    Sheldon had gone to support Alumni Network personally!

    What had Carlisle done to deserve it?

    Sienna and the others were trembling with fright.

    Ruby was smiling slightly. "Sarah, if you want to make money, you''ve got to be practical and put in the work. There''s no use in ying these little tricks!"

    Sarah was burning with anger and said coldly, "You should say this to Austin and your father. Ask them if they use such strategies to oppress their business rivals when they work!"

    Ruby was full of confidence as she said, "Dad doesn''tck money. He earns his money fair and square, and he does charity when he can! He would never stoop to using these despicable tricks!"

    Sarah snorted. "Ruby, you''ve changed."

    Ruby was startled. "What do you mean by that?"

    Sarah said calmly, "You know exactly what you used to do in school. Don''t you feel any shame at all when you call something despicable?"

    Ruby was startled once more.

    After being transferred to another ss, she hadn''t bullied any of her ssmates at all.

    She really did seem to have undergone a huge transformation.

    After a moment''s silence, Ruby murmured softly, "Perhaps this is what it means to be mature."

    After that, she stood up to leave. "I''m going home. I''d also like to remind you that you and Carlisle are on totally different levels. If you keep trying to go against him, you''re just going to end up destroying yourself!"

    Carlisle was an entrepreneur, but he offered high sries to employ talented, educated, and highly skilled people.

    Conversely, Sarah''spany was mass hiring without any requirements for education.

    Carlisle''spany could openly hold a press conference and had even attracted the support of Sheldon, whereas Sarah''spany could not even hold an opening ceremony. They were like rats skulking in the gutter.

    Carlisle''s business trajectory seemed to be progressing under the guidance of an expert, whereas Sarah was just working blindly like a headless chicken.

    There was a world of difference between the two of them.

    Sarah thought of Carlisle as her rival, but Carlisle wouldn''t even look twice at her.

    After Ruby had left, Sarah sat on the sofa in a daze.

    Sienna took her hand and saidfortingly, "Sarah, don''t let Ruby affect your mood. You didn''t want Carlisle, and she actually likes him. How smart can she possibly be?"

    Sarah closed her eyes and smiled bitterly. "Enna, do you still think that Carlisle sucks?"

    Sienna was startled. She pressed her lips together and said, "I''ll always stand on your side!"

    She had made her stance clear. No matter how aplished Carlisle was, Sienna would think poorly of him if Sarah did not like him.

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    ?Chapter 508

    Sarah put on a false smile and said, "It''s gettingte, so you guys should get going. I want to go to bed."

    After seeing off her friends, Sarah closed the door and sank down to the floor. She began crying as she leaned back.

    She did not know why she was crying.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She just felt very upset.

    Her phone rang on the table, and she wiped away her tears and went to get it.

    It was an unsaved number, but Sarah immediately recognized it as Carlisle''s.

    After all, this number once sent her messages and called her every day.

    At the time, she had been capricious and rarely answered his calls or replied to his messages.

    Sarah hesitated and picked up. She said in a choked voice, "Carlisle..."

    Carlisle said impassively, "Sarah, are you done with your tricks?"

    Sarah felt a little guilty. "W-what did I do?"

    He said icily, "You know exactly what you did. I''m warning you, this is thest time. If you do this again, even Yuriel won''t be able to save you!"

    His ice-cold voice felt like a stab in her heart.

    Before she could protest, he hung up.

    Ten minutes before calling Sarah, Carlisle went looking for Daniel as soon as Sheldon left. The two of them osted one of the Eastvale students who had been making a fuss.

    "Which university are you from, and what are you trying to do?" they asked.

    The student stared nervously at Carlisle and Daniel.

    Carlisle immediately took out two thousand dors in cash. "Answer my question, and two thousand dors will be yours. Don''t worry, I''ll keep it a secret."

    The student looked at the cash Carlisle was holding, and his heart skipped a beat. He stared hungrily at the money, swallowed, and asked, "What''s your question? Go ahead and ask!" Carlisle asked, "Did someone order you to cause trouble at this event?"

    The student remained silent.

    Daniel pressed his shoulder. "Tell the truth, and nothing will happen. If you lie, you''ll be sure to regret it!"

    Carlisle said, "I just want a firm answer. I won''t pursue this matter further!"

    Reassured, the student nodded gently. "We each got one thousand!"

    Carlisle continued asking, "Who gave the order?"

    The student shook his head and said, "I can''t tell you that."

    Daniel looked aggressively at him and said through gritted teeth, "Damn you! I''m going to beat you up!"

    The student said, "Even if you beat me up, I won''t tell you. They know my address, and if I give them up, my family will be in trouble!"

    "You''re already going astray despite your young age. Get lost!" Daniel kicked the student''s calf.

    The student said in a low voice, "What about the money?"

    Carlisle put the money back in his pocket, and his expression was cold as he said, "I''m already showing you mercy by not calling the police. Are you actually going to ask me for money?"

    The student''s face twitched violently when he realized he had been tricked.

    He red at them and ran off to a nearby collection point where the university distributed free milk in the mornings.

    Carlisle was sure these students had been acting under someone''s orders, and he immediately suspected Sarah.

    He called her to ask.

    Sarah''s guilty stuttering made Carlisle more confident that she was the one who had done it.

    As they had been ssmates in high school, he chose to give her a chance.

    If Sarah continued to make things difficult for him, he would not show her any mercy despite their history together.

    Carlisle returned to Willow Grove and saw Gareth''s Ferrari at the entrance.

    Gareth sat in the driver''s seat with both his feet up on the steering wheel. There was a cigarette held between his fingers.

    "Gareth?"

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    ?Chapter 509

    Carlisle smiled as he went up to Gareth.

    Gareth had brought Sheldon to support Alumni Network, which had shown his sincerity. He had also indirectly elevated the legitimacy of Alumni Network, and more people would know about it as a result.

    Gareth nced at Carlisle. "Well, well. You didn''t even tell me about the Alumni Network press conference. Do you even think of me as a friend?"

    Carlisle said wryly, "I only found out about it this afternoon. It was Sean''s idea."

    Gareth frowned slightly. He wanted to say something, but with Sean and Carlisle''s rtionship in mind, he kept his worries to himself.

    Carlisle wouldn''t be wrong in his judgment of people.

    Sean was young, and it was normal for him to make mistakes.

    Also, Carlisle was probably keen on training Sean to take care of things on his own.

    At that thought, Gareth asked, "Shall we go and get a couple of drinks?"

    "Where shall we go?"

    "Wondend Steakhouse?"

    "Alright." Carlisle pulled open the passenger''s side door and got in, and Gareth tossed away his cigarette stub to start the car.

    Carlisle took out his phone to call Sean and Owen.

    Sean felt very nervous when he saw that Carlisle was calling.

    Carlisle had been at the press conference. Sean almost ruined everything with his mistake and assumed that Carlisle was calling to scold him.

    Lily saw that Sean still hadn''t picked up the call, so she asked curiously, "Why aren''t you picking up?"

    Sean hunched down and gave Lily his phone. "Carl''s calling. He must be calling to scold me! You pick up for me!"

    Gillian''s eyes narrowed. "Carlisle is the real founder of Alumni Network, isn''t he?"

    Sean wasn''t ashamed to admit it. He nodded and said, "Yes, I''m just working for Carl!" Gillian''s lip curled and said, "As I expected. I knew you wouldn''t have the ability to do so!" Sean was annoyed and said, "Gill, would it kill you to go a day without sniping at me?" He had no idea how he had offended her.

    It was fine when she didn''t talk to him, but whenever she did, it was always unpleasant. Lily took the phone from Sean and answered the call. "Carl?"

    "Oh, Lily? Where''s Sean?" Carlisle sounded calm, and there was no trace of emotion in his tone.

    Lily was rather nervous. "H-He''s in the bathroom. I can pass on any messages you have for him!"

    Carlisleughed and said, "I was nning to ask him out for drinks to celebrate, but it seems he doesn''t have any time. How''s the recovery of your injury?"

    "I-I''m recovering very well. I haven''t even had time to thank you yet!" Lily had been recuperating over the past two days. Sean had been worried about the radiation from her phone, so he had forbidden her to touch it. It was why she still hadn''t managed to contact Carlisle and thank him.

    "What do you need to thank me for? We''re all friends. If I was the one who needed blood, I''m sure you would also have donated without a second thought, right?" Carlisle said, chuckling.

    Lily was kind, and as they had been high school ssmates, he was sure she would have donated her Rh-negative blood without hesitating if he had gotten sick and needed it.

    "Well, where are you having drinks tonight? Would you mind if I went with Sean?"

    "Of course we wouldn''t mind. Come to Wondend Steakhouse. Sean knows where it is."

    An hourter, Sean and Lily arrived at Wondend Steakhouse.

    Sean hid behind Lily, looking like a child who had done something wrong and was hiding behind his mother.

    "Come on. Carl isn''t that scary." Lily dragged him out from behind her, looking amused.

    Sean looked nervously at Carlisle. "Carl... I..."

    Carlisleughed and said, "You did very well! Come and have a seat!"

    Sean looked startled. "Aren''t you angry, Carl?"

    "Why should I be angry?"

    "I... I prepared this press conference on my own without notifying you! Not only that, I almost caused trouble at the press conference because I couldn''t control my emotions!" Sean hung his head as he admitted his mistakes.

    Carlisle took a sip of beer and smiled slightly as he said, "You''re the CEO of Alumni Network. As long as it''s not something big like closing down thepany, you have the right to make decisions on your own. As for the little issue that urred at the press conference, you should be more careful.

    "In the future, when thepany grows, there''ll be more people who are out to cause trouble for you. There are sure to be many kinds of problems. When that happens, we need to calm down and deal with things in an appropriate manner!"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    He was referring to situations like Inte trolls inment sections that tried to sway public opinion.

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    ?

    Sean was clearly upset by someone who had been provoking him on purpose.

    Gareth spoke up and said, "You''re the CEO of apany now. You''ve got to keep your goal in mind and be more tolerant. Before you make any decision or say anything, you have to think of the big picture!"

    Sean nodded vigorously. "I understand! If I had just endured, things would have turned out much better!"

    Owen had arrived about ten minutes earlier than Sean.

    He had been busy with work and couldn''t attend the press conference, so he had no idea what had happened.

    After hearing what Carlisle and Gareth had said, he quietly made a note of it in his heart.

    In the past, he would definitely have retorted. After all, he wasn''t a coward. Why should he be the one to endure it? He was a hot-blooded young man, after all.

    However, he was no longer the uneducated thug he had once been.

    He was the CEO of apany, and he was leading elite professionals who were educated and refined.

    As their superior, he had to be a good example.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    He could learn a lot of things with Carlisle and Gareth.

    The five of them sat together, eating steak and having drinks.

    Carlisle did not continue talking about work.

    Instead, he asked about Sean and Lily''s rtionship.

    Lily told them Sean had stayed glued by her side for the past few days to care for her.

    The truth was that after she had regained consciousness, she had suggested breaking up. However, Sean had held on tightly to her and refused.

    He had even said that if she broke up with him, he would jump off the hospital building.

    Carlisle was amused and said, "I''ve known Sean for more than ten years, and I know what he''s like. He''s the kind of person who would do anything to preserve his ego! He''d been drinking too much and wanted to show off the ce he has in your heart. The truth is, he loves you very much."

    Lily blushed slightly. "I-I didn''t realize that at the time."

    Sean''s status was different now.

    He needed to have a certain image around other people, and Lily should be more

    understanding about that.

    Sean hung his head in shame and said, "Carl, stop talking about that. I regret it so much! Damn my ego! In the future, I''ll proudly say that Lily wears the pants in the family, and whoever wants tough can go ahead!"

    He was full of regret about what had happened.

    As Carlisle said, he should love his girlfriend, not use her to show off.

    That night, Lily paid for the dinner to thank Carlisle for saving her.

    Although it was nothing inparison to saving her life, it would have to do for now, as she couldn''t repay him with something better.

    She wanted to gain more knowledge to manage Alumni Network well with Sean in the future for Carlisle.

    After they had a few rounds of drinks, Carlisle returned to Willow Grove.

    He turned on theputer and typed in alumni.

    He pressed the enter key on the keyboard.

    It took six seconds for the Alumni Network page to move to the registration and log-in page.

    He clicked on the word "register" and a window for registration popped up.

    The interface looked very simr to that of SociableNet.

    There was a navigation bar on top and sections for the main page, daily diary, photo albums, message board, people he was following, and studymunities.

    Although he had registered as a user, he was not able to post anything, browse through existing posts, orment on them.

    If he wanted to gain the privilege of doing so, he had to verify his ount using the intra- campuswork.

    There was another navigation bar on the left side of the page.

    The categories included university ssmates, high school ssmates, junior high

    ssmates, and elementary ssmates.

    Carlisle browsed through the page for a while. Apart from the rather old-fashionedyout due to theputer system, he could not find any other ws.

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    ?

    The next day, Carlisle used his roommate''sputer to verify his Alumni Network ount.

    As for Shane, he made use of his free time to set up a stall on the university field with two other ssmates to promote Alumni Network.

    At noon, while Carlisle was eating lunch at the cafeteria, Sean called to say they had already surpassed two thousand registered users for Alumni Network.

    "It''s happening too fast! We can''t stop it!" he told Carlisle.

    "There were only a hundred people this morning, and there were two thousand by noon. If this trend continues, there is a possibility that we''ll surpass five thousand today!" Sean was overwhelmed with excitement.

    "It is happening pretty fast. This is thanks to that press conference of yours." Carlisle looked very calm as if everything happening was within his expectations.

    Sean chuckled. "You''re too kind, Carl. It''s because of how great that reward system is for bringing in new users! With that setup, I think Alumni Network will have more than a million users within a month. When can we start epting advertisements for profit?" Alumni Network had many staff members who needed to be paid.

    Maintaining the server and managing the website was also a huge expense.

    Carlisle thought for a moment and said, "There''s no rush. We''ll talk about making profits once the registered users surpass three million. Right now, focus on managing the website well so we can guarantee user loyalty!"Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    When websites started epting advertisements, it would result in a reduced user experience.

    They could not neglect the user''s experience for the sake of earning money quickly.

    After ending the call, Carlisle scrolled through his contacts until he found Wendell''s number.

    He really wanted to call and ask, but after a moment''s thought, he gave up on the idea.

    Sometimes, the more one wanted something, the more disappointed one would be.

    At the Martells'' psychiatric rehabilitation hospital in Yorksle, Wanda sat beside the window, reading a newspaper.

    It was the only way she could find out what was going on in the world outside.

    Wanda wished she could get a newspaper from Rivend. She put down the Yorksle Evening Times that she was holding and sighed.

    She took her diary from the drawer and flipped to the high school seating chart she had

    drawn.

    She stared at the nk seat, still unable to recall the missing ssmate''s name.

    "Who could the person be?" Wanda propped her chin in one hand and murmured to herself.

    At that moment, Lucy called up to her from downstairs. "Wanda, our daily supplies are here. Would you like toe out with me and get them?"

    "Yes! Wait for me, Lucy!" Wanda stuck her head out to answer.

    Once every three days, supplies would be sent to them.

    The butlers would notify the housemaids in each vi to get the items.

    When the butler was around, Lucy would not allow Wanda to step foot outside the living area.

    If Lucy allowed her to leave the living area, it meant the butler was absent.

    It wasn''t that Wanda was nning to escape. The ce was as secure as a cage, and it would be impossible to run.

    Besides, Lucy had told her the mountains around them were filled with wolves and leopards. There were even a few brown bears raised there.

    Therefore, Wanda was going out to get a breath of fresh air.

    Staying in the living area for such a long time was no different from being locked up in a prison.

    Wanda changed her shoes and headed to the supply collection point with Lucy.

    Lucy was pushing a trolley, and she reminded Wanda sternly, "Wanda, you''ve got to stick close to meter. You must not walk on your own. If the butler finds out, I''ll lose an entire month''s sry!"

    Wanda nodded obediently. "Don''t worry, Lucy. I won''t run around on my own!"

    "Good girl, Wanda." Lucy ruffled her hair, smiling.

    Wanda didn''t behave like a spoiled heiress, and Lucy was happy to take care of her day-to- day needs.

    The supply center was next to the main gates, and there were already several housemaids chatting andughing there.

    About three miles away from the rehabilitation hospital, there were several security guardhouses.

    These guardhouses were all manned by burly men in military uniform.

    When the van driver saw how heavily armed they were, he couldn''t help swallowing. " Wendell, will we be able to sneak in?"

    Wendell squinted from the passenger''s seat as he said, "It''s hard to tell. If it''s already this heavily guarded outside, it''s probably even more strict on the inside.

    "Anyway, we''re just here to scope the ce out, so it doesn''t really matter whether we can sneak in. Don''t be too nervous, or you may expose us."

    The two of them were dressed in the uniform of a fresh producepany, and they both had face masks on.

    With Percy''s help, it had taken three days for them to find a fresh producepany often sent supplies to Maple Mountain. that

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    ?

    Wendell had used up a lot of money for this connection, and he had used a fake identity to be the delivery driver for the fresh producepany.

    While the two were talking, the gate opened slowly, and four men dressed as security guards walked toward them.

    The four of them had intense eyes and looked grim. They were obviously well-trained.

    Wendell opened the door and got out of the car. He pulled open the van''s door.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The captain of the security guards came over to the van, holding a walkie-talkie. He looked Wendell and the driver up and down with hawk-like eyes before taking a piece of paper from his pocket.

    It contained staff information which had been faxed over by the fresh producepany.

    "Take your face mask off," the captain said calmly. His name was Colton Swift.

    Wendell and the driver took off their face masks at the same time.

    Once Colton had verified they matched the information that had been sent, he waved a hand and said, "Check them."

    The security guards immediately made a beeline for the supplies and began inspecting them. They even searched the entire exterior and interior of the van.

    One of the security guards stared at the two of them and said, "Put your arms over your head. We''re going to do a body search."

    Wendell had learned about the rules of this ce beforeing.

    He put his arms over his head and stood aside.

    The security guard was about to conduct a search when Colton said, "Wait a minute."

    "What''s the matter, boss?"

    Colton said calmly, "I''ll do it."

    He could sense something slightly off with Wendell and the driver.

    He was familiar with the feeling.

    They were in the same profession!

    When Wendell heard that Colton was going to search them personally, there was an imperceptible sh in his eyes.

    Colton gave his walkie-talkie to his members and then grabbed Wendell''s waist with both hands.

    Wendell''s muscles stiffened reflexively, and Colton narrowed his eyes at once.

    Wendell bent over and beganughing. "Oh, it tickles... I''m-I''m ticklish!"

    Colton said calmly, "Endure it for a while. I''ll be done very soon!"

    He continued his search.

    Wendell was wriggling withughter, and the other security guards couldn''t help shaking their heads.

    Why was such a big man so ticklish?

    Colton searched him from head to toe before going to search Kevin Litman, the truck driver, who was standing beside them.

    Kevin also stiffened reflexively when the man touched his waist.

    He immediately began twisting in Colton''s grip as heughed.

    Colton frowned. "You''re ticklish, too?"

    He suddenly reached for Kevin''s corbone.

    Kevin yelled in fear and lurched forward in Colton''s direction.

    Wendell''s temper red, and he said angrily, "What are you doing?"

    Colton let go and said impassively, "Nothing."

    After testing them, he was pretty sure that neither Wendell nor Kevin was in the same profession as he was.

    If they were, Kevin would have reacted when he reached for his corbone.

    It was the kind of muscle memory that came with regr training.

    He was probably being too sensitive.

    Wendell helped Kevin up and said in concern, "Are you alright, Kev?"

    "I-I''m fine." Kevin''s eyes were red, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

    Wendell was inwardly surprised.

    How had he never realized how good Kevin was at acting?

    At that moment, the security guards inspecting the supplies came up to Colton.

    Colton said into his walkie-talkie, "We''re done."

    Someone from the supplies center brought a bunch of housemaids over to get the supplies.

    Lucy left Wanda inside the gates.

    Bringing her to the gates was already breaking the rules.

    If Wanda stepped foot outside the gates, Lucy wouldn''t just get her sry deducted.

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    ?Chapter 513

    Wendell and Kevin both saw Wanda standing at the gate.

    The two of them almost burst into tears.

    After ten days, they had finally found Wanda.

    Kevin swallowed as he thought about how he would finally be able to have meat that afternoon.

    "Ouch!" Wendell suddenly cried out, clutching at his stomach.

    Kevin asked quickly, "What''s the matter, Wendell?"

    Wendell looked as if he was in a lot of pain as he said, "M-my stomach hurts..."

    Kevin immediately understood what Wendell was doing. He looked around and asked Colton, "Mister, is there a toilet around here?"

    Colton said coldly, "There aren''t any toilets here. Hold it in."

    There was a loud tooting sound as Wendell somehow managed to fart several times in a row. "Oh no, oh no! I''m about to crap in my pants!"

    "Wendell, hold it in!" Kevin said quickly.

    Wendell mped his legs together and said through gritted teeth, "I... can''t... hold it..."

    Colton''s brow was deeply furrowed. "Turn right at the gate."

    Wendell hastily ran toward the gate.

    Colton turned and said to one of the guards, "Go and keep an eye on him."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The guard clearly did not want to follow Wendell for fear of the smell. He scowled as he said, "There are surveince cameras and our colleagues everywhere. You''re not worrying that he''ll run off to theboratory, are you?"

    Colton''s expression darkened, and the guard hastily said, "I''ll go right away."

    After Wendell went through the gate, he held out both hands, looking confused. "Left, right, left, right... Which side is right?" he asked as he looked at Wanda.

    Wanda pointed to the public toilets on the right.

    Wendell thanked her and ran toward the toilets, clutching the seat of his pants.

    Wanda stood where she was, looking very thoughtful.

    Was there really anyone who couldn''t tell left from right?

    Besides, the toilets were within a hundred feet of them. Couldn''t he have seen it for himself?

    Was there something wrong with him?

    Wanda pursed her lips and shook her head as she looked at the van.

    After about three minutes, Wendell came out with one of the security guards.

    The guard''s pockets were bulging, and he was talking andughing with Wendell.

    "Rich people really know how to enjoy life. Their toilets are cleaner than my living room!" Wendell said with feeling. He was acting like a country bumpkin.

    The guardughed and said, "This is actually pretty basic! I heard that the toilets in the vi area can be flushed automatically!"

    Wendell looked shocked. "Really? I haven''t had much education, so don''t lie to me!"

    "Why would I lie to you about that? I expect you''ll be able to use them in high-end malls in a couple of years."

    As they spoke, the two of them passed by the gate.

    Wendell suddenly asked, "Is it the 8th or the 9th today?"

    The guard asked, "Don''t you have a phone?"

    Wendell said in confusion, "Can outsiders like us bring our phones in?"

    The guard jumped slightly and took out his phone to look at the date. "It''s the 8th today."

    Wendell asked, "Is it really the 8th? Why do I feel like it''s the 9th?"

    The guard showed his phone to Wendell. "Look at this and see for yourself what date it is!"

    Wendell looked at it for a while, shook his head, and said, "That''s not right. It must be the 9th today."

    The guard felt that it was hard tomunicate with Wendell. "This is the newest Nokia phone! The date and time are updated automatically with my Inte connection!"

    Wendell shook his head. He stopped and looked at Wanda as he asked, "Hey, prettydy. What''s the date today?"

    Wanda looked at the calendar every day, so she said without hesitating, "It''s the 8th today."

    The guard looked exasperated. "It''s the 8th, isn''t it?"

    However, Wendell insisted. "No, it must be the 9th! It was my birthday yesterday, and it was clearly the 8th!"

    The guard had no interest in arguing with Wendell anymore.

    If Wendell hadn''t stuffed two packs of cigarettes into his pockets, he wouldn''t even bother talking to him.

    Lucy pushed her trolley over. "Let''s go home, Wanda!"

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    ?

    Wanda nodded obediently.

    At the same time, Wendell asked loudly, "Kev, is it the 9th today?"

    Kevin did not know what Wendell was trying to do, so he answered, "I think so."

    The guard clutched at his hair and told his teammates, "Tell him what the date is!"

    "It''s the 8th!"

    "It''s the 9th!" Wendell said again.

    Kevin said, "It''s the 9th today!"

    Colton took out his phone with a cold expression and nced at it.

    It was clearly the 8th of November.

    Couldn''t these truck drivers even tell what the date was?

    Wendell said, "The Inte in the mountains here is slow. It must be the 9th today."

    Colton patted Wendell on the shoulder.

    He turned to look at him. "What is it?"

    Colton pointed to a neighboring hill on their left.

    Wendell turned to look, and he saw that there was a signal tower there.

    Colton said coldly, "It''s the 8th today! Even if the godse, it''ll still be the 8th!"

    Wendell looked piteously at Kevin. "I think we got the date wrong."

    The housemaids had all gotten their supplies, and the supply center put the surplus onto trolleys to take it to storage.

    Colton urged them, "Hurry up and leave!"

    Wendell got into the car, looking unhappy. "We can''t even bring a phone to this lousy ce. I can''t even tell the date and time! I won''te here again!"

    Kevin got into the driver''s seat resentfully.

    Lucy looked at the creamy candy in her trolley and smiled as she said, "Wanda, do you like to eat creamy candy?"

    "Yes!" Wanda, who was deep in thought, nodded.

    Lucy turned to look at her. "What are you thinking about?"

    Wanda said softly, "I want to go to the toilet."

    Lucy looked at the public toilets. "Let''s go back to the vi first. The public toilets are very dirty!"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Lucy was used to the toilets in the vi area and did not like the public ones anymore.

    Even though the public toilets here were very clean, Lucy felt it wasn''t good enough for an heiress like Wanda.

    Wanda''s brow wrinkled as she said, "I... I can''t hold it in..."

    She ran toward the toilets, and Lucy had no choice but to wait for her.

    The public toilets were not divided by gender, unlike those outside. Every toilet here was an individual stall.

    There were 20 individual stalls in the toilet, and they each had a number on them.

    Wanda went straight to the ninth one.

    After she went in, she locked the door and began searching the stall for something.

    That man had been behaving very strangely.

    Someone who was allowed to send supplies to a ce like this wouldn''t be so dumb that they couldn''t tell left from right.

    He probably wanted to get her attention since he had asked her whether it was left or right. After that, he argued with the guards about whether it was the 8th or the 9th that day.

    Even though the guard had shown him the evidence, he had insisted that it was the 9th.

    The man had been sending her a message.

    He must have left something in the ninth stall.

    If it had been her, where would she have hidden it?

    Wanda opened the toilet roll cover first.

    There was nothing inside.

    After that, she opened the top of the cistern, but it was also empty.

    Wanda noticed a gap between the toilet and the wall about the size of a fist.

    She reached out to feel around inside it.

    After a moment, Wanda''s eyes lit up. She pulled out a rolled-up note.

    She did not have time to read the note, so she stuffed it into her pocket and left the toilet.

 Chapter 515

    ?Chapter 515

    After getting back to the vi, Lucy began preparing the ingredients to cook. "Wanda, I''ll teach you how to make slow-cooked ribs today."

    "Lucy, my stomach hurts today. I''ll learn how to cook some other time."

    "You didn''t get food poisoning, did you? I''ll take you to the infirmary to have a look."

    "I''m fine. This is a recurring issue for me. I often get diarrhea before and after my period," Wanda said before hurrying upstairs.

    After getting back to her bedroom, she closed the door and took out the note to open it.

    There was only one word on the note.

    Carlisle.

    Carlisle? There was a sh of confusion on Wanda''s pretty face.

    It was someone''s name.

    However... Who was he?

    Wanda scrunched up her forehead as she thought hard about it.

    She thought about it for a long time but could not remember anything about the name.

    If Carlisle could arrange for someone to find her here, he must be a force to be reckoned with.

    That man at the gates hadn''t been an average person either.

    Wanda took out her diary and flipped to her high school seating chart.

    Was Carlisle the name that she could not remember?

    Did her missing memories have something to do with him?

    Wanda murmured to herself, picked up a pencil, and wrote Carlisle''s name in the empty box.

    It took Kevin three hours to drive out of Maple Mountain.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    By the time they got out, it was already dark.

    Kevin rubbed his red and swollen corbone. "Damn it, that guy really didn''t hold back!"

    Wendellughed and said, "At least we''ve found Wanda!"

    Kevin asked, "What do we do next?"

    Wendell lit a cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke. "Boss wants us to stay and protect Wanda, but this is clearly an impossible mission. We just need to tell him about Wanda''s current situation, and our job will be done!"

    Kevin asked again, "Did you leave Wanda a note?"

    Wendell nodded. "I wrote the name of the boss so she''ll know he hasn''t forgotten about her. I wanted to show her how he even went to all the trouble of getting us to find her."

    Kevin chuckled. "Can we have meat tonight?"

    Wendell red at him. "Is eating meat all you think about? We used to eat tree bark when we went on missions in the past, and you didn''t starve. Look at you! You''ve only just retired from the force and have already gained ten pounds!"

    Kevin looked aggrieved and said, "That''s because I''m sick of going hungry!"

    He tugged at Wendell''s sleeve again. "Let''s have some meat, please!"

    Wendell took out his phone to order some food. "I''ll get you a whole roasted suckling pig tonight. Don''t even think about leaving before you finish it all!"

    That night, Carlisle sat in front of hisputer, browsing Alumni Network.

    In a single day, the number of registered users had already surpassed 20 thousand. Alumni Network was having a staff dinner that night, but Carlisle hadn''t joined them. He exited the website and sat back in his chair, feeling rather empty.

    His phone vibrated on the table.

    He picked up his phone, and his eyelid twitched violently when he saw Wendell calling.

    He took a deep breath and answered the call.

    "Boss, we''ve found Wanda!"

    "Where is she? Is she alright? Has she lost weight?" Carlisle asked in one breath.

    Wendell said, "She''s in a private psychiatric rehabilitation hospital. She looks like she''s doing alright, and she''s gained weightpared to her photo!"

    Carlisle grinned dumbly.

    This was the first time he had smiled genuinely since Wanda had left half a month ago.

    Wendell continued, "However, we may not be able to fulfill our mission of staying to protect her. That ce is so heavily guarded that even a fly couldn''t get in!"

    "What kind of ce is that?" Carlisle''s chest tightened.

    If Wanda was in a ce like that, wasn''t it the same as if she was in prison?

    Wendell told him about how the hospital looked and the military personnel stationed there.

    Carlisle clenched his teeth and said, "It sounds exactly like a prison!"

    Wendell sighed and said, "The only difference is that they leadfortable,vish lives in luxurious surroundings. All the supplies they ordered are very expensive products!"

 Chapter 516

    ?Chapter 516

    Carlisle was silent for a moment. He said, "Is there any way to get her out?"

    "There''s pretty much zero possibility of that," Wendell said firmly.

    "Let me put it this way. Apart from the soldiers stationed there, they also have huge numbers of bodyguards inside. Those bodyguards are mostly like me. They''re all retired from the force.

    "In fact, being able to see Wanda today was just pure luck. We may not even be able to see her the next time we send supplies over!"

    Disappointment shed in Carlisle''s eyes. "Who owns that hospital? Perhaps we can find a way through the owner?"

    Wendell was silent for a long time. After he gulped down a mouthful of hard liquor, he said slowly, "Do you know who Gareth is?"

    "Yes!"

    "Since he hasn''t told you himself, then I can''t either!"

    "Do you mean that Gareth knows?" Carlisle asked.

    "It was Gareth who told us that Wanda might be in that ce!"

    "Alright. I understand. You should stay in Yorksle and keep sending supplies to that ce. Find a way to develop a good rtionship with them. It doesn''t matter how much money you have to spend!"

    "This time, I spent almost one hundred thousand to develop those connections."

    "Tomorrow, I''ll arrange positions in Aurora Holdings for you and transfer the money needed for the trip''s expenses."

    After the call ended, Carlisle called Gareth at once.

    "Carl?"

    "Gareth, who''s the owner of that hospital?"

    "Huh? Is the signal bad here? What did you say?" Gareth was clearly trying to avoid the topic.

    Carlisle said in a low voice, "Gareth, if you think of me as a friend, please tell me."

    Gareth was silent.

    Carlisle did not say anything either.

    After a long time, there was the sound of a lighter flicking on from the other end of the phone.

    Gareth lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply before saying, "It seems that they''ve already found

    Wanda. I thought you only needed to know if she was doing well."

    Carlisle was seven or eight years younger than Gareth was, and his business was just starting.

    Gareth did not want Carlisle to feel even more stressed.

    "Wanda wouldn''t be happy there." Carlisle''s voice was hoarse.

    Wanda would not be able to have any contact with the outside world in that ce.

    Otherwise, she would have contacted him long ago.

    Perhaps she wasn''t even allowed to have ess to any electronic products.

    Gareth did not answer. He just hung up.

    Carlisle listened to the busy signal on his phone and sat dazedly in his chair, looking as if his soul had left him.

    What kind of person could make Gareth so wary? Gareth came from a prominent family who had important positions in the government.

    Lethan and Shania would probably know.

    Carlisle''s eyes shed, and he called Lethan at once.

    "Carl?"

    "I''ve found Wanda!"

    "What? Where is she?" Lethan was shocked.

    Carlisle asked in a low voice, "Who is the most important person that Shein knows?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "The most important person he knows? What do you mean by that?" Lethan was confused.

    Carlisle frowned slightly, and he prompted Lethan. "Among his connections in Yorksle, who''s the most important and influential?"

    Lethan was even more confused. "I really have no idea about that. Although I''m his brother- inw, we rarely interact."

    Carlisle could tell that Lethan wasn''t lying. He said in resignation, "Fine. I''m hanging up."

    After ending the call, he called Shania.

    "Carl?"

    "Do you have some time, Shania?"

    "Yes, I do. Go ahead."

    "Who is that formidable person in Yorksle Shein has ties with?"

    "Huh? Wh-what formidable person are you talking about?" Shania paused when she

    answered.

    Carlisle immediately guessed that Shania knew something.

    After a moment''s silence, he said slowly, "I know all about it already. Can you tell me about

    this prestigious family?"

    Shania hesitated for a long time without saying anything.

    How had Carlisle found out?

    Who had told him?

    Had Zachary told him?

    That didn''t seem possible.

    Before Wanda was engaged, Zachary would never reveal this secret.

    Carlisle must be trying to trick her into spilling it all out.

    Carlisle was a cheeky little devil!

    "I" Shania was about to speak when Carlisle suddenly cut her off.

    "Who is the person that Wanda has a marriage alliance with?"

 Chapter 517

    ?Chapter 517

    When Carlisle asloed the question, he clenched his left fist.

    He had guessed that Wanda was betrothed to someone, but he wasn''t sure if he was right.

    Queenie had reminded him that it would be impossible for him and Wanda to have a happy ending

    It would seem natural for her to say that as she was thinking of things from the Thompsons point of view.

    However, Gareth had said the same thing to him.

    Gareth didn''t know the Thompsons well, and he was friends with Carlisle.

    It was strange for him to say something like that.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Carlisle had been suspicious at the time.

    In his past life, Wanda''s life trajectory had included her marriage to an executive at Thompson Group, which was why he had never thought of Wanda having a marriage alliance with an elite family.

    Despite his current rtionship with Gareth, thetter had still refused to tell him, which had forced Carlisle to consider several possibilities.

    Shania stuttered, "Y-y-you-"

    Carlisle slowly rxed his clenched fist.

    Based on how much Shania was stuttering, he must have guessed correctly.

    There was a pleading note in Carlisle''s voice as he said, "Please tell me, Shania. I know that you support Wanda and me, and I want to know what kind of person my rival is."

    Shania sighed. "There is a very powerful figure from the Yorksle Murray family that very few people know about. His influence extends to the fields of politics and business, and when Wanda was two years old, she was promised in marriage to the third son of the Murray family."

    Carlisle squinted and asked, "Does Wanda know about that?"

    Shania answered, "Even I only found out about itst year, let alone Wanda. Even Lethan doesn''t know about it!"

    She asked curiously, "How did you find out?"

    Carlisle pressed his thin lips together. "I guessed."

    Shania was lost for words.

    "Get some rest, Shania." Carlisle hung up.

    He took a pen and wrote the words "the Murrays" in his diary.

    He tried searching them on the Inte, but there was no information that could be found on them.

    Carlisle was not discouraged by how powerful the Murrays were

    It motivated him even more.

    Since Wanda was promised to someone, why had she ended up marrying an executive from Thompson Group?

    Carlisle could not make any sense of it

    After a moment''s silence, he muttered to himself, "There are many possibilities."

    Perhaps something had happened to her fianc¨¦.

    Perhaps something big would happen to the Murrays in the future.

    Or had the Thompson Group executive used despicable means to hurt Wanda?

    Carlisle determined that no one would be able to take Wanda from him.

    He turned off theputer and washed up before falling into bed and going to sleep.

    After that, Carlisle continued his daily routine of going to university during the day and going to sign documents at the office after sses.

    When he got back from the office, he would sit at theputer and look through photo albums of him and Wanda.

    In the blink of an eye, the end of the month came.

    It was another bright and sunny weekend.

    Carlisle sat on the balcony, reading.

    He pulled his jacket tighter around him and crossed 29th November on his calendar.

    The temperature in Rivend had dropped to single figures.

    Although it was bright and sunny, it could not disperse the bone-chilling cold that came with the wind.

    Carlisle took a photo album from his desk drawer to look through the photos.

    He hoped Wanda would remember to keep warm, especially as the weather was getting cold.

    Carlisle flipped through the album to a photo of Wanda smiling at the camera.

    He set the album upright on his desk and smiled slightly as he looked at her beaming face. There was a knock on his door.

 Chapter 518

    ?Chapter 518

    There was a knock outside his door.

    "Come in," Carlisle called. The door was only closed.

    Selena Johansen, the secretary to the CEO of Aurora Holdings, walked in with an armful of documents.

    Selena was 31 years old.

    She had studied management, economics, finance, ounting, andw. She was proficient in sixnguages and had once been the secretary of a listed holdingpany in Dell City.

    Anthony had put in a lot of effort to poach her, and her sry was as high as that of a director.

    "Mr. Zahn, the number of Alumni Network''s users has surpassed three million!

    "The lithography machines for Xenos Factor finally arrived on the coast of Dell City yesterday, and we''ll start proofing in December. Mr. Scott has already given his word. Within two months, the Xenos chip will be revealed to the world.

    "Holly Fisheries'' greenhouse waspleted three days ago, and they''re currently cultivating the ecological environment.

    "Dragonaire Studio''s multiyer online game is thirty percentplete. We expect to be able tounch it online for a test run in two months'' time." Selena put some important documents on Carlisle''s desk as she gave him a quick report about the current situation with all thepanies.

    Carlisle rubbed his hands, picked up his pen, and began signing

    There were so many reports that he barely looked at them nowadays.

    After all, before they got to him, they were checked and signed by the team leaders, managers, the CEO, as well as the executive director of the ounting department. Carlisle was only signing to authorize them.

    "How is Aurora Holdings'' financial situation?" Carlisle asked as he signed.

    Selena pressed her red lips together. "Yesterday, Dragonaire Studio applied for 20 million in development funds. Currently, Aurora Holdings still has about 25 million in its ount."

    Carlisle paused in the midst of signing his name.

    Selena said in a low voice, "Mr. Zahn, if Aurora Holdings is under financial stress, we can try looking for angel investors. With the current potential of Alumni Network, we should be able to get at least 500 million in investment funds!"

    If it had been any otherpany, Selena would not have dared to say such a thing in front of the boss.

    However, at their first meeting, Carlisle admitted he was new to running a business. He had encouraged Selena to mention anything he didn''t know about or was doing wrong,

    Carlisle smiled slightly and said, "We don''t have any financial stress for now."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    A while ago, Gareth had gone abroad and somehow managed to get 200 million.

    He had said that it was a reserve fund for Carlisle to use.

    If Aurora Holdings was in financial difficulties, he would ask Gareth to invest.

    Gareth was always wandering around the ounting department, hoping fervently for Aurora Holdings'' ounts to finally be emptied.

    There were even rumors spreading among thepany executives about something developing between Gareth and Felicia.

    Carlisle finished signing the bills, and Selena left with them.

    As soon as she left, Sean called. "Carl?"

    Carlisle immediately said, "Alumni Network has now surpassed three million registered users!"

    Sean burst intoughter, "Nothing, escapes you, Carl! Did Ms. Johansen tell you about it?" Carlisle was amused. "Of course. Ms. Johansen keeps an eye on you for me."

    Sean chuckled and said, "She must not have told you I''ve already gotten an advertisement."

    Carlisle was immediately interested. "That''s very proactive of you. You''ve only just surpassed three million, and you''re already epting advertisements?"

    "Why wouldn''t I be proactive when ites to earning money? If I wasn''t, there would be something wrong with me! You''ll never guess how much this advertisement will bring us." "How much?" Carlisle could not guess how much money Alumni Network would make.

    He was very curious.

    "See you at Caulitorna BBQ!" Sean said before hanging up.

    Carlisle''s curiosity had been piqued, and Sean had hung up on him. He had no choice but tough exasperatedly and put the photo album away, after which he called to tell Francis toe and pick him up.

    Caulitorna BBQ was near Rivend University.

    Sean had booked avish private room, and he had called Owen and Gareth as well.

    When Gareth got Sean''s call and heard that he was treating them to BBQ, he guessed that Alumni Network''s number of registered users had met expectations. He asked, "Is Carlisle going?"

    Sean said on purpose, "Carl doesn''t have any time."

    Gareth said impassively, "I won''t go either, then."

    Sean hastilyughed and said, "I''m joking! Of course Carl''sing. I wouldn''t call you otherwise."

    Gareth''s lips quirked up. "Alright. I happen to have a present for Carl, so let''s make today the day when he gets two pieces of good news."

 Chapter 519

    ?

    Caulitorna BBQ was a three-story fine-dining restaurant almost as luxurious as a small hotel.

    Sean and Lily stood at the side of the road, craning their necks in anticipation.

    Sean wore a ck anorak and jeans, but he had on a pair of expensive Doc Marten boots.

    His hair was swept back, and he was beginning to adopt the demeanor of an authoritative CEO.

    A month ago, Anthony had hired three experienced secretaries.

    I Dornan, Laurel Donegan, and Selena Johansen worked as secretaries to the CEOs of Alumni Network, Dragonaire Studio, and Aurora Holdings, respectively.

    The three secretaries had rted industry experience and were highly educated.

    With I''s help, Sean''s personality and character had undergone a vast transformation. The slightly immature look on his face had disappeared, and he now appeared more reliable.

    Lily was wearing a striped sweater and a brown skirt. A khaki-colored knitted scarf around her neck highlighted her pretty features and made her look dignified and elegant.

    She had the demeanor of a calm, refined woman.

    The two of them were a beautiful couple and looked like a match made in heaven. They attracted looks of envy from many passersby.

    "What bad luck! I can''t believe we are seeing them here, too."

    Sarah and Sienna got out of a cab by the side of the road.

    Sarah was quiet and did not even look twice at Sean and Lily.

    However, Sienna continued talking.

    "Sarah, Alumni Network is growing rapidly. Almost everyone at our university has registered on Alumni Network. A conservative estimate of their registered users already ces them over 500 thousand users!"

    Sarah said expressionlessly, "It''s just dumb luck."

    Sienna sighed.

    "I don''t understand. Why don''t we have their luck? Your loanpany is really struggling under the pressure exerted by SwiftFunds Financial Investments. If this goes on, we won''t even be able to make rent for our building!"

    SwiftFunds Financial Investments'' reputation had spread rapidly in the loan industry over thest month.

    Thepany''s inspection and approval process was quick and convenient. They approved unsecured loans. Within a month, they had already loaned out almost 20 million dors.

    SwiftFunds Financial Investments had only been established for less than two months.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Conversely, Sarah''spany had spent almost a million in promotional and advertising fees but had only lent out less than 500 thousand dors.

    Sarah took a deep breath and said coldly, "Don''t mention thepany''s name in front of me again!"

    She had only recently discovered that SwiftFunds belonged to Wanda. The two people she hated the most were doing much better than she was, which frustrated her immensely.

    Sienna saw that Sarah was angry.

    She took thetter''s arm and said yfully, "Alright. I''ll stop talking about them!"

    She changed the subject and said, "Sarah, how long is your BMW X5 going to be in the repair shop?"

    Sarah''s cousin had borrowed her car to take ady out and had ended up crashing it. For the past few days, Sierra had had to rely on taxis for transport. After being ustomed to riding in luxury cars, Sienna felt it was below her to take taxis.

    Sarah pouted.

    "Who cares how long it''s going to take? Austin''s going to give me a new car tonight anyway." Sienna''s eyes lit up.

    "What kind of car is it? It won''t be cheaper than a BMW X5, will it?"

    Sarah said confidently, "Of course it won''t! Austin earned 20 millionst month through trading stocks. The car he bought for me will cost at least one million!"

    "20 million? That is so amazing!"

    Sienna felt her scalp prickle with shock.

    Her mouth felt dry as she said, "Is it difficult to do stock trading? Why don''t we learn how to do it too? I''m not greedy. It would be enough just to make 20 thousand a month."

    Sarah rolled her eyes.

    "Trading in stocks is very risky. It''s pretty much like gambling. If you''re unlucky, you could lose everything and be bankrupt overnight!"

    Siennaughed awkwardly and said, "Forget it, then. I''d better focus on doing business instead."

    Suddenly, Sarah''s phone rang from her shoulder bag.

    She took out her phone and saw that Austin was calling. Her face lit up immediately into a

    happy smile.

    "Austin!"

    "Sarah, I''ve got an important meeting tonight, so I don''t think I''ll be able to have dinner with you!" Austin drawled on the other end of the phone.

    The light in Sarah''s eyes dimmed, but she said meekly, "It''s alright. Work is important." Austin continued, "I''ve asked someone to send you that car. It''ll probably arrive soon!" Sarah couldn''t help being curious, so she asked tentatively, "What car model is it?"

    Austin said mysteriously, "If I tell you now, it won''t be a surprise. You''ll find out soon!"

    "You''re the best, Austin," Sarah said sweetly.

    She was very touched.

 Chapter 520

    ?Chapter 520

    "You''re my girlfriend. I should treat you well, shouldn''t I?" Austin said fondly.

    They chatted for a while before ending the call.

    At the same time, a pink Bentley Arnage stopped by the side of the road.

    The car window purred down. Ruby looked at Caulitorna BBQ and observed how packed it was.

    She smiled.

    "Business is doing well."

    Tiffany was sitting beside her.

    After Ruby turned over a new leaf, her attitude toward Tiffany, whom she had once bullied,

    changedpletely. Not only had she bought thetter a phone, but she had even bought her various essories from various brands.

    Tiffany was from Caulitorna, and her parents managed a small restaurant there.

    To make up for her past mistakes to Tiffany, Ruby used the pocket money she had saved up over half a year and invested in Caulitorna BBQ, She then handed it over to Tiffany''s parents to manage, taking on all the losses and giving them 30% of the profits.

    Tiffany was one of the prettiest women at Rivend University when she was dressed up.

    Thoughts raced through Tiffany''s mind as she looked at the restaurant.

    She didn''t know whether she was lucky or not.

    When she arrived at Rivend University, she was subjected to Ruby''s relentless bullying, but suddenly, Ruby had be apletely different person.

    As a result, Tiffany''s life had changed.

    The restaurant brought in sales of ten thousand dors a day in profits, and her parents received three thousand from that.

    Before this, her parents had only managed to earn three thousand every month.

    There weren''t many families who had an ie of only three thousand dors a month. Tiffany also had twin younger brothers, which added to the family''s burden.

    "Thank you, Ruby," Tiffany said softly, pressing her lips together.

    Ruby cocked her head to one side and smiled.

    "I should be the one thanking you. I should thank you for forgiving me. Besides, your parents ''BBQ dishes are very popr with the public. It''s earning me quite a lot of money!"

    There was a loud honk behind them.

    They saw a ck Mazda 6 signaling left through the rearview mirror.

    Ruby saw the license te, and her eyes lit up slightly.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I think that''s Carlisle''s car!"

    She told the driver, "Drive the car into the parking lot."

    The driver followed her instructions.

    The Mazda followed them from behind into the parking lot and found a space. Once parked, Carlisle got out of the car.

    He was wearing a knee-length ck trench coat.

    His height and chiseled features made him look very handsome.

    "Hi, Carlisle."

    Ruby''s voice came from behind him.

    Carlisle turned to see Ruby and Tiffany standing together.

    Ruby wore a pink coat with a fluffy white scarf wrapped around her neck.

    Her silky ck hair hung down her back, and she had her hands in her pockets as she smiled faintly at him.

    Ruby had not harassed him for a long time, and Tiffany did not seem to be suffering from bullying any longer.

    Moreover, Ruby was treating Tiffany very well. Carlisle suspected that Ruby had given Tiffany all the branded items she was wearing.

    Carlisle thought of what Ruby had said.

    She had said that she would change, and she had done it.

    He just wasn''t sure if she could keep it up.

    He smiled and nodded.

    "Hello."

 Chapter 521

    ?Chapter 521

    Ruby walked over to Carlisle.

    "Did youe to have BBQ too?"

    "Yes."Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Carlisle nodded calmly.

    Ruby was disappointed that he hadn''t asked if they would like to eat together.

    However, she would not take the initiative to ask, so she smiled and said, "Tiffany and I own this restaurant. Today''s meal is on us, so have whatever you like!"

    Carlisle smiled and said, "Thank you very much."

    Ruby had thought that Carlisle would refuse.

    She had even thought about what she would say to make the atmosphere less awkward once he refused, but unexpectedly, he had epted her offer.

    She wondered if he was genuinely treating her as a friend.

    Ruby smiled brightly.

    "You''re wee."

    "Carl!"

    Sean and Lily walked over.

    Ruby said, "It must be hectic in the restaurant. Tiffany and I will go and help!"

    She then pulled Tiffany toward the restaurant.

    Tiffany turned back and looked thoughtfully at Carlisle.

    At that moment, she realized the reason behind Ruby''s drastic change in character.

    Carlisle looked at Sean and asked, "Has Gareth arrived?"

    Sean shook his head.

    "Not yet. He''ll probably be here soon."

    A beeping sound was heard. It was from a semi-trailer that had stopped suddenly by the roadside.

    The trailer contained a transparent ss case, and a brand-new white car was inside.

    The car was pure white and had coach doors. It featured an aerodynamic inlet grille and a gilded logo shaped like a tiny golden person. It looked luxurious and elegant.

    "Damn. A Rolls-Royce?"

    "Which rich man is giving presents to his girlfriend this time?"

    "Wow! It''s this year''stest Phantom model!"

    The patrons outside the restaurant were buzzing with excitement.

    Even the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second and third floors were filled with people who had gathered to admire the car.

    The crowd took their phones out to take photos.

    "Sarah... Is that the new car that Mr. Gust got you?"

    Sienna covered her mouth in shock.

    After seeing Sarah''s BMW X5, Sienna read about luxury cars, and she saw the Rolls-Royce logo on theputer.

    Rolls-Royce was a globally renowned brand.

    The tiny gold man on the car itself was worth hundreds of thousands of dors.

    Sarah was a little dazed at the sight of the car.

    It was one of the most high-end luxury cars one could get.

    She pondered if Austin had truly gifted her such an expensive present.

    "Damn, woman! Which handsome fellow gave this to you?" a woman asked Sarah.

    She looked enviously at thetter as she chewed gum.

    Sienna answered at once, "It''s from Austin, the son of Rivend''s richest man!"

    The woman was shocked.

    "She''s Mr. Gust''s girlfriend?"

    Sienna smiled and nodded. She took Sarah''s arm and straightened up.

    A Rolls-Royce was the symbol of status and influence.

    Anyone driving this car would undoubtedly attract double takes on the street.

    Sienna was very excited.

    She had never imagined that she would be able to sit in a Rolls-Royce one day.

    She thought that she was indeed living the life.

    Sean looked enviously at the Rolls-Royce and said, "Carl, we''ll be able to afford it in the future, won''t we?"

    Carlisle put a hand on his shoulder, smiled, and said, "Of course. Once Alumni Network expands, you can buy eight or ten with no problem, let alone one!"

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    ?Chapter 522

    Sean pursed his lips and said, "Stop building castles in the air for me. Let''s go and eat! It''s freezing out here."

    He wasn''t even thinking about such a high-end luxury car.

    His goal was to drive a BMW X5.

    "Let''s wait for Gareth."

    Carlisle shoved his hands into his pockets to keep warm.

    Sean took out his phone to take a photo of the Rolls-Royce.

    However, Sienna and Sarah were in the shot.

    Sean frowned slightly, but he couldn''t be bothered to argue with them. He moved and continued taking photos.

    Sienna seemed to be antagonizing him on purpose. She blocked his shot again.

    Sean could no longer stand it and said, "Sienna, you''re so ugly. Can you please stop standing in my shot?"

    Sienna put her hands on her waist and said arrogantly, "Is that your car? Why are you taking photos of it?"

    Sean may be the CEO of Alumni Network, but he was insignificant in the presence of that Rolls-Royce.

    Seanughed out of anger.

    "It''s not my car, but is it yours? Besides, is taking photos of it breaking thew?"

    Sienna had been waiting for him to say so.

    She said arrogantly, "This Rolls-Royce belongs to Sarah. You''re not allowed to take photos without her permission!"

    Sean looked sideways at Sarah.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sarah tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled, saying, "If you want to take photos, you can take as many as you want once I''ve gotten the car!"

    Carlisle''s lips curled.

    He said, "He''s the one who wants to take photos. Don''t drag me into it!"

    The Rolls-Royce was almost certainly a gift from Austin to Sarah.

    Carlisle did not want to embarrass himself.

    Sienna pretended to be angry and said, "Sarah, why did you agree to let them take photos?"

    Sarah pretended to be generous, saying, "We were all ssmates in high school. It''s not a big deal to allow them to take some pictures."

    Sienna smiled.

    "That''s true. Let them take as many as they want!"

    Sean immediately felt thoroughly humiliated.

    He wouldn''t have spared it another nce if he had known that the car belonged to Sarah.

    Lily said disdainfully, "It''s not like you bought it with money you earned. What are you bragging about?"

    Sarah smiled.

    "This is a gift from my boyfriend. With such a good boyfriend, why shouldn''t I brag about it? If you can, you should boast too!"

    "Oh, Sarah, stop talking! Lily and Sean are now very popr at the university. Have you forgotten that Sean''s the CEO of Alumni Network?"

    Sienna said passive-aggressively, "It''s just that this CEO is looking rather frugal right now. He can''t even buy a decent car! He and Lily take the bus when they go out on dates."

    Sean looked frosty.

    As a man, he did not like having his girlfriend looked down upon, especially by other women.

    However, he had no way to retort to their insults.

    Lily took Sean''s clenched fist and stared at the duo.

    She said, "So what? I like taking the bus. True love is not measured by money!"

    Sarah only smiled.

    "You''re right, Mrs. Woodsen."

    Ruby and Tiffany were standing nearby.

    They hadn''t entered the restaurant because of themotion caused by the semi-trailer.

    They had heard the entire conversation between Sarah, Carlisle, and the others.

    Tiffany said in awe, "Ruby, your brother is so generous."

    Ruby shook her head and said, "My brother didn''t buy that car."

    Tiffany looked surprised.

    "Isn''t that the car your brother bought for his girlfriend?"

    Ruby burst intoughter.

    "That''s an imported car, and it''s the best model. It probably cost about one million dors.

    Even my father wouldn''t be able to buy such an expensive car. Plus, he has a family rule that no car we own should cost more than three hundred thousand!"

    Tiffany almost choked on her saliva.

    Her view of the world had been overturned once more.

    A car worth eight million?

    The world of the rich was hard to imagine.

    Tiffany recovered and said in a small voice, "Isn''t Sarah just going to embarrass herself

    then?"

    After all, Sarah boldly imed that the car was hers when it wasn''t.

    Tiffany felt that Sarah was sure to be humiliatedter.

    Ruby said with interest, "It would be even more humiliating if that car belonged to Carlisle."

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    ?

    Tiffany shook her head and said, "It can''t be. If it were Carlisle''s car, he would have stood up for Sean!"

    Having known Ruby for some time, Tiffany understood Sean and Carlisle''s rtionship well.

    Carlisle wasn''t just the real force behind Alumni Network but also Sean''s best friend since high school. Therefore, Carlisle wouldn''t sit idly by while Sean was being mistreated.

    Little did Tiffany know, however, Carlisle had indeed chosen to ignore it. He observed that Sean had bepetitive and enjoyedparing himself with others. Carlisle believed that this incident could teach Sean a valuable lesson and encourage him to work harder.

    Ruby added, "Could it be that Carlisle wasn''t aware it was his car?"

    Tiffany was startled.

    "Well..."

    Ruby looked at the semi-trailer and exined, "This is a gift delivery truck, so the recipient himself may be unaware of it."

    Meanwhile, the semi-trailer had parked outside the BBQ restaurant. Two men in suits emerged, carrying arge stack of documents.

    When one of the men, Gary, took out his phone to make a call, Sienna shouted, "No need to call! The recipient is right here!"Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sienna''s voice drew everyone''s attention.

    Feeling nervous, Sienna held Sarah''s arm and said, "That car belongs to my bestie!"

    The envious gazes immediately shifted to Sarah. However, Sarah wasn''t bothered by the attention at all. In fact, she had long been ustomed to it.

    With a smile, Gary asked, "What''s your rtionship with Mr. Zahn?"

    "Mr. Zahn? Don''t you mean Mr. Gust? There seems to be some kind of mistake," Sarah frowned as she corrected Gary''s careless mistake.

    Gary flipped through the documents in his hands for confirmation. He initially thought he had made a mistake, but the recipient column clearly stated the car was for Carlisle Zahn.

    "We''d better give the recipient a call, just to be sure," Gary''s co-worker reminded him.

    "Right," Gary replied and made the call.

    Sarah quickly took her phone out to stand by. A ringtone with lyrics sounded.

    "We''ll grow old together and watch the snowkes fall..."

    It was Carlisle''s ringtone. He had specially requested a recording studio to record the song

    as his private ringtone.

    ncing at the unknown caller''s number, Carlisle shifted his gaze to Gary in disbelief.

    Sean looked at Lily in astonishment.

    "Don''t tell me that the surprise Gareth mentioned is..."

    "It''s highly possible."

    Lily nodded, her lips pressed together.

    Carlisle answered the call.

    "Hello?"

    "Hello, is this Mr. Carlisle Zahn?"

    Gary''s voice from the phone ovepped with his voice at the scene. Gary''s gaze was fixed on

    Carlisle as he waited for his response.

    "Yes, I am," Carlisle replied.

    Gary swiftly approached Carlisle and asked, "Mr. Carlisle Zahn, I presume?"

    Carlisle nodded in response.

    Gary politely requested, "May I have your ID, please?"

    Carlisle retrieved his ID from his wallet in his pocket and handed it to Gary for verification.

    Afterparing the ID number, Gary handed Carlisle the documents and said, "Please sign here."

    Sean intentionally raised his voice, shouting, "Hey, hey, hey! Are you sure that this car isn''t Ms. Gates''?"

    ncing at Sarah and Sienna, Gary smiled professionally and said, "Yes. Mr. Carlisle Zahn is the recipient. The matching ID number confirms this."

    Sarah was dumbfounded. She found it difficult to believe that the car wasn''t Austin''s gift for her, and she wondered where the car Austin promised was.

    Sienna was equally stunned. She wouldn''t have ever imagined that the car belonged to Carlisle.

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    ?Chapter 524

    Sienna couldn''t help but wonder what gave Carlisle the right to own a car worth at least one million dors.

    A honking sound interrupted Sienna''s thoughts. Another semi-trailer had arrived with a transparent ss case showing a pink Porsche Cayenne inside.

    "Wow, look at that Porsche!"

    "What''s going on? Did all the wealthy people decide to gather around here for a barbeque today?"

    "Can someone tell me how much that car is worth?"

    "That''s the Cayenne Turbo 4.5T, thetest model in 2004. The most luxurious version cost about 250 thousand!"

    "It definitely can''t match the price of the Rolls-Royce."

    "Duh! Rolls-Royce is crowned the king of luxury cars. These two brands aren''t even in the same league!"

    If it weren''t for the Rolls-Royce Phantom''s presence, the 250-thousand-dor Cayenne would have undoubtedly been the center of envy that night. Sarah would have been deeply fond of it, too.

    However, Sarah couldn''t muster any interest at the moment. As she stared nkly at Carlisle signing the documents, she could only feel an inexplicable displeasure in her heart.

    After signing the documents, Carlisle called Francis over and handed him the papers.

    "Take these. We''re changing our ride."

    Francis took the documents, his hands shaking. When he saw the Rolls-Royce in the parking lot earlier, he had wondered when Carlisle would get a luxury car like that. He hadn''t expected that the exact Rolls-Royce that caught his eye would belong to Carlisle.

    In other words, he would be a Rolls-Royce driver from then on. He could imagine how people would look at him when he drove this car.

    Francis followed Gary to collect the car. After the Rolls-Royce was unloaded, Francis sat inside to experience its luxurious interior, thrilled by its design.

    "Damn. I must get in there, too!"

    Sean hurried over and jumped into the front passenger seat.

    Carlisle remained aloof, recalling Gareth''s suggestion that he change his car, to which he humorously replied that he had no money.

    He hadn''t expected Gareth to gift him a car, let alone one that was more expensive than his

    Ferrari. He wondered how he could ever repay Gareth.

    Sitting in the passenger seat, Sean leaned out andughed loudly at Sienna and Sarah.

    "How does it feel to be pped in the face?"

    The metaphorical p was indeed painful. Sarah blushed in embarrassment. She suppressed her anger and signed the papers to collect her Cayenne.

    As soon as she finished signing, she received a call from Austin.

    "Sarah, have you received the car I ordered for you?"

    "Yes," Sarah replied, displeased.

    "What''s wrong? Don''t you like it?"

    Austin frowned, noticing her displeasure. He wondered if a 250-thousand-dor car couldn''t satisfy Sarah anymore.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sarah replied innocently, "Yes, I do. It''s just that I identally made a fool of myself..."

    Sarah exined to Austin how she had initially mistaken that Rolls-Royce as his gift. After listening to her recount, Austin was somewhat speechless.

    "What a coincidence," he remarked.

    Sarah responded with an upset tone, "It sure was. Now everyone sees me as a joke!"

    Austin took a deep breath and said, "I''m sorry, Sarah. I should have been more considerate and sent it to your school instead."

    Sarah quickly responded, "No, Austin. I should thank you for the gift. It''s fine. Let them have theirugh. It''s not the first time I''ve been humiliated in front of Carlisle, after all."

    "Sarah, baby, don''t worry. He won''t beughing for long."

    With that, Austin ended the call.

    He had spent 250 thousand dors on a luxury car to please Sarah, yet a million-dor Rolls -Royce had overshadowed her moment. Sarah wasn''t the only one feeling embarrassed. Austin felt the same.

    Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted Austin''s thoughts.

    "Come in," Austin responded indifferently.

    Yuriel entered the room, his expression dark.

    "Dad... Did someone upset you?" Austin asked cautiously.

    Yuriel replied coldly, "Does your money grow on trees? Why did you buy a 250 thousand car for a university student?"

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    Austin''s lips twisted, wondering how his father had found out so quickly. He suspected Ruby had informed Yuriel about the incident since she was a Caulitorna BBQ investor.

    "That''s the money I made from trading stocks. It''s easy money. It''s as if it fell from the sky, "Austin replied calmly.

    Yuriel was aware that Austin had invested a lot of money in stocks. Despite Yuriel''s concern, Austin never took his advice.

    Feeling hopeless, Yuriel sighed and said, "You should stop investing in stocks while you''re ahead. As for that university girl, don''t take her too seriously. She''s not worthy of you."

    Already in a terrible mood, Austin became more irritated.

    He raised his voice and shouted, "Don''t do this, don''t do that... You''re annoying!"

    Yuriel snorted coldly.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "I am your father. Shouldn''t I be concerned about you?"

    Austin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, ignoring his father''s rage.

    "If you were half aspetent as Carlisle, I wouldn''t be so worried about you," Yuriel remarked.

    Despite being the wealthiest man in Rivend, Yuriel couldn''t help but envy Carlisle''s parents for having such a brilliant son, while his own was a mere disappointment.

    Nheless, he was relieved that Austin was diligent at work and had no bad habits. Yuriel felt that if Austin had only some business acumen and some training, he might be able to shoulder his business empire.

    Yuriel pulled a chair to sit down.

    "I n to acquire Alumni Network."

    At that moment, Carlisle''s Alumni Network had three million registered users. With its trajectory, it could reach ten million by the end of the month, making it a significant revenue generator in the Inte industry. Yuriel didn''t think Carlisle should own such a money maker, so he nned to acquire it for 100 million dors.

    Austin cracked open his eyes and asked, "Are you sure they''re willing to sell?"

    Alumni Network''s reputation had spread across the Rivend businessmunity. Many angel investors were eager to contribute, yet Alumni Network did not intend to ept investments, indicating that Carlisle did notck funds.

    "If the number''s right, I believe he''ll sell it anyway," Yuriel replied confidently.

    "How much do you n to offer?"

    "100 million!"

    "100 million?"

    Austin''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    He knew Alumni Network showed great potential but wondered if it was worth 100 million dors. After all, it had only beenunched for nearly a month.

    Narrowing his eyes, Yuriel exined, "One must take risks to gain an advantage. Alumni Network''s futuremercial value would exceed 100 million dors if not one billion."

    "No, it can''t possibly be worth one billion! The inte isn''t fully poprized yet, so most students find it novel!" Austin eximed.

    He refused to believe that Carlisle could make one billion from a mere website, surpassing the Gust family''s achievements, which was the result of generations of hard work. He found it simply too good to be true.

    Looking at Austin, Yuriel sighed and slowly exined, "Despite the inte not being fully poprized, Alumni Network has already attracted so much attention. University students nationwide will undoubtedly sign up for its membership once it bes widely adopted!"

    As much as Austin wanted to argue, he remained silent, not daring to question his father''s business acumen.

    Meanwhile, Gareth and a few others took their seats in a private room at Caulitorna BBQ. Carlisle sighed.

    "Gareth, your gift was simply too much!"

    The Rolls-Royce Gareth gifted Carlisle was shipped directly from abroad and cost about one million dors after adding various taxes and fees to its selling price.

    The shipment took about one month to reach the country. In other words, Gareth had purchased it a month ago. This exined why he had not been visiting the bar then he was tight on cash.

    However, despite his tight finances, he had been willing to spend over one million dors to buy Carlisle the car as a token of his genuine and loyal friendship.

    "Some friend I am, huh?"

    Gareth grinned, his brows raised.

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    "You sure are an amazing friend," Carlisle replied with mixed feelings.

    He held up his ss and toasted, "To Gareth!"

    Sometimes, a toast was worth more than a thousand words of thanks.

    Sean smiled cheekily as he asked, "So, Gareth, when will you get me a car too?"

    ncing at Sean, Gareth asked, "Are we that close?"

    Sean rubbed his nose and replied, "We''ve known each other for some time, haven''t we? I''d say we''re quite close."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Gareth smiled and said, "How about we make a bet? If your Alumni Network has more than ten million registered users, I''ll give you a Porsche!"

    "What? Ten million users?"

    Sean yelped like a dog with its tail stepped on.

    He wondered if Gareth was making a joke. There were only 20 million university students nationwide, so Gareth was asking for at least half of them to register.

    Gareth picked up a sausage and grilled it.

    "Alumni Network has great potential. Thanks to the referral reward system, it reached three million registered users in such a short time. As long as the system continues, Alumni Network will keep attracting new users. I estimate that approximately 70% of university students nationwide will join the website!"

    If Alumni Network surpassed ten million users, its subsequentmercial value would be immeasurable. By then, Sean''s worth would skyrocket, and Gareth would be more than happy to buy him a luxury car.

    However, Gareth would prefer not to gift him a Rolls-Royce. After all, it wouldn''t be appropriate for Sean to drive the same car as his boss, Carlisle.

    Carlisle chimed in, "The referral reward system will be terminated at the end of December!"

    Sean asked with concern, "Will this discourage university students from registering? Gareth was right the referral reward system is why most students joined Alumni Network.

    "ording to the backend data, 2.9 million of the three million users signed up through invitation codes. The remaining tens of thousands probably didn''t bother with the codes and signed up directly instead."

    Sean worried that canceling the referral reward system might reduce the enthusiasm of existing users to invite new ones.

    However, Carlisle reassured him, "I estimate that Alumni Network will have over 20 million

    registered users by next year, ounting for 95% of the country''s university students. Once every university student uses Alumni Network, new students will naturally be enticed each year!"

    With 2.9 million invited users, Alumni Network had to issue 2.9 million rewards, each worth six dors, totaling 18 million dors. When Alumni Network surpassed ten million users, thepany would have to spend 60 million dors on rewards. It was essentially buying

    users.

    Carlisle''s goal was to attract users with the website''s appeal and reputation and ensure user engagement for future viral marketing.

    "Carl, you''re even crazier than Gareth," Sean remarked, feeling immense pressure.

    He wondered how many servers they would need to support 20 million users.

    "Am I? Penguin Group has about 300 million registered users now!"

    "Are wepeting against Penguin Group?"

    "Well, we''re not that different, after all..."

    Carlisle had no intention of directlypeting with Penguin Group, the current leader in the inte industry.

    While Penguin Group offered its service to all users nationwide, Alumni Network was only avable to university students.

    Carlisle was also hesitating, wondering if he should open Alumni Network to the public. Only then could the website reach its peak potential.

    However, if Alumni Network were to be publicly avable, it might be a mixed bag and potentially disappoint many users.

    Carlisle decided to take things slowly. His current priority was to capture the university student market.

    As he pondered, he added, "In the future, Alumni Network will offer features for users to listen to music or watch movies together. It will also include farming games."

    Carlisle remembered that Farm Fun, released in 2009, would be a nationwide hit upon itsunch. In his previous life, he used to set rms so that he would wake up in the middle of the night to harvest crops.

    "Listening to music or watching movies together?"

    Sean stared at Carlisle in astonishment while Gareth took a sharp breath.

    They thought it was a brilliant idea.

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    ?Chapter 527? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    A feature that allowed users to listen to their favorite songs and watch their favorite movies with their loved ones? That would definitely win over every campus couple!

    At the sight of the gang''s stunned expressions, Carlisle smiled and asked, "Any problems?"

    Sean shook his head.

    "No, not all all. Carl, what exactly goes on in your brain? How do youe up with such awesome features? I''ll have the R&D department start working on these features immediately!"

    He swiftly took out his phone, eager to get the features online as soon as possible. He was confident that these features would be a major highlight of Alumni Network.

    "Hold your horses," Carlisle suddenly interjected.

    "We can take our time to implement these features."

    Piqued with curiosity, Gareth asked, "What about the farm or ranch thing?"

    He understood the appeal of listening to music or watching movies together but was puzzled

    by the idea of farming or raising animals on Alumni Network. It sounded dull to him.

    "It''s a mini-game where you can grow various crops on a farm," Carlisle exined.

    "That''sme," Gareth remarked, finding it unappealing.

    "It''s actually quite interesting. Imagine your friends or alumni visiting your farm and stealing your crops..."

    Carlisle briefly described the fun of growing and stealing crops online.

    Gareth''s attitude immediately changed upon hearing that the users could enjoy the game with all their friends.

    "Awesome... If you steal my crops, I''ll have to pay you back by stealing from you. That sounds fun!"

    Sean conveyed Carlisle''s ideas in a text message and sent it to Lily. After Carlisle finished eating his grilled sausage, he craved more, so he ordered two more servings from the waiter.

    Carlisle suddenly turned to Owen and asked, "So, Owen, how''s the performance of ount Farming Studio recently?"

    Owen quickly swallowed the beef in his mouth before replying, "In November, we earned 480 thousand and spent 300 thousand on purchasing newputers."

    Carlisle nodded in satisfaction.

    "Not bad!"

    At this rate, ount Farming Studio would be a standout in the industry, generating millions monthly.

    Sean was deeply impressed.

    "Carl, you were born to do business. Who would have thought game ount farming could be such a money maker?"

    He then turned to Owen and said, "Owen, you''d better pray more diligently when you visit the church!"

    Taking a bite of chicken drumstick, Owen mumbled, "Carl''s the one who taught me how to make money. What does God have anything to do with it? If anyone deserves my prayers, it''s Carl-"

    Gareth choked on the spicy buffalo wings.

    Sean smacked Owen on the back of his head and said, "Watch your mouth!"

    Realizing his mistake, Owen quickly stood up and apologized, "I''m sorry, Carl! I didn''t mean

    With a smile, Carlisle waved his hand dismissively and said, "Sit down and eat. We mess with each other like this all the time."

    When he and Owen used to hang out online, they often exchanged yful insults. Since starting work, Carlisle had missed that kind of carefree camaraderie, even more so as he grew older.

    Despite being reborn, Carlisle''s mental age remained over 40 years old, so he cherished having a few good friends with whom he could joke and banter.

    Owen sat back down awkwardly.

    "I''ll punish myself with three drinks for saying the wrong thing!"

    "It''s alright. Come on, it''s just a joke. I can take a joke like that!" Carlisle rolled his eyes, feeling slightly annoyed.

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    Gareth quickly agreed, "That''s right, Owen. It''s no big deal since we''re all friends here. Just be more cautious in public, especially at important business events. Be extra careful with your words and actions on those asions."Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Owen blushed and nodded.

    "Got it. Thanks for the advice, Gareth."

    Changing the topic, Carlisle said, "Sean, didn''t you get an advertisement deal? What kind of ad is it, and how much are they paying?"

    Stretching out his leg, Sean pointed at the logo on the side of his grey chunky boots and said, "It''s Fortbird. They''re offering us five million a year."

    Fortbird was a well-known domestic shoe brand and a prominentpany from Midew State. At its peak, it had over three thousand branches and a market value of 40 billion. It was crowned the king of domestic shoe brands.

    "Did you ept it?" Carlisle asked, sipping his tea.

    Five million in advertisement fees was no small amount. In Rivend, there were tens of thousands of businesses, but only a few thousand of them could exceed five million in annual profit.

    Nevertheless, Carlisle wasn''t entirely satisfied with Fortbird''s offer. Based on his estimate, Alumni Network would have had more than ten million registered users by the end of the month. Yet, Fortbird''s proposed advertisement fee seemed to be based on an estimate of only three million users.

    "Not yet. This is a big deal. I definitely need your advice before moving forward!"

    Sean grinned.

    "Five million, Carl. That''s a huge step forward!"

    Sipping his drink, Gareth casually remarked, "We''ve already invested over 20 million into Alumni Network. Five million only covers a quarter of that!"

    Sean argued, "In other words, I only need another three advertisement deals to break even in a year!"

    Carlisle pondered momentarily before saying, "Five million is a bit low. I think we should consider charging them by cost per click, or CPC for short."

    "CPC? Won''t we end up losing money with that?" Sean asked.

    He was familiar with the four ad pricing models:

    "Cost per Impression" (CPI) would be charged ording to the number of times the ad was disyed, per impression, or per thousand impressions.

    "Cost per Click" (CPC) would be charged ording to the number of times the ad was clicked.

    "Cost per Action" (CPA) would be charged ording to specific actions taken after seeing the ad, such as downloads or purchases.

    "Cost per Duration" (CPD) would be charged ording to the length of time the ad was disyed, either monthly or annually.

    Fortbird and Alumni Network were discussing a CPD model with annual payments. Sean thought it was a decent model. Regardless of the ad performance, hispany would receive five million in payment.

    Since he wasn''t a fan of online ads himself, he worried that Alumni Network''s users wouldn''t click on the ads, potentially resulting in low CPC revenue.

    "Don''t worry. Let''s go with the CPC model at 0.04 cents per click," Carlisle said.

    "...I don''t quite get it. With CPC, clicks from the same IP address are only considered as one click. We have three million users now. Even if all our users click on the ad, it would only give us a sum of nine hundred thousand dors."

    Sean was puzzled. A person as intelligent as Carlisle surely understood the maths, right?

    Carlisle picked up a piece of salmon to grill and exined, "To ensure a good user experience, we can''t have too many ads on Alumni Network. I can ept two ad slots at most. In other words, if we charge annually, we can only ept two ads a year.

    "However, with the CPC model, we can ept and rotate multiple ads. We might only have three million users now, but what if we get five or even eight million users this month?"

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    ?

    Carlisle''s exnation had enlightened Sean. Sean took a hearty gulp from his drink and smiled bitterly.

    With liquor trickling from the corner of his lips, he said, "Will I ever have a brain like Carl''s?

    Gareth patted Sean on the shoulder tofort him.

    "How could youpare yourself to Carlisle? He''s like a freaking fortune teller!"

    Nodding in agreement, Sean replied, "Exactly! How can Ipete with a freak like this!"

    Lily stepped on Sean''s foot, reminding him not to be rude to Carlisle.

    Smiling awkwardly, Sean poured himself another drink.

    "Alright, let''s drink!"

    After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was full, and it was about time to wrap up. Lily went to pay the bill but was informed by the waiter at the front desk that the meal was already paid for.

    "Carl, do you know the owner here?" Sean asked curiously.

    Ruby, who happened to be descending from upstairs, said, "Of course he does. Carlisle and I are ssmates!"

    Approaching Carlisle, Ruby greeted him with a nod and asked, "How was the food?"

    "Pretty good," Carlisle replied.

    Caulitorna sure knew how to prepare their BBQ. The vors were rich and lingering, leaving an enjoyable aftertaste.

    Ruby giggled.

    "Then you shoulde more often. Your meals at Caulitorna BBQ will always be on the house."

    Carlisle gently smiled.

    "If you don''t let me pay next time, I might note again!"

    Carlisle epted Ruby''s treat this time because he acknowledged her as a friend. He noticed Ruby had indeed changed significantly and was trying to make amends for what she had done to Tiffany in the past. Thus, he was willing to ept her gesture of waiving the bill.

    Ruby stuck out her tongue.

    "Alright. We''ll charge you the regr price from now on. But promise you''lle by more often to support our business."

    "Sure. I''ll have my colleaguese here for gatherings sometimes," Carlisle replied, nodding while smiling.

    Narrowing his eyes, Sean nced at Carlisle and Ruby, sensing something was off. It was evident that Ruby was hitting on Carlisle. Sean wondered if Carlisle had moved on so quickly.

    Lily felt irritated as she watched Carlisle and Ruby chatting happily, her eyes tinged with rage.

    "Why, this womanizer! How dare he flirt around while Wanda is away. I must watch him closely for Wanda," thought Lily.

    "Carl, Sean needs to talk to you about some work-rted matters."

    Lily made up an excuse to get Carlisle away.

    Noticing Carlisle''s nce at him, Sean was dumbfounded. He turned to Lily, who signaled him with her eyes and finally realized her intention.

    "Oh, right! I have something very important to discuss with you. It''s confidentialpany matters, so we''d better talk in the car," Sean said.

    Carlisle noticed Lily''s eye signals to Sean and immediately grasped their intentions.

    He smiled and said, "Sure, let''s go!"

    He then turned to Ruby and said, "I have something to take care of. See you, Ruby!"

    Ruby nodded.

    "I''ll see you out."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "It''s alright. You should get back to work," Lily responded, not wanting her to send Carlisle off.

    "In that case, pleasee again next time!"

    Ruby nced at Lily, aware that she was trying to prevent her from getting closer to Carlisle.

    Lily and Carlisle seemed to have known each other since high school. In other words, she and Carlisle had a closer rtionship than Ruby and Carlisle. Thus, Ruby understood that it would be unwise for her to insist on seeing Carlisle off now. And so, Carlisle and his friends left the BBQ restaurant.

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    Feeling the cold wind outside, Lily shivered and remarked, "So cold..."

    At the sight of Sean about to take his coat off, Lily quickly stopped him and frowned.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Giving you my coat."

    "You''ll freeze, you silly goose!"

    Lily rolled her eyes, yet her heart was warmed by the gesture.

    Sean patted his chest proudly and responded, "The cold could never take down a fit body like mine!"

    During the days Sean spent apanying Lily in the hospital, he hade to realize just how close he had been to losing her forever. Thus, after Lily was discharged, he pampered her dearly.

    "Hello? How about some consideration for us single folks?" Gareth, trailing behind, said with a deliberately envious tone.

    Owen nodded in agreement.

    "Yeah. Are you unting your rtionship because we don''t have girlfriends?"

    Sean shot a re at Owen.

    "This is none of your business, you brat."

    Owen was only a few months younger than Sean and Carlisle, but he started school two

    yearster, making them see him as two years younger.

    Puffing up his chest, Owen dered, "I''m not a kid! I''m about to turn 18!"

    Gareth''s eyes widened as he looked at Owen.

    "So, you''re not 18 yet?"

    With an embarrassed smile, Owen replied, "Next Sunday will be my 18th birthday!"

    Gareth patted Owen on the shoulder and said, "That means the CEO of Dragonaire Studio will officially be an adult too. I''ll throw you a big celebration."

    After a moment of hesitation, Owen lowered his head and said, "I... I want to celebrate it at home..."

    Every year, Owen''s parents would arrange his birthday celebration in advance. He had been looking forward to celebrating his birthday with his mother''s homemade dishes and letting them know he had finally grown up.

    Gareth shrugged.

    "Alright then. You can handle the celebration yourself. I''ll prepare a big birthday gift for you!

    Since Carlisle regarded Owen as a brother, Gareth treated Owen as one of his own. Moreover, as the secondrgest shareholder of Dragonaire Studio, Gareth felt it was essential to treat Owen, the CEO of Dragonaire Studio, well. After all, thepany''s performance relied heavily on its CEO.

    Owen smiled and nodded.

    "Thank you, Gareth. I''ll look forward to your gift!"

    After interacting with Gareth over the past month, Owen hade to understand his character. If he turned down Gareth''s friendly offer now, Gareth would definitely be upset.

    Since they would be working together for a long time, Owen decided to ept Gareth''s gift and return the favor on Gareth''s birthday. He understood the importance of reciprocity.

    Sean draped his arm around Owen''s shoulder and said lewdly, "Owie, since ourpany hasn''t started making money yet, I probably can''t gift you a huge pile of cash. How about I set you up with ady for your birthday instead? I''ll make sure you be a real adult!"

    As soon as Sean finished speaking, Lily pinched his arm and asked angrily, "What are you talking about? Yourugh sounds so sleazy."

    "It''s nothing," Sean replied, coughing to y it cool.

    Lily turned to Owen and asked, "Owen, what did Sean just say to you?"

    Before Owen could answer, Sean quickly pulled Lily toward the street, saying, "Forget it. Let''s go for a walk! Bye, Carl, Gareth, Owen!"

    "Sean, I heard what you told Owen just now. Do you often sneak around behind my back?"

    "No! I haven''t even kissed a girl yet!"

    "Yeah, right!"

    Lily scoffed.

    "You don''t believe me, do you? Well, feel free to test me. Then you''ll see how bad my kissing skills are!"

    "Dream on!"

    As Sean and Lily continued their yful bickering while leaving, Carlisle watched them from a distance, a smile tugging at his lips.

    Owen suddenly turned to Carlisle and asked, "Didn''t Sean mention he has something important to discuss with you? Did he forget?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "It''s been taken care of. You should go home and get some rest now," Carlisle replied, tightening his coat cor and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

    "Alright. I''ll check out the office first!"

    Owen nodded and hailed a taxi at the roadside.

    With his hands in his pockets, Gareth huped and said, "Owen should get a car soon. What kind of CEO doesn''t have his own ride? It''s rather shabby!"

    Carlisle chuckled and replied, "We''re on a tight budget right now. Once thepany starts making money, we''ll ensure the CEOs each get their cars."

    If it weren''t for the Rolls-Royce Gareth had gifted him, Carlisle would still be driving a Mazda.

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    As Francis pulled the Rolls-Royce up to where Carlisle and Gareth were waiting, a group of young men and women trailed behind the car. A few streetdies also approached, hoping to get his number.

    Gareth grinned and said, "Is this the charm of a Rolls-Royce? I should''ve gotten one for myself, too!"

    "Your Ferrari is pretty attractive, too," Carlisle remarked.

    "Are you a fan of sports cars?" Gareth asked, ncing at Carlisle.

    Gareth had initially considered buying Carlisle a sports car but thought Carlisle, with his reserved and mature demeanor, was better suited for a Rolls-Royce. Compared to other teenagers, Carlisle seemed more like a sessful businessman who had endured hardship before achieving sess.

    Thus, Gareth felt that a Rolls-Royce matched Carlisle''s mature character better.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Carlisle took a photo of the Rolls-Royce.

    He smiled and said, "I prefer the Rolls-Royce!"

    Car enthusiast or not, no one seemed to be able to resist the charm of a Rolls-Royce- Carlisle was no exception.

    After Carlisle and Gareth got into the Rolls-Royce, they felt as though its luxurious interior had elevated their status.

    Francis turned on the starlight headliner. The dynamic effect of the starlight headliner created a dreamy atmosphere akin to the light and shadow of an eclipse.

    Leaning back in his seat, Carlisle gazed at the starlight headliner above him, his heart filled with astonishment and contentment. He believed that not many people in Rivend could afford a million-dor car in this era.

    After dropping Gareth off at Imperial Hotel, Francis drove Carlisle back to Willow Grove. He had arranged for hisrade, who had been assigned to protect Carlisle in secret, to drive the Mazda 6 back.

    The next day, Carlisle woke up early for his morning run. After his run, he took a cold shower before heading to school.

    Carlisle had already covered most of the semester''s material on his own. His desk was now filled with second-year textbooks, which he had bought from a third-year senior. With diligent study, he couldplete his university degree within a year.

    When Carlisle arrived at the ssroom, he found Christine sitting in Wanda''s seat. Given

    SwiftFunds'' recent excellent performance, Carlisle believed she was there to share the good

    news.

    Swiftly settling himself in his seat, Carlisle asked, "Any good news for me?"

    Christine took out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and said softly, "I found this in thepany mailbox this morning. I think it''s from Wanda."

    Christine''s demeanor seemed a bit off as she spoke. However, Carlisle was too anxious to notice her unease. He quickly took the letter, his expression full of excitement.

    "Why didn''t she send me a letter? That silly girl hasn''t forgotten about me, has she?"

    Christine''s eyshes fluttered at his words. She was unable to mutter another word.

    Carlisle unfolded the paper and saw it was filled with many rectangr boxes with names written inside them. They were the names of their high school ssmates. It seemed to be a seating chart of their high school ss.

    Carlisle noticed a sentence written beside his name in the chart: "Christine, can you tell me who this person is?"

    Carlisle stared at the note nkly.

    He contemted if Wanda had really forgotten about him. He wondered if she was joking and questioned if she genuinely couldn''t recall who he was.

    "What happened?"

    Carlisle''s expression turned pale, his hand slightly trembling as he held the paper.

    Christine shared her thoughts.

    "I suspect that Wanda wasn''t taken to Yorksle for treatment but to undergo a procedure to make her forget you!"

    Understanding that Christine was probably referring to memory erasure, Carlisle shook his head and said, "It can''t be. Memory erasure is impossible with current technology!"

    Even in his previous life, which was decades from the current timeline, Carlisle had never heard of memory erasure.

    Noticing Carlisle''s reddening eyes, Christine quicklyforted him, "In that case, don''t overthink it. It''s possible that Wanda has recovered from her illness, and she''s just messing with you."

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    When the ss bell rang, Christine said, "I''d better return to my seat now."

    Carlisle, lost in thought, stood up and moved his chair aside, allowing Christine to leave Wanda''s seat and return to her own.

    Carlisle continued to stare nkly as he sat in his seat. He wondered if memory erasure was possible. Perhaps he was unaware of it because he hadn''t been able to ess that kind of information-just like those hical experiments abroad that only came to light after being exposed to the world.

    The psychiatric rehabilitation hospital where Wanda was staying was a good example. After all, it was a private hospital founded by the rich and unknown to the public. ording to Wendell''s information, it studied cures for diseases that were deemed untreatable by conventional means.

    Considering dissociative amnesia might also result in partial memory loss, Carlisle found his theory usible.

    Carlisle took out his phone and sent Shania a message.

    "Shania, you know a neurology expert, right? Could you ask them if there''s any talk in the medicalmunity about memory erasure?"

    Shania, who was discussing the acquisition of the local seafood business with Lethan and Nathan at a caf¨¦, received Carlisle''s message.

    She frowned and remarked, "Memory erasure? Is this some kind of sci-fi movie?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Lethan asked curiously, "What?"

    Shania showed him the message.

    After reading it, Lethan asked in puzzlement, "Why does he want to know?"

    Shania shook her head.

    "I don''t know."

    Lethan urged, "Well, do him a favor and find out for him."

    Whatever Carlisle''s intentions might be, Lethan figured it must be something important.

    Shania immediately called her old friend, who was studying abroad.

    "Wow, what a surprise! Why the sudden call, my friend?"

    Azy, masculine voice came from the other end of the phone.

    Nathan''s gaze darkened slightly upon hearing the voice.

    Shania chuckled and replied, "Hey, can''t a high school ssmate call you out of the blue?"

    The voice on the other end chuckled.

    "Alright. What do you need?"

    "A friend of mine wants to know if there''s any talk about memory erasure in the medicalmunity."

    Shania got straight to the point.

    "Actually, there is! In 2002, Amilica developed a device that analyzes brain neuron data. This device can effectively inhibit neural connections, making people forget specific memories¡ª"

    "Seriously? Such technology actually exists?" Shania eximed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

    It sounded too fantastical to be true.

    The voice responded, "It does exist. But before this research was made public, thepany suddenly vanished!"

    Shania found it intriguing.

    "Was it bought out by some corporation that didn''t want the technology to be publicized?"

    "I''m not sure. Global Health Alliance may have some information about it."

    "I see. Thanks!" Shania said before ending the call.

    Lethan''s mouth twisted as he remarked, "That was a bit rude!"

    Shania responded indifferently, "He and I go way back. We used to hang out and eat together a lot during high school."

    Nathan tightened his grip on his cup, wondering if Shania had intentionally unted her history with another man before him. He internally questioned if she was unaware of his feelings for her.

    Shania reported her findings to Carlisle with a message.

    When Carlisle saw her reply, his face turned even paler. It confirmed his spection-some of Wanda''s memories had probably been erased. She really had no memories of him

    anymore.

    Carlisle felt a sharp pain in his heart. It was so intense it was almost suffocating. He nearly crushed the paper in his hand.

    "Carlisle..."

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    Susan called out to Carlisle, holding a textbook as she approached.

    Carlisle snapped back to reality, looking at Susan with bloodshot eyes.

    "Are you... alright?" Susan asked, her tone full of concern.

    Carlisle nodded and replied hoarsely, "I''m fine..."

    "Your eyes are red. If you''re not feeling well, you should go home and get some rest," Susan urged, worried about her most promising student.

    She would hate to see anything happen to such an exceptional and smart student.

    "Thank you, Ms. Lowe. But I''m really fine," Carlisle replied, lowering his head.

    Susan had no choice but to let it go.

    "Alright. But you can alwayse to me if you need someone to talk to."

    With that, she returned to the podium to continue the ss.

    Carlisle had been in a daze the entire day. He remained seated, staring nkly into space, even after school had ended in the afternoon.

    Phoebe nced at Carlisle and pouted.

    "We shouldn''t have told Carlisle. He didn''t even go for lunch today!"

    Christine had intended to keep the news from Carlisle, but Phoebe thought Carlisle deserved to know about Wanda''s current situation, so she encouraged Christine to tell him.

    Christine sighed, feeling quite guilty.

    After a moment of silence, Phoebe suddenly suggested, "Since Wanda was curious about who Carlisle is, maybe we should tell her their story. It might help her remember."

    Christine replied weakly, "I''ve thought about that too. But this letter only has the recipient''s address. We can''t reply to her without knowing where to send it."

    "Christine! Are you free tonight? How about I take you out for barbeque?" Daniel called out, smoothing his slicked-back hair and shing a confident smile that he believed was charming.

    He had suddenly appeared at the ssroom entrance.

    "No time, no mood," Christine responded tly.

    Recently, Daniel had been bothering Christine. Christine usually responded with polite smiles because of respect for his rtionship with Carlisle. However, she wasn''t in the mood to humor him then.

    Daniel was momentarily taken aback.

    He then asked solemnly, "Who upset my dear Christine? Tell me, and I''ll handle it for you." "Buzz off, will you?" Christine snapped.

    She was aware of Daniel''s feelings for her but thought her usual distant demeanor made it clear that she wasn''t interested. She wondered if she had to spell it out for him.

    Daniel''s smile vanishedpletely.

    He asked meekly, "Christine... What''s wrong with you today?"

    Phoebe chimed in to exin, "She''s in a terrible mood today, Daniel. You''d better not bother her. Why don''t you gofort Carlisle instead?"

    Daniel then turned his attention to Carlisle, noticing him sitting there in a daze.

    "What''s up with Carl?" Daniel asked, startled.

    Phoebe briefly exined how they had learned about Wanda forgetting Carlisle.

    After hearing Phoebe''s exnation, Daniel chuckled awkwardly, "Come on. Quit messing with me. Wanda is so attached to Carl. There''s no way she''d forget him. It''s only been a little over a month, not years!"

    Suddenly, Carlisle rose from his seat. The three immediately shifted their gazes to him.

    Taking a deep breath, Carlisle regained his usualposure and left the ssroom.

    He wasn''t a teenager who would be defeated by such minor setbacks.

    ording to Shania''s exnation, the devices merely inhibited Wanda''s memory neurons. Carlisle figured that there should be a way to restore those neural connections if such technology existed.

    He was determined to restore Wanda''s memory. But he nned to go to Yorksle to meet her in person first.

    Carlisle went to the teacher''s office to get a leave form from Susan. Susan handed it to him without asking any questions.

    She assumed Carlisle was exhausted after covering most of the second-semester material on his own. She figured that a couple of days off would likely do him some good. However, when Carlislepleted the leave request form and handed it back to her, Susan''s smile instantly froze.

    He had requested ten days off, citing "Family matters" as the reason for his request. ording to standard procedure, the leave form should specify the reason and be signed by a parent before being submitted to her. After she approved it, she would then forward it to the dean, Peter, for final approval.

    Suspecting there might be some mistake, Susan asked, "Carlisle, are you requesting ten days off?"

    "Yes," he answered without hesitation.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Susan took a deep breath and dialed Peter''s number.

    When Peter learned that Carlisle was requesting ten days off, he frowned and replied, "Have his parents call me first."

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    The school had to ensure that parents were aware of their child''s request for extended leave. Otherwise, if something urred during the student''s absence, the school could also be held responsible.

    After Susan conveyed Peter''s message to Carlisle, thetter nodded and replied, "Alright then!"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Carlisle stepped out to call his father. When Gordon heard that Carlisle nned to take ten days off, he was taken aback.

    If it were his old self, Gordon would have questioned Carlisle about the reason for such an extended leave.

    However, this time, he chose to remain silent and instead asked, "What''s the dean''s phone number?"

    Carlisle obtained the dean''s number from Susan and provided it to Gordon.

    Gordon took down the number in his notebook and called the dean right after ending his phone call with Carlisle.

    Half an hourter, Carlisle finally left the office.

    As she watched Carlisle leave, Susan murmured softly, "Is he going to find Wanda?"

    Given Carlisle''s distracted demeanor throughout the day, Susan couldn''t think of anyone else who could affect him so profoundly other than Wanda.

    When Carlisle reached Willow Grove, he called Wendell.

    "Boss," Wendell answered.

    "Have you seen Wanda this past month?" Carlisle asked.

    Wendell replied, "No. There''s a strict attendant named Brenton Krash at the psychiatric rehabilitation hospital. When he''s around, no patient can step outside their living area." Carlisle continued, "Do you have any connections with the people there? Can you get me in?" Wendell responded solemnly, "You probably can''t get into the hospital directly, but you could join us in making deliveries. There''s no guarantee that you''ll see Wanda, though..."

    Carlisle sighed.

    "Find a way. I have to see her."

    Wendell hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "Okay. I''ll see what I can do, but don''t get your hopes up too high..."

    After ending the call, Carlisle sat in a chair and flipped through a photo album.

    At ten in the morning the following day, Carlisle arrived at Aurora Holdings.

    When he stopped at the entrance, his brand-new Rolls-Royce immediately attracted the attention of many white-cor workers in Windex Building.

    "Which CEO owns this? He''s loaded!"

    "Oh my god, a Rolls-Royce! I wonder if I could even afford the rim of a wheel if I sold my kidney."

    When Carlisle got out of the car, some of the white-cor workers stared in astonishment. "It''s Mr. Zahn."

    "Isn''t Aurora Holdings something? Even our boss, Mr. Zahn, has switched to a Rolls-Royce!

    ||

    Selena, who was waiting for the elevator, immediately greeted Carlisle when she saw him," Good morning, Mr. Zahn."

    "Good morning," Carlisle responded, nodding.

    When the elevator opened, he walked straight in.

    Thepanies in Windex Building now had staggered work hours. Aurora Holdings was the onlypany that started working at ten in the morning. Although their workday startedter in the morning, the end of their workday was also extended.

    Selena followed Carlisle into the elevator and pressed the button for the 18th floor. As the elevator ascended, she struck a conversation with him.

    "Mr. Zahn, don''t you have school today?"

    Carlisle replied, "I took a leave of absence. I''m here today to handle some work."

    Selena asked, "How long will you be away?"

    "Ten days, or maybe longer," Carlisle answered.

    It was October 22nd, which meant that there were 18 days until Wanda''s birthday on November 9th. Carlisle had resolved that he wouldn''t return to Rivend until he saw Wanda.

    Carlisle gave Gareth a call when he arrived at the office.

    Gareth, who was still groggy, was immediately energized upon receiving Carlisle''s call.

    He answeredzily, "Carl, why are you calling during ss?"

    "Gareth, pleasee to Aurora Holdings."

    "Huh? Aren''t you at school?"

    Gareth was shocked. He recalled that Carlisle had never taken time off from school. Carlisle

    had even joked that nothing but a seven-figure project should interrupt his studies. Gareth wondered if this meant that Carlisle had found another huge business opportunity.

    With that thought, Gareth suddenly perked up and said, "I''m on my way."

    Gareth arrived at Carlisle''s office about an hourter. Dressed in formal attire and having carefully styled his hair, he exuded a mischievous and casual demeanor. Seeing Felicia and Anthony also present, Gareth smiled and asked, "What''s up?"

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    Anthony stood up and pulled a chair out for Gareth.

    "Please have a seat, Mr. Spencer."

    Sitting down, Gareth narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are we running out of funds, or is there a big dealing up?"

    Carlisle got straight to the point.

    "I''m taking an extended leave of absence, and I''d like you to take over as CEO of Aurora Holdings temporarily."

    Gareth raised an eyebrow and asked, "How long are we talking?"

    "At least ten days. It could be a month, possibly two or three..."

    "Are you heading to Yorksle?"

    Gareth had a hunch about Carlisle''s reason for taking leave.

    "Yes," Carlisle admitted, nodding.

    After a moment of silence, Gareth said, "I know why you''re going there. Let me go with you." It was evident that Carlisle was headed to Yorksle to look for Wanda. However, it wasn''t a ce one could easily get into. Gareth worried that Carlisle might have conflicts with the Murray family. If that happened, Gareth''s grandfather, Theodore, might be willing to help Carlisle out if Gareth was there.

    Carlisle shook his head and said, "No. You''ll stay here. I''ll go by myself."

    Gareth shrugged and responded with a yful smile, "Well, unfortunately, I''m going home in a few days, so I can''t help you run thepany."

    Carlisle stared at Gareth, feeling troubled. Clearly, Sean and Owen couldn''t possibly manage Aurora Holdings. And he didn''t feel right handing over authority over thepany to Felicia and Anthony. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust them. He was simply being cautious.

    After all, Aurora Holdings now managed all of his properties and the mobile hardwarepanies he had invested in. A single wrong step might ruin all his ns.

    At the sight of Carlisle''s distressed look, Gareth quickly responded, "Alright, alright. I''ll do it!"

    Gareth was aware that Carlisle trusted Aurora Holdings to him because he considered him like a brother. Besides, he wouldn''t feel at ease if Carlisle handed over thepany authority to others.

    Felicia suddenly interjected, "Mr. Zahn, only six million dors are left in thepany''s ount."

    Carlisle looked at Gareth hopefully, knowing that he wouldn''t need to worry about money with the wealthy one there.

    Gareth''s face lit up with a bright smile.

    "Let''s talk business then. Do you prefer to borrow money from me or allow me to invest in thepany?"

    Carlisle had initially wanted Aurora Holdings to be a wholly-owned enterprise.

    But he now changed his mind, saying, "200 million dors for ten percent of the shares, how about it?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Gareth snapped his finger and replied without hesitation, "Deal!"

    Felicia, Anthony, and Carlisle''s secretary, Selena, were all stunned.

    They wondered if the two leaders were being a tad bit too casual about a 200-million deal. If Gareth only bought ten percent of Aurora Holdings for 200 million, didn''t that imply thepany''s valuation was around two billion?

    Carlisle turned to Selena and instructed, "Please draft an equity transfer agreement for me.'' Selena nodded and went to the Legal Affairs Department.

    ||

    The sess of Alumni Network had made Gareth a firm believer in Carlisle''s vision. The investment in Swift Funds had already started showing returns within a month. With a 20- million loan disbursed the previous month, Gareth anticipated significant profits for theing month.

    Gareth was confident that Carlisle''s business model was bound to seed. Carlisle''s dream of bing the world''s richest man might not be just a fantasy. Even if he didn''t achieve that, he would definitely be among the wealthiest in the country.

    Gareth believed that the ten percent stake in Aurora Holdings could yield a future return of two billion or even 20 billion dors.

    "When are you heading to Yorksle?" Gareth asked.

    He nned to inform Theodore in advance to arrange for someone to look after Carlisle.

    "After Owie''s birthday. I also want to visit my parents."

    Soon, it was Saturday.

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    Owen went to Willow Grove to borrow a car from Carlisle. He thought that driving back to his hometown in a nice car would make him look impressive.

    Without hesitation, Carlisle instructed Francis, "Give him the car keys."

    "Which car?" Francis asked.

    "The Rolls-Royce, of course!"

    "What? No, no, no. I wouldn''t dare. I just want to borrow the Mazda," Owen quickly responded, looking terrified.

    He had only nned to drive home in the Mazda. A car worth 40 thousand was enough to make him look impressive. He wouldn''t dream of borrowing Carlisle''s Rolls-Royce, which was worth over a million dors.

    "Don''t worry. I won''t ask you to pay for it even if you damage it."

    "That''s not the point. Francis, please give me the Mazda keys."

    Owen was adamant about not borrowing the Rolls-Royce.

    Francis nced at Carlisle, waiting for his permission.

    Carlisle asked Owen, "Can you drive?"

    Owen replied with a grin, "I n to take two colleagues who can drive with me to show off."

    Carlisle chuckled and instructed Francis, "Give him the keys."

    "Thank you, Carlisle."

    Owen smiled gratefully as he received the keys. He then stared at Carlisle, intending to invite him to his birthday party.

    However, after considering Carlisle''s busy schedule with his manypanies and his extended leave of over ten days, Owen decided it might be best not to trouble Carlisle with his birthday ns.

    "Well, I should go now. Bye, Carl."

    Owen turned to leave.

    As Owen reached the door, Carlisle suddenly said, "Remember to prepare more food for tomorrow."

    Owen, momentarily stunned, quickly understood Carlisle''s implication and nodded excitedly.

    "Sure, Carl!"

    Carlisle continued typing on his keyboard, responding to Sean''s message on MSNText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    messenger.

    "We''ll depart tomorrow morning," Carlisle typed.

    "What gift should I bring?" Sean responded.

    "Up to you. I''m giving cash."

    "Then I''ll give cash too. How much are you giving?"

    Carlisle thought for a moment and typed, "888,888 dors!"

    Sean was speechless. He couldn''t possiblye up with that amount even if he sold both his kidneys. He thought that he should perhaps give 8,888 dors instead. However, it seemed quite insignificantpared to Carlisle''s gift.

    Sean then typed, "Lend me a million dors. I''ll pay you back when I have the money!"

    Carlie replied, "Okay."

    Gordon and Hilda''s budget store, Gordon''s Value Mart, was located not far from Franklin Complex. Due to its affordable prices, the store was bustling with customers.

    While Gordon was busy unloading inventory, Hilda was manning the cash register. Hayley was there helping out as well.

    "This cookie is near its expiry date! It could make someone sick!" Karen, a portly woman,ined disdainfully while holding up a cookie.

    Hayley nced at the cookie and responded with annoyance, "It''s still good for two more months."

    "Even so, it''s close to expiry! Products like this are most likely to cause stomach issues!" Karen retorted loudly, causing other customers to scrutinize the expiration dates.

    Karen continued in a sharp, critical tone, "No wonder the products here are so cheap. They''re all near expiry!"

    Hayley, already short-tempered, red at her and asked, "Are you just here to cause trouble, bitch?"

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    Karen continued to make a fuss even though the cookies were not expired. She was clearly there to cause trouble for a thriving business.

    Karen''s eyes reddened with anger at Hayley''s insult.

    "Who are you calling a bitch?"

    "I''m sure everyone here knows who I''m referring to."

    "I''ll tear your mouth off!"

    Karen was furious. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to pounce on Hayley.

    Gordon rushed over to break them up.

    "Hey, hey! Let''s talk this out. No fighting!"

    "Get out of my way, Gordon! I''ll rip her to shreds!"

    Karen was a local, and Gordon''s ce had recently be a hot spot. The regrs knew him by name.

    Hayley shoved Gordon aside and put her hands on her waist.

    "Go ahead. Hit me if you dare!"

    "You think I won''t?"

    "Go on. Try me," Hayley taunted.

    Karen raised her hand as she prepared to deliver a p to Hayley''s face.

    "Stop..."

    A cold voice broke the tension.

    Karen froze and turned in the direction of the voice. A young man in his 20s, wearing earrings, was pushing a burly man in a wheelchair.

    "Well, if it isn''t the cripple Gordon took in," Karen sneered.

    Benjamin''s eyes shed with anger. He would''ve lunged at her if it hadn''t been for Gordon''s presence.

    Heath red at Karen.

    "Let''s talk this out. No physical violence. You can do that elsewhere, but not here."

    "Mind your own business, you cripple. I''ll hit whoever I want, especially since I have backup!

    ||

    Heath was intrigued.

    "Oh, you have backup? Who might that be? I might know them."

    Since his recovery, Heath had been on a mission to regain his power. In just two weeks, he had unified the underground forces in Rainville.

    Seth yton, one of his loyal men, was the current underground boss in Rainville. He was known on the streets as "Scar."

    "Listen closely, my nephew is Ivan Sanders!" Karen dered proudly.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Benjaminughed the moment Karen finished her sentence. Ivan was one of Seth''s men.

    "You may not know my nephew, but just ask around for Mr. Sanders. No one''s allowed to open an Inte cafe or an arcade in Rainville without his permission."

    Karen continued to rant, feeling that Benjamin''sughter was an insult to Ivan.

    Gordon knew Ivan''s reputation, and Karen didn''t seem to be lying.

    He quickly warned Heath and Benjamin, "Pipe down. We shouldn''t mess with the likes of Mr. Sanders."

    Hayley''s earlier bravado faded when she heard Ivan''s name. She looked at Karen as fear crept into her eyes.

    Karen, energized by the shift, jabbed at Hayley, "Not so tough now, are we? Cat got your tongue?"

    Hayley took a deep breath and forced a smile.

    "It was all my fault. I apologize. You can hit me if it makes you feel better..."

    Hayley didn''t want her actions to cause problems for Gordon and Hilda''s shop.

    "Hitting you would only dirty my hands. If you get down on your knees and apologize, I''ll let

    it slide. Also, I''ll be confiscating all these nearly expired products."

    Her arrogance was unbearable. The other customers looked at her in disgust but were too intimidated to speak up. After all, Karen had the backing of Ivan.

    It was then that Benjamin couldn''t hold back any longer.

    "Bitch, don''t push it," he spat.

    Karen''s ears perked up at Benjamin''s insult. She turned to Benjamin. Her face contorted with anger.

    "Kid, you''re going to get on your knees and apologize, too, or I''ll call Ivan. When he gets here, your apologies will mean nothing!"

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    Karen pulled a PHS phone from her pocket, ready to make the call.

    Hayley panicked and grabbed Karen''s wrist, pleading, "This was all my fault. I''ll get down on my knees and apologize, okay?"

    Karen was only bluffing about calling Ivan. A magnanimous smile appeared on her face when Hayley submitted.

    "Fine. You''re just a kid who didn''t know any better. I won''t hold it against you. Now get down on your knees and apologize to me!"

    "You''re being ridiculous! You''re the one who started this mess, and now you''re ming us?

    Hilda hade out from behind the counter, frowning.

    Despite their usual bickering, Hayley and Hilda''s quarrels were just minor neighborhood disputes. They were quickly resolved and forgotten. Humiliating Hayley was something Hilda wouldn''t stand for.

    "If you don''t want her to kneel, then you do it," Karen said nonchntly.

    Benjamin stepped forward and pped Karen across the face. The room fell into a dead silence, followed by a chorus of gasps.

    "Who does he think he is? He knows her nephew is Mr. Sanders, yet he hit her. That''s suicide!"

    "I''m sure it felt good, but... this is bad."

    "The poor fool got himself into a real mess now."

    "Poor Gordon. He''s going to have to deal with all this."

    Gordon and Hilda were stunned. They had never expected the usually mild-mannered Benjamin to hit anyone, especially Ivan''s rtive.

    It took Karen more than ten seconds to recover from the shock. She clutched her face and let out a shrill scream. Her eyes zed with anger at Benjamin.

    "You hit me! You actually hit me! You''re a dead man!"

    She reached for the phone and called Ivan. Hilda panicked and pulled out her phone to call the police.

    Benjamin grabbed her wrist and reassured her, "Hilda, there''s no need to call the police. I''ll handle this."

    "And how will you handle it? Do you think Ivan will listen to you?"

    Hilda felt a mixture of emotions.

    "Trust me. It''ll be fine."

    Hilda looked anxiously at Gordon. Gordon narrowed his eyes at Heath before making a dismissive gesture.

    "Let them handle it."

    On the first day of Sawyer''s treatment of Heath, he had a private discussion with Gorwon about Heath''s background.

    Gordon had told Sawyer that Heath was Carlisle''s business partner, but Sawyer had immediately dismissed it. He exined that Heath''s numerous scars and tattoos indicated a rough past and that he was probably connected to the underworld.

    At that moment, Gordon considered that Heath and Benjamin were perhaps connected to Ivan after all.

    With that thought, Gordon pulled Hilda inside. Meanwhile, Benjamin called Seth.

    Seth was having a drink at Ivan''s inte cafe. Their conversation drifted from The Legendary Tale to the in-game equipment and finally to Heavenly Sword.

    Ivan bragged about the time he bought a Heavenly Sword for 80 thousand dors and sold it for 150 thousand.

    Seth chuckled, "The seller must''ve been young. After all, only a kid would let it go at that price!"

    "Don''t underestimate Carlisle, Scar. He''s got real talent. Soon after arriving at Rivend University, he started a business and made enough to buy over 30puters in less than a month. They were worth over 200 thousand dors.

    "And that''s not all. I heard he recently started apany and bought several hundredputers..."

    Seth raised his ss to continue drinking but stopped mid-sip, a sudden realization dawning on him.

    "Wait, who?"

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    Ivan was drunk, so Seth''s sudden outburst startled him.

    "What... what do you mean?"

    "Who did you say sold the Heavenly Sword?" Seth asked, putting down his ss.

    Ivan looked at Seth in surprise.

    "His name is Carlisle. Scar, do you know him?"

    Seth was from Rivend and had been associated with the infamous Heath. Although Heath was no longer around, Seth had seen a lot in his time.

    "He''s the guy my boss reports to," Seth said, shocking Ivan.

    "What? He''s the guy behind Heath Group?"

    Carlisle was only 18. There was no way he could be Heath''s boss. Ivan thought Seth must be joking.

    "Our boss has woken up and is staying with Carlisle," Seth said as a cold smile formed on his lips.

    "He will soon lead us back to Rivend to reim everything that''s rightfully ours."

    Ivan felt his jaw drop. He thought the reason Seth was in Rainville was because Heath was gone, and his followers were scattered. But now it turned out that Heath was alive and staying at Carlisle''s house in Rainville.

    Seth patted Ivan''s shoulder.

    "Do a good job, and I''ll find a way to get you closer to Heath."

    "Don''t worry, Scar. I''ll do my best!"

    Ivan quickly poured another drink for Seth.

    He had tried to make his way on the streets before, but he had never quite made it. He was untouchable to students, but he was just another small fry in the real underground.

    After his wife fell pregnant, he left that life behind and became a family man. Then Seth came along, and Ivan''s life took a turn.

    Seth had effortlessly crushed several local gangs in Rainville and, after bonding with Ivan at his inte cafe, handed over control of Rainville''s underground to him. Ivan had consulted his wife and inws, who supported his decision to take on the new role.

    Going back to his old ways had its perks. Most of the inte cafes and arcades in Rainville paid Ivan protection money. Anyone who wanted to open a new one had to get his

    permission. It was as simple as handing him a small fee.

    Ivan saw no reason to turn down easy money, especially with Seth backing him up.

    But now things were different. Seth had an even bigger supporter.

    "By the way," Seth began.

    "Gordon''s Value Mart outside the Franklin Complex is owned by Carlisle''s parents. Make sure your men look after their business."

    Ivan grinned.

    "Got it, Scar. I''ll let the boys know right away!"

    Even if Seth hadn''t mentioned it, Ivan had already nned to do that. He pulled out his phone to call his right-hand man, but the phone rang before he could dial the number. It was Karen.

    "Karen, what''s up?" Ivan answered, sounding a little impatient.

    He didn''t like Karen very much. She often caused trouble by leveraging her connection to him, and he often had to pull strings to get her out of jail.

    "Ivan, someone hit me! You have toe and help me take revenge!" Karen cried.

    "People wouldn''t beat you up for no reason. Have you been causing trouble again?"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    He knew Karen well. She was a bully without any real skills, so he figured she probably deserved to be beaten up.

    "I didn''t do anything! They sold expired products. When Iined, they got angry and attacked me. You have toe quickly, or they''ll kill me!" she cried.

    "Where are you?"

    Ivan was an orphan and owed a lot to Karen''s family in the past. If Karen was really in trouble, he felt obligated to help her.

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    "I''m at Gordon''s Value Mart..."

    "What?"

    Ivan jumped out of his chair, knocking over the bottles on the table.

    "It''s right next to Franklin Complex. The store''s only been open a month. Hurry up and get over here!"

    Karen hung up before Ivan could answer.

    She put the phone back in her pocket with a grin.

    "You two are dead meat..."

    "Hilda, did I get us into serious trouble?" Hayley asked with a worried face.

    Hilda had dragged Hayley back into the shop and squeezed Hayley''s hand reassuringly.

    "We have cameras in the store. They won''t dare do anything."

    Hayley nodded and wiped away a tear.

    Suddenly, the phone she had tucked away in her apron pocket rang. It was her son, Owen. Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Hilda with joy.

    "Hilda, it''s my son!"

    "Go ahead and answer it. Just keep calm, and don''t start screaming likest time." Since Owen had run away from home, Hayley had hardly smiled. Whenever Owen called, their conversations quickly turned into arguments. It deepened the rift between them.

    "Tomorrow''s his 18th birthday. He must want toe home for my cooking," Hayley said, wiping away more tears before answering the call with trembling hands.

    Owen started carefully, "Mom..."

    "Yes, that''s me!" Hayley replied with tears streaming down her face.

    A mother would always worry for her child. Their previous arguments had all stemmed from Owen leaving without a word.

    She wondered how much money a kid under 18 could make. Fortunately, he was with Carlisle. Carlisle was a sensible kid, so that gave her some peace of mind.

    "Mom, are you home? I''m almost there," Owen said.

    "I''m at Hilda''s store, Gordon''s Value Mart outside theplex."

    She hadn''t seen Owen in two months, and their phone calls always ended in fights. Now that he wasing back, she felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

    "Okay. I''ll be there in 20 minutes," Owen said before hanging up.

    Hayley didn''t ask if he had made any money. She was just relieved that he could take care of himself at his age.

    Meanwhile, a ck Santana pulled up in front of the store. Ivan got out and quickly made his way to the entrance.

    Karen''s arrogance grew when she saw Ivan.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "My nephew''s here. You''re dead now..."

    Benjamin shook his head and stepped behind Heath''s wheelchair, gripping the handles. "Ivan, it''s him..."

    Karen pointed at Benjamin.

    "Avenge me. Make his face swell up!" Karen yelled at Ivan.

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    Ivan spotted Heath sitting in his wheelchair when he stepped out of the car. He looked very displeased.

    "That''s enough..."

    Ivan stepped forward and pped Karen twice. Even though Karen was his aunt, he felt that it was better for him to deal with her than to let Seth do it. Seth wouldn''t stop at just two ps.

    Karen was stunned by the ps. Her cheeks swelled rapidly. She stared at Ivan in disbelief. "Ivan, are you crazy? Why did you hit me?"

    She had called Ivan for support, but he hit her instead. She felt that Ivan had lost his mind.

    Ivan pped her again and leaned forward, whispering through clenched teeth, "Don''t drag me into your mess. Do you know who you''ve crossed?"

    "Who? Is there someone in Rainville even you fear?"

    Karen saw the seriousness in Ivan''s face and felt a shiver run down her spine.

    She had some influence in the area and considered herself a local queen. But there were many people to be feared.

    "The man in the wheelchair is Prince Heath Walton of Rivend. The man behind him is his brother, Benjamin Walton. The only reason I have any influence is because of Heath''s subordinate, Seth yton," Ivan exined in a low voice.

    Karen didn''t know who Heath was, but she understood the implication.

    Heath had a subordinate named Seth, and Ivan was only in his position because of Seth. That meant that the man in the wheelchair was Seth''s boss.

    And she had just insulted him.

    Karen felt a wave of terror wash over her, her body trembling uncontrobly.

    "Ivan, what am I going to do now? Why is Prince Heath in Gordon''s shop?"

    Karen''s voice was shaking as she clutched Ivan''s arm.

    Ivan spoke sternly, "Don''t ask questions you shouldn''t. Just tell me what you did."

    Karen''s eyes darted around nervously.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I-I bought cookies at the store and saw that they were about to expire, so I..."

    "So you tried to get them for free?"

    Ivan knew Karen well. It wasn''t the first time she had pulled a simr stunt. Other shopkeepers might have allowed her to get away with it to avoid trouble, but she had chosen

    the wrong target that day.

    "Ivan, it''s all my fault. I won''t do it again. Please help me!" Karen begged, clutching Ivan''s arm in fear.

    She was truly afraid she wouldn''t see the light of day.

    "This is thest time I''ll help you. If this happens again, you''re on your own," Ivan said coldly.

    "Now, do exactly as I say, or not even Tony can save you."

    Seth mentioned that Heath and Carlisle were as close as brothers, which was why Heath was staying at Carlisle''s house to recuperate. Heath and Benjamin might look harmless, but that was just to keep Carlisle''s parents from learning their true identities.

    Karen would be in serious trouble if Heath weren''t happy about the unfolding situation.

    She nodded desperately.

    "I''ll do whatever you say. Just don''t let them kill me!"

    Ivan thought momentarily before saying, "Go and apologize to everyone you have offended. The situation might be resolved if they forgive you."

    "Apologize? Like, actually apologize?"

    Karen was horrified. She had a reputation to uphold. She wouldn''t face anyone after that day. Ivan noticed her hesitation and sneered.

    "If you don''t do what I say, I guarantee your whole family won''t sleep well tonight."

    Terrified, Karen didn''t dare defy Ivan. She trembled and reluctantly walked over to Benjamin as he chatted casually with Heath.

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    Benjamin''s face darkened.

    "Heath, that bitch is shameless. I''ll have Scar teach her a lesson tonight!"

    Heath said nothing, but his icy expression spoke volumes about his mood. He was no saint, but at least he didn''t bully the weak or extort businesses. Karen''s attempt to confiscate Gordon''s nearly expired products could be considered daylight robbery.

    Just then, Gordon, Hilda, and Hayley emerged from the store. Hayley had just finished her phone call and was waiting for Owen by the side of the road.

    Karen finally approached Benjamin with heavy footsteps.

    Before Benjamin could speak, Karen fell to her knees with a loud thud. Tears streamed down her face.

    "Mr. Benjamin, I''m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me just this once!"

    "Apologizing to me won''t help. You need to apologize to the people you have offended," Benjamin said coldly.

    Karen turned to look at Hayley, who was also looking at her. Karen crawled over to thetter on her knees.

    Hilda stared at Heath and Benjamin, her eyes reflecting aplicated mix of emotions. Even Ivan''s aunt was afraid of them. She wondered who exactly Carlisle''s friends were.

    Gordon had already figured it out, but his expression was uneasy. He didn''t want Carlisle to go down the wrong path. It looked morous, but it was all too easy to cross the line into crime.

    Karen knelt before Hayley.

    "I''m sorry. It was all my fault. Please forgive me..."

    Hayley was taken aback. A moment ago, Karen had been arrogant and overbearing, but now she was on her knees, begging for forgiveness after asking for Ivan''s help.

    She nced at Heath in his wheelchair and Benjamin beside him and realized that the duo were not ordinary.

    Karen continued to apologize. Her knees were red from kneeling, but she didn''t stop.

    Suddenly, a ck Mazda pulled up to the side of the road and honked. Hayley looked out the window and saw Owen exit the car. He had a buzz cut and wore a tailored suit that made him appear sharp. Hayley almost didn''t recognize him.

    "Mom, what are you looking at?" Owen asked, smiling as he walked over.

    Hayley snapped out of her daze and hugged Owen excitedly.

    "You little rascal. You''ve changed so much..."

    Owen used to have dyed blond hair and a rebellious attitude. Now, with his clean-cut look and suit, he looked like an adult.

    Owen noticed Karen kneeling on the floor and asked, "Mom, what''s going on?"

    Hayley turned to Karen.

    "You can get up now. I forgive you."

    "Thank you, thank you!"

    Karen was overwhelmed with gratitude.

    Then, she crawled over to Gordon and Hilda.

    "I was just trying to get free stuff from you. Please forgive me."

    "We ept your apology. You can get up now!" Hilda urged.

    Karen was overjoyed. She quickly stood up and ran over to Ivan. Ivan was talking to

    Benjamin, bowing and scraping.

    "Heath, Benjamin, Karen isn''t very bright and doesn''t know any better. I''ll make sure her family leaves Rainville and never bothers you again."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Benjamin''s face remained stoic.

    "For Scar''s sake, let''s leave it at that."

    "Thank you, Benjamin. Thank you!" Ivan said repeatedly before pulling Karen away.

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    "You rented a car? How much did it cost?"

    Hayley looked at the ck sedan parked by the side of the road and frowned.

    She had no money, so she turned to Hilda and said, "Hilda, can you lend me some money? I need to pay for my son''s car rental."

    Hilda pulled a handful of bills out of her apron pocket and handed Hayley three hundred- dor bills.

    "Mom, you don''t have to pay for the car. I borrowed it from a friend!"

    He wanted to say it was his car, but he was afraid Hayley would ask for the paperwork. So he decided to be honest to avoid unnecessary trouble.

    Hayley''s frown deepened.

    "You borrowed it? Do you even know how to drive? What if you damage it? Can you afford to fix it?"

    The car looked expensive, and any damage would probably cost thousands to repair.

    Owen stiffened. He knew she was worried about him, but he wondered if she had to publicly embarrass him.

    Just then, Hilda chuckled.

    "Hayley, Owie just got back. Give him a break!"

    Hayley looked around and noticed several people watching. She nodded.

    "Gordon, Hilda..."

    With a smile, Owen greeted them.

    "Look at you. You''re looking better every day. Got a girlfriend yet? If not, I can have Hilda set you up with one!"

    Gordonughed heartily.

    Hayley shot Gordon a re.

    "Save it for your son. My boy''s not even an adult yet!"

    Owen walked over to Heath and Benjamin.

    "Heath, you''re finally awake!" Owen said with tears in his eyes.

    Heath stared at Owen in surprise.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Is she your mom?"

    "Yeah. She wasn''t any trouble, was she?"

    Heath shook his head and smiled.

    "No. She even invites us over for dinner sometimes."

    "That''s good to hear!"

    Owen patted his chest in relief. Hayley could be harsh sometimes and he was worried that she might have upset Heath.

    The air grew colder as the sun went down.

    Benjamin said to Owen, "I have to take Heath back now. You should spend some time with your mom."

    Heath was still weak, and while some sunlight was good for him, he needed to avoid catching a cold.

    Benjamin pushed Heath in the direction of Franklin Complex while Owen returned to Hayley''s side.

    Gordon suddenly asked, "Owie, do you know those guys?"

    "Yeah. I introduced them to Carlisle."

    "So, what do they do?"

    "They''re..."

    Owen almost gave away Heath''s true identity. He figured that Gordon he didn''t know who Heath really was if he was asking.

    excuse.

    "They''re Carlisle''s business partners," Owen said, making up an excu

    Gordon could tell that Owen wasn''t being entirely truthful, but he didn''t push any further.

    He just smiled and said, "Well, don''t just stand there. Come in and have a drink!" "Wait, Gordon. I brought you some presents!" Owen said and ran to the back of the Mazda.

    Gordon was pleasantly surprised.

    "Well, look at that. The kid''s thoughtful enough to bring presents!"

    Owen pulled out two bottles of Smirnoff and a gift bag from a jewelry store.

    "Kid, you must be making a lot of money now!"

    Gordon''s eyes widened.

    Owen handed Gordon the liquor and smiled.

    "I''ve made some, but I wouldn''t call it big money just yet."

    Before he returned, he asked Felicia for an advance on a year''s sry. He owed his sess to

    Carlisle, so bringing gifts to Carlisle''s parents was the least he could do.

    "I''ve never had Smirnoff. I guess I''ll have to enjoy it!" Gordon said, grinning as he epted

    the liquor.

    Owen handed Hilda the gift bag.

    "Hilda, this is for you!"

    "This is too expensive. You should keep it."

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    Hilda shook her head and declined the gifts. She then took the Smirnoff from Gordon and handed it to Hayley.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Owen wore a solemn expression.

    "Gordon, Hilda, Carl is the reason I make money now. These are gifts of appreciation. You must ept them."

    with that, he firmly ced the gift bag into Hilda''s hands and turned to Hayley.

    "Mom, give the booze back to Gordon."

    Understanding Owen''s intention, Hayley handed the Smirnoff back to Gordon.

    "This is a token of his appreciation. Please ept it."

    Gordon nced at Hilda for her approval.

    "Fine. We''ll ept it this time, but don''t make it a habit!"

    Hilda sighed.

    Gordon suddenly asked, "Didn''t you get your mom a present?"

    "I don''t need any gifts!"

    Hayley pouted.

    Having her son home was more than enough. Gifts were the least of her worries.

    "Of course. I got something for my mom, too. The rest of the gifts in the car are all for her," Owen said, opening the car door to reveal the backseat filled with gift bags and branded clothing.

    It was his first time buying gifts for his mom, and he had spent almost half a year''s sry. Hayley looked at the mountain of presents in disbelief.

    "You... you bought all this?"

    "Mom, I''m all grown up and financially independent now. You don''t have to work so hard anymore."

    Hayley''s eyes filled with tears. She covered her mouth as she held back the tears.

    Gordon checked the time.

    "Sylvester will be home soon. It''s toote to cook now. Let''s eat out tonight."

    "I''ll just finish up with the customers first," Hilda agreed while nodding.

    The city lights flickered on in Willow Grove in Rivend as night fell.

    Carlisle worked on hisputer. Sean had emailed him Alumni Network''stest user registration numbers. It also contained the news that they had signed an advertising contract with Fortbird.

    ording to the contract, Fortbird would pay a monthly fee to ce ads on its site. The amount paid depended on the ads'' click-through rates.

    Carlisle replied to Sean''s email, instructing him to ept more ads as long as they were limited to two ad spots on the entire site.

    Around nine o''clock, Carlisle received a call from Wendell.

    "Mr. Zahn, Brenton is returning to his hometown in three days. We''re nning a delivery on the fourth. You cane with us. You might get a chance to see Wanda."

    "Got it," Carlisle replied, excitement evident in his voice.

    Wendell continued, "We''ve been spending a lot of money on connectionstely."

    Carlisle had already given him a million dors, which he spent on bribes. He had managed

    to buy off almost all the hospital security staff. Wendell couldn''t help but marvel at the power of money.

    "I''ll transfer another million tomorrow."

    Carlisle didn''t hold back.

    After the call ended, there was a knock at the door. Francis'' voice came through.

    "Mr. Zahn, someone''s here to see you"

    Carlisle got up to answer the door. Out came Austin and two women dressed in professional attire.

    Carlisle, who was about the same height as Austin, looked him in the eye and smiled.

    "Mr. Gust, what brings you here sote at night?"

    "Aren''t you going to invite me in?"

    Austin had a calm expression on his face,

    After a moment''s hesitation, Carlisle stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. Austin

    and his two assistants headed straight to the sofa and sat.

    Carlisle returned to the living room and sat across from them. Francis got some bottled water from the refrigerator and ced it on the table.

    Undeterred by Carlisle''s hospitality, Austin got right to the point.

    "Alumni Network has great potential, but it''s limited in your hands. Name your price. How much would you sell it for?"

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    Carlisle wore an insincere smile and asked Austin, "Who told you I was going to sell Alumni Network?"

    "50 million!"

    Austin skipped the exnations and went straight to the offer.

    Francis, who was standing, behind Carlisle, felt his heart skip a beat. Alumni Network had only been around for a little over a month, yet it was already worth 50 million dors.

    Carlisle crossed his legs and smiled.

    "I might consider it if you offered me Evermore Properties in exchange."

    Evermore Properties was a leadingpany in Rivend''s real estate industry with a market value of over a billion dors. Austin couldn''t make that decision, and Yuriel definitely wouldn''t agree to the trade. Carlisle was just trying to kill Austin''s idea of buying Alumni Network.

    But Austin thought Carlisle was simply dissatisfied with the 50 million offer.

    He pressed on, "How about 100 million?"

    Francis was stunned. He wondered if rich people were that extravagant in their business dealings. They had jumped from 50 million to 100 million in a heartbeat. Alumni Network had only cost about 20 million to set up. If Carlisle sold it now, he''d make a profit of 80 million.

    It seemed like a great deal.

    "100 million? I wouldn''t sell it to you even if you gave me 500 million. If you want Alumni Network, trade it for Evermore Properties," Carlisle said firmly.

    There was no humor in his tone.

    Real estate was a gold mine. He was confident he could surpass Wendy Group if he could acquire Evermore Properties.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    He had Inside knowledge of future development schedules for key economic zones and a keen understanding of housing market trends. Seizing this opportunity would allow him to make a fortune in real estate.

    Austin picked up a bottle of water from the table, twisted off the cap, and took a sip.

    He stared at Carlisle.

    "Do you think this is funny?"

    Evermore Properties was one of the top real estatepanies in the entire Cascade State, while Alumni Network was just a locally known socialworking site. They weren''t even in

    the same league. Austin felt that Carlisle was insane to make such a request.

    "You''re the one who started the joke."

    Carlisle chuckled.

    ording to his projections, Alumni Network''s advertising revenue alone would reach 100 million next year. More importantly, his future mobile and gaming ventures would rely on Alumni Network for outreach. It was just the beginning of Carlisle''s inte empire.

    Once smartphones emerged, Alumni Network would evolve into a short-form video tform.

    Realizing that Carlisle had no intention of selling Alumni Network, Austin frowned.

    "You just got lucky. It''s hard to tell if you''re going to make it hig. Business isn''t that easy." His words contained a veiled threat. They hinted at trouble down the road if Carlisle didn''t sell Alumni Network.

    "Bring it on. I''ve been ready for any challenge since I started this business. I''m also someone who holds a grudge. I''ll bide my time if I''m outmatched, but if I''m stronger, I''ll pay you back double," Carlisle replied calmly after picking up on Austin''s threat.

    Austin snorted.

    "You think too highly of yourself."

    "At least I don''t think highly of you," Carlisle retorted.

    If it had been Yuriel, Carlisle might have shown some restraint. After all, Yuriel was the wealthiest man in Rivend, with connections and power far beyond Carlisle''s current capabilities. However, Austin was a child of wealthy parents. Without Yuriel, Austin was nothing

    "We''ll see about that," Austin said coldly before getting up to leave with his two assistants. Carlisle chuckled.

    "Don''t let the door hit you on the way out."

    Austin snorted before walking away without looking back.

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    At that moment, Francis asked, "Boss, aren''t you afraid that Yuriel will eliminate Alumni Network?"

    Austin was Yuriel''s son, after all. He had most likelye to talk because Yuriel had instructed him to do so. Brushing Austin off was akin to brushing Yuriel off.

    Yuriel would undoubtedly take the steps to eliminate Alumni Network afterwards.

    Carlisle was silent momentarily before taking out his phone to call Gareth.

    "Hey, Carlisle. Are you asking me out for a drink?" Gareth asked as soon as he answered the phone.

    It was very noisy on Gareth''s end of the line. There was even the sound of cars honking. It seemned he was on the road.

    It was Owen''s birthday tomorrow and Gareth nned to get him a gift.

    "I met Austin just now."

    "What did he want?"

    "They want to acquire Alumni Network!"

    "Oh? For how much? Did you agree?" Gareth asked, interested.

    "They offered 100 million, and I refused it. I predict that Alumni Network will face some hurdles in the near future."

    Gareth sneered.

    "They wanted to buy Alumni Network for just 100 million? Did Yuriel hit his head?"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Anyone could see the potential of Alumni Network. Yuriel was the wealthiest man in Rivend, yet he was bullying Carlisle due to thetter''s young age.

    After he said that, Gareth furrowed his brow and asked, "What do you n to do if Yuriel does act against Alumni Network?"

    Carlisle replied calmly, "I''d return the favor."

    Whatever Yuriel chose to do, Carlisle would retaliate in kind.

    Aurora Holdings still had 200 million dors. If they invested all of it in amercial war, they might be unable to bring down Evermore Properties, but they would at least cause thepany significant damage.

    If necessary, he could get Wade to stir up some trouble at Evermore Properties'' construction sites. Even a worm would turn, after all.

    Carlisle called Gareth because he would soon be leaving Rivend. He needed to inform

    Gareth of this matter in advance so he could brace himself.

    "This is a minor issue. Let''s see what Yuriel''s next move is."

    Gareth had been doing business for years, and his contacts in the business world were not to be underestimated. It was more than enough to deal with the wealthiest man in the city.

    After ending his call with Carlisle, Gareth parked his Ferrari in the parking lot outside Pennmart downtown.

    After a moment of contemtion, he took out his phone and called Yuriel. Although he didn''t have shares in Alumni Network, he did own shares in Aurora Holdings, whose profits came from all of Carlisle''spanies. Thus, Alumni Network''s profits would determine Gareth''s future dividends.

    If Yuriel intended to target Alumni Network, he needed to give him a heads-up.

    At that moment, Yuriel was on a call with Austin. Austin had just informed him about Carlisle''s attitude.

    Austin added fuel to the fire, stating, "He doesn''t take us seriously at all. If we don''t teach him a lesson, he''ll think we''re all bark and no bite."

    Yuriel pinched the bridge of his nose.

    "Handle it yourself. Just don''t get into trouble."

    Austin''s lips curled into a smile.

    "I know what to do..."

    Yuriel didn''t respond any further and hung up.

    His focus wasn''t on Alumni Network. Instead, it was on bing the chairman of Thompson Group. The preparations were almostplete, and all that was needed was a spark to start the battle with Shein officially.

    Shortly after he hung up, he received a call from an unknown number. He hesitated for a moment before rejecting it. He didn''t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers outside of working hours.

    When Gareth couldn''t reach Yuriel by phone, he sent a text message instead.

    He wrote, "Hello, Mr. Gust. I am Gareth, the former chairman of Scarlet Corporation. I have shares in Alumni Network. Please be merciful!"

    Yuriel received the message and frowned after reading it. Alumni Network was not to be touched if Gareth had invested in it.

    Yuriel immediately pressed the call button on the messaging app''s user interface.

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    Gareth picked up the phone.

    "Mr. Gust..."

    "I''m so sorry, Mr. Spencer. I was busy with work, so I couldn''t answer your call."

    Yuriel showed Gareth plenty of respect as he exined himself.

    Garethughed and replied, "It''s fine. You''ve probably seen my message just now, right?"

    Yuriel chuckled.

    "I saw it. Had I known that you had invested in Alumni Network, I wouldn''t have wasted my time meeting with Mr. Zahn to discuss the acquisition."

    Gareth chuckled in return and said, "It''s not toote. Alumni Network is aworking tform meant for youths. I think that a young person understands another young person better.

    "I believe Alumni Network will go far under Carlisle''s leadership. So, Mr. Gust, don''t snatch this opportunity from me, alright?"

    Yuriel quickly replied, "Your words are very logical. It seems that I didn''t think this through.

    He froze immediately after he said those words.

    He realized that Dragonaire Studio was Carlisle''s as well and that Gareth had invested two billion in it.

    Back then, there was even a signing ceremony at Imperial Hotel where the governor of Rivend was invited to officiate. Ever since the signing ceremony, Dragonaire Studio had disappeared from the public eye. It seemed the business world had almost forgotten the

    In other words, Dragonaire Studio, which was currently under Carlisle''s control, was worth a few billion. On top of that, he had Alumni Network that was very popr with universities.

    Yuriel took a deep breath. The two industries within Carlisle''s management would surely disrupt the business world of Rivend in the future.

    After a moment of silence, Yuriel added, "Carlisle has such strong business acumen at such a young age. It truly is worth the investment.

    "Besides, I view Alumni Network favorably. I wonder if there''s still an opportunity to invest in it."

    He suddenly found himself fearing Carlisle a little. Even if he were to defeat Shein in the future, Carlisle would be another threat to him.

    He was inconvenienced by Gareth''s investment in Carlisle''spany. Since he couldn''t afford to offend Gareth, he figured that he might as well invest in thepany, too.

    "Well, Mr. Gust, you might be disappointed... but we''re not short on funds right now!" Gareth replied smilingly.

    If Carlisle were truly short on funds, Gareth would have to suck it up and ask his father for money.

    Even if it were just one percent, the shares would be insanely valuable in the future.

    Yuriel sounded slightly disappointed.

    "That''s really unfortunate. The youths are the future, so I''m very willing to invest in them."

    After exchanging some pleasantries, Gareth ended the call. From the conversation, he sensed that Yuriel had started to fear Carlisle.

    He couldn''t help but say in awe, "Oh, Carlisle. I''m really looking forward to realizing your dream now!"

    He couldn''t help but think Carlisle was a madman for aiming to be the world''s wealthiest man.

    Carlisle''s businesses were booming especially his smartphone business. Gareth could hardly imagine the global impact it would have if it seeded.

    Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded.

    "Hi, Mr. Spencer..."

    Gareth turned to look at the owner of the voice. His dark eyes lit up with recognition.

    "Why are you here, Luna Brooke?"

    "It''s Saturday. I''m here to shop with Queenie."

    Gareth did not see Queenie.

    "Where is she?"

    "She went to park her car," answered Luna.

    "Oh."

    Gareth opened his car door and got out. He then walked toward the mall with his hands in

    his pockets.

    Luna''s brows furrowed.

    "Hey, don''t you have any manners?"

    However, Gareth didn''t even bother looking at her.

    He wondered why he should mind his manners when they weren''t familiar with one another.

    Luna stomped her foot in frustration. Queenie, who had parked her car, walked over at that moment.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Luna pouted and clung to Queenie''s arm.

    "I was ignored by a jerk..."

    Queenie looked surprised.

    "Really? Someone ignored you?"Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    After all, Luna was the famous campus belle of Rivend University.

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    Luna''s line of secret admirers could reach Yorksle. Yet, a man had actually ignored her. Queenie doubted that it was true.

    Moreover, Luna was angry that a man had ignored her. Queenie felt that Luna wouldn''t feel that way unless she was interested in him.

    With that in mind, Queenie chuckled and asked, "Is that guy from our university? Could it be Jason Yaxley?"

    Jason was a sports major and the current president of the Rivend University Basketball Association. He was tall and handsome, the dream guy of many girls, and a ssmate of

    Luna.

    Luna pouted.

    "Of course not! I don''t have any feelings for guys like Jason!" Queenie froze.

    "So, you have feelings for the guy who just ignored you?"

    As she spoke, she noticed the yellow Ferrari parked not far away. She questioned if it was Gareth''s car.

    Queenie instantly figured out who Luna was referring to.

    "Oh, stop asking so many questions. Let''s go shopping for clothes!" eximed Luna as she blushed furiously.

    She then dragged Queenie toward the mall.

    Carlisle also went out shopping after he ended his call with Gareth. Pennmart was thergest department store in Rivend. Carlisle, apanied by Francis, headed to thergest tobo and liquor specialty store on the first floor.

    "Boss, has my order arrived?"

    Carlisle had pre-ordered two cases of 1988 Smirnoff and five boxes of Ghurka Royal cigars. "Yes, it has. It arrived yesterday."

    The shop owner smiled as he fetched a case of Smirnoff from the storage room.

    "The supplier only had one case. If you want the second, you''ll have to wait until tomorrow night."

    Carlisle furrowed his brows.

    "Why wasn''t I informed before this? Didn''t you guarantee that you could get me two cases?"

    Looking embarrassed and unsure, the shop owner replied, "This drink is very scarce, and it is quite expensive. You didn''t leave a deposit. I was worried you might back out."

    Carlisle didn''t want to argue with him about it and replied, "Fine. One case will do. Where are my cigars?"

    "Just a moment!"

    The shop owner went back to the storage room and returned with two Ghurka Royal cigars. He nced nervously at Carlisle and awkwardly said, "We''re currently out of stock. Both of these cigars are from the store''s inventory."

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes at the shop owner.

    "Is it really out of stock, or did you sell it to someone else?"

    The shop owner replied somewhat anxiously, "It''s truly out of stock. In this line of business, reputation is everything. We wouldn''t dare deceive our customers."

    Carlisle nodded upon seeing his earnest behavior.

    "Alright. I''d like to pay."

    "Each bottle of Smirnoff is 16 thousand dors. Four bottles are 64 thousand.

    "A Ghurkha Royal cigar is 30 thousand dors per cigar, so two cigars are 60 thousand. I''ll round it off, so it''ll be 120 thousand dors."

    Carlisle ced his bank card on the counter.

    "Card payments are fine, right?"

    In this era, most shops couldn''t process card payments, but high-end tobo and liquor specialty stores usually had POS machines. The shop owner retrieved a POS machine from the drawer and processed the payment.

    Francis watched dazedly.

    Smirnoff was a renowned brand of liquor. Selling an 88-year-old Smirnoff for 16 thousand dors was understandable, but he felt the cost of the cigars was too much.

    "30 thousand dors per cigar? Are they made of fucking gold or something?" Francis thought.

    Carlisle then went to a wellness store where he ordered nearly 100 thousand dors worth of goods. It took two trips for them to load all the gifts into the car.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    At that moment, Gareth had reached Imperial Hotel. The sofa was full of premium foreign liquors and health supplements. There were also three Ghurka Royal cigars and several pieces of valuable jewelry and gold.

    "This is less than half a million dors. Does it seem too stingy of me?"

    Gareth rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He nned to go out again to find better gifts.

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    The next day, Carlisle called Sean after waking up.

    "Hey, Carl," answered Sean.

    "Do you want to go home together?"

    "You go on ahead. I have something to do at the university, so I''ll probably bete."

    "Alright."

    After Carlisle hung up the phone, he called Gareth, who said he woulde over right away. Carlisle freshened up and packed two changes of clothes before heading out.

    Carlisle bumped into Mnie and Callie when the elevator doors opened.

    "Carlisle..."

    Mnie''s eyes brightened as she smiled and greeted him.

    With a smile, Carlisle nodded.

    "Hi, Mnie!"

    She looked at his suitcase and asked, "Are you traveling somewhere?"

    Carlisle nodded.

    "I''m heading back to my hometown."

    She asked curiously, "Where''s your hometown?"

    "Rainville."

    "Oh! What a coincidence," Mnie replied, her eyes wide.

    Carlisle looked surprised as well.

    "You''re from Rainville too?"

    Mnie nodded.

    "That''s right. I''m from Stonebrook."

    "That''s pretty close by. I''m from Harveston, so I must pass through Stonebrook on the way to Rainville."

    Carlisle hadn''t expected Mnie''s hometown to be so close to his own.

    It was no wonder Stonebrook developed rapidly in recent years. It turned out that Gabriel was the reason behind it. The investors in Stonebrook wished to tap into Gabriel''s connections.

    Mnie was even more surprised.

    "Wow! A lot of my high school ssmates are from Harveston. So, did you go to Rainville High School or Rainville Beta High School?"

    "Rainville High School," Carlisle replied.

    "Oh!"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Mnie was surprised once again.

    She then asked, "So, who was your homeroom teacher?"

    Upon seeing Mnie''s expression, Carlisle knew she must have graduated from the same school.

    He smiled and replied, "My homeroom teacher was Lucy Turner."

    Callie chuckled.

    "Did you both have the same homeroom teacher?"

    Mnie shook her head this time and said, "No, mine was Elise Quill. She resigned and

    became a full-time housewife two years after my graduation."

    Callie grinned and said, "The two of you were fated to meet!"

    The elevator reached the first floor with a ding.

    Mnie said politely, "After you, Carlisle."

    "Thanks, Mnie."

    He went ahead and left after thanking her.

    Once Mnie and Callie stepped out of the elevator, Callie muttered softly, "Why haven''t we seen his girlfriendtely? I''ve seen hime back alone several times."

    Mnie had also paid attention to Carlisle on campus.

    She replied, "His girlfriend seems to have taken a leave of absence to focus on her health."

    "What''s she sick with?" asked Callie.

    "I''m not sure."

    "Okay. Let''s not talk about that. Recently, there''s been a Rolls-Royce parked in our neighborhood. Rumor has it that the owner is a handsome guy in his 20s.

    "Let''s go try our luck today. Maybe we''ll encounter love!" Callie suggested mischievously.

    "Did you break up with that stingy guy?" Mnie turned her head and asked Callie.

    "Yeah, we broke up. Didn''t I tell youst week? What was the point of keeping him around?" Callie replied, looking annoyed as she red at Mnie.

    Mnie pretended to feel sorry for her and answered, "He was great at budgeting, yet you

    rejected him. Aren''t your standards too high?"

    Callie red as she said, "You think making me use a cloth instead of sanitary pads makes him good at budgeting?"

    Mnie couldn''t help butugh.

    "I was just kidding!"

    The two continued chatting andughing as they walked outside. They happened to see the Rolls-Royce pull out of the parking lot.

    The windows were open, allowing them to glimpse Carlisle sitting in the back seat.

    Callie eximed in shock, "Oh my God! Is that Rolls-Royce Carlisle''s?"

    Mnie shook her head, stunned.

    "Wasn''t his car a Mazda?"

    Callie grabbed Mnie''s arm and said excitedly, "Mnie, do you think I have a chance with

    Carlisle?"

    She wondered how rich Carlisle was, given that he drove a Rolls-Royce.

    He was rich and handsome. Which girl wouldn''t like that?

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    Mnie watched the Rolls-Royce turn and disappear around the corner.

    She then looked away and smiled knowingly, saying, "Why don''t you give it a try?"

    Mnie knew Callie wasn''t materialistic and was simply joking around with her best friend.

    Callie chuckled and replied, "I know my worth, but who knows? You''re so beautiful. You might stand a chance!"

    Mnie was slightly taken aback.

    She then answered nonchntly, "I think I''ll pass. I don''t like younger guys."

    Callie pursed her lips, saying, "I think Carlisle''s a pretty mature guy. He''s nothing like his peers."

    Mnie had noticed this, too. Carlisle had previously saved her at A1 Seafood Restaurant and hadter shown remarkableposure in front of her father.

    In their subsequent meetings, Carlisle appeared veryposed as well.

    She was fond of him due to that.

    However, he had a girlfriend. Mnie could tell that Carlisle deeply loved his girlfriend. Although Wanda was on a break, she believed he would wait for her return.

    Meanwhile, in the evening, at Franklin Complex, Hayley invited Hilda over to her house to cook. Owen''s dad, Sylvester, took the day off to help out at home.

    Hayley also invited Rory and his wife over. Besides them, she had also invited a group of close friends.

    Hayley''s house was massive. The monthly rent was 500 dors.

    After moving the sofas in the living room aside, there was still plenty of room to fit four tables.

    Gordon and Rory were ying chess at the coffee table when Sharyl went and kicked Sylvester out of the kitchen.

    With a cigarette between his lips, Sylvester approached the coffee table and began to point away.

    "Gordon, use your bishop to get the knight..."

    Rory red at Sylvester.

    "Hey, what are you doing? Don''t you know that you should keep quiet while watching a chess game?"

    Gordon noticed that Rory''s knight was in his bishop''s path. So, he took his bishop and knocked the knight over.

    He even pretended to be an expert as he gloated, "I saw it some time back. He didn''t change his course, so it''s toote now!"

    Rory said unhappily, "That''s bullshit. Do you think I don''t know how shitty you are at chess?

    At that moment, Owen asked, "Dad, is aunting?"

    Rory''s and Gordon''s expressions soured as soon as he asked that.

    Sylvester''s grandfather used to be thendlord. Before he was criticized and denounced, he had gathered a lot of wealth.

    Later, he lived an extravagant life. Once he had had enough fun, he used the remaining wealth to marry and have children. In reality, his wife was bought with his wealth.

    He had a son in his 50s, and before that, he adopted a daughter named Yvette Barlow. She was abandoned by her family because she was born with leukemia.

    He used the remainder of his savings to seek treatment everywhere. Ultimately, Yvett''s illness was cured in Yorksle.

    Sylvester''s father had treated Yvette like his own daughter. However, 15 years ago, Yvette embarked on a journey to find her biological parents. It took her ten years to find them.

    Since then, she has had little contact with Sylvester''s family. She would return asionally, but she would merely stay for a meal and leave immediately after.

    Three years ago, Sylvester''s father suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. Even then, Yvette did not return. It wasn''t until his funeral that Yvette had someone send a few wreaths.

    Sylvester tapped the ash off his cigarette.

    "Don''t tell them."

    It had been a year since their father''s passing. Sylvester had never once contacted his sister.

    Hayley entered the living room to grab a drink and said mildly, "You still remember your aunt, huh? That ungrateful person might not remember you at all."Original content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen smiled awkwardly.

    "Mom, you''ve misunderstood me. I merely wanted her to see us having a good time."

    "Oh, you silly boy!"

    Hayley smiled and shook her head. She then returned to the kitchen.

    Owen was puzzled.

    "Dad, what did Mom mean by that?"

    Sylvester thought momentarily before saying, "Your aunt''s biological family is very wealthy. I heard they have leased over five thousand acres of fish ponds and earn three to

    five million dors annually."

    Owen looked disappointed upon hearing this.

    With his annual ie of 200 thousand dors, he couldn''tpete with his aunt.

    Just then, the neighborhood security guard suddenly approached the door and shouted, " Sylvester, your sister has returned!"

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    Sylvester''s expression darkened at once.

    Rory mmed the table. He looked angry and said, "What is that ingrateing back here for? Is she here to boast about how much money she has?"

    Rory and Sylvester were both from Rush Valley, and Rory knew about Sylvester''s family situation very well.

    After Yvette reunited with her family, she hadpletely forgotten about how much her adopted father had done for her. Everyone in Rush Valley knew about that.

    "Sylvester, I don''t think you should let the rtionship between the two of you be awkward. After all, you lived under the same roof for more than 30 years, didn''t you?" One of the elders in Sylvester''s family gave his opinion.

    His hair was white, and his face was covered in wrinkles.

    He looked to be in his 70s.

    It was Sylvester''s uncle, Seamus Wolsey.

    "Sylvester, Uncle Seamus is right. You''re siblings. You two should have a proper

    conversation instead of acting like enemies. It''s not like Yvette didn''t contribute anything. She donated the money to fix up the pond in our vige, too!" Another of Sylvester''s uncles spoke up. His name was Cornelius Barlow.

    Both of them were clearly leaning toward Yvette, and they wanted Sylvester to patch things up with her.

    "Today is my son''s 18th birthday, and she''s a guest of mine. I am not going to argue with her!" Sylvester knew that both Seamus and Cornelius just wanted to gain some benefits from Yvette.

    The vigers of Rush Valley all talked about Yvette behind her back, but the moment she returned, they would rush up to her, looking like dogs wagging their tails.

    Seamus stood up and straightened his shirt. "I''m guessing you won''t be willing to greet Yvette. I''ll go in your stead!" He put his hands behind his back and walked toward the door.

    "I''m going out for some fresh air, too." Cornelius stood up and followed him out, looking stern.

    Gordon sighed inwardly as he watched the scene unfold.

    Whenever he and Gerard returned to their vige, all of the vigers sucked up to Gerard, too.

    The world would always be full of people who were drawn to the rich and avoided the poor.

    It was human nature to fawn on the rich and powerful.

    Outside the neighborhood, two Benzes were parked.

    45-year-old Yvette was wearing a ck coat, and she had on a pair of shiny, knee-length leather boots. She had a ck scarf wrapped around her neck and a pair of sunsses perched on her nose. She was dressed as if she were in her 20s or 30s.

    Seamus and Cornelius smiled ingratiatingly as they approached her. "Yvette, did youe back for Owen''s birthday?"

    "Yes!" Yvette nodded. She took two envelopes from her bag and gave it to both of them. "Uncle Seamus, Uncle Cornelius, it''s been a long time since west met. I came back in a rush this time and didn''t get to prepare any gifts. Please take this small token."

    "Oh, don''t say that! You don''t have to give us anything. All you need to do is toe back. What kind of person do you think I am, huh?" Cornelius pretended to be angry, but he pinched the envelope at once.

    It was stuffed so full of cash that there had to be at least a thousand dors or so. Vigers in that era only made about two thousand dors a year.

    Seamus took the envelope of money and leaned over to whisper, "We tried to talk to Sylvester just now, and he''s promised not to argue with you. Let''s have a happy celebration for Owen''s birthday."

    Yvette said doubtfully, "Actually, I didn''t return to celebrate Owen''s birthday. I came to fix up my adopted father''s grave."

    Cornelius frowned. "Then it''s even more important for you to have a good talk with Sylvester. ording to the rules of our vige, you''ll need his permission if you want to do anything to that grave."

    There was a series of honks from behind them.

    Seamus raised an eyebrow and yelled, "Can''t you just pass us by? This road is wide enough!"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Carlisle stuck out his head and said, "ed to drive into Franklin Complex. How can I get in when this car is parked at the entrance?"

    Seamus looked thunderous as he said, "Can''t you just wait a moment? What are you in such a rush for?"

    Carlisle''s temper red as well. "Hey, old man. Is that any way to speak to anyone?"

    Cornelius felt that Carlisle looked rather familiar. However, he wasn''t sure, so he asked, " Are you Gordon''s son?"

    Yvette turned to look at him.

    When she saw the Rolls-Royce logo, her eyes bulged.

    What was a Rolls-Royce doing in a ce like Rainville?

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    ?

    And... wasn''t that Gordon''s son, Carlisle?

    Carlisle had recognized Yvette, too.

    There was a family photo in Owen''s house, and Carlisle remembered gossiping with his parents about Yvette.

    Gordon felt that Yvette was aplete ingrate, while Hilda believed Yvette might have had difficulties that had driven her decision.

    Hilda had heard from Hayley that Yvette had always done whatever was asked of her at home, and everyone in the vige had envied Christopher Barlow, Owen''s grandfather, for having such a treasure.

    However, Yvette distanced herself from Christopher after reuniting with her real family.

    Carlisle had also assumed that she had forgotten her roots after having money.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    After running a business over the past two months, he had changed his mind.

    Yvette could very well have had a reason for doing what she did, especially as a businesswoman.

    It would be like how Zachary had once used Hilda and Gordon to threaten Carlisle.

    Yvette might have been trying to protect Sylvester''s family by distancing herself from them.

    There was another series of honks.

    A yellow Ferrari had driven up behind Carlisle.

    Gareth took off his sunsses and nced at the old, dpidated neighborhood on his right.

    Yvette finally came to her senses and said to her driver, "Move the car."

    The driver had gotten numb but hastily moved the car when she ordered him to.

    Carlisle told Francis to drive into the neighborhood.

    When the car drove to the front door, Sawyer greeted Carlisle. "Hello, Carl! You''re really something, aren''t you? You even have a Rolly!"

    Sawyer spoke very fluently, but once in a while, he woulde up with some odd phrases. Carlisle had no idea where he was from.

    However, he was sure that Sawyer was not just an average man.

    Carlisle took out a box of Ghurka Royal cigars and handed it to him. He smiled and said, "Mr. Hughes, this is for you!"

    Sawyer''s eyes widened. "Are these Ghurka Royal cigars?"

    Carlisle smiled and nodded.

    Seamus had followed them in. He scowled and said, "It''s just a cigar, isn''t it? Why are you so excited? You are so ignorant."

    Sawyer looked indignant and said, "You''re the ignorant one. Do you know how much this cigar costs? You might never be able to afford one."

    Seamusughed in anger. He took out the envelope of cash that Yvette had just given him and tore it open. He took out ten brand-new 100-dor bills and boasted, "Who says I can''t afford it? I can buy 20 of those with a thousand dors, can''t I?"

    In that era, cigars that cost 50 dors apiece were already very extravagant.

    Seamus usually smoked cigars that cost about one or two dors each.

    He would only treat himself to five-dor cigars when he had to look for extra hands to help him with work.

    He felt that a guard like Sawyer wouldn''t know anything.

    Sawyer snorted. "One thousand dors wouldn''t even be able to get one pack of these!"

    Seamusughed. "You''re just boasting. I''ll buy some for you one day."

    Yvette spoke up. "Uncle Seamus, these are Ghurka Royal cigars. They''re not for sale, and you can''t get them in most shops. Every box costs about three thousand dors!"

    "Wh-what? Three thousand? For one box?" Seamus'' eyes bulged, and his mind went nk.

    Did such expensive cigars really exist?

    Were they made of gold?

    While Seamus stood there, feeling bbergasted, Gareth got out of his car all of a sudden. He stared intently at Sawyer and asked respectfully, "Are you Dr. Hughes, the founder of Spring Hall?"

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    Sawyer looked Gareth up and down before asking, "Who are you, and how do you know about me?"

    Gareth''s face lit up. "It really is you! I''ve seen your photo at Max''s house, but you were still very young in that photo."

    Sawyer hesitated before shaking his head and saying, "You''ve got the wrong guy. My name is Sawyer, but I''m not the founder of Spring Hall!"

    Carlisle noticed that Sawyer seemed to be avoiding everyone''s eyes.

    He was obviously lying!

    Spring Hall was a famous alternative medicine franchise in the country with over three hundred shops nationwide.

    Sawyer was an alternative medicine physician whom even Rowan respected. He had also managed to drag Heath back from death''s door. He was clearly very skilled in alternative medicine, and it would not be a stretch for him to be the founder of Spring Hall.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Gareth could see that Sawyer did not want to admit it, so he did not pursue the subject further.

    He went to his car and took out two bottles of expensive liquor worth ten thousand dors each. He ced them on the table of the security guardhouse. "Max is my private alternative medicine consultant, and he often mentions you. It''s an honor to meet you personally today.

    Seamus was too embarrassed to raise his head and stood outside shamefacedly.

    It seemed that Sawyer was an important person.

    He had received cigars worth three thousand dors, and now he had liquor that looked very extravagant.

    Inparison, the one thousand dors Yvette had given him did not seem like much anymore.

    Her family owned five acres of fish ponds and earned several million a year, but she had only given him one thousand dors.

    Seamus suddenly felt irritated.

    Sawyer nced at the liquor on the table and said impatiently, "Go about your business! Don''t hover over here and draw attention to me!"

    Gareth nodded and said to Carlisle, "Let''s go!"

    "Carlisle?"

    At that moment, Gordon and a bunch of others came out.

    They had seen Carlisle from upstairs.

    However, Carlisle had changed his hairstyle, and it took Gordon a while to recognize him.

    "Dad!" Carlisle got out of the car and walked up to him, smiling.

    Gordon approached him, and his expression darkened all of a sudden.

    Carlisle panicked slightly. "Dad, I only permed my hair. I didn''t dye it¡ª"

    Gordon looked stern and said, "You silly thing! You''ve gotten thinner!"

    Carlisle was studying and working at the same time. Gordon was worried that his health would suffer.

    Now that he had seen Carlisle, he could tell that thetter had lost quite a lot of weight.

    Carlisle could feel Gordon''s concern for him. He grinned and said, "I''ve got the perfect figure."

    He hadn''t be thinner because he was busy at work.

    His appetite just wasn''t as good as it used to be after being separated from Wanda.

    He had only lost about three to four pounds, and it would be hard to tell unless one looked very closely at him.

    "Carl, didn''t Seane back with you?" Rory couldn''t help asking. He had been looking for Sean in vain.

    "He''s still busy at the university, so he''ll get herete," Carlisle answered.

    Rory''s gaze alighted on the Rolls-Royce behind Carlisle. His eyes widened, and he asked, " Carl, is that car yours?"

    Carlisle patted the hood. "It''s cool, isn''t it? Do you want to try it out?"

    Gordon had gotten his driver''s license ages ago, and he had looked up all kinds of cars from different brands.

    Naturally, he also recognized the little gold man of the Rolls-Royce brand.

    His eyes were wide as he asked, "Th-this car is yours?"

    Carlisle pointed to Gareth. "He gave it to me."

    Gordon and Rory both turned to look at Gareth.

    Gareth was wearing a white suit and looked rather delicate. He had an earring on and was clearly a wealthy heir.

    "Hello, Mr. Zahn. I''m Carlisle''s business partner, and I''m also a friend of his!" Gareth smiled as he introduced himself.

    Gordon was nervous and shook slightly as he felt around his person for a cigarette. After a long time, he finally remembered that he had given up cigarettes.

    ||

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    ?

    Gareth pulled open the Ferrari''s door and took out a bottle of 1988 whiskey and a Ghurka Royal cigar. "Mr. Zahn, this is our first meeting, and I bought this for you as a gift!"

    Carlisle saw the whiskey and cigars Gareth was holding and felt suspicious. He suspected that his missing crate of whiskey and two Ghurka Royal cigars had been bought off by Gareth at a high price. The shop owner was much too unreliable.

    Gordon did not know how much the gifts cost, but he could already tell from the packaging and the year that it must have been costly. He hastily raised a hand to refuse. "I''m very happy that you''vee back with Carl. You don''t need to give me a gift!"

    Unlike Seamus and Cornelius, Gordon was very sincere, and there was no greed in his eyes.

    Gareth raised an eyebrow and said, "Don''t be so polite with me, Mr. Zahn. You''re Carl''s father, and it''s natural for me to give you a gift at our first meeting. If you don''t ept it, it''ll make me feel like I can''t visit you again."

    Gordon hesitated and looked at Carlisle as if asking for his opinion.

    Carlisle smiled and said, "Take it! I''ve already taken the Rolls-Royce he gave me!"

    Gordon sighed and took the gifts with trembling hands.

    He had never received such expensive gifts before and would be lying if he said he wasn''t

    nervous.

    "Owen, which one is your father?" Gareth asked, looking at Owen.

    Owen pointed to Sylvester, who was standing at the back of the crowd and smoking. "He''s smoking over there!"

    Gareth walked over to him with a Ghurka Royal cigar and a bottle of whiskey.

    Sylvester was smoking to disguise his nervousness.

    When he saw Gareth walking toward him, he hastily threw away the cigarette stub in his hand.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "Mr. Barlow, this is for you!"

    "W-why do I get presents too?" Sylvester was panicking. He did not know whether to take it. Gareth smiled and said, "Didn''t Owen tell you? I''m a shareholder of Dragonaire Studio!" "You''re Mr. Spencer?" The people at Sylvester''s table looked aghast.

    Owen had told themst night that he was now the CEO of apany called Dragonaire Studio.

    Dragonaire Studio had been established by Carlisle, while Gareth, the shareholder, had invested two hundred million in it.

    Owen''s parents were shocked at this information, and it had taken them the entire night to digest it.

    They assumed Gareth was a business owner in his 40s or 50s. They hadn''t expected him to be so young.

    Gareth nodded and said, "That''s me!"

    Sylvester hastily pushed the gifts back to him. "I can''t take your gifts! My son is young and inexperienced, and he''ll need a lot of help from you in the future, Mr. Spencer."

    Gareth was amused. He said, "That''s another thing entirely. Owen and I are colleagues and friends. Just think of me as a friend of Owen''s, and please ept the gifts!"

    How could Sylvester refuse after that?

    Carlisle also took out a Ghurka Royal cigar and a bottle of whiskey to give to Sylvester. "Carl..."

    "Don''t you think of me as Owen''s friend?" Carlisle repeated what Gareth had said to shut Sylvester up.

    Sylvester''s eyes reddened as he held the cigars and two bottles of whiskey. "This is much too kind of you..."

    As he spoke, he nced at Yvette.

    He could not understand why two people unrted to him were treating him better than Yvette, who was supposedly part of the family.

    Yvette did not even look at Sylvester.

    Rory came up to them and asked, "Carl, what about me?"

    Carlisle only had three Ghurka Royal cigars and eight bottles of whiskey.

    He didn''t have any cigars left, but he did have several bottles of whiskey.

    He took a crate of whiskey from his car and said awkwardly, "I don''t have any cigars left, but please ept these four bottles of whiskey."

    Rory was a businessman, and he had seen liquor like that in the home of a big client. He had heard it cost about 60 thousand dors per bottle, so he hurriedly smiled and said, "I was just joking! You can keep the whiskey for Gordon. I''ve been trying to stop drinking recently." Carlisle stuffed the liquor into his arms. "You have to take it even if you don''t want to. If you''re not going to drink it, you can keep it on disy in your house."

    Rory said sternly, "I really was joking. If you keep doing this, I''ll get angry!"

    The crate of 1988 whiskey was worth two hundred thousand dors. How could he ept such an expensive gift?

    Carlisle turned to look at Gordon and said, "Dad, Mr. Woodsen won''t ept my gift, so you can''t ept Sean''s giftter, alright?"

    Gordon nodded and said, "Okay!"

    Sylvester spoke up, "Just take it, Rory. It''s the thought that counts!"

    Rory took the whiskey awkwardly andughed in embarrassment. "You really shouldn''t have spent so much."

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    Seamus'' and Cornelius'' expressions were full of envy.

    Just the two cigars that Sylvester was holding already cost six thousand dors.

    Owen''s friends were all barely out of puberty. How had they made so much money?

    Sylvester said, "Let''s not stand around, everyone. Let''s go upstairs and take our seats. We''re going to start eating soon!"

    Yvette swallowed and said, "Sylvester, I have something to discuss with you."

    Sylvester''s smile dropped, and he said impassively, "Come and have a drink first. Whatever it is, it can wait until after my son''s birthday celebration."

    Yvette took out an envelope of cash and handed it to Owen. "Happy birthday, Owen!"

    Owen snorted and said sarcastically, "How can I ept your money?"

    He turned and left without looking back.

    Yvette watched him go, and there was a sh of pain in her eyes. However, she disguised it very quickly.

    She looked at Sylvester and said, "I won''t be going in. I''ll pay a visit to Rush Valley first." Sylvester did not try to make her stay. He nodded and said, "I''ll contact youter."

    It would be better for Yvette not to go up with them. It was sure to dampen the mood for Owen''s birthday.

    There was another honking sound as they all got ready to go upstairs.

    When they turned back to look, they saw several ck Audis turn the corner and drive into the neighborhood.

    There were eight Audis in total. All of them were A6 models.

    The A6 modelunched in 2002, and each cost 370 to 500 thousand dors.

    Sawyer walked out of the guardhouse. He red at the cars and asked, "Who are you?"

    Sean stuck his head out of the first car. "Mr. Hughes, it''s me!"

    Although Sean did not live in the neighborhood, he had oftene looking for Carlisle in the past.

    As time went by, everyone got to know him.

    Sawyer''s eyes shone. "Wow.... Have you three been mining gold out there?"

    Sean and Carlisle had only been at university for two months.

    Now, one was driving a Rolls-Royce while the other had an entourage of luxury cars.

    Even Owen, whom Sawyer had never thought much of, had a Santana worth about 100 thousand.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Rory was dazed.

    Was his son really that sessful?

    There were eight Audi A6s!

    How much did they cost?

    Gareth rubbed his chin and smiled as he said, "Sean really knows how to make an entrance!"

    Carlisle felt his blood pump when he saw Sean''s procession of cars. He said, "This isn''t enough! When we earn more money in the future, we''ll have the best luxury cars!"

    Gareth stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled as he said, "It won''t be hard to make that a reality."

    The better models of a Ferrari or Lamborghini only cost about five to six million each.

    They could buy ten if they had 50 million.

    Sean''s procession of cars drove into the neighborhood and immediately attracted the attention of the residents in the area.

    The residents who lived on the upper floors were all hanging out of their windows to watch the lively scene unfolding below them.

    The residents who lived on the lower floors gathered together, whispering.

    "Oh my... Are all these cars Audis?"

    "I''ve never seen any before."

    "Which rich business owner hase looking for his lost son?"

    "What nonsense are you talking about? That''s Gordon''s friend''s son. His father only has a secondhand van. Where did he get the money to buy an Audi?"

    Sean had gotten out of the car. He wore a neatly pressed ck suit and even had a bow tie on. His slicked-back hair made him look very wealthy.

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    Sean got out of the car and walked to the other side. He pulled the door open like a gentleman.

    Lily got out of the car nervously, and her voice shook as she said, "Sean, I''m scared..."

    They had only been together for a short period of time, and now she was meeting his parents!

    Sean smiled andforted her. "Don''t be scared. Dad won''t bite."

    Lily pressed her lips together and lowered her head as she walked behind Sean. They went over to Rory.

    Sean waved a hand and said, "Dad!"

    Behind them, the members of Alumni Network''s R&D team spilled out of the cars. They were all wearing ck suits and white shirts, carrying expensive gifts.

    Rory was still in shock.

    Gordon nudged his arm. "What are you doing? Your son''s brought your daughter-inw home with him."

    Rory turned and put the whiskey on the ground before straightening his rumpled clothes." Gordon, do I look very messy? Why didn''t this fellow tell me before bringing his girlfriend back? I didn''t even shave!"

    Gordon burst intoughter. "You look alright. You look slightly better than a beggar!"

    Rory had a beard, and he was wearing the clothes that he wore when he was working at the dyehouse.

    He did look rather disheveled.

    Gordon looked again at Carlisle and said, "That woman looks rather familiar. Is she your high school ssmate?"

    Carlisle nodded and said, "Yes, we were ssmates in high school. She came to attend my college entrance celebration."

    Gordon rubbed his beer belly. "When are you going to bring a girlfriend back too?"

    Carlisle''s smile stiffened. "It won''t be long."

    Gordon suddenly sighed and said, "Carl, you don''t me your mother and I, do you?"

    Carlisle looked at his father in confusion. "What would I me you for?"

    Gordon said, "Weren''t you dating that woman called Wanda? Your mother and I broke the two of you up."

    Carlisle rolled his eyes. "That had nothing to do with you."

    Gordon still felt guilty about it. He looked down at his shoes and said nothing.

    Carlisle poked Gordon''s arm and smiled as he said, "I haven''t broken up with her. Just wait. I''ll bring her back to meet you two very soon!"

    Gordon''s jaw dropped in shock. "What if her family doesn''t approve?"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Thompson Group was one of the leading enterprises in Rivend.

    Carlisle stuck his hands in his pockets and said confidently, "They''ll agree."

    Gordon wanted to say something else, but Sean brought Lily over to them. "Mr. Zahn, I brought you a gift!"

    Two staff members came up behind Sean and handed an intricately wrapped gift to Gordon. It wasn''t worth a lot of money, but it wasn''t something the average person could afford, either.

    "This is too much." Gordon did not like saying superficial things, so he took the gift, smiling. Lily blushed and asked, "Do you remember me, Mr. Zahn? I was ssmates with Carlisle in high school."

    "I do remember you! I was just asking Carlisle if it was you!" Gordon chuckled and asked, " How long have you been dating? Sean hasn''t been treating you badly, has he?"

    Lily blushed even more. "We haven''t been dating for long. He''s pretty nice, and he''s never treated me badly."

    Sean interrupted. "Mr. Zahn, Lily and I were set up by Carl! When we get married, we''ll be sure to show our gratitude!"

    Gordon burst intoughter. "Good, good. I look forward to that day!"

    Sean gave gifts to Sylvester as well.

    Sylvester''s troubled expression had vanishedpletely. "You''ve had such a long journey back here. Let''s go upstairs and have a drink!"

    "Alright! We''ll be up at once." Sean answered.

    He pulled Carlisle aside and asked in a low voice, "Carl, where''s the money I wanted?"

    Carlisle crossed his arms over his chest and said teasingly, "You have eight Audis, Mr. Woodsen. Do you stillck money?"

    Sean said awkwardly, "My ssmate''s family owns a car rentalpany, and I rented these cars. As for the money for the gifts, I got a year''s sry in advance from Ms. Yates."

    As if he was worried that Carlisle would think he was being too vain, Sean continued, "Ourpany''s starting to make profits, and we don''te back often. I just wanted to make my

    parents proud."

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    ?

    "You''re right." Carlisle smiled. He took Sean to the Rolls-Royce to get the money.

    There were about two million left from the three million in cash he had gotten from Mike. Before leaving Rivend, Carlisle had gone to the studio to take the two million in cash.

    One million wasn''t a small amount, and Sean did not have a box to keep the money in, so he waved at Owen. "Owen,e over here!"

    Owen wasden with all kinds of gifts. When he heard Sean calling for him, he walked over, carrying all his gifts.

    "Sean?"

    "Owen, it''s your 18th birthday today, but I haven''t prepared anything. Carl and I have discussed it, and we''ll give you 888,888 dors in cash as a birthday gift!"

    Sean pointed to the sack of cash in the back seat as he spoke.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Owen''s eyes bulged at once. "Wh-wh-"

    That was over 800 thousand!

    He could buy a well-furnished vi in the Rainville suburbs with that money.

    After a long time, Owen recovered and looked at Carlisle and Sean. He was very touched. He said, "Sean, Carl, I''m already happy that you came to attend my birthday party. I can''t take this money!"

    Everyone liked money, and Owen was no exception.

    He had daydreamed many times about bing a millionaire.

    When he sat at his seat in the CEO''s office at Dragonaire Studio, he knew that day would soon arrive when his dream came true.

    However, he wanted to aplish it through thepany''s profits and not through a birthday gift from Carlisle and Sean.

    Besides, he had a rough idea about Aurora Holdings'' financial situation.

    Carlisle had sold ten percent of the shares to Gareth the other day.

    Dragonaire Studio hadn''t started making any profits yet, and Govan and Xenos were in desperate need of funds for research and development.

    He could not add to Carlisle''s financial pressure at this time.

    Carlisle patted Owen''s shoulder and smiled as he said, "You only turn 18 once. You should have some unforgettable memories. Sean and I think of you as our younger brother. As for this gift, it''s really the thought that counts. Just take it!"

    Owen''s eyes were moist, but he shook his head. "Carl, I really can''t ept this money. If you want me to have a happy birthday, let''s get drunk tonight!"

    Sean said impatiently, "Why are you hesitating like a sissy?"

    Owen remained firm. "Whatever you say, I won''t ept this money. Even if you cut ties with me, I won''t take it!"

    Sylvester and the others heard the argument and walked over.

    Rory frowned and said, "Sean, what are you yelling about?"

    When they approached and saw the pile of cash in the car, they stopped in shock.

    Gordon said in a low voice, "Carl, this money..."

    Carlisle had driven back in a Rolls-Royce, and he wasn''t nning on keeping anything from them any longer. He exined, "We earned this through our business."

    "What kind of business would be that profitable? There''s at least a seven-figure amount in there, right?"

    Gordon stared at the pile of cash. For the first time, he was suspicious of Carlisle.

    He knew Carlisle was making money, but he had never imagined how much money Carlisle''s business could make.

    What kind of business would make money so quickly?

    Illegal businesses.

    Gordon was worried that Carlisle was doing illegal business out there.

    Sean could tell that Gordon seemed to have misunderstood, so he exined quickly, "Mr. Zahn, don''t let your imagination run wild. Alumni Network was established by Carl, and he was the one who gave me the position of CEO."

    Owen nodded and said, "My gamingpany belongs to Carl, too. Apart from that, Carl also has a phonepany and a semiconductor factory. He''s also got shares in several phone hardware suppliers."

    Although they were trying their best to exin, Gordon still looked suspicious.

    How had Carlisle set up so manypanies in just two months?

    Were they working together to deceive him?

    However, he remembered that Sheldon had attended the Alumni Network press conference,

    which showed that Carlisle''s business was legitimate.

    Gordon said doubtfully, "Are Intepanies really that profitable?"

 Chapter 558

    ?

    Sean said wryly, "Mr. Zahn, you have no idea how much money you can make from the Inte. Let me put it this way. I epted an advertisement the other day, and the other party started with a price of five million for advertising fees, but we didn''t ept it.

    "After that, we discussed a different way of coborating. If the number of registered users on our website continues to grow, ourpany will get at least three million every month in advertising fees."

    Rory and Gordon gasped. They exchanged nces, and both saw the shock in the other''s eyes.

    Three million a month in advertising fees?

    Wouldn''t that be 30 million a year?

    Sawyer was smoking his Ghurka Royal, and he said seriously, "Times have changed. Your mindset became old-fashioned a long time ago. Let the young people do whatever they want. The future belongs to them."

    Gordon''s expression cleared when he heard what Sawyer had to say. He patted Carlisle on the shoulder and said, "Go ahead and do it! I trust you."

    Carlisle grinned broadly and said, "I won''t disappoint you.""

    Sean added, "We''ve gone off-topic. Owen, just ept it. This is from Carl and I."

    Owen''s expression was cold as he said, "I''ll get angry if you keep insisting."

    Sean saw that Owen had made up his mind, so he pulled Sylvester over to him. "Mr. Barlow, please take this money on behalf of Owen."

    Sylvester jolted violently. "Let Owen make his own decision about this."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    He would never earn that much money, not even if he worked for his entire life.

    However, Owen insisted on not taking it, so he must have a reason.

    Now that Owen was sessful, Sylvester could no longer influence his thoughts so easily.

    In the end, Owen did not ept the money.

    Sean and Carlisle had no choice but to resign themselves to the fact.

    They just drank a couple more rounds with Owen that night.

    There were four tablesid out in the living room, and soon, the meal began.

    Heath and Benjamin gave Owen 20 thousand dors as a congrattory cash gift.

    Hilda kept putting food on Carlisle''s te.

    Sharyl kept Lily beside her and chatted with her about everyday things.

    Carlisle smiled happily as he took in the bustling scene.

    In his past life, right before Carlisle died, Sean had said, "Rest in peace, Carl. In the future, I''ll treat your parents like my own."

    Although they hadn''t interacted much after they started working, Sean would always lend him money whenever Carlisle asked, even if he had to use his credit card to get it.

    That friendship was worthy of Carlisle guiding Sean to prosperity in this life.

    Apart from that, Owen had helped Gordon chase off a bunch of drunk men.

    The purity of these friendships was so much more reliable than the disreputable friends he had made at the office.

    One didn''t need many friends as long as one had true friendships.

    After dinner, the cake that Gareth ordered had arrived.

    They turned off the lights and gathered around the cake to sing the birthday song.

    Owen blew the candles and began cutting the cake.

    "Owen, take that!" Sean had been drinking quite a bit and smashed the cake into Owen''s face.

    "Damn!" Owen grabbed a handful of cake to retaliate.

    Sharyl frowned and said, "Sean, what are you doing? You''ll get the sofa dirty!"

    Hayley smiled and said, "Let them have their fun! It''s nice to see them being so lively."

    Since Hayley had said so, Owen did not hold back at all. He rubbed cake into Sean''s face. As the two horsed around, they dragged Carlisle and Gareth in to join them.

    Rory and the others had also been drinking quite a lot. When he saw that Sean was on the losing end, he joined in the fray.

    Soon, cake was flying everywhere.

    The chaossted for half an hour before finallying to an end.

    There was cream all over the floor, and Seamus even slipped on it on his way out.

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    Soon, it was midnight.

    Carlisle and the others had gone to a bar for the next round.

    Gordon had just finished showering. He put on some warm clothes beforeing out of the bathroom.

    Hilda was sitting on the sofa. She looked at Gordon and said, "Gordon, is our son really making big money now?"

    She still felt confused.

    The Rolls-Royce, the two million in cash in the car, the millions thepany could make every month...

    Was Carlisle really capable of doing that?

    Gordon sat beside Hilda. He picked up his cup of chamomile tea from the coffee table and took a few sips before saying, "Society is progressing, and times are developing. They''ve managed to ride the wave of the Inte, so of course they''ll be able to make big money!" Hilda still felt as if she was dreaming. She reached out and pinched Gordon''s thigh hard.

    "Ouch!" Gordon grimaced in pain. He looked angrily at Hilda and asked, "What are you doing?"

    "I wanted to check if I was dreaming or not. You look like you''re in a lot of pain, so it''s probably not a dream." Hilda rubbed the spot that she had just pinched.

    "Tomorrow, let''s go back to the vige and donate to themunity. I feel that Carlisle is going to be a very influential person." Gordon took Hilda''s hand, grinning happily.

    "If Gerard finds out about how capable our son is, he probably won''t even dare to show his face in the vige this year." Hildaughed contemptuously.

    "By the way, when is Carlisle going back to university? Shall we ask him to travel with us tomorrow?" she asked.

    "I''ll ask him when he gets back." Gordon did not tell Hilda that Carlisle had applied for a long leave of absence.

    If she found out, she was sure to nag Carlisle about it.

    Over at Hayley''s house, she finally finished cleaning up at 2:00 am.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Hayley and Sylvester''s backs were aching from exhaustion.

    The two of them sat down in a couple of chairs to rest. Sylvester said in awe, "Carlisle''s doing really well! He''s only been at university for two months, and he''s driving a Rolls-

    Royce."

    Hayley said doubtfully, "Is that car of his worth a lot of money?"

    Sylvester looked intently at Hayley and said, "I think it costs about eight million."

    Hayley stared in disbelief. Her mouth was dry as she said, "E-eight million? Are there cars that cost that much?"

    Her husband worked in management at apany and only earned one thousand and two hundred dors per month in sry.

    Even that amount was enough for him to hold his head up high in the neighborhood.

    However, Carlisle''s car cost eight million dors.

    Based on Sylvester''s sry, it would take him eight hundred years to get enough money for such a car.

    Sylvesterughed and said, "Gordon has an amazing son!"

    Hayley swallowed. "Oh no! I got into a fight with Hilda a while back. Will Carlisle try to get revenge on us in the future?"

    Sylvester rolled his eyes. "He''s not that petty. Doesn''t Carlisle treat our son very well?" Hayley breathed a sigh of relief and asked again, "What did Yvettee back for this time?" Sylvester shook his head expressionlessly. "I don''t know yet. I''ll ask her tomorrow."

    Rory''s ce was well-furnished and had three bedrooms.

    Sharyl got Lily a new pair of fluffy slippers. "These are mine. I think we''re about the same size. Why don''t you try them on?"

    "Thank you, Mrs. Woodsen." Lily nodded meekly. She took off her shoes and put the slippers on.

    Sharyl smiled and asked, "Do they fit well?"

    Lily smiled sweetly. "They do fit very well."

    "Come and sit. I''ll cut some fruit for you." Sharyl pulled Lily enthusiastically into the living room.

    She treated Lily better than her son, Sean.

    Rory came inst. He had just finished making a pot of tea when Sharyl came out with a kitchen knife in her hand. "Rory, get the heater out. We can''t let Lily get cold."

    "Mr. Woodsen, Mrs. Woodsen, you don''t have to go to all that trouble. I''m really not that fussy," Lily said quickly.

    Her family was much less well-offpared to Sean.

    She had only ever seen things like heaters in her rtives'' homes.

    She heard they used up a lot of electricity.

    "That''s no trouble at all! Just treat our home as yours, and don''t be formal with us." Rory

    said. He went off happily to the storeroom to find the heater.

    Lily sat on the sofa, feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

    On the way here, she had been worried about how to interact with Sean''s family.

    She hadn''t expected them to be so friendly.

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    Sharyl finished cutting up some fruit for Lily and then went to make a bed for her.

    She used brand-new nkets and sheets.

    Rory plugged the heater in and put it in front of Lily before sitting down to talk to her.

    Rory asked her a few questions about Alumni Network and Carlisle''spanies.

    Lily took a photo album from her bag and gave it to Rory. "These are photos of the office. You can have a look, Mr. Woodsen."

    Rory took the album and flipped through it.

    There was a photo of the tall and imposing Windex Building, as well as fancy office buildings.

    There was a photo of more than a hundred staff members dressed neatly in suits.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    There was also a photo of Sean at work. He was sitting in the CEO''s office and signing something.

    Rory was so moved that his eyes shone with tears. "That little scamp has really made something of himself."

    Sharyl finished making the bed and set a mug of warm milk in front of Lily. "Have some milk to warm up."

    "Thank you, Mrs. Woodsen." Lily''s heart was filled with warmth.

    Sean''s parents treated her better than her parents did.

    Rory gave the photo album to Sharyl. "Look at these photos of our son at work."

    Sharyl flipped through the album and looked shocked. "That office is huge!"

    Lily held the mug and said, "That''s just the office space of Alumni Network. Carl has four office spaces that look like that."

    Sharyl looked at Rory and said, "Where did Carlisle get the capital to start such a bigpany?"

    "How would I know?" Rory nced at her in annoyance.

    He had been with her the entire time.

    If she didn''t know, how could he?

    Lily took a few sips of milk before saying gently, "Carl has investors. Mr. Spencer, the one in the white suit tonight, is one of them. He''s a wealthy heir from Yorksle and invested almost four hundred million in Carl''spany."

    Rory and Sharyl both gasped.

    400 million!

    They had been in business for two years and had seen numerous millionaires with millions or tens of millions.

    However, they had never seen anyone who had more than a hundred million dors.

    They even had the chance to sit with Gareth and eat with him.

    What shocked them even more was the fact that Carlisle had managed to get four hundred million in investment funds.

    How big had hispanies gotten?

    Carlisle was just a young man in his first year at university.

    The two of them took a long time to recover from their shock.

    Rory said in awe, "Knowing Gordon and his family is the luckiest thing that will ever happen to us!"

    He knew very well that his family and Sylvester''s family would both prosper under Carlisle''s guidance.

    At that moment, Carlisle, Heath, and the others were having drinks at a bar.

    They weren''t talking about business. They were either singing at the open mic or drinking. They only parted ways at around 4:00 am.

    Carlisle called Francis to take him home while Gareth found a hotel to stay at.

    When Carlisle got home, the door was slightly ajar, and the lights in the living room were on.

    Worried that he would disturb his parents'' sleep, he tiptoed back to his room.

    Heath had rented another ce after he had regained consciousness, so Carlisle''s room had been restored to its original state.

    Carlisley down on the bed. He could smell the faint scent of detergent lingering on the nkets.

    He had drunk quite a lot that day, so he fell asleep quickly, hugging the nket to himself.

    The next day, Carlisle slept until noon.

    When he got up and went to the living room, he found his parents wearing their best clothes, which they only wore on formal asions.

    He couldn''t helpughing and asked, "Are the two of you going out on a date?"

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    Gordon was shaving in front of the mirror. When he heard Carlisle''s voice, he turned back and said, "You''re up! We''re getting ready to go back to our old ce and make some donations to themunity hall. Do you want to go back with us?"

    Hilda said, "You didn''t go back during the summer holidays. Now that you''re back, let''s go together. Your grandfather asks about you every time he calls."

    Carlisle looked awkward. "I''ve got to fly to Yorksle tonight. If I return to Whitewood now and rush to Rivend Airport, I might not have enough time."

    Hilda was startled. "Why are you going to Yorksle? Don''t you have to go to ss?"

    Carlisle looked at Gordon in confusion. "I took a leave of absence. Didn''t Dad tell you?"

    Hilda stared at Gordon and asked, "How long is this leave of absence?"

    Gordon rubbed his clean-shaven chin and said, "About ten days?"

    Hilda''s eyes widened. She was about to speak when Carlisle said quickly, "Mom, you don''t have to worry about my studies. I''ve already finished studying everything I need to know for the first year."

    "Do you think I''m easy to fool? Apart from the time you spent in military training, you''ve only been having sses officially for about a month, haven''t you?" Hilda clearly did not believe Carlisle.

    Gordon said in a measured tone, "Our son is smart. Isn''t it normal for him to learn at a fast pace? I''m sure you''ve heard of those geniuses who skip a year or two when they go to school.

    Hilda did feel that Gordon was right. Carlisle had managed to earn so much money in such a short amount of time. It proved he was a fast learner, so she asked, "Are you going to Yorksle alone?"

    "My driver ising too."

    "You''ve got to stay safe, then." Hilda gave him a few more reminders before stealing several nces at him again.

    Carlisle wasn''t just studying at university, which meant he might not evene home during winter break.

    The next time they meet would probably be during the New Year.

    Carlisle saw the longing in his mother''s eyes, and it made him feel rather down. However, he forced himself to smile and said, "Have you left me any food? I''m hungry."

    "Of course! They''re all your favorites." Hilda went to the kitchen at once to get food for Carlisle.

    She put the dishes on the table.

    She had just cooked them, and they hadn''t been touched yet.

    Gordon stood in the doorway and urged her. "Hurry! We won''t be able to catch the bus if we''rete."

    Carlisle said, "You haven''t eaten yet either, have you? Have lunch first, and I''ll tell Francis to drive you thereter."

    Hilda shook her head and said, "Your grandfather''s already started cooking. We''re going to eat when we get there."

    She walked toward the door, carrying two boxes of the gifts that Sean had given themst night.

    "Carl, remember to lock the door when you leave!" Gordon reminded him loudly when he reached the stairs.

    "Alright!" Carlisle called back.

    Gordon and Hilda went downstairs.

    Hilda wiped away her tears and said in a choked voice, "Our son is finally back home, but we didn''t even get a chance to have a meal together."

    Gordon sighed. "Well, transport just isn''t convenient. If we don''t make it for this one, the next one won''t be until tonight. Besides, if we ate together, you wouldn''t be able to let Carl go."

    Carlisle carried his te to the window.

    He watched his parents walk to the gate, and there was a look of guilt in his eyes.

    If it had been his work, he would have gone with them even if he had to postpone it.

    However, this was about Wanda.

    He could not miss the opportunity.

    After he had finished eating, Carlisle went over to Heath''s ce.

    Heath had rented a ce on the ground floor.

    There was even a garden outside, where red rhododendrons bloomed.

    There were about five burly men standing guard with their hands behind their backs.

    When they saw Carlisleing over, the men all lowered their heads. "Boss."

    Heath was sitting in his wheelchair and trimming the flowers. He looked very elegant.

    "Carl, you''re here!" Benjamin walked out of the house and greeted him, smiling.

    Carlisle nodded and smiled. "Have you guys eaten?"

    "Yes, we have." Benjamin went to take the pruning shears from Heath. "Let me do it, Heath.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

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    Heath gripped the wheelchair with both hands and turned to face Carlisle. "Boss?"

    "Can you feel anything in your legs yet?"

    "I''ve regained feeling in my legs, but it might be difficult to stand up for now."

    "Don''t rush it. Stay here and recuperate slowly." Carlisle pulled a stool over and sat down.

    He looked at the red rhododendrons behind them and asked, "How does it feel to grow flowers?"

    Heath''s gaze was intense as he said slowly, "I like watching these flowers bloom and wilt. Although they don''t bloom long, they show us the best image. This beauty is only possible because of the meticulous care shown by those who nt them."

    Growing flowers was a hobby that helped people to develop their minds and cultivate good habits.

    If one wanted to see the flowers they had nted bloom, one would have to put in a huge amount of effort.

    Through gardening, Heath had trained his patience, and his mindset had also changed somewhat. His arrogant, wild personality had be more subdued, and he seemed to have reverted to a refined state.

    Heath sat there casually, but he exuded an authoritative air like a leader.

    A true anti-hero wasn''t a fierce gangster, which was how they were often portrayed on television.

    Anti-heroes had to be decisive, firm, and always calm.

    Carlisle looked Heath up and down and murmured, "That''s the kind of Heath Ii I imagined."

    In his past life, he had never met Heath. He had only heard about him from other people.

    Heath kept a low profile and did not draw attention to himself, but none of his subordinates were easy to deal with.

    That was why people were filled with fear at the mere mention of Heath''s name.

    "What did you say?" Heath hadn''t heard Carlisle. He thought Carlisle was talking to him.

    "Nothing. You should continue recuperating."

    "I want to go back to Rivend," Heath said suddenly.

    Carlisle looked at Heath''s legs and said hesitantly, "You''d better recover fully first."

    Heath rubbed his legs and smiled bitterly, saying, "Sawyer told me that it''ll take at least six months before I can return to the life of a normal person."

    "Six months it is, then. Besides, there are some things that you don''t need to do yourself. True leaders are those who make the ns, aren''t they?" Carlisle said patiently tofort him.

    Heath looked at Carlisle before smiling and nodding. "Alright. I''ll keep recuperating."

    Carlisle nced at the time. It was already 1:00 pm.

    After saying goodbye to Heath, he visited Hayley''s home.

    Hayley and her family were all out.

    Carlisle called Owen, who told him that they had all gone back to their old home.

    There was a lot of noise on his end of the phone.

    Sylvester and Yvette seemed to be arguing about something.

    Carlisle asked, "Owen, what''s going on over there?"

    Owen found a quiet spot and said, "Yvette wants to do something to my grandfather''s grave,

    but Dad refused. That''s why they started arguing."

    Carlisle asked, "Does she want to move the grave or repair it?"

    "Repair it."

    "Isn''t that a good thing? It''s not going to affect anything. Why would your dad refuse?" Carlisle asked in confusion.

    "Dad thinks it means nothing for Yvette to do something like this sote. That''s why he''s unwilling to let her touch Grandpa''s grave."Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Alright. They''re your family''s affairs, so I shouldn''t intervene. Talk to your dad a little more. I think your aunt probably had some difficulties she couldn''t talk about."

    "Difficulties? Carl, you''re overthinking. She''s just an ingrate!" Owen said in a cold, clear voice.

    Carlisle sighed. He didn''t know what kind of person Yvette was, either.

    Owen''s family would have to settle their own affairs.

    After that, Carlisle put the two million in cash on his parents'' bed before telling Francis to take him to Rivend Airport.

    Suddenly, Carlisle''s phone rang.

    Lethan was calling.

    "Mr. Warbane?"

    "Carlisle, did you live in the Franklin Complex when you were in high school?"

    "Yes."

    "Do you know someone called Sylvester?"

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    "Yes, I do. I know him quite well. Why?" Carlisle was confused.

    Why was Lethan suddenly asking about Sylvester?

    Lethan continued, "Then you must know Sylvester''s older sister, Yvette."

    "Yes, go on." Carlisle had a hunch about what was going on, but he was uncertain.

    "Well, it''s like this. Paradise Fishery has five acres of fish ponds, and we want to buy out all of them. However, thepany can''t seem to agree, which is why this acquisition is unable to progress.

    "Paradise Fishery has now closed its doors to us, so I used Josie''s influence to find out about Yvette, the leader of the operation. However, there''s very little information on Yvette. I put in a lot of effort before finding out that she has a younger brother called Sylvester, who lives in the Franklin Complex.

    "That''s why I called you to check," Lethan said.

    "How do you n to handle this?" Carlisle asked.

    "I''m nning to meet her and talk face-to-face. If she doesn''t want to let us acquire herpany, we''ll have no choice but to give up. After all, five acres of fish ponds have a production volume of about three tons. We can''t let that go to waste."

    "Let me talk to her." Carlisle decided to solve the conflict in Owen''s family while he was at it.

    Lethan thought for a moment and said, "Alright. Since you happen to know each other, it''ll probably be more useful than if I went to talk to her."

    After the call ended, Carlisle called Owen again.

    "Hello, Carl?"

    "Owen, your aunt hasn''t left yet, has she?"

    ''Huh? What did you say?" Owen had been outside during the previous call but was now back inside, and the signal was very poor.

    Hayley said, "Doesn''t Donny Thatcher have a telephone at his ce? Go and use it."

    Owen nodded and went to Donny''s house. He was their neighbor.

    He used the telephone to call Carlisle.

    "Hello, who''s speaking?"

    "Hello, Carl? It''s Owen. My phone signal isn''t working, so I''m using andline to call you!" Owen said loudly.

    His voice was clear and shrill. It almost burst Carlisle''s eardrums.

    Carlisle frowned and said, "I can hear you. Lower your voice!"

    "Alright, Carl. What did you want me for?"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Can you ask your aunt to take this call? I''ve got something important to talk to her about."

    "You want to talk to her? What could you have to talk to her about?" Owen asked,ughing.

    Carlisle and Yvette hadn''t interacted much. What business could they have together?

    Carlisle said calmly, "Just tell her to pick up the phone."

    "Oh, okay!" Owen put the phone down and went outside to call Yvette.

    Yvette looked over at him.

    Owen said loudly, "Carl wants to speak to you about something. Come and take the call."

    Yvette knew who Owen was talking about.

    It was Carlisle, the one who had been driving the Rolls-Royce.

    Why was he looking for her?

    Was he trying to be a mediator?

    Yvette hesitated but still went to Donny''s to take the call. "You wanted to speak to me?"

    "I''m Carlisle, and I''m a shareholder of Holly Fisheries."

    "Holly Fisheries?" Yvette looked surprised.

    Holly Fisheries had be very well known in Cascade State''s aquaculture industry recently.

    They had built 39rge greenhouses in 13 urban areas across Cascade State within a short month.

    It was rumored that they had used more than three hundred million to build their greenhouses.

    For the past few days, Holly Fisheries had been acquiring aquaculturepanies across the state.

    They took everything, including fish, eels, shellfish, and loaches.

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    Holly Fisheries epted all kinds of fishery products, and they took as much as was avable.

    Yvette wanted to sell all her fish to Holly Fisheries as well. She had even contacted its business department.

    However, while negotiating the price, some of her siblings wanted to raise their asking price.

    They felt that Holly Fisheries had plenty of money and would definitely ept the price they suggested.

    Yvette did not want to ruin thepany''s reputation, so she and her siblings reached a stalemate.

    Paradise Fishery was the biggest fishery in Yalville.

    Yvette''s biological father was Yosef Lyon.

    He was well known in Yalville as the king of fisheries.

    He was also the chairman of Paradise Fishery and held 38 percent of the shares.

    Five years ago, Yvette had found Yosef, and a paternity test had sent Paradise Fishery into an uproar.

    In order to make up for his regrets, Yosef had immediately written his will. After he died, all his shares would be inherited by Yvette.

    Yosef had already been very sick at the time. Despite his condition, he taught Yvette how to raise fish and gradually handed over thepany affairs for her to handle.

    Yvette had fulfilled her wish by finding her biological father, so she decided to return and take care of her paralyzed adopted father, Christopher Barlow.

    However, Yosef had stopped her.

    Yosef told her that the executives of Paradise Fishery each had their agendas, and she could not show any attachment to the outside world. Otherwise, she would only end up

    endangering them.

    Yvette had thought Yosef was just trying to scare her, so she sneaked out.

    However, as soon as she left the office, she got into a car ident.

    She hadin in the hospital for two months after the ident.

    After that, she finally realized how terrifying the business world could be.

    For the sake of profits, they would do anything.

    After Yosef passed away, Yvette changed her name to Yara Lyon and took over Paradise Fishery.

    She spent two years feeling as if she were treading on thin ice all the time.

    If it hadn''t been for the loyal staff members that had worked under Yosef, she would probably have drowned in a fish pond long ago.

    After two years of scheming and fighting, Yvette finally cemented her position at Paradise Fishery.

    However, this wasn''t enough at all. For example, therge shareholders of thepany were not willing to sell their fish to Holly Fisheries.

    At Paradise Fishery, Yvette still could not call the shots.

    There was a board of shareholders above the chairman, which held 62 percent of the shares.

    All the members of the board were part of the Lyon family. They had been nursing resentment toward Yvette for a long time because of how she had popped up out of nowhere and be the chairwoman.

    If she wanted to take control of thepany, she had to get more than 51 percent of the shares.

    Yvette had been working hard and did have something to show for it.

    At least she could now leave thepany whenever she liked. She was finally able to visit Sylvester and the family.

    She knew there were people monitoring her.

    Therefore, she could not appear too close or affectionate with Sylvester and the others.

    She could not let them be her weakness.

    The more they hated her, the safer they would be.

    "Holly Fisheries can''t ept our price," Yvette said in a clear voice.

    Carlisleughed and said, "Holly Fisheries is acquiring ording to market price. If they can''t ept your price, it means that you''ve gone beyond the market price or you''ve raised the price."

    Yvette said impassively, "Our fish are raised in pure water from mountain streams. The taste and texture of their flesh are much better than simr fish on the market. It''s natural that they would cost more!"

    Carlisle suddenly asked, "Do you know why Holly Fisheries wanted to build so many greenhouses? Do you know why they want to acquire all the aquaculture businesses in the state?"

    Yvette was slightly startled. Of course she was curious about Holly Fisheries'' secrets. Everyone in Cascade State''s aquaculture industry had been making guesses.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Some said that Holly Fisheries wanted to dominate the market, while others said that they were trying to unify the fish market of Cascade State.

    Carlisle said directly, "There will be an unprecedented, severe cold wave this year that hasn''t been seen for a century. The temperature of Cascade State will be greatly affected, and if you don''t sell your fish as soon as possible, yourpany will make a huge loss this year."

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    "Alright," Yvette answered perfunctorily.

    "You don''t believe me?" Carlisle could tell that she did not believe him at all.

    However, that was a normal reaction.

    If it had been him, he wouldn''t have believed it either.

    Carlisle continued, "Holly Fisheries spent three hundred million to build the greenhouses, and they''re also nning to use seven hundred million to acquire the aquaculturepanies in Cascade State.

    "Do you think that we''re doing it because we feel like we have too much money? How many enterprises in Cascade State would take out a billion to y around with?"

    Yvette''s brow wrinkled slightly.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t believe Carlisle. When Holly Fisheries started building greenhouses to raise fish, she tried to guess the reason.

    When others deduced that Holly Fisheries wasn''t trying to dominate the market, she had wondered if it was because the temperature would change drastically that year.

    This was something that Yosef had once told her to pay extra attention to.

    Paradise Fishery''s fish ponds had been dug in the mountains and used pure water from mountain streams. The quality of thend and water there was excellent, and they could handle most temperature changes. However, if the change were too big, the fish in the ponds would all die.

    Yvette had looked up Holly Fisheries. It was a jointpany owned by Lethan and Shania. Lethan was the chairman of Islo Clothing, one of the leading fashionpanies in

    Rivend, while Shania was the CEO of Windex Corporation.

    Every industry was different.

    The fact that two people who had nothing to do with the fishing industry had suddenly started an aquaculturepany was strange as it was. Not only that, they also injected a huge amount of funds into it. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they were putting all their eggs in one basket.

    Now, Carlisle was telling her confidently that there would be a huge change in temperatures this year. This made Yvette feel even more uncertain.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    After a long silence, Yvette finally said, "I can''t make decisions for thepany."

    Carlisle asked in a low voice, "Did you distance yourself from Owen''s family to protect them?

    Yvette said nothing. She had gone from being an ordinary woman in the vige to the leader of Yalville''s leadingpany in aquaculture. She had learned a lot during that period, especially about trusting people.

    Carlisle continued over the phone, "You inherited the family business, but you''re unable to make any decisions in thepany. It means that you have no authority in Paradise Fishery.

    "In fact, they even want to get rid of you. In order to protect Owen''s family, you had no choice but to act as if you weren''t acknowledging them, even if you ended up being used as an ingrate!"

    "You sure think you''re smart!" Yvette scoffed.

    Carlisle and Owen''s families had a pretty good rtionship with each other.

    If she told Carlisle these secrets, Owen''s family would be sure to find out as well.

    Knowing all this would only hurt them.

    As Yvette worried about it, Carlisle''s deep voice suddenly came through the phone. "I can help you."

    "If there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up now. You don''t need to worry about Paradise Fishery," Yvette said before hanging up.

    Carlisle sighed, still gripping his phone.

    Francis, who had been concentrating on driving,ughed softly and said, "We''ve known each other for so long, but this is the first time I''ve heard you sigh!"

    He had the impression that Carlisle was always calm and steady, no matter what happened. Even when Wanda had been kidnapped, he only worried inwardly while thinking of a solution.

    "Francis, tell the information department to find out what the conflict between the executives of Yalville''s Paradise Fishery is." Carlisle did not want to give up on the three thousand tons of fish.

    Three thousand tons were equal to six million pounds.

    If a pound could earn them a dor, that was six million dors.

    He had 20 percent in shares, which meant that he would get 1.2 million out of the six million.

    All his calctions were also based on the lowest standard.

    Now that the end of the year was approaching, the demand for fish was sure to increase.

    With the effect of the cold wave, the price of fish could rise by at least 20 percent.

    Carlisle felt it was perfectly usible to estimate that a pound of fish would earn them three dors.

    It meant that three thousand tons of fish could create 18 million in profits.

    However, right now, the problem was that the executives of Paradise Fishery were in

    conflict. If Carlisle wanted to earn money, he would have to solve this problem.

    Francis did not ask for a reason. He just pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Francis?"

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    A cold, arrogant-sounding voice answered the phone.

    "Solomon, find out about the conflict among the Paradise Fishery executives."

    "Yes, Francis!" Solomon was a retiredrade that Francis had recruited.

    He was now the manager of the information department at Aurora Holdings.

    The information department of Aurora Holdings was responsible for collecting information and analyzing it.

    Carlisle called Lethan again and told him he would follow up with the Paradise Fishery project.

    Yvette and Sylvester spent the whole morning discussing the issue, but they could note to an agreement.

    Sylvester was very obstinate and tly refused to let Yvette touch Christopher''s grave.

    He felt that Yvette had not shown her gratitude while Christopher was alive. Now that he was dead, nothing she did would be of any use. It would only give rise to more spection. Yvette had no choice but to leave.

    When she left the vige, Yvette looked sadly at the old house where she had lived for over 30 years.

    The influence of her uncles in the Lyon family was too strong. With her current position, it would be almost impossible to go against them.

    Now that she was leaving, she had no idea when she woulde back.

    Sylvester and his family stood at the entrance to the vige and watched her car drive off.

    Owen suddenly said, "Dad, Carl says that Aunt Yvette might have some difficulties that she can''t speak about."

    If anyone else had said so, Owen would have ignored itpletely. He wouldn''t even have told Sylvester about it.

    However, since Carlisle had said so, he was reconsidering it.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Yvette had been busy during her search for her family, but she would alwayse back during the New Year.

    Whenever she did, she would bring presents for Owen and his parents, and she would even buy him new clothes. She had only distanced herself from them after finding Yosef.

    Sylvester lit a cigarette and puffed it irritatedly. He breathed out a stream of smoke and said,

    "People change, especially after they have money."

    Hayley did not express an opinion. It was difficult for her to say anything about Yvette. When she first married Sylvester, she and Yvette got on fairly well. After she gave birth to Owen, Yvette stayed by her side during the first month or so to take care of her.

    By the time Carlisle got off his ne at Yorksle International Airport, it was already 10:00 pm.

    Wendell had booked a hotel in advance.

    Carlisle and Francis met up with Wendell outside the hotel.

    Wendell was wearing a down jacket and had on a hat and face mask.

    Francis said amusedly, "Wendell, why are you dressed like a thief?"

    Wendell lowered his voice and said, "The Martells own many properties in this area. I can''t guarantee that I won''t meet the staff from the hospital. It''s better to be safe than sorry."

    Carlisle was very satisfied with his professionalism. He nodded, smiled, and said, "Let''s get a private room and have dinner."

    "I''ve already booked the room. Let me take you to your rooms to put your luggage down." Wendell led Carlisle and Francis up to the eighth floor.

    The hotel wasn''t a five-star hotel, but it was at least four stars, and the corridor was carpeted with a fluffy carpet.

    For his friends, Wendell would''ve just reserved a cheap inn.

    However, Carlisle was his boss, so he had found a more luxurious amodation.

    They reached the door of Room 808.

    Wendell took out his keys and said in awe, "This hotel isn''t cheap. It costs 860 dors a night!"

    Francis'' expression darkened as he said, "You really spend this money freely, don''t you?"

    After Wendell went to Yorksle, Aurora Holdings had given him a sum of money for expenses for the trip.

    Carlisle had also transferred one million to him.

    A hotel room that cost 860 dors per night was about the same as an average person''s monthly sry!

    Wendellughed awkwardly. "I asked Ms. Yates, and she said it was fine."

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    When Wendell booked the hotel room, he and his teammates debated about it for a long time.

    If they chose a room that was too cheap, they were afraid Carlisle would not be happy with it.

    If they chose a room that was too expensive, they were worried that Carlisle would find it a waste of money.

    Therefore, Wendell had asked for Felicia''s advice.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Felicia had once lived in Yorksle and felt that a room costing around eight hundred would be appropriate.

    Carlisle smiled and said, "I can ept the price of eight hundred dors. Don''t we earn money so that we can enjoy ourselves?"

    He dragged his luggage inside.

    When he stepped through the door, he stopped in his tracks.

    He leaned back and looked at another group of guests who were walking toward them down the corridor.

    There were three men and three women. They looked fairly young, and he guessed they were in their early 20s. They were dressed very fashionably, but not in high-end brands.

    Carlisle had noticed them because the man in the lead looked rather familiar.

    The man was around 20 years old and had average looks. He had a buzz cut and was dressed less fashionablypared to the others.

    One of the women had long hair. She giggled and said, "Sharon, there''s a handsome man looking at you!"

    The woman named Sharon looked rather young, but she was the most good-looking among them. She nced at Carlisle and blushed before saying, "No, he''s clearly looking at you!"

    "Oh,e on. Just admit it! I''m not as pretty as you are, after all." The women chattered to each other teasingly.

    Very soon, they reached Carlisle.

    "Hey, hottie. Which university are you from?" the woman who had teased Sharon asked Carlisle. She stopped in front of him.

    Carlisle ignored her. He stared at the familiar-looking man and asked, "Hello. Have we met before?"

    The long-haired woman said in surprise, "Patrick, do you know each other?"

    Patrick looked Carlisle up and down for a moment before smiling and asking, "Are you one of my juniors from Caltopia College?"

    Carlisle smiled apologetically. "I''m not from Caltopia College. I probably mistook you for someone else. Sorry for the interruption."

    He turned and went into his room without even looking twice at the women.

    Wendell closed the door, and the Caltopia College students finally left.

    Carlisle sat on the sofa, wondering where he had seen the man before.

    A student from Caltopia College?

    There was no reason for them to have met before.

    Why did Patrick seem so familiar?

    Perhaps he had met him in his previous life.

    In his previous life, Carlisle had been a salesman who often had to go out for business. He had met many members of the professional elite as well.

    "Boss, are we going down to eat now?" Wendell had booked a private room, and the food could be served at any time.

    "Let''s go." Carlisle hadn''t even had a drop of water since lunch, and he was feeling rather hungry.

    The three of them walked out, and Carlisle bumped into Patrick again.

    Their eyes met, and they both smiled and nodded politely before heading to the elevators together.

    In the elevator, Wendell pressed the button for the third floor.

    Patrick did not press any other button, so he was probably heading for the third floor as well.

    The third floor was where all the private rooms for business were located.

    Wendell led Carlisle and Francis to Room 306 while Patrick entered 309.

    Patrick knocked on the door.

    After a few seconds, the door opened.

    The young man who opened the door was dressed in a dapper suit and seemed refined. He had ayered haircut.

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    There were two middle-aged men inside the room.

    One of them was dressed in a suit and had a schrly air.

    The other was dressed much simpler. He had a square jaw, which made him look rather intimidating.

    Patrick greeted nervously. "Hello, Zac."

    Zachary grunted expressionlessly before returning to his seat.

    The older man with a square jaw said with a cold expression, "Mr. Thompson has traveled far to be here. You should have reached sooner!"

    The elegant older man was Shein.

    He looked Patrick up and down, smiled, and said, "An aplished man will have an equally capable son. Patrick, you seem very capable. If you be a civil servant, your achievements are sure to equal your father''s!"

    Clifford Simpsonughed. "Everyone has their own ambitions. He doesn''t want to be a civil servant, and I can''t beg him to do so, can I?"

    Shein was secretly disappointed, but he chuckled and said, "Have a seat, Patrick. Your father and I are old friends, so you don''t need to stand on formalities."

    Clifford worked in politics in Yorksle. He wasn''t in a high position, but he did have authority and managed the approval of important resources across the country. All the governors treated him with deference.

    His connections in politics were deep-rooted and had created a strong foundation. If Patrick had chosen to be a civil servant, he would have a smooth career path in the future.

    Unfortunately, Patrick had no interest in working for the government. He was majoring in business management at Caltopia College.

    After Patrick sat down, he opened a bottle of white wine and filled his ss. He looked apologetic as he said, "I''m sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Thompson. Let me drink with you to express my regrets."

    Shein hastily waved a hand. "No, no. We''re a family. We don''t need to do anything like that." Clifford was sitting right there. How could Shein let Patrick drink?

    "Since he chose this path, he should learn the etiquette for business meetings. He waste, so it''s natural that he should drink." Clifford said sternly.

    Both the fields of business and politics were yed by the same rules.

    There were unspoken rules in society.

    If one did not learn these rules, it would only hinder them in the future.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Sheinughed in resignation. "Alright, just one ss then!"

    Patrick was 22, and having a drink or two wouldn''t affect his sses the next day.

    "Thank you, Mr. Thompson." Patrick raised his ss and downed it.

    Shein smiled and nodded. He said to Clifford, "With his degree from Caltopia College, Patrick will be in great demand among the bestpanies in Yorksle. Wouldn''t it be beneath him to go to Thompson Group?"

    Thest part of his sentence was what he really wanted to say.

    As Clifford was a government official, it would be no trouble at all to arrange for Patrick to join any of the toppanies in Yorksle.

    Why did he want Patrick to join the Thompson Group?

    Clifford was a shrewd man. He immediately understood what Shein was implying.

    He raised his teacup to take a sip and smiled as he asked, "We''ve known each other for more than 20 years, haven''t we?"

    Shein nodded and said, "22 years. Back then, something happened in your family, and you were left with nothing. You didn''t even have enough money to eat.

    "Mrs. Simpson had to wash clothes for people at aundry shop to earn money, even though she was heavily pregnant. She was once insulted by the owner of theundry shop because she identally damaged some clothes while washing them.

    "I happened to go to theundry shop that day to get the rent, so I spent money to help Mrs. Simpson settle the matter. After that, you came to the Thompson Group to thank me."

    Clifford sighed. "That''s right. It''s already been 22 years. Time really flies. Over the past 20 years, I''vee to understand what people are like, and I''ve had many realizations about life.

    "Rather than trusting those Yorksle entrepreneurs, I would rather trust you. You''re an old friend, and our friendship has endured for 22 years."

    Shein understood what Clifford was worried about. He was afraid that outsiders wouldy traps for Patrick. Not only would it ruin Patrick''s future, but it would also affect Clifford.

    "Alright. Let''s drink!" Shein raised his ss and clinked it with Clifford''s.

    After Clifford downed his drink and put down his ss, he said, "If my son joins yourpany, don''t treat him any differently from the rest. It would be best if you let him start from the lowest position."

    Sheinughed heartily. "Well, since you''ve said so, I have no objection."

    In Room 306, Carlisle gulped down a couple of sses of liquor.

    Wendell was telling Carlisle about how heavily guarded the psychiatric rehabilitation

    hospital in Maple Hill was.

    Wendell had drunk a few sses of white wine and was feeling tipsy. He said, "That ce is even more scary than the ce we went to carry out the executions-"

    "Ahem!" Francis coughed violently all of a sudden.

    Wendell suddenly came to his senses and hastily backtracked. "I-I drank too much. What I mean is that i-it''s even stricter than the ce where we used to keep watch over criminals."

    Carlisle suddenly mmed his ss down on the table and shot upright.

    Wendell and Francis both jumped with fright.

    Carlisle narrowed his eyes. sand said, "I remember who he is now!"

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    "You remember who he is? Who?"

    Wendell and Francis looked at Carlisle in confusion.

    "Patrick!"

    Carlisle sat back down.

    That was what his ssmates called him when they met upstairs.

    Carlisle hadn''t been listening to Wendell at all.

    He had been trying to ce his finger on Patrick''s identity.

    Now, he finally remembered.

    Patrick had been Wanda''s husband in their previous life.

    "Who is he?" Francis asked.

    Carlisle shook his head and did not exin further.

    Patrick had appeared, but Wanda''s marriage alliance was with the Martells.

    Carlisle wondered why Wanda had ended up marrying Patrick in her past life instead.

    He had thought about it before and had considered all kinds of possibilities.

    Had Wanda''s original partner died?

    Had the Martells found a better choice?

    Or, had Patrick used despicable means to marry Wanda?

    Carlisle shook himself violently.

    Why was he thinking about all that?

    The events of the past life belonged there.

    In this life, Wanda would only be his.

    Carlisle picked up his wine ss and took a huge gulp.

    He looked at Wendell and asked, "When will we deliver the goods?"

    He could not wait to see Wanda, whom he had been pining after since she left.

    "The delivery time is the day after tomorrow. Before we deliver the supplies, people from the Martells will verify our identities."

    Wendell retrieved some folded papers from inside his down jacket and handed them to Carlisle.

    "This is the identity that the deputy director of human resources got for you. Try your best to memorize it by tomorrow!"

    "Why does it seem like we''re going to be spies?" Francis muttered.

    "That''s not far from the truth!"

    Wendell''s gaze swept over Francis.

    "The Martells'' influence is greater than even some criminal organizations. They don''t want the outside world to know about this hospital, so the level of security is very high!"

    Carlisle opened the document.

    There were five pieces of paper with information about a family printed on them.

    Carlisle would assume Howard Lawson''s identity.

    Howard was 21 years old and lived in Caulitorna, Skyville, Goldmore, in a town called Nimbustown. His house was on Sunnyvale Street, No.35.

    His family consisted of his father, mother, and sister. Gideon Lawson was a 46-year-old physics teacher at Nimbustown''s junior high school, while his mother, Lucinda Lark, was a 42-year-old literature teacher at the same school. Howard''s younger sister, Sharon, was 19 years old and studying business management in her second year of university at Caltopia College.

    Howard''s introduction said that he had good character and good grades. He had been one of the top students from kindergarten to high school. Right before the college entrance exams, he was suddenly diagnosed with a mental disorder.

    After that, his aunt brought him overseas to receive treatment for two years. Although his condition was brought under control, he could not continue studying. Gideon used his connections to get him a job as a warehouse porter at one of the fresh producepanies in Yorksle.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Isn''t Howard still employed at thepany? How can I go and deliver supplies in his stead? "Carlisle asked in confusion.

    Wendell ate a mouthful of fish stew and exined, "Howard isn''t part of thepany at all. He never returned after being sent abroad for treatment. This introduction wasposed by the human resources department!"

    Carlisle nodded and asked, "Have you arranged everything at the warehouse?"

    Wendell grinned.

    "Why do you think I spent so much money?"

    He took out a bill from his pocket and gave it to Carlisle.

    "These are our expenses over this period of time. We even noted it down whenever we

    bought bottles of water!"

    Carlisle took the bill and nced at it. There were hundreds of transactions recorded on it. Most of the money had been used to oil the wheels for what they had to do.

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    The deputy director of human resources at the fresh producepany had been given 300 thousand dors.

    The hospital''s security department received 300 thousand dors, while Gideon and his wife received 200 thousand.

    Lastly, the fresh producepany''s warehouse staff had gotten 100 thousand.

    Carlisle nced casually at the bill before returning it to Wendell.

    He said, "That''s too much trouble. You don''t need to keep records of this kind of expense in the future. I trust you."

    Wendell grinned.

    "After all, it''s not a small amount. If we keep a record, you''ll understand the situation better.

    Carlisle continued looking through the document.

    He asked, "Gideon and his wife are both teachers. Aren''t they afraid that someone will use their son''s identity to do something illegal?"

    Wendell sighed and said, "Howard''s aunt has a high-paying job overseas, and she used up all her savings to get Howard treatment for his disorder. Gideon and his wife can only barely afford to pay for their daughter''s tuition fees. They work during the day, and on nights and weekends, they conduct extra tutoring for children from wealthy families. They''re in need of money."

    Carlisle quickly finished reviewing the document. The remainder of the document concerned the general situation of the Lawson family and their rtives.

    "Aren''t there any photos of his family?"

    Since he was pretending to be their son, Carlisle felt that he should at least know what they looked like.

    Wendell answered, "Yes, there are. We just received them this afternoon, and they''re at our rental ce. We haven''t managed to look at them yet."

    Carlisle folded the document up and pocketed it. He nned to look through it a couple more timester.

    After a few rounds of drinks, Wendell returned to his rental ce, having eaten his fill.

    Carlisle and Francis headed back to the eighth floor of the hotel.

    Francis quickly washed up and went to the adjoined bedroom to sleep.

    Meanwhile, Carlisle sat on the balcony and continued looking through the documents.

    He was slightly taken aback when he saw Caulitorna mentioned in the documents.

    Speaking Caulitornan was going to be a problem. Carlisle feared the Martells'' staff would question why he didn''t speak it.

    Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

    Carlisle pulled out his phone and nced at the number. It was Wendell.

    When he picked up, Wendell said, "Boss, Howard''s younger sister is at Caltopia College. I''ve asked her to lunch tomorrow afternoon. It''ll be good if you can get to know each other if the Martells investigate you through her!"

    "Alright."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Carlisle''s eyes lit up. Since he couldn''t speak Caulitornan, he figured he could learn it from Sharon then.

    The next day, Carlisle was woken by a call from Sean.

    "Carl, time to get up to pee!"

    "Get to the point!" Carlisle said in annoyance, I

    his eyes still closed.

    He had been dreaming about showering with Wanda and had just taken off his clothes when he was rudely awoken by Sean''s call.

    Sean said excitedly, "Carl, Alumni Network now has 3.6 million registered users! Within yesterday and the day before, we had an increase of 480 thousand new registered users, which has broken our record!"

    Carlisle had only just received the news and initially thought he was still dreaming.

    He only believed it when Felicia called to congratte him.

    "Wow!"

    Carlisle opened his eyes, feeling rather excited.

    480 thousand university students had registered on Alumni Network within just two days.

    That meant that Alumni Network had really blown up across the country.

    Sean suddenly said thoughtfully, "Carl, are we really going to keep Alumni Network private? ording to market research, about 100 million Inte users are currently in the country. That''s a huge market!"

    Alumni Network''s explosive poprity had made Sean ambitious. His target demographic was no longer just students. If he wanted to earn more money, he would have to turn to those who were already working.

    Before Carlisle could answer, Sean continued, "I''m worried that other businessmen will get there before we do. They might even use our model."

    Carlisle was extremely satisfied to hear Sean''s ideas. It showed that Sean was thinking more like a businessman. He had already learned to think ahead and n in advance and clearly had a good head for business.

    However, Carlisle still wanted to hear what he nned to do next, so he asked, "So, are you nning to create another socialwork website?"

 Chapter 571

    ?Chapter 571

    Sean thought for a moment before saying, "I was thinking of creating something called Friend Net, which is based on the same model as Alumni Network. It won''t have the sections for studying, but we can add a section for sharing work experiences!"

    "It''s a good idea," Carlisle praised him.

    Sean thought Carlisle had agreed with him, so he said immediately, "I''ll get the R&D team to start developing FriendNet right now!"

    "I haven''t finished talking."

    Carlisleughed and said, "Have you considered the fact that Alumni Network''s poprity will drop rapidly if weunch FriendNet?"

    Alumni Network was a socialwork for students in tertiary institutions to use, whereas FriendNet would be a tform for all Inte users.

    It''s general knowledge that there are many more Inte users in the country than university students.

    If FriendNet wereunched, its registered users would be sure to surpass that of Alumni Network.

    Most people tended to lean toward herd mentality and seeking novelty.

    Once FriendNet gained traction, Alumni Network would likely lose users.

    Instead of making a separate website, it would be more reasonable to open Alumni Network up to the public.

    However, the decline of SociableNet made Carlisle hesitant to make the decision.

    "I-I didn''t think about that."

    Now that Carlisle had mentioned it, Sean became gloomy at once.

    "Are we really going to give up on that demographic? There are 100 million of them!"

    Alumni Network was now taking on advertisements. Thus, the profits from advertising fees would rise as the number of website users increased. If they could set up FriendNet, they could stand to make a considerable profit in advertising fees.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Let''s just do well with Alumni Network first. We shouldn''t only be focused on expanding. In business, we must focus on the product and user experience."

    Carlisle was also new to the business industry. He had only seeded based on his memories from his past life, and he still hadn''t decided what the future development of Alumni Network would be.

    "Alright. I''m going to ss now. Let''s chatter, Carl!"

    "Okay."

    After hanging up, Carlisleunched Alumni Network on his phone and logged in to his ount.

    It took him 30 seconds to enter the webpage using his 2Gwork.

    It took another ten minutes for the login page to appear.

    After entering his password, he waited another seven or eight seconds before logging in.

    Once smartphones were made, he would have to talk to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology about getting a 3Gwork.

    Otherwise, his smartphones wouldn''t be pleasant to use at all.

    Carlisle browsed the posts on Alumni Network.

    He realized that there were several users who were advertising.

    There was even a post about secondhand cars.

    Carlisle clicked on the personal page of the person who had posted it.

    His name was Hans Warner, and he was verified as a Yorksle Polytechnic student.

    The post consisted of a short promotional text and a few photos of the secondhand cars.

    The text read: "Hans'' secondhand cars will provide you with a driving experience that''s worth it! Every car undergoes a stringent selection process to ensure quality and reliability. It includes a professional inspection and a detailed report so that you can buy a car worry-free! You can choose from all kinds of cars that will satisfy your personal requirements. The affordable prices and attentive service will make you feel it''s worth it! Contact us!"

    Below the text were photos of an old Santana from the 90s and a Mazda

    Below that was a post that sold hairpins.

    The text read: "Let your hair be part of your charisma! The ssy pearl hairpin is making aeback! Pearls exude an elegant air, and the retro vibe will induce nostalgia. The simple design can be used with all kinds of hairstyles, and they''ll give you a timeless look. Contact us to order and restore your beauty!"

    Below that post were a few photos of a pretty woman wearing the hairpins.

    Carlisle was slightly startled when he saw the woman in the photos.

    He wondered if it was the same short-haired woman from the night before. He recalled that her name was Sharon or some other.

    He clicked on her profile page and saw that she was verified as a student at Caltopia College.

    It indeed was her.

    Carlisle continued browsing through the posts.

    He saw that eight out of ten were advertisements.

    One of the posts was a snarkyment about all the advertisements.

 Chapter 572

    ?Chapter 572

    The post read: "Damn. Is this ce solely for posting advertisements?"

    Carlisle immediately called Sean when he saw the post.

    Sean had just reached the ssroom and was about to turn off his phone.

    When he received Carlisle''s call, he answered and said in a low voice, "Carl, ss is about to start"

    Carlisle''s stern voice came from the other end of the phone.

    "Alumni Network''s main page is filled with advertisements. It is severely affecting user experience. We must solve this problem this morning!"

    Sean''s eyes widened as he said, "Oh man! I haven''t logged into Alumni Network yet today. I''ll take care of it at once."

    After hanging up, Sean immediately called the manager of the content moderation department, Jensen Moffatt. He had not had time to log on to the website.

    "Mr. Woodsen?"

    "Mr. Moffatt, what is your review team doing? How did all those advertisements on Alumni Network''s main page get approved?"

    Sean''s voice was cold and menacing. His authoritative air made his seatmate shiver beside him.

    "Th-that can''t be! During every morning meeting with them, I emphasize that they can''t let advertisements be approved!" Jensen said nervously.

    "Are you implying that I''m lying?" Sean asked.

    "N-no. I''ll check on it at once and solve the problem!"N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Jensen broke out into a cold sweat from fear.

    Only a few days ago, Sean had gone straight to the publicity department manager''s office and flipped the table because thetter hadn''t submitted his proposal for publicity in time. Sean had even told him, right in front of everyone in the publicity department, to either work or leave if he couldn''t.

    It had been brutal and humiliating.

    "Who approved those advertisements? I don''t want to see whoever it is at the office," Sean said before hanging up.

    Carlisle always emphasized the importance of building the product properly and ensuring they considered user experience.

    Something like that happening at Alumni Network just made it seem that Sean had not taken Carlisle''s words to heart.

    Jensen wiped his brow when he heard the busy signal on the other end of the line. He walked toward his

    department''s office space, looking thunderous.

    There were currently only four people on the review team for Alumni Network.

    At that moment, the four of them sat at their seats,ughing and talking as they ate breakfast.

    "Mr. Moffatt''s here," one of them muttered.

    The other three immediately put their breakfast away.

    Jensenughed coldly.

    "Are you really in any mood to eat breakfast right now?"

    The four of them lowered their heads, not daring to say anything.

    They had assumed that Jensen was rebuking them for eating breakfast at the office.

    Thepany rules stated that eating in the office was prohibited.

    Jensen usually came to work at 10:00 am, but he had arrived unexpectedly early.

    Jensen coldly and usingly asked, "Alumni Network''s main page is filled with advertisements. Is that how you do your reviews?"

    One of the women said in shock, "Advertisements? It can''t be!"

    She turned herputer on and entered the management interface as an administrator.

    Her eyes widened when she saw the vast number of advertisements the server was approving automatically.

    "Mr. Moffatt, there seems to be a virus in ourputer..."

    Jensen immediately approached to check. When he saw that the server was automatically approving posts, he frowned.

    "Notify the tech department at once to take care of this."

    since it wasn''t an error of negligence, Jensen breathed a sigh of relief.

    A virus in theputer was clearly an attack from a hacker.

    Alumni Network had risen rapidly, and it wasn''t surprising that it was being attacked.

    Jensen called Sean back, but the call was abruptly declined.

    Jensen remembered that Sean was in ss, so he sent a message.

    Sean looked grim when he received the message from Jensen.

    It turned out to be a hacker attack.

    Sean cursed inwardly.

    The hacker had better hope that Sean didn''t catch him.

    "Tell the tech department to investigate this hacker. They''d better catch him!" Sean replied.

    I had told him that if he wanted to be a good leader, he would have to be tough to establish his authority. Otherwise, his business rivals would trample on him sooner orter.

    Now that people were already attacking Alumni Network, he could not just sit there and do nothing.

    Right after Carlisle woke up and washed up, Wendell called. "Boss, I''m outside your hotel. Come to the office with me!"

 Chapter 573

    ?Chapter 573

    "Okay, I''ming!" Carlisle replied as he finished styling his hair, ready to leave.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Francis, who was doing single-arm push-ups in the living room, looked up and asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"

    Carlisle shook his head and replied, "No thanks. You can go sightseeing in Yorksle!"

    Thinking that Wendell was capable of protecting Carlisle, Francis nodded and continued with his push-ups.

    When Carlisle stepped out of the door, he ran into Patrick Simpson and a short-haired teenage girl.

    "Good morning!"

    Patrick greeted with a smile. Despite his social anxiety and tendency not to initiate greetings, Shein had specifically reminded him to ovee this bad habit, especially as Patrick was about to enter society, where social skills were crucial.

    Carlisle nced at Patrick with a hint of disdain and then headed straight for the elevator without looking back. Patrick stood there dazed, his face flushing. Being ignored after making an effort to be friendly only reinforced his belief that initiating greetings was a bad idea.

    As he looked at Carlisle''s departing figure, the short-haired teenager, Sharon, gentlyforted Patrick, "Patrick, did you somehow offend him?"

    Patrickughed wryly.

    "I only met himst night, just like you!"

    Sharon''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "Seriously? Didn''t you go out against night? Maybe you ran into him then. I don''t think he''s the type tock manners."

    Patrick thought for a moment before nodding.

    "Actually, I did run into himst night, and we both nodded to each other. But it wasn''t as awkward as it was just now!"

    Sharon pressed her lips together and remarked, "That''s odd. But it''s okay. He''s not from our school, so we probably won''t interact much with each other in the future, anyway."

    "Yeah, you''re right. Let''s hurry down. Everyone''s waiting for us," Patrick said, regaining hisposure and walking toward the elevator.

    As Sharon trailed behind, Patrick suddenly asked, "How''s your hair clip business going? I saw your ad on Alumni Network earlier. The wording was pretty good."

    "Not a single call so far."

    Sharon sighed in frustration. Her parents taught during the day and worked as private tutors in the evening, often traveling several miles to reach their students. She started selling hair clips at school to ease their burden and earned over 300 dors in the first month.

    Although it was a drop in the bucketpared to her family''s debt, she was very satisfied with it. After all, her monthly allowance was only 120 dors in high school.

    Patrick responded, smilingly, "Honestly, I think you should consider wholesale instead of retail."

    Slightly taken aback, Sharon asked, "How would I do wholesale?"

    When they reached the elevator, Carlisle was still waiting there. Sharon nced at Carlisle silently. Since he had been rude to Patrick, she didn''t feel the need to be polite to him. After all, Patrick was not only her senior at school but also a business management major who had advised her on selling hair clips.

    "So, Patrick, how should I go about wholesale?" Sharon continued asking.

    Patrick inquired, "What''s the cost, retail price, and profit per hair clip?"

    Sharon replied, "The cost is 5.20 dors. The retail price is seven dors, so the profit for each hair clip is 1.80 dors."

    Patrick pondered before replying, "If you be a manufacturer''s agent, the cost should be around four dors. Then, you can recruit partners on campus and offer them a wholesale price of 5.20 dors, with a minimum order of 30 units. This way, you can earn over 30 dors with every partner. If their sales are good, they might return for more orders twice or thrice a month!"

    Sharon''s eyes lit up but quickly dimmed again.

    "But the manufacturers might not grant me the agency rights."

    Patrick smiled and said, "So you need to market yourself, demonstrating your resources and advantages to the manufacturers!"

    Sharon lowered her head and muttered, "I have neither of those."

    Suddenly, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened.

    Carlisle walked straight in while Patrick courteously said to Sharon, "After you."

 Chapter 574

    ?Chapter 574

    "No, after you!" Sharon said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

    Patrick had always been quite aloof, and his sudden consideration caught her by surprise.

    Patrick chuckled lightly and insisted, "Ladies first!"

    Sharon replied politely, "No, you''re my senior, so you should enter first!"

    Tired of their back-and-forth, Carlisle pressed the button to shut the elevator doors.

    Patrick quickly stopped the doors from closing, his brows furrowed.

    "That wasn''t very gentlemanly of you. Can''t you tell we haven''t gotten in yet?"

    Carlisle nced at him indifferently and replied, "Time is money. I don''t have time for your chatter!"

    Patrick was deeply annoyed as he met Carlisle''s nonchnt gaze. His family and friends were always polite to him, perhaps due to his father. Even at school, he was the center of attention among his peers, owing to his identity as the top student in the business management department.

    He inwardly questioned what right this Rivend University student had to be so dismissive. He wondered if he had somehow offended Carlisle.

    Patrick decided not to dwell on that thought. Since he would soon be working at Thompson Group, he was confident that, with his talent, he would undoubtedly be a senior executive there.

    Since Thompson Group was based in Rivend and Carlisle was from Rivend Univerity, Patrick thought it would be unwise to offend him now. He worried that Carlisle might defame him in school when he became sessful.

    With that in mind, Patrick said to Sharon, "Sharon, let''s skip the formalities and get in before this guy loses his patience again."

    Slightly furrowing her brows, Sharon nodded and entered the elevator first. Patrick followed her in and pressed the button to close the doors.

    Suddenly, Carlisle looked at Sharon and inquired, "Are you a Lawson?"

    He had just realized that Sharon matched Howard''s sister''s description short-haired and a freshman at Caltopia College.

    Taken aback, Sharon looked at him and asked, "How do you know?"

    Carlisle smiled, feeling d that his spection was correct.

    "You have a lunch appointment today, don''t you?"

    Sharon nodded, her expression turning tense.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "H-How do you know?"

    She had received a call from her parents not long ago, mentioning that someone intended to impersonate her brother. She had initially vehemently opposed the idea, but her parents said they were paid a lot of money¡ªa full 200 thousand dors.

    After her brother went abroad for treatment, her family was heavily in debt. The 200 thousand only managed to cover two-thirds of it, excluding the money her aunt offered.

    Her parents had reminded her to keep the impersonation matter a secret. Otherwise, the impersonator would take back the money with interest.

    The impersonator had also given her a letter about the lunch appointment and instructed her to burn it after reading it so that no third party would find out about it.

    She pondered how the Rivend University student before her knew about it.

    Sharon panicked, her rosy cheeks turning pale.

    With his hands in his pockets, Carlisle replied casually, "I''m your lunch appointment." Sharon''s eyes widened.

    "So, you are-"

    She abruptly shut her mouth, sensing Carlisle''s warning nce.

    Patrick frowned upon listening in on their conversation.

    "Sharon... what''s going on? Are you two having lunch together today?"

 Chapter 575

    ?Chapter 575

    Patrick was utterly bewildered. He wondered how Sharon and Carlisle would suddenly have a lunch appointment together when it was evident that they didn''t know each other. Moreover, it seemed like the lunch was

    prearranged.

    Sharon stammered, unsure how to exin, "I-It''s a bitplicated, Patrick. You''d better let it go."

    Patrick assumed they might have met on Alumni Network but had not seen each other in person. He figured that would exin why they had arranged a lunch without recognizing each other.

    Feeling slightly annoyed, Patrick said in a brotherly, earnest tone, "Sharon, you need to be cautious when dating, especially with online dating. You''re too trusting sometimes. You could easily be deceived."

    "It''s not what you think, Patrick," Sharon quickly exined, blushing at the mention of online dating.

    She couldn''t fathom his thoughts.

    Carlisle could tell that Patrick was interested in Sharon. Although he didn''t know much about Patrick, he inexplicably found him annoying.

    Feeling mischievous, Carlisle said with feigned heartbreak, "Sharon, that''s not what you told me on the phone!" "W-What are you talking about?"

    Sharon''s eyes grew wide. She had never talked to him over the phone.

    Patrick''s expression darkened. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he red at Carlisle.

    Suddenly, the elevator chimed, announcing their arrival on the first floor, and the doors opened automatically.

    The sight of Patrick''s dark expression made sharon so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.

    "Don''t listen to him, Patrick. He and I are "

    "I think I''ll cancel the lunch today and recover what I''ve given..." Carlisle remarked, his voice choked as he pretended to wipe away his tears.

    He then walked out of the elevator without looking back

    Sharon stood in the elevator, stunned. She wondered if he had just mentioned reiming his money. However, the 200 thousand had already been used to pay off debts. She didn''t know how her parents could possiblye up with that amount now.

    Sharon regained herposure before hurrying after him.

    "Hey, wait! Don''t go..."

    She didn''t even know his name yet.

    Patrick watched Sharon chase after Carlisle, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

    When Sharon performed "Super Star" on stage at Caltopia College''s bonfire party, her sweet voice and stunning beauty had everyone in the audience singing along, creating an electrifying atmosphere.

    Her name quickly spread throughout the school, making her the most beautiful freshman at Caltopia College.

    Later, when Alumni Networkunched, Sharon even encouraged 1500 students to register as users, leveraging her poprity. She was hardworking.

    Patrick admired her, but he wouldn''t call it love yet. Although he had initiated a conversation with her during a friend''s birthday the previous night, their conversation was limited to academic issues and future ns.

    He had noticed Sharon''s gaze was full of admiration when she looked at him, and she clearly enjoyed it when he started the conversation. Just when he thought they were getting closer, this situation regarding online dating came out of nowhere.

    As the doors were about to close, Patrick took a deep breath, pressed the open button, and walked out with his head down.

    As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, his phone rang. He took out his phone-a silver Nokia 7610. It was considered a luxury item, having beenunched that March and priced at 750 dors. Even though Patrick dressed modestly, his phone told a different story.

    "Dad," said Partick into the phone.

    "Patrick,e home tonight."

    Clifford Simpson''s authoritative voice came from the other end of the line.

    Clifford''s voice immediately dissipated Patrick''s desire to go home.

    "I have ns tonight."

    Clifford said sternly, "Do you remember Wanda, the youngdy I mentioned to you?"

    Patrick thought for a moment before replying, "She''s not good-looking."

    Two years ago, Clifford showed him a photo of Shein''s daughter, Wanda. He didn''t think she was as nearly as pretty as Sharon.

    Clifford mmed a fist on the table and retorted angrily, "Does beauty put food on the table? We should look for someone whose family background is worthy of us.

    "Besides, don''t you know that women could lookpletely different as they age? It took me a lot of effort, but I managed to obtain Wanda''stest photos. You''ll be amazed when you see them!"N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

 Chapter 576

    ?Chapter 576

    Patrick pressed his lips together and slowly said to Clifford over the phone, "Alright. I''ll check them out when I''m home tonight."

    Carlisle stepped out of the hotel, shivering as the cold breeze hit his face. Pulling his coat tighter around him, he nced at Wendell, who was standing a short distance away with his face covered.

    "Hey!" Sharon shouted as she hurried over, panting.

    Her eyes were reddened.

    "Please don''t take back the money!"

    Carlisle raised an eyebrow.

    "Okay. See you at lunch then!"

    With that, he walked straight toward Wendell

    Sharon stood in the wind, bewildered. She wondered what all that was about and questioned if he was toying with her on purpose.

    When Carlisle neared Wendell, he saw Wendell staring at a photo in his hand,paring it with Sharon, who was standing at the hotel entrance. Wendell was startled by Sharon''s uncanny resemnce to the youngdy in the photo.

    "What are you looking at?"

    Carlisle peeked at the photo. It showed an image of Sharon with a well-mannered couple and a bearning,

    handsome young man. The Lawsons, indeed, had good genes. Gideon and his wife were a perfect match, and their children were both very attractive.

    Wendell whispered to Carlisle, "The youngdy at the entrance looks a lot like Howard''s sister, Sharon!"

    "She is Sharon!" Carlisle confirmed.

    "No way! What are the odds? You just arrived in Yorkle yesterday and already bumped into Sharon?"

    Wendell''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "Alright. Take me to thepany now," Carlisle instructed.

    "Yes, boss!"

    Wendell nodded, leading Carlisle to thepany where he worked-10KFresh.

    10KFresh had branches in multiple regions across the country, each supplying groceries to many fresh food supermarkets. It was more of arge warehouse than an ordinarypany.

    As they entered thepany''s premises, Carlisle saw trucks lined up, waiting to be loaded.

    Wendell whispered to Carlisle, "10KFresh is a subsidiary of Golden Happiness Group. They focused on modern agriculture, animal husbandry, deep processing of agricultural products, and the frozen and warm delivery of fresh food.

    "They aimed to expand to ten thousand supermarkets and achieved this in just two and a half years. They''re indeed a formidablepany!"

    Carlisle was quite familiar with 10KFresh as he had studied thepany out of boredom in his past life.

    He remembered that they would alsounch an app that would allow customers to have their groceries delivered to their doorsteps. Thepany''s rapid growth wasrgely due to the support of Golden Happiness Group.

    Golden Happiness Group was a well-funded venture capital firm, investing in manyrge domestic enterprises.

    Even inte giants Penguin Group and GoSearch had their backing. These twopanies had already reached annual revenue of three billion in this era.

    Golden Happiness Group''s legal representative was Ruth Sweeney, a renowned venture capital queen.

    Since 10KFresh was wholly owned by Golden Happiness Group but managed by the Murrays, it appeared that the Murrays were the true bosses behind Golden Happiness Group.

    "Wendell!"

    Two of Wendell''srades, who hade to Yorksle with him, approached Wendell and Carlisle with croissants, donuts, and coffees in their hands.

    Kevin handed Carlise one set of breakfast and said, "Boss, you haven''t had your breakfast yet, right? This is for you."

    "Thank you."

    With a polite smile, Carlisle epted the breakfast.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Kevin smiled sheepishly, then sat by the roadside and started eating.

    The otherrade handed Wendell a set and said, "Here''s yours, Wendell."

    Wendell took the breakfast and started eating before it turned cold. Carlisle joined them, sitting by the roadside and munching on his croissant.

    Just as they were enjoying their meal, Carlisle received a call from Gareth.

    "Alumni Network is in trouble," Gareth said in a heavy, solemn tone.

    Carlisle swallowed the piece of croissant in his mouth and took another bite, replying indistinctly, "Is it about the ads? I''m aware of it."

    Gareth replied gravely, "Alumni Network has been found hosting explicit photos and information regarding solicitation. The cyber monitoring department has ordered Alumni Network to cease operation for rectification!"

 Chapter 577

    ?Chapter 577

    Carlisle was stunned by the news about explicit photos and solicitation ads on Alumni Network. He was puzzled about how university students could possibly post such things and questioned what the review team at Alumni Network was doing.

    Gareth continued, "Alumni Network was hacked. The backend review system bypassed all sensitive keywords and approved everything.

    "While the tech department addressed the problem, the hackers escted their attack. They remotely logged into some student ounts and posted illegal information.

    "The tech department couldn''t respond in time, so someone snapped a photo and reported it to the cyber monitoring department."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Carlisle took a hard bite of his croissant and narrowed his eyes.

    "Yuriel gust and his son must be behind this!"

    Gareth replied with self-reproach, "I should have handled the situation more delicately. I called Yuriel, thinking he might overlook it for my sake. Yet, not only did he refuse to cooperate, but he also struck against Alumni Network so quickly."

    Carlisle instructed, "Let''s have Hank deal with this. You''ll need to get in touch with the cyber monitoring department and exin the situation to them."

    "Got it. I''ll head to the cyber monitoring department personally," Gareth replied calmly, though his tone revealed a hint of suppressed anger.

    Sensing Gareth''s frustration, Carlisle offered some reassurance, "Don''t get too worked up. It''s normal to be targeted in business. We''ll encounter more issues and troubles along the way. Getting upset over every problem won''t help us."

    From the moment he turned down Austin''s offer to acquire Alumni Network, Carlisle knew thepany would face difficulties sooner orter. A mature business must weather various trials to grow stronger.

    Gareth sighed deeply.

    "We can''t just let ourselves be bullied without retaliating, can we?"

    Carlisle took a bite of his donut and replied calmly, "I did say I''d seek revenge for any grievances, didn''t I?" After ending the call, Carlisle received another call from Owen, who was also concerned about Alumni Network''s current issue. Carlisle told him to focus on managing Dragonaire Studio and not to worry about other matters.

    After breakfast, Carlisle followed Wendell and his men to the office of Storehouse 8, where Wendell introduced Carlisle to the storehouse team leader, Janice Hond.

    Janice, in her mid-20s, was a pregnantdy with short hair and fair skin. She had apetent demeanor and appeared capable of handling hard work.

    After introducing Janice, Wendell began to introduce Carlisle, "Ms. Hond, this is C-"

    "Howard Lawson, I presume? I know."

    Janice interrupted Wendell and then called a morning meeting with everyone in the storehouse.

    There were 20 staff members in this storehouse-six warehouse managers and 14 handlers. The warehouse managers were rtively young, while the handlers were mostly men aged between 35 and 50.

    There were no surveince cameras in the storehouse or office, so Janice asked directly, "Does everyone remember what we discussed inst night''s meeting?"

    Everyone nodded in unison.

    "Yes, ma''am."

    Each had received a thousand dors, and they had only one task-to acknowledge that a warehouse manager named Howard Lawson was in the storehouse.

    Janice pointed to Carlisle and said, "This is Howard Lawson. Don''t treat him like a stranger. Think of him as an old colleague you''ve known for a long time, okay?"

    Everyone nodded again.

    Janice then waved them off.

    "Alright. Back to work."

    The handlers left the office.

    Janice turned to Carlisle and said, "Most of the staff here were hired based on my rmendation, so they''re quite reliable."

    As soon as Janice finished speaking, a woman in a pink down coat with big, permed hair walked into the office. The woman, in herte 20s, wore a thick ck scarf and had her hands in her coat pockets. Her light makeup gave her an innocent yet alluring appearance.

    "Ms. Miller."

    Janice quickly rose from her seat to greet her, and the warehouse managers did the same.

    Carlisle nced at the name tag hanging around the woman''s neck: Zoey Miller, Deputy Director of the Human Resources Department.

    Zoey nodded slightly, then pulled out a wornpany badge and several pay slips from her pocket, handing them to Carlisle.

 Chatper 578

    ?Chatper 578

    Carlisle took the pay slips andpany badge, which read: Howard Lawson, Employee ID "01725", Storehouse Clerk in the storehouse department.

    Zoey said, "There''s a shipment going to Golden Happiness Group tomorrow morning. They''ll send someone to confirm the goods and delivery personnel this afternoon. You''re on your own for that."

    Wendell looked tense.

    "This afternoon?"

    He felt that it was too soon as he had nned for Carlisle to be familiar with things that day.

    Zoey nodded.

    "Golden Happiness Group scheduled it. They''ll arrive around four this afternoon."

    She then turned to Carlisle and added, "As long as you remember the information I gave you, you should be fine." Carlisle asked, "Did Wendell and the others use fake documents too?"

    Zoey nodded.

    "They were lucky. The representative from Golden Happiness Group was preupied with personal mattersst time and barely looked at their personal information before signing off."

    "I''ll see what I can do then," Carlisle said, taking a deep breath as he started to feel anxious.

    The representative from Golden Happiness Group was likely someone from the Murray family. If things went wrong, both he and the people who had been bribed could face trouble.

    After Zoey left, Carlisle mingled with the staff in the storehouse. The order department asionally dropped by with delivery orders. The warehouse managers selected the goods ording to the orders, and the handlers packed and loaded the goods onto the trucks.

    Carlisle spent the entire morning working alongside the warehouse managers. Although he didn''t do much himself, moving around and observing left him feeling a bit disoriented.

    Carlisle and Wendell took a cab to Yorksle Diner during lunch break, which they had reserved in advance.

    Wendell said excitedly, "The specialty dishes at Yorksle Diner are exceptional. Last week, our supervisor took us there, and we cleaned the tespletely, leaving no trace of food!"

    "Seriously?" Carlisle asked, skeptical.

    "Just wait until you try them," Wendell replied.

    Yorksle Diner was located outside an old alley on Fourth Avenue. The ce was small, with only nine eight-seater tables inside and four eight-seaters with long benches under a sunshade outside. The business was booming, with no empty seats to spare.

    Having finished school early, Sharon arrived half an hour ahead of time. She smelt the aroma from the diner causing her to lick her lips and swallow.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    She hadn''t had breakfast that morning. The previous night, she had restrained herself from eating much due to the presence of many wealthydies at her friend''s birthday party. Additionally, she had a physical education ss in the morning, and the intense physical activity had left her starving.

    She couldn''t help but swallow again at the smell of Yorksle''s specialty dishes.

    "Hi there. I see you''ve been standing here for quite a while. Are you waiting for someone, miss?" Jack, a waiter wearing an apron, came out and asked.

    Sharon nodded.

    "Yes, my friend asked me to meet him here."

    Jack asked, "Is your friend a Webb?"

    "I don''t know..."

    Sharon shook her head awkwardly. She didn''t know Wendell''s name.

    Jack thought for a moment before asking, "What time was your appointment?"

    "12 o''clock."

    "Then that must be it. Come with me," Jack said.

 Chapter 579

    ?Chapter 579

    Sharon followed Jack into the diner. Jack took a folding eight-seater table from the storage room, set it up, and then brought out four long benches.

    "Zac, this is the ce. I guarantee you''ll want toe back for more after this!" said one of the scruffy young men who surrounded Zachary as they approached the diner.

    These men were the high-level yers in Zachary''s guild in the game "The Legendary Tale". Despite their illustrious status in the game, they struggled in reality.

    Zachary gave a faint smile.

    "My dad has mentioned this ce before. I haven''t had the chance to visit during my previous trips to Yorksle. Today, I finally have time to try their specialty dishes."

    He then took out five hundred-dor bills from his pocket and handed them to a young man in a dirty white down jacket, saying, "WarSpirit, go buy me a pack of Marlboro cigarettes."

    WarSpirit was the man''s in-game username. Most yers were ustomed to calling each other by their usernames, not bothering with real names.

    "Ain''t our guild leader a generous one!"

    The man that goes by WarSpirit, whose real name was Josiah Finch, smiled, revealing his yellow teeth as he took the money.

    Zachary walked straight to the freshly set up table.

    Jack quickly approached him with a friendly smile and asked, "Do you have a reservation?"

    "You need a reservation to dine at this dump?"

    Zachary scoffed, ncing disdainfully at the shabby diner.

    Jack nodded.

    "Yes. Reservations are required to dine here. If you don''t have one, you''ll have to wait until after two o''clock for a table."

    Zachary pointed at the empty table in front of him.

    "Isn''t this table avable?"

    "This table had been reserved," Jack exined, smiling.

    Orville, a blonde man standing behind Zachary, frowned and said dramatically, "Do you know who you''re talking to?"

    "No, and I''m not interested," Jack replied, noting Zachary was dressed in high-end luxury brands, indicating he was probably from a wealthy family.

    However, Yorksle was full of wealthy scions, and Yorksle Diner had even hosted the wealthiest person in Yorksle. Hence, Jack wasn''t afraid of offending a rich scion like Zachary,

    "How dare you!" Orville shouted angrily, drawing the attention of other customers.

    "Do you know the game "The Legendary Tale''? The man standing before you is the guild leader of Makers of Chaos -Chaos_Hero!"

    Makers of Chaos was currently ranked third in The Legendary Tale, with over ten thousand guild members. Their members were spread across all the servers.

    Jack looked at Orville as if he were an idiot and retorted, "I don''t y games. What does he being a guild leader have to do with me?"

    "You motherfu"

    Orville raised his hand, attempting to strike, feeling Zachary had been insulted.

    Zachary quickly grabbed Orville''s wrist and frowned.

    "What are you doing?"

    Puzzled, Orville looked at Zachary and said, "Boss, he disrespected you!"

    Zachary retorted expressionlessly, "Has all that gaming damaged your brain?"

    Zachary couldn''t understand why Orville would think a game identity could intimidate others in reality. His face flushed with embarrassment.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Mistaking Zachary''s blush as anger, Orville fiercely red at Jack.

    "Apologize to our guild leader now! Otherwise, all ten thousand members of Makers of Chaos would trash this ce-"

    "Shut

    up,

    Ollie!"

    Josiah just returned from buying cigarettes. He hurried over to cover Orville''s mouth after hearing his rant.

    It was Zachary''s first time meeting these guild members in person. Considering Orville''s dramatic behavior in the game as well, he couldn''t help but suspect Orville of suffering from some sort of mental issue.

    "WarSpirit, is this guy out of his mind from ying games?" Zachary asked.

    The young man sighed and exined, "It''s not the game''s fault. Six months ago, his girlfriend cheated on him, and he hasn''t been in his right mind since. He often immerses himself in game characters and sometimes even ims to be the reincarnation of a God!"

    Zachary was slightly taken aback, finding it a ssic behavior of someone with a mental disorder.

    Looking at Orville''s youthful face, Zachary thought of his sister, Wanda, whom he hade to meet along with his parents.

 Chapter 580

    ?Chapter 580

    Orville had often stayed up all night with Zachary ying The Legendary Tale. While his behavior in the game was over the top, Zachary found it eptable, as he sometimes saw himself as the lofty guild leader, too.

    However, now, in reality, Orville remained as dramatic as he was in the game. Clearly, he had some mental issues.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Zachary decided to get to the bottom of Orville''s situation.

    "Where are his family?"

    "He''s an orphan."

    "Does he have a job?"

    "No."

    "Then how did he get the money to go online?"

    Zachary was confused. Orville had been online almost every night and asionally spent money on in-game items. Josiah nced at the other guild members, who silently lowered their heads.

    Growing impatient, Zachary demanded, "Spit it out."

    Josiah stammered, "O-Orville''s girlfriend, the one who cheated on him, gave him 30 thousand dors. We''ve been living off that money for the past six months."

    Zachary looked at them, feeling speechless.

    "And

    I you lied to me about having jobs?"

    Josiah exined uneasily, "We didn''t want you to think we were all unemployed bums."

    The truth was revealed. Zachary nned to sit down and discuss it further. He noticed Sharon, who looked about the same age as Wanda, standing by the empty table.

    "Did you reserve this table?"

    Sharon nodded.

    "My friend reserved it."

    Zachary smiled gently.

    "Could you ask your friend to give it up? I''ll pay two thousand dors for the table."

    "T-Two thousand?"

    Sharon stared at Zachary in disbelief.

    "My goodness! Is this how the rich behave? They''re willing to spend two thousand just for a table at a diner. I only managed to earn three hundred a month selling hair clips. The world of the wealthy is simply beyond me," she thought.

    "I''m sorry, but I can''t make that decision. And I don''t know how to contact-"

    Sharon suddenly stopped talking when she noticed someone at the door.

    "He''s here. Why don''t you ask him yourself?"

    Zachary turned his gaze outside and locked eyes with Carlisle.

    "Carlisle?"

    "Zachary?"

    Both of them were momentarily stunned.

    Zachary sneered, "What a day! I didn''t expect to run into you here."

    Carlisle shot back, "Guess I won''t have much of an appetite for lunchter."

    Sharon nervously nced between them. Although they clearly knew each other, it was evident they weren''t on friendly terms.

    "Aren''t there any more seats?" Carlisle asked, noticing the lone empty table left in the diner.

    Wendell turned to Jack and said, "Hi, I''m Webb."

    Jack pointed to the empty table.

    "Wee. This is your reserved table."

    Carlisle walked directly to the table and taunted, "Oh my, it seems Mr. Thompson won''t have a seat."

    Zachary''s expression darkened. He knew Carlisle wasn''t going to sell him the table. He figured Carlisle was wealthier than him now since he had Gareth''s financial support. Carlisle was no longer the pushover he once was.

    Fixing his gaze on Carlisle, Zachary raised his voice and said, "I''ll buy a table for five thousand dors."

    Immediately, patrons at three other tables stood up.

    "I''ll sell."

    "We''re almost done anyway."

    "Hey, handsome! You can have our table!"

    Zachary''s disdainful look turned into a smirk as he said, "I''ll take all three tables."

 Chapter 581

    ?Chapter 581

    Zachary thought that spending 15 thousand to humiliate Carlisle was absolutely worth it.

    Uninterested in Zachary''s taunt, Carlisle sat on the bench and said to Jack, "Order, please."

    Jack ced a menu on the table.

    Carlisle pushed it toward Sharon and said, "Take a look and order whatever you want."

    "N-No, I''ll leave the ordering to you," Sharon said nervously.

    She hadn''t expected this Rivend University student to be the person impersonating her brother. She wondered why he would do that.

    After all, he had paid her parents 200 thousand dors enough to buy two houses in a small town¡ªto acquire her brother''s identity. She pondered if he was doing so for illegal purposes.

    Carlisle did not bother with the menu and told Jack, "Just bring out all your specialties and add two vegetarian dishes."

    Jack took the menu and headed to the kitchen, not even concerned about whether they could finish the dishes.

    After paying five thousand to the patrons who sold their tables, Zachary instructed, "Waiter, bring all the specialties for my three tables as well."

    The specialties at this diner were priced between four and eight dors each, so ordering all of them would cost about 150 only.

    Half an hourter, Carlisle''s table was already set with his ordered dishes. The kitchen''s efficiency was indeed impressive.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The table was filled with cheeseburgers, spaghetti, roast duck sd, fish and chips, grilled vegetables, stuffed bell peppers, pumpkin soup, roasted potatoes, and grilled chicken breast.

    Sharon''s mouth watered when she saw the array of delicious dishes. However, she didn''t dare start eating until Carlisle and Wendell did.

    Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, betraying her hunger.

    Wendell smiled and asked, "Hungry?"

    "Hungry? Duh! Didn''t he hear my stomach growling?" Sharon thought, but she still shook her head and blushed. "Not really," she said, her eyes fixed on the enticing roast duck.

    Sharon nced at Carlisle, who was outside on the phone and sighed inwardly, wondering how long the call would take.

    As another five minutes passed, Sharon''s hunger grew more intense. Finally, Carlisle finished his call and returned to his seat.

    Sharon''s spirits lifted immediately, and she was ready to grab her fork.

    "I need to make another call," Carlisle suddenly said.

    Sharon chugged all the water from her cup in frustration.

    Noticing her difort, Wendell said, "Sharon''s stomach is growling."

    Carlisle looked at Sharon, slightly surprised.

    Sharon lowered her head and whispered embarrassedly, "I didn''t have breakfast this morning."

    "Get started without me," Carlisle said before leaving with his phone.

    With Carlisle''s permission, Sharon quickly took a piece of roast duck for herself, saying, "I''ll help myself then, Mr. Webb."

    Carlisle had just finished a call with Gareth. Gareth had contacted the cyber monitoring department. After providing evidence of their website being hacked, the department finally relented.

    Hank had sessfully repelled the hacker attack and fixed the website''s vulnerabilities.

    When Carlisle returned to his seat, he noticed a missed call from Solomon Potter on his phone, so he returned the call outside.

    "What have you found out?"

    "Paradise Fishery is currently owned by six people. Yara Lyon holds 38%, Yosef Lyon''s uncle, Charles Lyon, holds 22%, and Yosef''s four brothers-Zeke, Salem, Darwin, and Levi-each hold 10% of thepany.

    "The four brothers were previously at odds, causing a mess in thepany. Now the four stand united, giving them more influence than Yara in thepany with their collective 40% stake in thepany."

    "What''s the market value of Paradise Fishery?"

    "About 1.5 billion."

 Chapter 582

    ?Chapter 582

    "Do Yosef''s four brothers own otherpanies?" Carlisle asked, now understanding the issue.

    Clearly, Yosef''s four brothers wanted to take full control of thepany but were limited by Yara''s significant shareholding. Hence, their only option was to team up against her. If Carlisle wanted to help Yara out, he had to start with the four brothers first.

    Solomon flipped through the documents on his desk, saying, "Yes, they do. Each of them has their ownpanies, and they''re all publicly traded."

    "Publicpanies, even better," Carlisle remarked, his eyes narrowing.

    "Let me give Ms. Johansen a call first."

    Hanging up the phone, Carlisle immediately called Selena.

    "Mr. Zahn."

    Selena''s gentle voice came from the other end.

    "Can our financial department manipte the stock market?"

    Selena replied in puzzlement, "Are you nning to take Alumni Network public, Mr. Zahn?"

    Carlisle then briefed Selena about Paradise Fishery''s situation, confident that she was more capable of assisting Yvette than he was.

    [

    After listening to Carlisle''s exnation, Selena responded, "Mr. Zahn, manipting the stock market is illegal and requires a substantial amount of money."

    Carlisle said, "As long as it doesn''t affect Aurora Holdings'' operations, you can use the funds from the finance department as you see fit."

    While Selena reminded him that such methods were illegal, she also hinted that it would require significant funds to operate, indicating they were capable of targeting these fourpanies.

    Aurora Holdings had a solid financial, venture capital, and legal affairs team, allowing them to skirt the edges of legality in stock market maneuvers. Carlisle aimed not to bankrupt the fourpanies but to make them suffer a bit before negotiating terms with them.

    "I''ll convey your message to the finance department then, Mr. Zahn.''

    "Thanks."

    Carlisle ended the call.

    When he returned to his seat, he noticed a pile of discarded bones in front of Sharon, whose cheeks puffed out like a hamster''s.

    Sharon''s eating demeanor reminded Carlisle of Wanda, whom he would meet the next day. He wondered if Wanda had lost weight, whether he would get a chance to talk to her, and what might happen if she didn''t recognize him at all.

    Carlisle''s thoughts were scattered.

    Noticing Carlisle lost in thought, Sharon ced a piece of roast duck on his te and said, "Don''t just sit there. Eat up! It''s really good!"

    Carlisle snapped back to reality, picking up the roast duck and chewing on it. It was crispy on the outside and tender inside, though it had gotten a bit cold.

    "Sharon, can you say a few sentences in Caulitornan?" Carlisle asked while eating.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Swallowing the meat in her mouth, she asked in Caulitornan, "What do you want me to say?"

    Carlisle managed to catch a glimpse of her meaning, so he replied, "Anything thates to your mind."

    "Alright!" Sharon responded.

    Then, Carlisle spent over an hour learning Caulitornan. Aside from a slight pronunciation nuance, Caulitornan wasn''t that much different from English. Hence, Carlisle picked up the intonation in no time.

    When they finished eating, Carlisle could almost conversefortably with Sharon in Caulitornan. However, he still couldn''t understand some of the dialects she spoke.

    Regardless, he didn''t dwell on it. Since Howard''s parents were both teachers, giving him an intellectual background, it shouldn''t be a problem if he spoke Caulitornan more formally.

    "I''m done. Enjoy your food," Carlisle said in Caulitornan.

    His pronunciation was extremely urate.

    Sharon stared at him as if he were a freak, eximing, "You''re amazing! My roommate tried learning Caulitornan for weeks but failed terribly. Yet you mastered it in just an hour! You must have a gift for learning. Shouldn''t you be studying at Caltopia College?"

    "You''re too kind. I''m just an average student," Carlisle replied in Caulitornan.

    He looked at the time and then turned to Wendell, speaking in English again. "We should go back to work now."

 Chapter 583

    ?Chapter 583

    When Carlisle and Wendell arrived at thepany, Wendell went to the freight department while Carlisle returned to the storehouse, where some colleagues were napping at their desks.

    Worried that he might disturb their rest, Carlisle wandered around the storehouse. Just as he finished his round, he saw Zoey entering.

    "Ms. Miller," Carlisle greeted her with a smile as he approached.

    "Take this cell phone. It contains all the calls and messages you''ve had with your rtives over the past year," Zoey said, handing Carlisle a knockoff phone that was badly chipped and had a screen full of scratches.

    Carlisle checked the contacts and saw calls every few days, eachsting about ten minutes, along with hundreds of

    messages.

    "Are these forged too?" Carlisle asked in surprise, knowing that forging call records and messages required some high-end technology. Clearly, Zoey was a meticulous woman.

    Zoey approached Carlisle, pinching his cheek as she teased, "Young man, you''re now Howard Lawson. These are your genuinemunication records. How can you call them fake?"

    Carlisle swatted her hand away, took a couple of steps back, and frowned.

    "Please keep your distance, Ms. Miller."

    "Why? Are you afraid I might eat you up?" Zoey teased again, her gaze mischievous.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Given your age and vigor, I do have some reason to worry," Carlisle smiled and responded, his tone light and joking.

    He saw no need to be overly polite since Zoey was clearly disregarding formalities.

    "I''ve done you a huge favor, and this is how you repay me?"

    Zoey advanced, her gaze revealing her intentions.

    "I paid you for your service, Ms. Miller. Our rtionship is strictly professional!" Carlisle said as he retreated until his back was against a shelf.

    Halting her approach, Zoey narrowed her eyes as she observed Carlisle''s alert demeanor.

    "Your friend is there, isn''t she?"

    Carlisle was momentarily startled. It appeared that Zoey had figured out his intention, so he did not need to pretend otherwise. Without hesitation, he nodded in confirmation.

    Zoey''s smile grew confident.

    "Is her name Wanda Thompson?"

    Carlisle''s expression shifted.

    "You''ve seen her?"

    Zoey, the Deputy Director of the Human Resources Department at 10KFresh, seemed to know more than expected. "My best friend works there as a housemaid. Wanda is currently under her care."

    Zoey was indeed a close friend of Maisie Galen, Wanda''s housemaid. They had known each other for at least seven years.

    The housemaids at the rehabilitation hospital were allowed one monitored phone call each month to stay in touch with their family and friends.

    When Maisie called Zoeyst month, the security guard had stepped out for a cigarette, allowing the two to chat longer than usual.

    During their chat, Zoey learned that Maisie was caring for Wanda, the heiress of Thompson Group in Rivend. Since Carlisle was also from Rivend, Zoey connected him to Wanda, understanding that he was there for her. Carlisle swallowed hard before asking, "Can you contact your friend?"

    "I can if I want to. But why should I help you with that?"

    Zoey put her hands in her pockets, a yful grin on her lips.

    She still vividly recalled how Carlisle had swatted her hand away and mocked her age earlier. Who was the one begging now?

    Carlisle was aware that his earlierment had offended Zoey.

    However, what was done was done, so he said straightforwardly, "Just name your price!"

    Zoey''s smile widened at Carlisle''s words.

    Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she said alluringly, "Well, I''ve been feeling pretty lonelytely..." Carlisle put on a fake smile and replied, "Wendell''s fit physique will surely satisfy you. I''ll talk to him for you."

    Zoey was indeed an attractive woman. Not only was she naturally beautiful, but she also had a seductive figure that even a thick downcoat could not conceal.

    Having lived through two lifetimes, Carlisle''s mental age was beyond 40. If he were a yboy, he might have epted Zoey''s proposal. However, he wasn''t that kind of man. Since he had given his heart to Wanda, he would always stay loyal to her.

    Zoey continued flirting, "But Wendell isn''t my cup of tea. I prefer a young, innocent man like you. What should we do?"

 Chapter 584

    ?Chapter 584

    "You''re sick. You''d better see a doctor about it," Carlisle remarked, his expression cold.

    He had been trying to y nice to strike a deal with her, but it seemed she thought she had leverage over him.

    "I was just messing with you!"

    Zoey chuckled, then continued solemnly, "So, what message do you want me to pass on?"

    "Name your price first," Carlisle urged.

    He couldn''t understand Zoey''s character, so he''d rather not owe her any favors.

    Zoey blinked and said, "You''ve already given me 300 thousand dors, so take this as aplimentary service."

    "Business is business. I don''t like being indebted to anyone."

    "Alright then. 100 thousand!"

    Zoey decided to ask for a high price since Carlisle insisted. She knew such a figure would be a piece of cake for him. Zoey had used her connections to investigate Wendell through the police system, but the result showed that his records were restricted. Even her contact, a high-ranking officer in the city hall, had no authority to ess his profile.

    Clearly, Wendell''s identity was highly confidential. It was likely that he had served in special forces. Yet, despite his professional background, he was willing to work for Carlisle, a teenager.

    Earlier that morning, Zoey had used her connections to investigate Carlisle, discovering that he was a businessman who had started from scratch and became the owner of severalpanies within two months.

    Each of hispanies had distinctive traits. Dragonaire Studio was an online gamepany. Although it had notunched any products yet, it had already secured a hefty 200 million investment. Meanwhile, Alumni Network had recently surged in poprity nationwide, particrly in universities.

    Aurora Holdings was even more impressive. It boasted a talented team, including a top headhunter-Anthony Swanson. Their legal, finance, financial, and secretarial departments were all led by top professionals in their fields.

    Zoey could foresee Carlisle reaching the pinnacle of the business world within the next decade.

    She had intentionally teased him earlier to gauge his character. Clearly, Carlisle showed a level of maturity andposure beyond his years, remaining unaffected even by female advances. It was no wonder that he had established Aurora Holdings at such a young age.

    Carlisle took out his phone and called Wendell.

    Once the call connected, he instructed, "Arrange to send Ms. Miller 100 thousand dors."

    "Yes, boss!" Wendell replied.

    Zoey received a call at the same time.

    "They''ve arrived? That''s early. Alright. I''m on my way back now!"

    Zoey ended the call and, with a serious expression, said, "The representatives from Golden Happiness Group are here. I''m heading back to the HR Department now. You''re on your ownter, but I trust you can handle it."

    Carlisle frowned. The representatives were supposed to arrive at four o''clock, yet they had arrived before two. He couldn''t help but feel tense. After all, he was about to face a powerful conglomerate.

    Aurora Holdings might seem formidable to ordinary people, but it was as insignificant as an ant in the eyes of real capital giants.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 585

    ?Chapter 585

    When Zoey returned to the HR Department, she saw Damian Worthington and Mandy Reed standing at her office door.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Worthington, Ms. Reed," Zoey greeted them calmly.

    Damian, the CEO of 10KFresh, was a thin elderly man in his 60s, dressed in a gray suit and trench coat.

    Mandy, Zoey''s superior, was apetent career woman in her 40s. She was dressed in a stylish winter outfit that conveyed elegance and sophistication.

    "Zoey, have you prepared the documents I requested?" Mandy asked, smiling.

    "Yes, Ms. Reed. I''ll get them for you right away.''

    Zoey entered her office, retrieved some documents from her desk drawer, and quickly returned to Damian and Mandy.

    Mandy took the document and skimmed through them.

    "Who''s Howard Lawson?" she asked, puzzled.

    Zoey exined, ''Howard is an employee at Storehouse 8, where we handle the goods delivery for Maple Hill. Since the shipment isrger than usual this time, we brought in an additional warehouse manager to assist with unloading.''

    Mandy continued to review Howard''s file, her brows furrowing.

    "He had a history of mental health issues?"

    With a sympathetic expression, Zoey responded, "Howard''s situation is quite unfortunate. His parents are both teachers, and he has been an exemry student from a young age. However, just before the SATs, he developed a neurological condition.

    "Fortunately, his aunt took him abroad for treatment, and he was cured. However, he isn''t as sharp as he used to be after his recovery. It''s difficult for him to learn new skills, which is why he was sent to Yorksle to find a job."

    Mandy sighed after hearing Howard''s story.

    "Poor thing. He''s almost the same age as my son!"

    After finishing reviewing Howard''s file, Mandy handed it to Damian and asked, "Mr. Worthingon, would you like to take a look?"

    Damian replied casually, "No. As long as you don''t see anything wrong, I''m fine with it."

    Damian had poached Mandy from anotherpany and had worked for her for over 20 years. Thus, she had hisplete trust.

    "Alright. Let''s meet them now. Zoey, pleasee with us.''

    "Yes, Ms. Reed."

    Half an hourter, the representative from Golden Happiness Group sat in Meeting Room 1, reviewing the delivery personnel''s documents.

    The representative was a woman around Mandy''s age. She sat expressionlessly in the chairman''s seat, her presence intimidating Mandy, Damian, and Zoey. A secretary with a cold and distant demeanor stood behind her

    Zoey nced at the woman''s badge, which read: J Dalton, Employee ID 0038, Director of the Supervisory Department.

    Zoey immediately tensed up. She didn''t expect J, a veteran at Golden Happiness Group, to be present. No

    wonder she had such amanding presence.

    Still, Zoey wondered why the supervisory department was involved. They were responsible for overseeing all departments within thepany, so their authority was immense.

    Zoey couldn''t help but worry that J would notice something amiss. If Carlisle''s cover were exposed, Zoey''s future would be in serious jeopardy.

    The thought made Zoey involuntarily swallow hard.

    Noticing Zoey''s subtle reaction, J observed her for a moment with an icy gaze.

    "You seem nervous," J remarked.

    Not daring to meet J''s eyes, Zoey lowered her head and replied, "Your formidable presence is making me nervous, Ms. Dalton."

    Rather than making up excuses, Zoey admitted her anxiety but turned it into ttery.

    J''s eyes narrowed.

    "Is that so?"

    J''s gaze sent a shiver down Zoey''s spine, causing her eyshes to tremble uncontrobly.

    Zoey questioned if J had spotted something amiss in the document.

    Suddenly, Mandy chuckled and added, "Ms. Dalton certainly has amanding presence. Even with my years

    of experience, I find it quite intimidating, let alone someone as young as Zoey."

    "Enough with the ttery,'' J responded, continuing to review the documents.

    Although her face remained impassive, she was pleased with theirments. Their fear reflected her authority.

    After a while, J noticed Howard''s history of mental health issues. Instead of raising questions immediately, she quietly finished reviewing all the documents.

    Once she was done, she requested, ''Please ask Howard Lawson toe here''

    Zoey promptly called Janice, the storehouse team leader.

    "Ms. Hond, please bring Howard to Meeting Room 1."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 586

    ?Chapter 586

    "Yes, Ms. Miller," Janice replied.

    zoter, Janice led Carlisle to the meeting room and knocked on the door.

    Zoey stood up to open it and gave Carlisle, who appeared quite tense, a solemn nce.

    Carlisle understood from her look that the representative was someone difficult to deal with.

    "Ms. Miller," Janice and Carlisle greeted Zoey politely.

    Zoey smiled and said, "I only need Howard here. Ms. Hond, you may leave now."

    Janice nodded and left, her prominent belly noticeable. Zoey then led Carlisle into the meeting room. Carlisle, dressed in his uniform, fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, looking nervous.

    "Howard, this is Ms. Dalton, the Director of the Supervisory Department at Golden Happiness Group," Zoey introduced J to Carlisle.

    "Hello, Ms. Dalton," Carlisle greeted nervously.

    J nodded and instructed, "Please take a seat."

    Zoey then introduced Mandy and Damian to Carlisle and pointed to a chair, saying, "Please have a seat. Ms. Dalton needs to verify some information with you."

    Carlisle took his seat, clearly anxious.

    J took out her phone and dialed a number, but there was no answer. She dialed another number, and this time the call was answered.

    J put the call on speaker, ced the phone on the table, and warmed her hands with her cup of tea.

    "Hello? Who is this?"

    A calm middle-aged voice came through the phone.

    Zoey recognized it as Gideon''s voice, and her heart began to race nervously.

    J quietly pushed the phone toward Carlisle, signaling him to talk with his father.

    Zoey''s heart pounded. She had never imagined J would have Carlisle talk to Gideon over the phone. She wondered how Carlisle, a Cascadean speaker, couldmunicate with Gideon, a Caulitornan speaker.

    "Old man," Carlisle called out, using the Caulitornan term for "father".

    Gideon, who was teaching in ss, was momentarily taken aback.

    However, he quickly understood the situation and responded with a chuckle.

    "Whose number is this, son? Aren''t you working today?"

    "My phone''s out of battery, so I used a colleague''s phone. Work isn''t busy today, so I thought I''d give you a call. Are you busy right now?"

    Listening to Carlisle''s fluent, Caulitornan reminded Gideon of his son, and his eyes welled up slightly with tears. It had been three years since hest heard Howard call him "old man". Nevertheless, he knew that Carlisle was only temporarily impersonating his son.

    "Busy as usual! I''m in the middle of a ss right now. Call me tonight, alright?"

    "Alright."N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    As soon as Carlisle responded, Gideon ended the call.

    Zoey was stunned. She hadn''t anticipated that Carlise would know how to speak Caulitornan. Moreover, it sounded very authentic.

    As she wondered whether Carlisle had learned it long ago or just that day, she quickly dismissed the thought, feeling rather silly. She figured that Carlisle must have learned it long ago. After all, who could master a dialect in just a day?

    J retrieved her phone and asked, "Do you have your phone with you?"

 Chapter 587

    ?Chapter 587

    "Got it...."

    Carlisle nodded and quickly pulled an old, off-brand phone out of his pocket.

    J looked at Mandy.

    "Let me see his phone."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Mandy took the phone from Carlisle and handed it to J. She scrolled through the messages and call logs.

    After a moment, she returned the phone to Carlisle and asked, "What hospital were you treated at overseas?" "Sterling Medical Center."

    "Any rpses in the past year?"

    "Nope!"

    J''s questions matched the information in the records, so Carlisle answered them easily. J reviewed the records again without asking any more questions.

    Carlisle, feeling increasingly uneasy, shifted in his seat. His expression showed signs of impatience. Zoey observed Carlisle''s behavior closely and admired his acting skills.

    Although his performance was convincing, she still decided to help him.

    "Is there a thorn in your chair? Can''t you sit still for a minute?" Zoey scolded.

    Carlisle immediately stopped fidgeting and lowered his head without saying anything.

    J kept her head buried in the documents, but she watched Carlisle''s expression from the corner of her eye. She thought Carlisle''s behavior was normal. After all, any employee would be nervous in front of thepany''s top

    executives.

    J then asked, "Who rmended him for the job?"

    "Mr. Gabin, the storehouse manager. He and Gideon were ssmates."

    Zoey shifted from her stern demeanor to a softer tone.

    J nodded before turning to Carlisle.

    "The storehouse must be busy. Get back to work!"

    Carlisle looked relieved. He got up and headed for the door.

    "Ms. Dalton, he hasn''t signed the confidentiality agreement yet!" Zoey reminded.

    J frowned.

    "Did I say he passed the screening?"

    Carlisle paused briefly at the door but then quickly left without turning back. Zoey bit her lip and remained silent. "Ms. Stafford,e with me," J said as she got up.

    She left the meeting room with her secretary, Avaline Stafford. After walking around thepany, they finally arrived at Storehouse 8.

    The storehouse was bustling with activity. Storehouse employees picked items from lists while workers packed and sealed boxes. Carlisle held a checklist in his hand as he skillfully picked items from the shelves.

    Avaline muttered, "Ms. Dalton, isn''t this a little excessive? This is aplete waste of time..."

    She couldn''t understand why J was personally checking out the delivery people. It was one thing to do background checks, but now she was discretely observing them. It almost seemed like she was investigating a

    criminal.

    "Where is your professionalism?" J spat.

    Avaline pouted and fell silent.

    J continued, "Work has to be done seriously. I have never made a mistake and will not allow myself to make one!"

    After watching Carlisle for a few more moments, J finally turned to leave. Avaline followed her.

    "Can we get him to sign the confidentiality agreement now?"

    "The screening process isn''t over yet..."

    Avaline secretly rolled her eyes. She wondered how long the screening would take and if people tended to be more paranoid with age.

    It was 4:00 pm at Caltopia College.

    Sharon had just finished ying tennis with her ssmate. While resting on a bench next to the court, she received a call from an unknown number.

    Sharon immediately answered the phone in a cheerful tone.

    "Hello, are you calling to buy a hair clip?"

    "Hello, I''m Norton Dixon, the general manager of Aqua Grace essories," said a gentle male voice on the other end.

    Sharon''s eyes widened.

    "Aqua Grace?"

 Chapter 588

    ?Chapter 588

    Aqua Grace was the manufacturer of the hair clips that Sharon had been selling. This was inspired by Patrick''s suggestion, which she thought was a good idea.

    She had already decided to visit Aqua Grace over the weekend to discuss bing their ambassador. She nned to leverage her status as the endorser of Caltopia College''s Alumni Network.

    Now that the general manager of Aqua Grace had personally contacted her, she felt like she was dreaming.

    "That''s right. We noticed that you''ve been selling our pearl hair clips. Where did you get them?" Norton asked.

    "I... I got them from a friend..." Sharon replied nervously.

    Norton smiled.

    "No need to be nervous. Listen, we''d like to invite you to be our agent. You can get our products at the lowest prices!"

    Sharon''s eyes widened as she cautiously asked, "What''s the lowest price?"

    "For example, the lowest price we offer for the pearl hair clips you sell is 2.80 dors each."

    "2.80 dors?"

    Sharon stood up in disbelief. She had been getting them for 5.20 dors each and making a profit of 1.80 dors per clip. Last month, she had made over 300 dors selling them.

    If she could get them at the lowest price, she could make 4.20 dors per clip, a significant increase in profit.

    Sharon felt her heartache at the thought of lost profits.

    "So, do you want to be our agent?" Norton asked.

    Sharon nodded enthusiastically.

    "Yes! Of course!"

    The opportunity to make money was right in front of her, so she had to take it.

    "Great. Drop by our office after school with a guardian to sign the contract."

    "Guardian? I..."

    Sharon hesitated. She was about to say that she didn''t have a guardian at Yorksle but quickly caught herself. Wendell had reminded her to say that her brother was working at 10KFresh for the next three days.

    "Is there a problem?"

    Sharonposed herself and replied, "Not at all. I''ll bring my brother with me after school."

    "I''ll notify the security guards. Just let them know, and they''ll take you to my office."

    Norton breathed a sigh of relief.

    After hanging up, Norton looked at J.

    "Ms. Dalton, who exactly is Sharon to you?"

    Aqua Grace was a mid to low-end manufacturer of hair essories. The brand wasn''t very well known, but thepany was quiterge, with annual sales in the millions. Norton had once worked under J alongside the founder of Aqua Grace, and thepany''s sess was due in part to her influence.

    "Some questions are better left unanswered," J said before taking a sip of her coffee.

    Back at 10KFresh''s Storehouse 8, Carlisle had finished his chores and was helping the movers load the trucks. He

    chatted amiably with them, seamlessly blending into the work environment.

    At 5:30 pm, half an hour before the end of his shift, Carlisle returned to the office to take a break.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "Did you sort out your problem?" asked Janice.

    Carlisle shook his head.

    "Not yet."

    "Did something happen?"

    Janice''s grip on her pen tightened, worried that it might affect her as well.

    "No. I think they''re still watching me," Carlisle said, trying to sound rxed as he took a sip of water from a disposable cup.

    In reality, he was slightly anxious.

    J was very meticulous. If she decided to dig deep, he wouldn''t be able to withstand her scrutiny.

    Just then, his off-brand phone rang. Realizing it was Sharon, he answered in Caulitornan.

    "Is ss over?"

    Sharon marveled at Carlisle''s ability to learn as she heard his impable ent.

    "Yeah. Can you apany me to Aqua Grace after work?"

    "Aqua Grace? What''s that?"

    "It''s thepany that makes the hair clips I sell. They''ve invited me to be an agent, but I need a guardian to sign the contract with me."

    "Got it. Wait for me at the school gate."

    Carlisle hung up the phone.

 Chapter 589

    ?Chapter 589

    Aqua Grace had suddenly offered to make Sharon an agent and insisted that her guardian sign the contract. Not only was it abrupt, but Sharon was already an adult with full legal capacity and civil rights. She didn''t need a guardian to sign a contract.

    Carlisle figured it had to be J''sst test. The fact that Sharon had contacted Carlisle indicated that she hadn''t slipped up. Once Sharon signed the contract, Carlisle figured that his evaluation would probably be over.

    At six in the evening, Carlisle finished work and hailed a cab to Caltopia College. 10KFresh was only a mile away, but it was rush hour. Thus, the busy streets were packed with cars, and the traffic was incredibly congested.

    What should have been a half-hour drive took more than an hour. Carlisle fidgeted in the back seat while Sharon waited nervously at the school gate. She called Norton to exin why she waste. Norton assured her that he would only be leaving at 9:00 pm.

    After hanging up, she noticed a taxi pull up a short distance away. Carlisle jumped out of the cab, still in his work clothes.

    "How much do I owe you?"

    "12 bucks!"

    Carlisle reached into his pockets, and his face fell. His wallet was in his jacket, which he had left at the office. Except for two cell phones, he was penniless.

    The cabbie sensed Carlisle''s predicament and frowned.

    "You don''t have any money on you, do you?"

    "I forgot to change out of my work clothes. My wallet is in another jacket," Carlisle admitted.

    The burly cab driver got out of the car and grumbled, "Aren''t you here to meet someone? Get them to pay up!"

    Carlisle pulled out Howard''s phone to call Sharon. Before he could dial, Sharon tapped him on the shoulder, wearing a smile.

    "Howard, did you forget your money?"

    "Perfect timing. Pay the driver for me, will you?"

    "How much?"

    "12 dors."

    Sharon pulled a worn red wallet out of her backpack and handed Carlisle a hundred-dor bill.

    "You''ll need money for the ride back. Take this."

    Carlisle took the money. He noticed Sharon''s pained expression and couldn''t help butugh.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''ll pay you back tomorrow."

    "Sure," Sharon said, her face lighting up with a smile.

    Carlisle paid the driver, and after giving him the change, the driver drove off. Just then, Carlisle had a revtion.

    "Shouldn''t we have just taken the cab to Aqua Grace?"

    "Howard, are you really going to pay me back tomorrow?"

    Carlisle, caught off guard, patted her head affectionately.

    "Don''t you trust your brother?"

    Carlisle''s loving gesture brought tears to Sharon''s eyes. It reminded her of when her real brother used to pat her head. She hadn''t seen him in three years and wondered when he would recover and return home.

    "Sharon..."

    At that moment, Sharon''s ssmate walked out of the school. It was the long-haired girl who had been teasing Sharon at the hotel.

    Her name was Sophia Jackson, a Yorksle girl from a wealthy family. She was stylishly dressed and wore expensive perfume. She was with Patrick. Both had seen Carlisle pat Sharon on the head.

    Patrick seemed calm. After a day of thinking, he agreed with his father''s idea. As the child of a government official, venturing into business could be problematic.

 Chapter 590

    ?Chapter 590

    Patrick felt that being promoted to general manager of Thompson Group would be an aplishment in itself. But to marry Shein''s daughter would be like owning half thepany.

    Patrick had taken some time during lunch to look at Wanda''s photos. In just two years, Wanda had transformed from an ordinary-looking girl. She was the definition of a glow-up. He thought that he''d be a breathtaking beauty in another two years.

    "Sophia, Patrick..." Sharon greeted them smilingly.

    Patrick, now less interested in Sharon, smiled back.

    "Sharon, I thought you said you didn''t know him."

    They had just seen Carlisle pat Sharon on the head. It wasn''t a casual gesture that mere acquaintances would make. Patrick was beginning to think that Sharon wasn''t all that special. She might even be a bit of a flirt.

    "Sharon, you didn''t tell me you had a boyfriend! Yesterday, you pretended not to know each other. Just wait till I get my hands on you!" Sophia said with a pout.

    Blushing, Sharon quickly rified, "Don''t be silly. He''s not my boyfriend. He''s my brother, Howard Lawson." "Really?"

    Sophia looked at Carlisle excitedly.

    "Your family''s genes are amazing. It''s one thing for you to look good, but your brother''s handsome too."

    "He looks younger than Sharon. Do you really think he''s her brother?"N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    Patrickughed.

    "Yeah, Sharon. Are you lying to me again?"

    Carlisle red at Patrick

    "If you''re so good at guessing ages just by looking, why don''t you work as a fortune teller? So ordinary and yet so confident. You''re like a fortune cookie..."

    Sharon couldn''t help butugh.

    She would''ve taken Patrick''s side without hesitation if the same thing had happened earlier. But after spending some time with Carlisle, especially after he gave her a head pat, she had begun to see him as her brother.

    Carlisle had a clean-cut appearance, but he didn''t hold back when it came to insulting someone. He even used colorful Caulitornan phrases he had learned from Sharon.

    "What does being a fortune cookie mean?"

    Patrick frowned.

    Sharon stifled augh and gave Carlisle a stern look.

    "Hey, there''s no need for insults."

    "That was an insult? I wasn''t picking a fight."

    Patrick''s face darkened.

    Patrick hadn''t done anything to Carlisle, but since yesterday, it seemed like Carlisle had a grudge against him. Carlisle seemed like a maniac to him.

    Carlisle smiled and shrugged.

    "Well, I''m picking a fight now, aren''t I?"

    "This is ridiculous," Patrick said tly.

    "This isn''t Rivend or Caulitorna. You''re in Yorksle now. There are people here you shouldn''t mess with!"

    "Hey, can you two stop fighting?" Sophia interjected, stepping between them to diffuse the tension.

    Patrick''s eyesnded on Carlisle''s 10KFresh uniform, a sneer forming on his lips.

    "Didn''t you say you were a Rivend University student? Why are you working in Yorksle? Or perhaps you never went to Rivend University and just lied about it for your ego?"

    Carlisle was at a loss for words. He even considered backing out. His current identity was as Sharon''s brother, Howard, not as Carlisle of Rivend University. He had imed to be a Rivend student the day before because he hadn''t expected to run into them again.

    Patrick''s grin widened at Carlisle''s silence.

    "If you''re a working man, just stick to that. Be honest and humble. Pretending to be something you''re not is just pathetic."

    "Patrick, that''s enough..."

    Sharon couldn''t take it anymore and stepped in to stop Patrick from mocking Carlisle any further.

    "You all know me. I rarely get into conflicts and hardly ever talk to people, but he''s been challenging me at every turn. I can''t just stay silent."

    Carlisle remained calm.

    "Sharon, let''s go. Someone''s waiting for us.

    Sharon nodded and led Carlisle to the bus stop. Just then, a bus to Aqua Grace arrived, and they boarded.

    Sophia whispered, "Is he really Sharon''s brother?"

    "Why don''t we find out?"

    Patrick scoffed.

    "How?"

    "I have a cousin who works at 10KFresh. I''ll give him a call."

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 591

    ?

    Chapter 591

    Patrick took out his phone and called his cousin. His cousin said he would have to check with human resources. After some time, he confirmed that there was indeed a worker named Howard in the storehouse who had been with thepany for over a year.

    Patrick ryed the information to Sophia, expecting her to mock him.

    Instead, she calmly said, "Great! Does this mean I have a chance to be Sharon''s sister-in-w?"

    "Shameless!"

    Patrick scoffed before turning on his heels and walking away.

    In Aqua Grace''s general manager''s office, Norton showed Sharon and Carlisle some of thepany''s new products. Sharon''s eyes lit up at the sight of the new hair essories. They were all so exquisite. She was confident that they would sell well.

    "Mr. Dixon, c-can I try one on?" Sharon asked eagerly.

    Norton smiled.

    "Of course, Sharon. With your natural beauty, you''d make a perfect model for our new products!"

    Blushing, Sharon picked up a pink butterfly hair clip and put it on. The delicate clip looked like a real butterfly resting on a flower, adding a touch of yfulness and charm to her

    appearance.

    Sharon smiled happily as she looked at herself in the mirror.

    She asked Carlisle, "Howard, how do I look?"

    "Just fine," Carlisle replied nonchntly.

    "You''re no fun. No wonder you can''t find a girlfriend!"

    Sharon rolled her eyes at Carlisle and continued to admire herself in the mirror.

    Norton smiled and introduced the product, "This pink butterfly hair clip is called ''Fluttering Pink''. It''s designed specifically for young women. Our goal is to allow our customers to show off their unique charm at the most affordable prices."

    "How much does this ''Fluttering Pink'' cost?"

    "The retail price is about 15 dors, the wholesale price is 12 dors, and the production cost is seven dors. If you be our agent, you can get it at the production cost," Norton exined.

    "Does that mean I can make eight dors a hair clip?"

    Sharon gasped, then quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.

    Even Carlisle couldn''t help but marvel at the high-profit margin of such a small hair clip. He thought the beauty industry was lucrative, and as living standards improved, women would spend more on their appearance.

    After signing the contract, Norton had apany car take Sharon home. As soon as Sharon and Carlisle left the office, the door to the side room opened. J and Avaline appeared.

    Norton nodded at them with respect.Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ms. Dalton, I''ve done everything as you instructed."

    "You don''t mind me assigning you a new agent, do you?"

    A rare smile appeared on J''s usually stern face.

    Norton shook his head quickly.

    "Not at all, Ms. Dalton. I''m sure you have your reasons for this arrangement."

    "Ms. Stafford, please take the confidentiality agreement to 10KFresh," J instructed.

    "Yes, Ms. Dalton," Avaline replied before leaving the office.

    J took Norton''s seat and asked, "Have you heard of Alumni Network?"

    Norton looked confused. He didn''t understand why J would bring up Alumni Network, but he nodded anyway.

    "Yes. It''s very popr at universities these days. It''s a sessful socialwork."

    "Alumni Network has be a national hit in just over a month, with over three million registered users. It''s a very sessful startup with immense potential," Jmented.

 Chapter 592

    ?

    Chapter 592

    Norton understood the gravity of J''s words. Golden Happiness Group was a significant investmentpany with holdings in hundreds ofpanies. Although J was now the director of the supervisory department, she had previously worked in securities analysis. Her high praise for Alumni Network indicated its immense potential.

    Still, Norton couldn''t quite understand what J was getting at.

    J continued, "Sharon is the Caltopia College representative for Alumni Network. While that title doesn''t mean much now, Alumni Network will likely offer support and benefits to encourage college students to invite new members in the future. As a representative, Sharon will gain social connections and followers, which are valuable assets."

    Norton suddenly had an epiphany.

    "You mean Sharon can sell products online?"

    "I don''t know how she''ll sell them, but she''s definitely someone worth nurturing," J replied, then got up and walked away gracefully.

    Norton felt enlightened. At first, he had dismissed Sharon as just another student trying to make some extra money. After all, many students worked part-time for thepany.

    But he had overlooked Sharon''s potential. A student at Caltopia College and a representative of Alumni Network were valuable credentials.

    Meanwhile, Sharon and Carlisle were eating sandwiches at a local diner. Little did she know that her destiny was about to be quietly changed by the man who pretended to be her brother.

    "Hey, Howard..."

    "What?" Carlisle replied.

    "Howard..."

    "If you have something to say, just spit it out!"

    "Howard, Howard, Howard..." Sharon teased.

    Before she met Carlisle, she made 1.80 dors per hair clip. After meeting him, she became Aqua Grace''s campus agent and was able to get products at the lowest price to make much more. She considered Carlisle her lucky charm and couldn''t help but wish he was her real brother.

    "You''re so annoying."

    Carlisle red at Sharon, but he couldn''t hide a smile.

    Carlisle was an only child. His cousin, Kelly, had always been at odds with him. While saving her life had changed her attitude, her words had never felt as genuine as Sharon''s.

    Just then, Carlisle''s phone rang. It was Zoey.

    "Congrattions! You passed the test."

    Carlisle''s face lit up.

    "I did?"

    He had guessed right¡ªAqua Grace was J''s final test. He figured that the side room in the general manager''s office probably allowed J to observe his interactions with Norton. From that, J was certain of Carlisle''s identity.

    "Yes, Ms. Stafford has the confidentiality agreement ready. Come to my office tomorrow at 8:00 am to sign it."

    "Thank you, Ms. Miller," Carlisle said, feeling relieved.

    After he hung up, Sharon called out, "Howard..."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Carlisle looked at her.

    "What now?"

    "Can I keep calling you my brother?"

    Sharon smiled.

    She felt that Carlisle was quite simr to her real brother, particrly in the way he had that helpless yet indulgent look whenever she was mischievous.

    Carlisle took a bite of his sandwich and replied nonchntly, "Call me whatever

    you want.

    No one''s stopping you."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 593

    ?Chapter 593

    "You''re the best, Howard."

    Sharon giggled, the dimples on her cheeks showing.

    "Finish your food before it gets soggy," Carlisle said smilingly before he continued with his sandwich.

    Sharon nodded enthusiastically.

    "Okay!"

    Just then, a notification sounded from her phone. She looked at it and saw that it was a message from her ssmate, Sophia.

    "Sharon, does your brother have a girlfriend?"

    Sharon frowned. She wondered about the reason for Sophia''s question. Sharon wasn''t going to let Sophia steal his attention if thetter was interested in Carlisle.

    "Yes, he does. They''ve been together since they were kids!"

    "No way. I don''t believe you! Tell me you''re joking."

    "I swear I''m telling the truth!"

    "This sucks. My love story has ended before it even started!"

    "I''m having lunch with my brother. I''ll talk to youter!"

    Sharon smiled mischievously as she sent thest message.

    Carlisle finished his sandwich without leaving any crumbs.

    He wiped his mouth with a napkin andmented, "You look pretty pleased with yourself. Chatting with your boyfriend?"Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "No way. I don''t have a boyfriend!"

    Sharon rolled her eyes at Carlisle. She had started to see Carlisle as a real brother and felt morefortable around him.

    She had been single her whole life, and her parents always reminded her to focus on her studies and wait until after college to start dating.

    "I think Patrick likes you," Carlisle said while smiling casually.

    "Patrick is helpful, kind, and an excellent student. He''s a great guy, but I find him a little pretentious and vain at times," Sharon said, summing up her mixed feelings about Patrick

    She had liked him before, but her opinion of him had soured after she saw him butt heads with Carlisle.

    "Do you know anything about Patrick''s family?"

    Patrick''s words that afternoon wereced with threat. It suggested that he came from a famous family.

    Sharon shook her head.

    "Not really. He never talks about his family."

    Carlisle didn''t push any further and went to pay the bill. Two sandwiches with extra avocado came up to a total of 16 dors.

    Sharonined as they left the diner, "The sandwiches near campus are only three dors-3.50 dors with extra avocado. They''re eight dors here!"

    "What''s your monthly allowance?" Carlisle asked.

    "200 dors."

    "200 dors?"

    Carlisle looked more closely at Sharon. Her down jacket was Balenciaga and her sneakers were Nike. The materials and craftsmanship seemed top-notch. Even if they were high-quality knockoffs, they had to be expensive.

    When Carlisle first saw Sharon and her friends at the hotel, he immediately assumed they were wealthy.

    Sharon noticed his doubt and blushed.

    "These clothes and shoes are Sophia''s sister''s. She didn''t like the way they looked, so she gave them to me."

    "Is 200 a month enough?" Carlisle asked after nodding in understanding.

    "Plenty!" Sharon replied proudly.

    "I made over 300st month selling hair clips. Soon, I''ll be able to support myselfpletely!

    Carlisle felt a pang of pity as he saw Sharon''s delighted smile.

    Gareth was willing to spend a million for a concert, and Zachary would pay 15 thousand for a few seats. But Sharon was genuinely content with 300 dors a month.

    Carlisle hailed a cab, but Sharon stopped him.

    "The bus ising. Let''s take that instead."

    A taxi ride would cost over ten dors, but the bus was only one dor.

    "The bus is too slow!"

    "But the taxi is expensive..."

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 594

    ?Chapter 594

    "You''re not the one paying for it..."

    "But I lent you the money!"

    "I''ll pay you back eventually!"

    Carlisle opened the door to the taxi and continued, "Now get in!"

    Sharon suddenly realized that Carlisle seemed quite wealthy. She got into the back seat, and Carlisle closed the door and took the passenger seat.

    The taxi began to move slowly. Meanwhile, the radio was ying a weather report.

    "Yorksle will see moderate to heavy snow tomorrow morning through the night. The highest temperature will be 36 degrees Fahrenheit, while the lowest will be 18 degrees Fahrenheit."

    Modern weather forecasts usually only cover the weather and temperatures for the next day. To get a three-day or week''s forecast, one would have to tune into a special weather channel.

    "Wow! Is it going to snow?"

    Sharon sat up excitedly. Her face lit up with anticipation. Snow was a rare sight in Caulitorna.

    "Man, that''s a huge drop in temperature," the taxi driver eximed.

    He then added with a frown, "It was 54 degrees today, but with this snow tomorrow, it''ll drop all the way down to 18. It looks like I won''t be able to drive tomorrow!"

    The driver was a local and spoke with a thick ent. People in his line of work hated snowy weather.

    Carlisle stared out the window, deep in thought. The big cold snap wasn''t expected until January. The drop in temperature was just a small cold front. When the cold wave hit, the temperature would drop to around o¡ãF. "Remember to stay warm tomorrow!" Sharon reminded Carlisle from the backseat.

    Carlisle nodded.

    "You too. Make sure you dress warmly."

    After dropping Sharon off at school, Carlisle returned to the hotel. Francis wasn''t in the room.

    Carlisle sat on the sofa and called Zoey.

    "I was just about to call you!"

    Zoey started before getting to the point.

    "I just talked to Maisie. She agreed to take Wanda to pick up the supplies tomorrow."

    "Thank you, Ms. Miller!"

    Carlisle felt a weight lift from his shoulders. His biggest worry had been getting in but not seeing Wanda.

    Zoey hesitated before adding, "Even though you passed the screening test, you still need to be careful tomorrow. Don''t let anyone there find out who you really are, or the consequences could be dire."

    "Yeah, I know. I simply want to see her."

    "Remember toe by my office tomorrow to sign the confidentiality agreement," Zoey added before hanging up.

    Carlisle realized that Zoey had been testing him since the day before. He figured that she had probably done some research on him. Unlike J, who only wanted to confirm that he was Howard, Zoey had probably looked into his real identity in Rivend.

    "We''ll grow old together and watch the snowkes fall..."

    While Carlisle and Sharon ate their sandwiches, he had disabled silent mode on his phone.

    He pulled out his phone and saw that it was Hilda calling. Hilda had heard on the radio that it was getting colder in Yorksle, so she wanted to make sure Carlisle was dressed for it.

    The first snowfall in Yorksle came earlier than expected. Carlisle got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and saw thick snowkes falling outside the window.

    The hotel''s heating system kept the room toasty and shielded him from the cold.

    After using the bathroom, he went out on the balcony and caught some snowkes in his hand. They quickly melted the moment they touched his palm.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    As he gazed at the snowy scene, Carlisle quietly sang "Rest of My Life".

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

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 Chapter 595

    ?

    Chapter 595

    The snowkes reminded Carlisle of the song he had sung at the bonfire party. Carlisle found himself missing Wanda again under the lonely moonlight as the season changed.

    "I want to show you the world and tell everyone you''re mine."

    A deep voice came from behind Carlisle.

    Jolted from his daze, Carlisle turned and red at Francis.

    "Can''t you make some noise when you walk? You almost scared me to death!"

    "It''s not my fault that the carpet and these disposable slippers make it impossible to make a sound," Francis replied.

    He was wearing a hotel bathrobe, holding a wine ss with some red wine in one hand and a half-smoked cigarette in the other.

    "Did you just wake up, or have you been awake the whole time?" Carlisle asked as he looked at the slippers on Francis'' feet.

    "I didn''t sleep."

    Francis took a drag from his cigarette while simultaneously taking a sip of wine.

    "Having trouble sleeping? Want to join me for a drink?"

    "No thanks. I have a delivery to make tomorrow," Carlisle said, yawning as he headed for his bedroom.

    He needed to be well-rested for his meeting with Wanda.

    The next day, Carlisle got up for work at 6:30 am. Stepping out of the hotel, he shivered as the cold hit him. The temperature had plummeted since the day before.

    The streets had turned into a winter wondend, with snow covering everything and a biting wind that felt like needles on his face. People were bundled up in thick coats, while older people kept their hands in their sleeves for warmth.

    Taxis moved slowly because of the snow. Carlisle, who was supposed to start work at eight in the morning, didn''t get to the office until nine.

    His first stop was to the human resources department to sign a confidentiality agreement with Zoey. The agreement required him to keep everything he saw and heard during the delivery in strict confidence.

    After signing the agreement, Zoey warned Carlisle, "The snow may make transporting these supplies difficult and dangerous. Be careful out there!"

    Regardless of the weather, Golden Happiness Group''s supplies had to be delivered on time.

    Carlisle returned to the storehouse to prepare the goods with Janice. The storehouse was essentially a food distribution center, with fresh produce arriving each morning.

    The storehouse staff''s job was to select the best products for storage. They prepared the goods ording to the specified quantities when delivery orders came in. The process was simr to shopping in a store, with workers packing and sealing the selected items.

    Wendell arrived at around 10:00 am with a small truck loaded with nkets, coats, and coal for heating. After a quick lunch in the cafeteria at noon, Wendell and his team left for Maple Hill.

    At the rehabilitation hospital, Wanda sat by the window in her study, staring

    absentmindedly at the snowyndscape outside. She still couldn''t remember who CarlisleN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    was.

    Butst night she had a dream.

    In the dream, she was walking along ake with Zachary and Queenie. While ying with Queenie, she fell into theke. Neither Zachary nor Queenie could swim, so they could only watch in panic from thekefront.

    Just when she thought she could no longer breathe, a handsome young man appeared out of nowhere and jumped into the water without hesitation to save her.

    The boy seemed unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar at the same time.

    "Wanda... Wanda..."

    A sweet, melodious voice called from downstairs.

 Chapter 596

    ?

    Chapter 596

    "Bianca Yarnell..."

    Wanda''s eyes lit up.

    She opened the window and said, "I''m here, Bianca."

    A prettydy in a pink cotton coat stood in the snow-covered yard outside the vi.

    She waved and yelled, "Wanda,e down and y."

    Bianca was also a patient there. She was 16 years old that year. She often sought Wanda out for walks and learned how to cook with Wanda and Maisie.

    "Yeah. I''ll be right there."

    Wanda took her coat from her wardrobe, put it on, and left.

    Maintaining a good rtionship with Bianca was essential as she was the only one there who could send letters outside.

    Moreover, Bianca was lively and cute. Wanda felt that ying with her was a joy.

    Wanda took a pair of fluffy snow boots from the shoe cab on the first floor and put them

    §à§á.

    Maisie, who was cooking, reminded her, "It''s cold outside, Wanda. Be careful not to catch a cold."

    "I won''t, Maisie. I''m not that delicate," Wanda replied, smiling.

    She then left in a hurry.

    Lately, besides studying, she had also been working out with a fitness trainer. That way, she wouldn''t catch a cold easily.

    She could feel the biting cold the moment she exited the vi.

    "Wanda, let''s make a snowman," suggested Bianca as she approached Wanda and took her hand.

    The former then led her to the snow.

    The two of them were soon crouched in the snow and began building a snowman.

    Bianca blinked her wide eyes and stated, "Wanda, Finn hasn''t seen you for days."

    "I think he''s overseas..."

    Wanda''s lips were slightly parted. She looked conflicted.

    Finn had visited her thrice and had brought a carefully prepared gift each time. Even a fool could tell that he wished to pursue her.

    Finn''s background was impressive. He was indeed from a wealthy family. However, Wanda had no feelings for him.

    She had also secretly resolved not to date anyone until she had figured out the matter with Carlisle.

    Bianca made the snowman a head and said mischievously, "Wanda, do you not find him appealing?"

    Wanda looked at Bianca and asked, "Do you know much about his family?"

    Bianca couldn''t help butugh.

    "I forgot to tell you that Finn''s mother is my aunt."

    Wanda''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "You''re rted?"

    It was no wonder that Bianca could send letters outside then. She had ties with the rehabilitation hospital''s owner.

    "Yeah..."

    Bianca nodded.

    She asked Wanda with an odd look on her face, "Wanda... you... you do know about the Murrays, right?"

    Wanda shook her head and replied, "I don''t know them."

    "Did you know that you and Finn were engaged as children?"

    "What?"

    Wanda stood up abruptly. She felt slightly disoriented the moment she stood up. Perhaps

    she had been crouching for too long or was shocked by what Bianca had just said.

    "We were engaged as children? I was actually engaged as a child? Why didn''t my parents ever tell me?" Wanda muttered, feeling lost.

    She was taken aback to learn that her family already arranged her marriage.

    She was against it. After all, marriage was for life, and she couldn''t allow them to make such

    a decision on her behalf.

    Moreover, childhood engagements had no legal effect.

    She took a deep breath at that thought.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    She then grabbed Bianca''s hand and asked, "Bianca, are the Murrays really powerful?"

    Bianca wondered if she should continue talking about the Murrays. Wanda seemed clueless, as her parents had kept her in the dark.

    Bianca felt that it was slightly inappropriate to tell her about this instead.

    Sensing Bianca''s hesitation, Wanda added, "Even if you refuse to tell me, I''ll find out about the Murrays sooner orter once I''m out!"

    Bianca pouted.

    She said somewhat reluctantly, "Alright. You don''t need to look into them. I''ll tell you..."

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 Chapter 597

    ?Chapter 597

    "The Murrays have strong connections within the business and political world. The family controls Golden Happiness Group and Apex Capital, both of which have more than a hundred billion in liquid assets," Bianca said sinctly.

    Upon hearing that, Wanda couldn''t help but take a sharp breath. Twopanies that each had a hundred billion in liquid assets? How much non-liquid capital did they have?

    She wondered if the Murrays'' enterprisesbined could be considered a business empire. They were the richest of the richest.

    She was in disbelief that she had a marriage contract with such a family.

    "Bianca... Food''s ready!" a voice yelled from another vi nearby.

    "Okay. I''ming!" Bianca yelled in reply.

    She then said to Wanda, "I have to go for lunch now. Let''s go for a walk together when we collect suppliester.

    Wanda snapped out of her daze and nodded unconsciously.

    She then asked, "Is Brenton not here?''

    Bianca giggled and replied, "He returned to his hometown."

    The two went back to their respective homes for lunch.

    Wanda was slightly distracted as she ate.

    She couldn''t ept the idea of a childhood engagement. It was the 21st century. She wondered how childhood engagements were still a thing.

    Maisie noticed Wanda was preupied and asked gently, "Wanda, do you have something on your mind?"

    Wanda shook her head and forced a smile before replying, "It''s nothing!"

    Maisie didn''t press any further.

    She smiled and said, "We can collect the supplies this afternoon. I''ll take you along to broaden your horizons."

    At Maple Hill, Wendell''s small truck was stuck in the snow. Kevin and Zack Hensen pushed the back of the truck with all their might.

    Even so, the truck did not move a single inch.

    Kevin walked over to the driver''s side and knocked on the window.

    Wendell rolled down the window.

    He exhaled and asked, "Can''t you push it?"N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Panting, Kevin shook his head.

    "I think it''s stuck in a ditch... and that ditch is frozen over, so the anti-slip chains aren''t working."

    Wendell immediately felt a headacheing on.

    "You clear the snow. Zack, go find some stones..."

    Dressed in apany issued coat, Wendell opened the door and exited the truck. Carlisle, also wearing a coat, threw on his jacket and followed Wendell out of the truck.

    The road was between two mountains. There was a long slope ahead of them. It waspletely covered in

    snow.

    The road formed a valley due to the two mountains. The bitterly cold wind howled like a beast, whipping

    snow into their faces. It made Carlisle wince in pain.

    He pondered if this was what the weather was like up north. He found it immensely cold.

    Carlisle sneezed. He suspected that his piss would freeze if he decided to take a leak.

    Kevin cleared the snow with his hands while Zack ced some stones into the ditch.

    Carlisle was shivering as he walked over and asked, ''Need any help?"

    Wandell shook his head and answered, "You better get back in the truck, boss. Your delicate skin is prone to frostbite."

    Carlisle rubbed his arms and went back into the truck. The weather that day was harsh.

    If it were merely snowing, then it wouldn''t be too bad. But the cold wind felt like knives, and his ears were

    numb. If he didn''t get back in the truck, he might suffer from hypothermia.

    Wendell and the others used to be soldiers and were part of the special forces.

    Carlisle figured that the team must have trained in all sorts of harsh environments and should, therefore, be able to withstand this weather.

    It took a full half an hour for the truck to get out of the ditch finally. Wendell climbed back into the truck, warming his hands with his breath.

    Carlisle was somewhat embarrassed as he asked with concern, "Are you guys alright?"

    Wendell nodded.

    "We''re... we''re fine..."

    He then pulled out a lighter from his coat pocket to warm himself up with the fire''s heat. After a couple of minutes, his hands started to regain feeling. Only then did he continue driving.

    However, the slope was very slippery.

    The fully loaded truck couldn''t make it up. It slid back a few feet, almost sliding back into the ditch.

    "Kevin, Zack, get out and push the truck..." Wendell said through gritted teeth.

    The slope was about 984 feet long. Getting past it would probably take another half hour. The temperature outside was at least 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

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 Chapter 598

    ?Chapter 598

    But it felt colder than -4 degrees Fahrenheit under the harsh wind.

    He had Kevin and Zack push the truck. For them, the next half an hour was brutal.

    They exited the truck without hesitation. The truck finally moved forward, and they pushed it with all their might.

    Carlisle''s expression at that moment was solemn. He had just experienced how cold it was outside. Kevin and Zack had to push the truck in such an environment while he sat in it.

    Carlisle was anxious.

    He decided to help them and said, "I''ll go help out as well...''

    Wendell shook his head andughed.

    "We''ll manage fine with just the two of them. So, rx!

    "They''re tough. They can handle such a trivial matter just fine."

    Carlisle looked at the snowy scenery outside his window. It was slowly going backward.

    He dared not move a single inch. He was afraid it might make the truck heavier.

    About ten minutester, the truck had gone up a third of the slope.

    Wendell realized the truck would roll backward from time to time and knew Kevin and Zack needed to rest.

    He stepped on the brakes and pulled up the handbrake.

    He looked out the window and yelled, "Kevin, Zack, get in and take a break."

    Kevin found a few rocks and ced them behind the wheel at the rear. He then got into the truck with Zack to warm up.

    Their faces were pale, and their lips were blue. They appeared dazed.

    Wendell rubbed Kevin''s face and asked, "Kevin, are you ok?"

    Kevin blinked and looked at Wendell. He then nodded.

    Zack was in a better statepared to Kevin.

    He took out a lighter and lit it for warmth, but the me was too weak to chase away the bitter cold.

    Carlisle recalled that the truck contained nkets and charcoal.

    "Isn''t there charcoal in the supplies? Let''s use it to warm up!"

    Wendell answered in a deep voice, "The nkets and charcoal are in the back."

    Carlisle got out of the truck and opened the back.

    The back of the truck was filled with food retrieved from Storehouse 8. These goods took up two-thirds of the truck. He would have to move it all out first to retrieve the charcoal.

    However, it would be too strenuous, so Carlisle concluded that the n wouldn''t work

    He suddenly had an idea. His lips curled into a smile.

    A momentter, he made two oilmps out of vegetable oil and two bowls. The wick was made of cotton meant for coats.

    He ced four thick candle wicks in each oil-filled bowl. The four mes provided a lot of heat, and soon, Kevin and Zack warmed up.

    "Why don''t you guys rest after every five minutes?" suggested Carlisle.

    "It''s still early. It''s alright as long as we can deliver the supplies before sunset."

    "Won''t it dy your meeting with Wanda?" asked Kevin.

    "It won''t," insisted Carlisle.

    He couldn''t ignore the well-being of his subordinates simply because he was eager to meet Wanda.

    Once Kevin and Zack were thoroughly warmed, they continued pushing the truck

    Five minutester, they returned to the truck and lit the oilmps for warmth.

    It took two hours to cover 984 feet. One of the hours was used to warm themselves up.

    Beyond the slope were 9.3 miles of t road, ten corners, and two tunnels.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    At 5:00 pm, the truck stopped by an arch bridge after driving through a forest.

    A six to nine-foot-tall cement wall was 1640 feet across the arch bridge. On top of the wall was a barbed wire fence about three feet tall.

    A few Jeeps were parked near the wall. There were even a few guards in camouge.

    Carlisle knew the ce would have soldiers, so he wasn''t surprised to see them.

    Wendell drove across the bridge. Two of the soldiers in camouge approached them immediately.

    Wendell smiled and said, "We''re here to deliver supplies to the rehabilitation hospital."

    One of the soldiers approached and responded lowly, "You''ll have to wait for a moment. A high-ranking official is currently inside. The road you''ll need to take is blocked..."

    Wendell lowered his voice and asked curiously, "How high-ranking is that official?"

 Chapter 599

    ?Chapter 599

    Wendell was instantly intrigued. He had seen his fair share of battlefieldmanders. Even if he had never met them, he would have at least heard of them.

    "That''s enough. Don''t ask any unnecessary questions. You wouldn''t know who it was even if we told you," said the soldier as he red at Wendell.

    Wendell snickered as he returned to the truck.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    "Are we not allowed to enter?" asked Carlisle.

    Wendell replied in a low voice, "They said there''s a high-ranking official inside. Their vehicles have blocked the road we have to take to the rehabilitation hospital."

    "Are there any other roads besides the one we came from?" asked Carlisle.

    He remembered the road they had taken had no other tire tracks on it and was filled with potholes. The truck would have gotten stuck if they hadn''t been careful.

    They could use a better route for the journey back if there were a better road.

    "There are three other roads. However, those roads are closed all year round. As outsiders, we are only allowed to use the least convenient road.

    "It would have been tolerable if it wasn''t raining or snowing, but it just so happens to be snowing heavily right now. It truly is rather challenging."

    Wendell took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He then lit the cigarette, looking rather upset.

    The encampment hadrge bungalows that looked the same and some basic training facilities. The soldiers, dressed in camouge attire, were currently assembling to train.

    A man in a general''s uniform was in one of the slightly spacious bungalows, drinking tea.

    Based on the insignias on everyone''s shoulders, the lowest-ranking soldiers were junior officers. However, the man seated at the head of the table had a general''s insignia.

    He was also the youngest of the group, appearing to be around 23 or 24 years old.

    He had chiseled features and sharp eyes. He was merely drinking from his teacup, yet everyone present dared not breathe.

    After he finished his tea, he put down his teacup.

    He then looked expressionlessly at a middle-aged man and asked calmly, "Can you assume the position within three days?"

    Heston Murray sighed helplessly.

    He saluted and replied, "I will absolutely obey all orders from the organization!"

    The young general nodded calmly before standing up to walk out of the room.

    It wasn''t until he left that the others in the room exhaled a sigh of relief.

    One of them asked in a deep voice, "Heston, is this guy the real deal? How can he be a general at such a young age?" Heston shook his head.

    "It''s normal that you don''t know him. After all, he''s only been in the military for eight years. But if you have heard about his legendary experiences, you wouldn''t think so."

    A few junior officers looked at him with eager faces.

    "What experiences? Tell us, Heston."

    They were all curious about the legendary experiences that had earned him the rank of general at the age of 24.

    Heston picked up his teacup on the table and took a light sip.

    He said slowly, "His name is Xavier Larson. His foster parents raised him ever since his parents died when he was young. Due to poverty, he went abroad with one of his uncles after graduating from middle school.

    "His uncle was impressive. He worked for a top mercenary group abroad. The group was short-handed then, so Xavier received peacekeeping assignments after just a week of training.

    "During his four years as a mercenary, he fought countless battles and was very sessful. When he was 18, he resigned from his senior position in the group and returned to serve his country.

    "This incident drew significant attention to our country. After several highly confidential meetings, he was assigned to a special forces organization..."

    Just as Heston recounted Xavier''s legendary experiences to his colleagues, Wendell''s truck passed through the encampment. They were 1.2 miles away from the rehabilitation hospital.

    Maple trees nked the road, and the ground was a mix of pristine white snow and red maple leaves. It was a very beautiful scene.

    Carlisle, who was in the passenger seat, grew increasingly nervous. He constantly took deep breaths to calm himself.

    At the rehabilitation hospital''s entrance, security personnel were clearing the snow. The housemaids in the living quarters gathered with shopping carts as theyughed and chatted.

    Bianca and Wanda stood together, whispering.

    "A phone?"

    Wanda stared at Bianca in disbelief. Bianca had actually managed to smuggle a phone in.

    "Keep your voice down..."

    Bianca''s expression instantly turned nervous as she shushed Wanda. It would be the end of them if the security personnel overheard them.

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 Chapter 600

    ?

    Chapter 600

    Wanda realized she was too excited and quickly covered her mouth. Given her current rtionship with Bianca, she felt confident that thetter would lend her the phone. She would then be able to contact Christine and the others.

    It had been over a month since they founded SwiftFunds Financial Investments. She was eager to know thepany''s status.

    Maisie nced at Wanda, feeling slightly uneasy as she did so. Her best friend had asked her to bring Wanda along that day to pick up the supplies, but she was not told about the reason behind the request.

    Several loud honks immediately interrupted the housemaids'' chatter. Bianca and Wanda both turned their attention to the entrance. A truck had stopped outside the gate.

    Carlisle, who was in the passenger seat, immediately spotted Wanda, who stood inside the gate. He trembled all over, and his hands clenched into fists in hisp.

    His lips trembled, and his eyes were tinged red with tears.

    Wendell coughed twice, reminding Carlisle to control his emotions. He had already told Carlisle while they were on the road that the security personnel here were all retirees like him.

    They had keen observational skills. Although it benefited them, they couldn''t be too obvious. Kevin grinned and said, "Boss, Ms. Wanda is looking at you too..."

    Carlisle looked toward the gate again and realized Wanda was staring in his direction.

    However, Wanda wasn''t wearing her sses. The gate was 164 feet away, and because she was shortsighted, it was impossible for her to see him clearly.

    Moreover, Wanda no longer remembered him. Even if she could see him, she probably wouldn''t recognize him.

    Bianca noticed Wanda staring at the truck in a daze at the rehabilitation hospital entrance. She asked curiously, "Wanda, what are you looking at?"

    "I don''t know why, but my heart suddenly started racing..." Wanda murmured.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "That''s because you haven''t seen outsiders for too long, resulting in social anxiety. When people with social anxiety see strangers, their heartbeats will increase," analyzed Bianca with hands behind her back.

    "That''s probably it."

    Wanda tucked her hair behind her ear as it had been blown loose by the cold wind.

    The delivery driver had conveyed a message from Carlislest time, so Wanda had sent a

    letter through Bianca asking Christine about Carlisle.

    Since Christine was her ssmate from high school to college, Wanda figured the former would recognize Carlisle. Christine would then inform Carlisle about Wanda if she knew anything.

    If the delivery driver knew Carlisle, he might deliver another message from him this time. Wanda stared at the driver''s seat, hoping the current driver was the same as before.

    At that moment, Wendell and his group got out of the truck. Colton checked their identities with his information sheet.

    Beside Colton stood a stern-looking man in a suit.

    "Guys, didn''t you verify our identities before this?"

    Wendell deliberately looked impatient.

    Colton red at Wendell.

    "This is our job!" he retorted.

    Wendell shrugged, thenughed sheepishly.

    "Alright. I won''t say another word."

    Colton turned to thest page, which contained Howard''s personal information. The man in the suit nced at it as well. He noticed the information stated that the man was 21 years old. He furrowed his brow and asked, "You''re 21 years old?"

 Chapter 601

    ?

    Chapter 601

    The man in the suit was named Braxton Murray, and he was part of the Murray n.

    A few days ago, he heard that Heston was making a trip back to Maple Hill, so he came to the hospital to wait for him. He was nning to visit Heston that day.

    When he called Heston that morning, Heston had been entertaining an important

    businessman and had no time for him.

    Since Braxton had spotted the trucksing to deliver supplies, he went with the security team to observe them.

    Howard''s profile stated that he was 21 years old, but he looked 17 or 18.

    Although Braxton wasn''t supposed to manage affairs like this, he was too idle and wanted to find something to do.

    "Yep!" Carlisle nodded, pretending to be nervous.

    Braxton took out his phone and called J.

    "Mr. Murray," J said deferentially.

    Braxton asked casually, "Ms. Dalton, have you checked the identities of the people delivering supplies to New Dawn Hospital?"

    J was startled.

    Was Braxton interrogating her about these minor details?

    However, he was still part of the Murray family, so she could not dismiss him.

    She smiled and said, "Yes, I have. I personally arranged for the staff from my department to check them. It''s not the first time they''ve delivered the supplies."

    Braxton asked again, "Has Howard delivered the supplies several times before?"

    "It''s Howard''s first time," J answered truthfully.

    She had guessed what Braxton was suspicious about, so she exined, "Mr. Murray, you think that Howard looks a bit too young, don''t you? There are many people whose ages can''t be discerned from their appearances.

    "Take Hayden Murray, for instance. He never seems to age! He''s 50 years old but looks like he''s 30. There are several people like that in Golden Happiness Group, too. Besides, I checked Howard myself. If there are any problems with him, I''ll admit responsibility and resign."

    "Alright," Braxton answered lightly. He hung up.

    J was an executive at Golden Happiness Group for a long time. She had more shares than Benedict. She was being polite to Braxton because he was part of the Murray family, but

    without the family, he would be nothing.

    All he could do was assert his authority by making calls like this. If he crossed the line, he would probably be ostracized when he joined the Golden Happiness Group in the future.

    Braxton looked away and asked, "When you passed the station just now, did you see a procession of Jeeps?"

    It was almost dark. The important person that Heston had been entertaining had probably left by now. Braxton had to grab the opportunity to visit Heston. If he missed it, he didn''t know when he would be able to see Heston again.

    Wendell pretended to be scared of Braxton as well and said nervously, "W-when we passed by the station, the procession of Jeeps had just left."

    "Alright. Get on with it, then!" Braxton looked loftily at them.

    Although he wasn''t very important in the Murray family, he still had a certain authority in the businesses that the Murray family ran.

    He was in a hurry to visit Heston, so he turned and headed to the hospital car park to get his

    car.

    Colton breathed a sigh of relief and said to the guards behind him, "Get on with the inspection!"

    The security guards split into two teams, one of which searched the personnel while the other checked the supplies.

    Wendell suddenly nudged Carlisle''s arm. "Howard, weren''t you moaning about needing to use the toilet? We''ve got a load of supplies this time, so it''s probably going to take half an hour. You should go and use the toilet now."

    Carlisle understood what Wendell meant. He nodded and asked, "Where''s the toilet?"Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Wendell pointed at the hospital. "Go through the main gates and turn right."

    Carlisle looked nervously at Colton and asked, "Can I?"

    Colton took a small pack of tissues from his pocket and handed them expressionlessly to Carlisle.

    He hadn''t wanted to ept the bribe, but his parents were both severely ill and needed a huge sum of money for medical fees.

    The hospital paid well, and he was able to get six thousand dors a month. However, it was barely enough to make ends meet.

    At the cajoling of his teammates, he had epted the money and taken two-thirds of it.

    With the money, there had been a huge improvement in his parents'' medical care.

    Carlisle took the tissues and walked toward the hospital. He looked gently at Wanda, who was standing inside the gates.

    He wanted to rush over, hug her tightly, and then whisper in her ear, "Wanda, I miss you so much..."

    However, there were countless eyes trained on him.

    There were cameras too.

    He could not do that, and he could not even look at her for too long.

    In order to avoid suspicion, Carlisle looked away and strode forward.

    Inside the gates, Bianca blushed beside Wanda and said, "Wanda, did you see him? He''s so handsome! He''s more handsome than Finn."

    Wanda rubbed her eyes hard and said anxiously, "I... I couldn''t see him clearly!"

    Bianca snorted withughter. "I''m sorry, I forgot you aren''t wearing your sses."

    Wanda was frustrated. She wished she could go back right away to get her sses. Carlisle finally walked through the hospital gates.

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 Chapter 602

    ?

    Chapter 602

    Wanda finally saw Carlisle clearly.

    He looked very familiar, but she could not remember who he was. He was around her

    That was Carlisle!

    Wanda took a deep breath.

    What kind of history did she have with him?

    How had he managed to get in here?

    Wasn''t he supposed to be studying?

    There were a million questions running through Wanda''s mind.

    She closed her eyes and tried her best to remember his face.

    However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember anything about him.

    Carlisle had entered the public restrooms, and Wanda notified Maisie before following Carlisle.

    age.

    Bianca watched Wanda hurry off agitatedly. She was surprised, and she murmured, "That''s strange. That''s very strange. Why do I feel like they know each other?"

    She decided to follow them and watch.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    Bianca hurried after Wanda. She had only taken a few steps when she stopped.

    "No! I can''t let them find my phone!" Bianca returned to the entrance and stared at the truck.

    In the public restrooms, Wanda had just turned in when a hand reached out and pulled her into a stall.

    "You... Mmph..." Before Wanda could recover from her shock, Carlisle had pushed her up against the wall and covered her lips with his.

    Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she stared at Carlisle''s intense eyes in disbelief.

    Her mind had gone nk, and she didn''t even struggle.

    Carlisle pushed her teeth apart, but in the next second, he hissed in pain.

    "Ouch! Why did you bite me?" Carlisle felt a sharp sting on his tongue and looked down at Wanda.

    There was a cold look in Wanda''s eyes. She stared emotionlessly at Carlisle as she asked, " Who are you?"

    Although she had guessed he was Carlisle, she still wasn''t sure. She had to be sure he was

    Carlisle before she could continue asking him other questions.

    "I''m your future husband!" Carlisleughed as he looked gently at her.

    "I asked you what your name was!" Wanda red at him in exasperation.

    "You really don''t remember me?" Carlisle''s bright eyes dimmed.

    "Answer my question." Wanda remained as cold as ice.

    "And... why did you kiss m-"Before she could finish speaking, Carlisle cupped her face in his hands and shut her up with his lips.

    Asshole!

    He had kissed her again!

    Wanda''s eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears.

    She pummeled ineffectually at Carlisle''s chest.

    "Don''t move! I haven''t had enough of kissing you yet..." Carlisle''s deep voice rang out in her

    ear.

    Wanda blinked, then shoved her knee into Carlisle''s groin.

    Carlisle''s slight smile froze, and his face contorted. "Ouch! I-Damn!"

    "You''re not allowed to yell!" Wanda was afraid that other users of the restroom would hear them, so she covered Carlisle''s mouth quickly.

 Chapter 603

    ?

    Chapter 603

    Carlisle could smell the scent of Wanda''s hand cream, and the pain he felt in his groin seemed to ease slightly.

    Wanda continued, "Tell me quickly! Who are you?"

    Carlisle said in exasperation, "I''m Carlisle, your boyfriend!"

    Wanda''s eyes narrowed as she said, "You''re talking nonsense. I''ve never had a boyfriend."

    Despite what she had said, Wanda could feel her heart fluttering.

    If he wasn''t her boyfriend, why would he have taken such a great risk to sneak in here?

    It had been a month since the truck driver had first seen her.

    That meant he had started nning this a month ago.

    They were in the Murray family''s private hospital. It was a highly secret experimental base. The security here was extremely tight, and there were even troops stationed.

    Wanda knew how hard it must have been to sneak in.

    "Wanda, I really am your boyfriend. They used imported equipment to suppress the nerves in your brain so they could erase your memories of me," Carlisle exined earnestly to Wanda.

    He grabbed her ice-cold hands and said, "You believe me, don''t you?"

    Wanda looked up at him. After a dazed silence, she slowly pulled her hands out of his.

    Carlisle''s heart twisted. "You don''t believe me?"

    Wanda looked calmly at him. "I do believe you."

    Carlisle hugged her and said in a choked voice, "Wanda, I miss you so much. I miss you every single day, in every second of every minute. I miss you all the time!"

    Wanda was stiff, and her eyes shed slightly before she pushed Carlisle away and said expressionlessly, "I don''t remember you anymore. Let''s leave the past in the past."

    Carlisle was thunderstruck. "Wanda... W-what did you say?"

    "Forget me!" Wanda said, lowering her head.

    Carlisle hugged her tightly and shook his head. "No, I can''t forget you! I can never forget you! It doesn''t matter if you don''t remember me. We can start all over again! We have many photos of our dates, and I''ll make you remember them all!"

    "Carlisle... You''re hurting me..." Wanda frowned and pushed him away.

    Her pretty face was tight with anger.

    "Sorry... I was too agitated." Carlisle''s voice was hoarse, and he lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.

    Wanda was his first girlfriend in both his former and current life.

    They had a romantic history together, and he could never forget their memories.

    Since he loved her deeply, how could he just let her go?

    "Carlisle, you know that we''re from different worlds. Nothing will evere of it," Wanda said lightly. However, her words were cruel.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    It was true that she did not remember Carlisle. She had no memories of him at all.

    She believed that Carlisle had been her boyfriend in the past.

    She hadn''t resisted when he kissed her, which showed they had already gotten to the stage of kissing in their rtionship.

    They must have been very much in love.

    Carlisle still didn''t know that Wanda had been betrothed in marriage since she was a baby.

    If she chose to continue dating him, he would have to face her parents as well as the entire Murray family.

    Instead of letting him face danger, it would be better to make a clean break now while she did not remember him.

    Wanda''s words seemed to cut like knives into Carlisle''s heart.

    Carlisle''s eyes reddened as he said, "I already did my best. I established Alumni Network, a gamingpany, and even started a phone manufacturer and semiconductor factory. I even established Aurora Holdings... I only need one year. No... I only need six months to get to the same level as your father."

    "You established Alumni Network?" Wanda looked at Carlisle in surprise.

    The finance magazines that were deliveredtely mentioned a lot about an executive with the surname Zahn.

    Alumni Network had exploded in poprity at all the tertiary educational institutions in the country within just a month. They were now about to surpass four million registered users.

    Carlisle nodded and said, "Alumni Network is very sessful and will start making a profit soon. I estimate Alumni Network will make more than a hundred million in profits by next year!"

    Wanda looked conflicted.

    She believed Carlisle.

    She could see the potential of Alumni Network from the analyses on it that were published in finance magazines.

    It was only a matter of time before their profits surpassed one hundred million.

    However, even if that happened, so what?

    The Murrays had two corporations that were worth ten billion each.

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 Chapter 604

    ?Chapter 604

    The influence and connections that the Murrays possessed were beyond imagination.

    If they wanted to go against Alumni Network, it would be acquired instantly or disappear without a trace.

    Carlisle held Wanda''s soft body in his arms and said gently, "Wanda, give me some time, alright? No one will love you more than I do."

    Wanda trembled slightly, and her eyes turned wet with tears.

    She could feel how much Carlisle loved her.

    That was why she could not hurt him.

    Wanda took a deep breath and slowly raised her arms to hug him back. She murmured softly, "Carlisle, promise me you won''t waste your time, alright?"

    There was a sudden knock on the door.

    Maisie''s voice came through the door. "Wanda, Mr. Karsh is back!"

    Only one of the doors in the restrooms was closed.

    Maisie had guessed that Wanda was in that stall.

    Wanda pushed Carlisle away and turned to leave.

    Carlisle did not see the tears streaming down her face. There was nothing else he could do except to stand there in a daze.

    Maisie nced at Carlisle, who was in the stall, then turned to leave.

    After Wanda left the restrooms, she went straight back to the vi.

    She burrowed into her nkets and burst into tears.

    Even though she did not have any memories with Carlisle, she knew in her heart that she had once loved him.

    Her ruthlessness must have hurt him.

    Carlisle walked toward the gates of the hospital, looking as if he had lost his soul.

    When he was halfway there, he bumped into Brenton, who had juste back. Colton was beside him.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hold it!" Brenton suddenly called out to Carlisle.

    Carlisle stopped and looked at him.

    "He''s here to deliver supplies?" Brenton asked Colton, his brow furrowed.

    "Yes. Ms. Dalton of Golden Happiness Group checked him personally." Colton maintained a nk expression.

    When Brenton heard that J had done the inspection personally, his expression cleared. He said, "In the future, outsiders are prohibited from entering the hospital to use the restrooms."

    "Okay. I''ll get someone to build a public restroom outside."

    "Just dig a hole and set up a tent. People at the bottom of the heap aren''t so picky." Brenton sped his hands behind his back and walked toward the hospital building.

    Colton strode after him.

    Carlisle went out of the gates, looking lost and dazed.

    Wendell and Kevin hurried up to him.

    Kevin said cheekily, "How did it go? Was Ms. Thompson moved to tears?"

    "Hold your tongue!" Wendell cuffed Kevin around the back of his head.

    Kevin had no tact at all!

    Couldn''t he see how long Carlisle''s face was?

    Carlisle did not seem to hear them. He walked over to the truck, pulled open the door on the passenger side, and got in.

    Was everything over?

    He smiled bitterly to himself.

    Carlisle leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Tears trickled out of the corners of his eyes.

    He felt as if his world had suddenly lost color.

    The only thing he could feel was a throbbing pain in his heart.

    "Wendell..."

    "Boss?" Wendell hurried over

    Carlisle said in a hoarse voice, "Give me a cigarette."

    He wanted to use nicotine to dull the pain he was feeling.

    Wendell handed him a cigarette and lit it for him.

    Carlisle held the cigarette between his fingers and inhaled it so hard that he began coughing violently.

    He felt as if his lungs were about to explode.

    Wendell sighed softly and said, "I don''t know what happened between the two of you, but I have to say that smoking is not going to solve the problem. Boss, you''re more mature than others your age, and you should know that. You''ve got to get your act together and save your rtionship."

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 Chapter 605

    ?Chapter 605

    Carlisle''s slender fingers held the cigarette limply as he watched tendrils of smoke weave around the tips of his fingers.

    He looked lost as he said, "How can I save my rtionship? What am I going to save it with?"

    "Well..." Wendell scratched his head awkwardly. He had never been in a rtionship before. He had no idea what to say to Carlisle.

    After 40 minutes, Wendell drove the truck back.

    Carlisle sat in the passenger seat and smoked cigarette after cigarette.

    The entire cab was filled with secondhand smoke.

    Kevin and Zack had tried to talk to him, but it was useless.

    The truck passed by the station.

    Heston happened toe out at that moment, looking disgruntled.

    Behind him, Braxton ran after him, carrying arge gift. "Uncle Heston, I spent one million on this centurion root. You have to ept it!"

    "Shut up!" Heston red angrily at Braxton. "Take your things and get lost! If it weren''t for your father, I wouldn''t be so lenient on you!"

    How could Braxton give Heston a gift in front of so many of his subordinates? He had even announced that the gift cost more than a million, as if he was terrified that they wouldn''t know!

    Had he been kicked in the head?

    "Uncle Heston..."

    "Gerald, get rid of him for me."

    "Okay." Gerald chased Braxton off with the help of a few soldiers dressed in camouge.

    Heston looked at the truck.

    At that very moment, Carlisle happened to turn and nce in his direction.

    Heston jolted in shock, and he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    By the time the truck reached 10KFresh, it was already 11:00 pm.

    J had contacted the CEO of 10KFresh that morning to tell them they should give the supplies deliverymen two hundred dors each as an allowance for the bad weather.

    Carlisle used the two hundred dor allowance to buy two pounds of stewed beef and two bottles of Chardonnay so that he could drink with Francis when he got home.

    After he had downed half a bottle of wine, Carlisle spilled out everything he was feeling.

    Francis listened. After a while, he frowned slightly and said, "I don''t think this is what Wanda wants!"

    Carlisle took a gulp of wine. He looked slightly tipsy, but he wore a bitter expression. "She said all of that and didn''t have any memory of me at all. How could it not be what she wanted?"

    Francis took a bite of beef and said indistinctly, "Since she doesn''t remember you, she wouldn''t know how aplished you are. She must be worried that her family will continue to target you."

    The stewed beef tasted delicious. Francis swallowed it and took a swig of wine before chewing on another mouthful of beef.

    "I told her what my current assets are. I''m sure that she believes me." Carlisle sighed and continued drinking. Francis thought for a moment and said, "She must be worried that the Murray family will try to harm you. The Murrays are much more powerful than the Thompsons."

    Carlisle''s pupils constricted. "Damn, why didn''t I think of that? Wanda must already know that she''s betrothed to marry into the Murray family. That must be why she was so ruthless. She wants me to give up on her!"

    Francis said in amazement, "She''s still thinking on your behalf even though she doesn''t remember you. She clearly has a good heart."

    "I misunderstood her..." Carlisle felt guilty. He had ovee so many difficulties to see her, only to have her tell him to forget about her.

    The words had hit him like a hammer and seemed to shatter his heart. He had been extremely disappointed, and he had been full of thoughts on his way home. He had even decided to respect her wishes.

    Now that Francis had mentioned it, he felt like pping himself.

    He had almost let his precious Wanda slip away.

    "Let''s drink!" Carlisle clinked bottles with Francis.

    Both of them gulped down a mouthful.

    At the hospital, Bianca arrived at Wanda''s vi.

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 Chapter 606

    ?Chapter 606

    Bianca saw Maisie sitting on the sofa, looking troubled. She couldn''t help asking, "What''s wrong, Maisie?"

    "Bianca, you came at just the right time! Go and have a look at Wanda. She''s shut in her room for the whole afternoon, and no matter how many times I knock at her door, she won''t answer!" Maisie said in agitation.

    "I knew there was something going on between them!" Bianca sped her hands behind her back as she walked over to the stairs.

    When she arrived outside Wanda''s room, she raised her hand to knock. Then, she made her voice sound like an elderly woman on purpose and said, "Open the door, Little Red Riding Hood! I''m the Big Bad Wolf! Ahem... I''m your grandmother!"

    There was silence inside the room.

    Bianca lowered her voice and said, "Wanda, I can make calls with my phone now."

    There was the sound of running footsteps pounding across the floor.

    The door opened, and Wanda pulled Bianca inside and shut the door, locking it behind her.

    "You''re so rough... but I like it..." Bianca hugged Wanda.

    "Bianca, lend me your phone!"

    Wanda wanted to contact Christine to ask about what had happened with Carlisle.

    Bianca pouted and said, "No! You didn''t behave well, so I can''t give you my phone."

    Wanda didn''t know whether tough or cry. "What do you mean that I haven''t been behaving well?"

    "You didn''t eat your meals regrly!"

    "Fine, I''ll eat them! Happy?" Wanda went down to eat with Bianca.

    Bianca had already eaten, so she just got herself some yogurt.

    The three of them sat in silence.

    After she had eaten, Wanda pulled Bianca back to her room.

    Bianca sat on the soft bed and said, "I almost died of awkwardness! Do you always eat in silence?"

    "Bianca, we''ll always be friends, won''t we?" Wanda asked as she looked sternly at Bianca.

    "Yes." Bianca nodded meekly.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Wanda continued, "I have some secrets that I can''t let the Murrays find out about. Can you keep a secret?"

    Bianca bared her teeth in a mischievous smile. "Wanda, you don''t actually think that my family is on good terms with the Murrays, do you?"

    "Finn''s mother is your aunt!"

    "But my aunt doesn''t have much power in the Murray family. My uncle and my aunt got married because she was pregnant. If my aunt hadn''t given him a son, she probably wouldn''t have had the chance to marry him. They''ve been married for over 20 years, but my uncle''s never even touched her!"

    "What?" Wanda stared at her in shock.

    They had gotten married because Rosalie was pregnant?

    Skyler hadn''t touched his wife in 20 years?

    How could Skyler be so cruel?

    "That''s why I never talk to Finn. I don''t think of him as my cousin at all!" Bianca pouted, looking defiant.

    Wanda was amused. "Does Finn treat your aunt well?"

    Bianca said carelessly, "No one needs his care! He can''t change Aunt Rosalie''s status in the Murray family, anyway!

    Wanda said again, "You can''t ce all your resentment on Finn. It''s not his fault."

    "You aren''t even married to him yet. Why are you taking his side?" Bianca looked annoyed.

    Wanda''s brow wrinkled. "I''m not going to marry him."

    Bianca pulled her down beside her and asked, smiling sweetly, "Wanda, was the man who came today your boyfriend? That''s the secret you want me to keep, isn''t it?"

    Wanda remained silent. She did not know whether she could trust Bianca. After all, they had only known each other for less than half a month.

    Bianca could tell that Wanda did not trust her. She immediately let go of Wanda''s arm and turned her head away." You don''t trust me! I''m annoyed!"

    "I

 Chapter 607

    ?Chapter 607

    "I... I do trust you! Don''t be angry!" Wanda hastily tried to cate Bianca.

    She still needed her so she could contact the outside world with Bianca''s phone.

    Bianca crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring Wanda.

    Wanda tugged on Bianca''s arm and said yfully, "I''m sorry, Bianca. Don''t be angry..."

    "A, you''re so cute when you''re whining, Wanda! Give me a kiss!" Bianca broke into a smile and gave Wanda a peck on the cheek.

    Wanda blushed and said, "You''re not angry anymore, right?"

    "I''m still angry! You haven''t answered the question I asked just now." Bianca blinked her pretty eyes at Wanda.

    "He... He''s probably my boyfriend!"

    "Huh? Probably?" Bianca felt as if she couldn''t wrap her head around it.

    What did Wanda mean by "probably"?

    "It''s like this. After I came here to get treatment, I forgot someone."

    "Huh?" Bianca was startled. "Wanda, I don''t understand. What do you mean you forgot someone after you came here for treatment? Are you sure you only forgot one person?"

    "I''m not sure either." Wanda went to her desk and took out her diary from the drawer.

    She flipped to the seating chart of her high school ssroom that she had drawn and showed it to Bianca. "This is the seating chart of my ss in high school. I can remember all my ssmates except Carlisle."

    Bianca looked at Carlisle''s name and said, "Isn''t that his name? Did you just add it in?"

    Wanda hesitated for a moment but then decided to tell her the truth. After all, she could not hide this secret from Bianca.

    She sat on the bed and said, "A month ago, the driver who delivered the supplies gave me a message. It was on a note, and Carlisle''s name was written on it. However, I couldn''t remember who Carlisle was, so I drew this seating chart.

    "I could remember the names of every single one of my high school ssmates, but I couldn''t remember who Carlisle was. That''s why I added his name."

    "You''re saying Carlisle started nning to sneak in a month ago?" Bianca''s jaw dropped in shock.

    Wanda nodded lightly. "It seems to be that way."

    Bianca asked again, "You remember everyone else apart from him?"

    "Yes!" Wanda nodded again.

    "How did they do it?" Bianca looked confused.

    It was selective memory erasure.

    Was that even possible with their current medical technology?

    Wanda did not know how, so she shook her head and said, "I don''t know either. That''s why I need to contact people in the outside world to find out the truth."

    Bianca thought for a moment. She narrowed her eyes and said, "We can analyze this. Your father sent you here, didn''t he?"

    "Yes,"

    "Does your father know about you and Carlisle?"

    "I don''t know."

    "You don''t know whether your father knows about you and Carlisle?"

    "I''m not sure. I have no memory of anything regarding Carlisle!"

    "I think your father does know about it. That''s why he told the people here to erase all your memories of Carlisle,

    so you would forget him. Once you''re cured, you can marry Finn as soon as you finish your studies."

    Bianca''s analysis was very logical, and Wanda could not find any reason to refute her.

    She lowered her head and sighed. "Maybe that really is the case."

    Bianca grabbed her hand and saidpassionately, "Wanda, I feel sorry for you and Aunt Rosalie."

    Rosalie had gotten married because she was pregnant. She had never received any care or love from the Murrays. Wanda had been sent here by her father to get all her memories with Carlisle erased.

    "Perhaps this is the burden thates with being in an elite family. If I came from an average family, I would never have been part of a marriage alliance." Wanda looked close to tears when she thought about the cruel things she had said to Carlisle.

    If she put herself in Carlisle''s shoes, she could imagine the disappointment and despair that Carlisle must have felt. He had worked so hard toe and see the person he loved, only to have her break up with hirm.

    "Wanda, don''t be sad." Bianca leaned her head on Wanda''s shoulder tofort her.

    Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "I have a phone now. Why don''t we call the police? The Murrays don''t want this ce to be exposed, so we should get someone toe and investigate this ce. Then we''ll be able to get out earlier!"

    Bianca''s father had signed an agreement for one year.

    Only two months had passed, and Bianca was already dying of boredom.

    If she had to stay for a year, she was sure that she would go insane.

    Wanda shook her head and said, "You know how influential the Murray family is in the political world. It won''t be of any use for us to call the police. Besides, you only managed to get your phone in here because of the connections that you have. You must have given them a lot of bribes.

    "If the Murrays investigate, they''ll find the driver who delivers the supplies, and they''ll trace their way back to Carlisle. If that happens, Carlisle''s connections and the people he bribed will all be affected as well. We won''t be able to bear their wrath!"Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

    Bianca''s eyes dimmed. "You think of everything."

    She had asked Rosalie to help her smuggle her phone in.

    Rosalie had no authority in the Murray family, so she must have used her own connections.

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 Chapter 608

    Chapter 608

    If the Murrays found out that Rosalie had sent Bianca her phone, she would have an even more difficult time in the future.

    Bianca imagined Rosalie at the Murrays'', being tortured by an old, evil woman and getting pricked by needles.

    Bianca pulled down the zipper of her down jacket and took out a ck phone from the pocket inside. "Here. You can make a call!"

    "Thank you, Bianca. You''re the best!" Wanda kissed her happily.

    Bianca grinned.

    Wanda could not remember Christine''s number, but she did remember the number of the officendline.

    She called, but no one answered.

    That was when she realized that it was already midnight.

    Wanda hung up and sighed, saying, "It''s toote now. I''ll call tomorrow."

    Just as she finished speaking, the phone rang.

    It was thepanyndline.

    Wanda answered the call at once. "Hello?"

    "Hello, this is SwiftFu" Christine''s sleepy voice came over the phone, but she broke off mid-sentence and suddenly sounded alert as she said, "A-are you Wanda?"

    "Yes, it''s me," Wanda answered gently.

    "Where are you, Wanda? Are you alright?" Christine sounded emotional.

    She went to ss during the day and came to work the night shift at the office. When she was tired, she slept at the office because she was too afraid of missing a call from any of their clients.

    Swiftfunds Investments prided itself on always answering in a timely manner.

    Wanda answered, "I''m alright. Christine, tell me about Carlisle."

    "Alright." Christine began telling Wanda about her romantic history with Carlisle.

    The callsted for two hours.

    Bianca curled up in the nkets and fell asleep before the call ended.

    Wanda, however, felt more and more alert the more she heard.

    Suddenly, there was a beeping noise as the call ended.

    Wanda nced at it and saw the phone battery was still half full.

    She wanted to call again, but since it was already 2:00 am, she decided not to.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

    She put the phone back into Bianca''s pocket and snuggled into the nkets with Bianca to keep warm.

    Bianca was jolted awake by how cold Wanda''s hands were.

    She red at her sleepily and said, "Don''t touch me! You''re freezing!"

    "Don''t be so petty! I''ll warm the bed for you tomorrow!"

    "You said it! You''re not allowed to go back on your word tomorrow."

    "If I do, then I''m less than a dog!"

    The next day, Wanda was woken by the sound of Bianca sobbing.

    "Wanda... You made a 150-minute long-distance callst night..."

    "Bianca, stop being so noisy. I want to sleep for a while more.." Wanda wasn''t fully awake yet, and her soft, whiny voice almost made Bianca relent.

    "Sleep? How can you sleep right now?" Bianca reached her cold hands inside Wanda''s nightdress.

    "Aargh!" Wanda was wide awake at once. She shielded her chest with her arms and rolled over.

    Bianca chortled. "You''re so soft and slippery! Let me touch you again!"

    Wanda immediately pulled the nkets tightly around herself. "Bianca, stop ying around!"

    Bianca pouted and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hmph, you''ve got my phone line barred! You should let me do whatever I want!"

    "It''s been barred?"

    "It costs a dor a minute for long-distance calls! What did you think was going to happen?"

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 Chapter 609

    ?Chapter 609

    Tears were brimming in Bianca''s eyes. She hadn''t even had a chance to make any calls yet, but Wanda''s phone call had already gotten her line barred.

    How could she call anyone now?

    "Bianca... I''m sorry. I-I didn''t mean to make such a long call..." Wanda shrank back into her nkets until only her eyes were visible. She looked very apologetic.

    She had been desperate to know about her past with Carlisle, and the more she had heard, the more invested she had be. She hadn''t noticed the time, and when the call ended abruptly, she thought Christine had fallen asleep.

    Bianca looked huffily at Wanda. "There''s no way for me to top up the money for my phone in this ce. Now we can''t contact anyone outside at all! I don''t care. You have to make this up to me!"

    Wanda knew she was in the wrong, so she said meekly, "What would you like me to do for you?"

    "Let me touch you again!" Bianca snickered and jumped over to her.

    Maisie was making breakfast downstairs when she heard the two young women giggling upstairs.

    She couldn''t help smiling.

    People around the same age always got on better.

    Bianca was autistic, and with Wanda''spanionship, her condition seemed to be improving much faster.

    Upstairs, Bianca was scrabbling enthusiastically at Wanda''s nightdress.

    Wanda was very athletic. In fact, she even got the approval of Lawrence when she was in military training.

    She managed to overpower Bianca very quickly and pinned thetter down underneath her. While doing so, she identally pulled Bianca''s top off her shoulder.

    Suddenly, Wanda froze.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Bianca''s shoulder was covered in scars.

    They crawled across her skin like worms.

    "Wanda... I was wrong... Please let me go!" Bianca''s head was covered by a pillow. She begged for mercy.

    When Wanda did not move, Bianca flung the pillow away.

    She saw Wanda staring at her shoulder, and her smile slowly froze. Then she wrested herself out of Wanda''s grasp and pulled her shirt up roughly to hide the scars.

    She pouted and said, "It''s so ugly! Don''t look at it, Wanda, especially at night."

    Wanda took a long time to recover. The scars had clearly been inflicted with a knife. There were already so many scars on her shoulder. What about the rest of her body?

    What had Bianca been through?

    Why had she been sent to this ce?

    They had known each other for so long, but Wanda had never had a proper conversation with Bianca.

    "Those..." Wanda hesitated. She was afraid that she would bring up painful memories for Bianca.

    "My stepmother did that to me," Bianca murmured softly as she curled up.

    Wanday on her side beside Bianca and pulled her gently into her arms. She saidfortingly, "Don''t be scared. I''ll protect you."

    Bianca told Wanda about her story.

    The Yarnells of Yorskle had just been an average working-ss family.

    Bianca''s grandfather was named William Yarnell.

    William had a son and a daughter.

    His son was Calvin Yarnell, while his daughter was Rosalie.

    It was true that one person''s fortune could change the luck of the entire family.

    After Rosalie married into a prestigious family, the status of the Yarnells rose drastically overnight.

    William became renowned in the business world thanks to Rosalie''s connections.

    Within a year, he had umted over one hundred million in assets.

    It had been 1987 at the time, and the average sry of a worker was only 50 dors a month, which was enough for them to keep food on the table.

    Calvin had had enough of living frugally, and he used the money that William had earned to climb up the socialdder. He was generous with his money and quickly gained fame as a wealthy business owner.

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 Chapter 610

    ?Chapter 610

    Calvin had be obsessed with leading a luxurious life.

    William had be ill after working hard for most of his life. When he saw how useless Calvin was and how he was squandering the money that William had earned, he was so angry that he began having problems with his heart.

    In order to control Calvin, William found someone to arrange a marriage for him.

    Calvin refused to marry, so William cut him off in a fury.

    Without any ie, Calvin was treated with contempt by many people. In the end, he had no choice but to obey William''s orders and marry Cheryl Baker, Bianca''s mother.

    Two yearster, they had Bianca.

    However, Calvin had not changed his behavior.

    While Bianca was still a newborn, Calvin went out and partied all the time.

    He never even went to the hospital to visit William, even though William''s condition deteriorated several times and he had to have emergency care.

    William was thoroughly disappointed in Calvin.

    He called Rosalie and made his will. He divided all the stock he owned into three portions.

    Cheryl would get 30 percent of the shares, while Bianca got 21 percent.

    Rosalie received 49 percent of the shares.

    Before he died, William told Rosalie and Cheryl that if Calvin truly repented, they could decide whether they wanted to share any of their shares with him.

    Rosalie had no objection, as Calvin was her older brother.

    She had to manage the business that the Murrays had handed her, and she was finding it difficult to take care of

    both.

    She knew what William wanted. He had given her therger share of the stock to keep it safe for Calvin.

    Cheryl had no objection either. As long as Calvin came back and settled down, she would let him have her shares. Cheryl was a smart and capable woman.

    She raised Bianca on her own while managing thepany.

    Within two years, she had managed to raise thepany''s profits to twice as much as it had been.

    Williamy in the hospital for two years, but Calvin never even visited him once until the day he died.

    Bianca said, "Grandpa died in the summer of 1990."

    "The day he was buried, Calvin came back. He knelt in front of Grandpa''s grave for three days and three nights in mourning clothes. He didn''t eat or drink anything for all three days.

    "Aunt Rosalie and Mom were afraid that he would ruin his health, so they decided to forgive him." Bianca sat dully at the head of the bed and smiled mockingly.

    "Was your father faking it?" Wanda could already guess the end of the story from Bianca''s expression.

    If Calvin had been truly repentant, he wouldn''t have remarried, and he would never have allowed Bianca to suffer such abuse.

    Bianca did not answer Wanda''s question. She seemed to be talking to herself as she said, "When he first came back, Calvin treated Mom so well. Mom wanted him to learn how to take care of a business from her, but he said he didn''te back for the shares.

    "He just wanted to take care of Mom and me. After that, he did keep to his word for a time. He would drive Mom to and from work every day, and while she was working, he would keep herpany with me.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "This only went on for about two months."

    "In September of that year, Calvin drove the car into the river while bringing Mom home from work." Bianca was in tears.

    She covered her mouth as her entire body trembled.

    Wanda was crying silently with her.

    She felt as if she would burst from anger.

    Cheryl had been raising a child while managing apany.

    She was such a wonderful woman.

    How could Calvin have done such a thing?

    Wanda had initially thought Calvin only returned to fight for his inheritance and would divorce Cheryl once he had it to continue living the life he wanted.

    Who could have imagined that he would kill Cheryl?

    He had done a terrible thing. It would anger anyone who even heard of it.

    Wanda had never cursed in her life, but she felt like Calvin deserved to be sworn at.

    Bianca calmed down very quickly. She continued, "Calvin and Mom were both rescued by passersby. Mom had already stopped breathing when they got her out, but Calvin was fine. After they tested everything, the verdict was that the car''s brakes had failed.

    "Aunt Rosalie didn''t believe it, so she hired a private investigator to dig deeper. However, he didn''t end up finding anything, and Calvin took all the shares that belonged to Mom."

    "At the end of the year, Calvin brought back a woman who had just returned from abroad. They got married on the 25th of January the following year. That was the start of my nightmare."

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 Chapter 611

    ?Chapter 611

    "That woman''s name was Paige Carrington. She was 31 years old and had a PhD in Biology. She returned after studying abroad and was an expert in makeup and beauty products, which is what our family''s business is based on. tour

    "She led the R&D team and created Wondermoist, which was wildly popr domestically and internationally. She received recognition from thepany''s core executives, and she and Calvin portray a good image of themselves by doing charity. Very soon, they became an exemry entrepreneurial couple.

    "Paige was very good at creating a good reputation for herself. Whenever there was a disaster somewhere, she would be the first to lead a rescue team to the site. The victims of the disaster who received her help called her a saint, but nobody knew how cruel and unmerciful she was under that saintly mask.

    "Ever since I can remember, the maids that Paige hired would teach me how to serve drinks and wash the feet of others. I started serving Paige when I was five years old. There was once when she dunked my head in a basin full of water with her foot and screamed abuse at me, all because the water for bathing her feet had been too hot!" Tears rolled out of Bianca''s eyes as she spoke.

    She wiped her tears away and said in a choked voice, "That was just the beginning. In order to develop a scar removal cream, she used a knife to slowly carve out wounds on my back. Then she got a private doctor to staunch the bleeding and bandage me up. When the wounds were almost healed, she would use the scar removal cream on me."

    Bianca did not want to think of those memories at all.

    She could remember the countless times that she had felt the searing pain of a sharp knife piercing through her skin.

    "Why wouldn''t she just die?" Wanda hugged Bianca, sobbing.

    She could feel the pain of a knife slicing through her skin slowly just from listening to Bianca''s description.

    Bianca had only been five years old at the time.

    She had been five!

    How could Paige have been so vicious?

    Wanda sobbed as she asked, "What about Calvin? Didn''t he feel any guilt at all? Did he just watch you get abused? Is he even human?"

    If he hadn''t wanted a daughter, it would have been better to send Bianca to an orphanage rather than let her stay with that horrible woman.

    Bianca took a deep breath and calmed herself before saying, "Paige was Calvin''s first love. While studying at university, she became pregnant with Calvin''s child. She looked down on him at the time but didn''t want to abort the child, so she went abroad to study. Calvin focused all his attention on his son, so he never cared about whether I lived or died.

    "When I got old enough to go to school, Paige nned on not letting me go. Luckily, Aunt Rosalie found Calvin and forced him to let me go to school. She even got him to send me to the best school in Yorksle. Aunt Rosalie still has 49 percent of Wonder Corporation''s shares, so Calvin and Paige didn''t dare to disobey her. That''s why they let me go to school in the end."

    "Didn''t you tell your aunt about what was happening?" Wanda felt angry on Bianca''s behalf.

    She decided she would get justice for Bianca as soon as she got out.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    "Paige threatened me and said that if I told anyone else, she would cut my tongue out. I believed she would do it, so I didn''t dare to say anything.

    "After that, Paige kept enhancing her scar removal cream, and she would always use me for experiments. She cut me 182 times. I''ve thought aboutmitting suicide more than once, but whenever I stood on the top floor of a building, I would think about whether Calvin and Paige would be happier if I died.

    "They would just continue leading a carefree life. I can''t die. I have to get revenge! I''m going to pay her back for those 182 cuts!" Bianca''s child-like face was filled with an intense hatred.

    She wanted revenge, but her depression often kept her spirits low. She would sometimes think about ending her life.

    The continuous torment on her body and mind had resulted in her autism diagnosis.

    She stopped wanting to interact with others, and she reacted and moved slowly. She had even forgotten how tomunicate with people.

    This went on until Finn''s 18th birthday, when the Murrays invited over half of all the family enterprises in Yorskle to attend his birthday celebration.

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