“I’m sure!” Vera pulled Charlie onto the cobblestone bridge. In the center of the bridge, she pointed to a chipped bluestone slab and told Charlie, “This damaged piece was caused by a frightened horse. Its owner was a stonemason who came to deliver two stone sculptures to the new mansion of the chieftain of Stoneridge. The horse had some difficulty crossing this cobblestone bridge, so the stonemason whipped it harshly. The horse got anxious, slipped, almost fell down, and then struggled forward as if crazy, overturning the cart it was dragging. One of the stone sculptures smashed into this bluestone slab, leaving this chip here.”As she spoke, Vera continued, “Coincidentally, I accompanied my grandfather from Digerro town that day to congratulate the chieftain here. So, I happened to witness the entire incident of the horse causing trouble at the bridge.”As Charlie listened to her description, he couldn't help but imagine the scene she described. At that moment, a girl about seven
When faced with the invitation from this young man called Helron, Charlie gladly accepted and said with a smile, “Since that's the case, we won't stand on ceremony with you guys!”Helron laughed and said, “You don't need to be so polite. We're all friends from different places, taking care of each other is the fine tradition among us hikers.”With that said, he asked Charlie, “Buddy, what's your name?”Charlie was about to speak when Vera, who was beside him, smiled and said, “My boyfriend is Charlesly Lavor. You can call him Charles!”Charlie was taken aback. He understood Vera's intention. After all, they were here to wait for Fleur. Whether it was Charlie's real name or Vera's real name, Fleur would definitely be familiar with them, so it was best to avoid using their real names as much as possible.However, he didn't expect that Vera would give him the alias ‘Charlesly Lavor’ and even came up with the nickname ‘Charles’ for him. He thought to himself, ‘Charles? Why does that
Young people who were enthusiastic about the outdoors generally have very outgoing and open personalities, and most of them are extroverted and sociable. Moreover, these young people were all very enthusiastic toward Charlie and Vera, so everyone quickly engaged in lively conversation.Helron was very influential among this group of people, and it was evident that everyone respected him. Charlie noticed that he didn't seem very old, so he curiously asked him, “Helron, are you a student or already working?”Helron nodded and said, “I'm still a student. I was studying in the United States before. I'm an Oskian American, and it's summer vacation now, so I wanted to come back to Oskia to hike a little and experience the beauty of our country.”He continued, “Most of us are university students. Jung, Louie Mant, and I are all studying in the United States. Shermaine and Bobbi are from Queenston University. Perry Hinskey and Jenell Looten are from Blastun University. There are also some w
Shermaine, who was aside, said, “It’s not like that. The allocation of spots for the clinical trials of Apothecary Pharmaceuticals is not based on who has money and power, but on who needs treatment the most. Those who sign up for the clinical trials are all cancer patients without exception. At least thirty percent of them have been declared by doctors to have less than six months to live. There are hundreds of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer alone, and many of them are children. People like us in our twenties hardly stand a chance to get a spot.”Curious, Charlie asked, "Shermaine, did you also sign up for Apothecary Pharmaceutical’s clinical trials?”Shermaine nodded and said, “I did, but I didn't get selected. The evaluation mechanism of Apothecary Pharmaceutical is somewhat like comparing miseries. First, they compare who has the most severe illness, and then they compare who is the youngest, whose family situation is the most pitiful, whose family responsibilities are
Charlie didn't expect that while camping in the mountains of Yorkshire Hill, he would encounter two young cancer patients. What surprised him even more was that both of these individuals had wanted to participate in the clinical trials of Apothecary Pharmaceutical in Aurous Hill, but they were both rejected. What astonished him the most was that this person, Leni, even knew Jameson.While others were marveling at the fact that Jameson, who once led the entire FDA, had voluntarily resigned and started charity work in Aurous Hill, Charlie curiously asked Leni, “Helron, are you very familiar with Jameson Smith?”Leni calmly replied, “Not really. After all, before he resigned, he was a high-ranking official in the United States, and the people he interacted with at the FDA were all top-notch biopharmaceutical companies and entrepreneurs worldwide. Someone like Jameson is outstanding even in high society. How could an ordinary person like me have the opportunity to know him?”Leni then
As she spoke, her expression gradually became serious. She said, “Leni, let's make a promise. Let's try to live through this year first. If by next year, a miracle happens and neither of us has died, you can come to Oskia and meet my parents to get their consent. After that, I will go to the United States with you.”Leni, who had been cheerful all along, suddenly looked weary. He whispered, “There are still four months left until next year. I'm afraid that even if I don't die by then, I won't be able to come to Oskia to see you.”Shermaine's eyes reddened, but she smiled and said, “It's okay. We'll just video call each other every day. Everything has moved online now, anyway. Even courts often hold hearings online. If necessary, we can just hire a priest, and I'll marry you online.”Leni suppressed his tears, nodded gently, and smiled as he said, “Okay, it’s a deal. When I go back to the United States this time, I'll look for a priest to organize an online wedding ceremony for us on
Soon, the moment the sun set completely, everyone lit a bonfire and the barbecue pit. Since everyone had prepared ingredients and Charlie had specially bought more, this dinner was particularly sumptuous. Besides, Charlie also bought plenty of good wine, which further enhanced the mood and atmosphere. Basically, everyone decided to indulge in drinking that night.Therefore, Charlie specially infused some Reiki into the wine. This Reiki couldn't strengthen their bodies or treat illnesses, but it ensured that no matter how much they drank that night, they wouldn't even yawn at all. Moreover, once this faint Reiki was absorbed by their bodies, it wouldn't leave any traces behind. Even if Fleur came, she wouldn't notice anything.Yorkshire Hill was located on a plateau, and the temperature difference between day and night was relatively large. Combined with the altitude of Mount Turtle Back, the temperature dropped considerably after nightfall. So, everyone sat around the bonfire, wa
At this moment, with less than twenty minutes until sunrise, everyone added some branches to the bonfire and started waiting for the moment when the sun would rise from behind the mountain.After about ten minutes, the previously pale horizon began to glow with golden hues. This was the sign that the sun was about to rise over the horizon.Just as everyone was eagerly looking forward to it, Charlie suddenly sensed that someone far away was quickly approaching their location. Since he was worried about being discovered by Fleur, Charlie had been practicing the mental cultivation method taught to him by Ruby since last night, tightly sealing his own Reiki within his body.For cultivators, each person was like a submarine navigating in the deep sea, relying on sonar detection to find each other. Using this analogy, a person with higher cultivation was like a more advanced submarine with stronger firepower, better propulsion, and more advanced methods of detecting other submarines from