Ch. 371..380
Chapter 371 Catherine Also Needed Money
Opening the contract handed over by Withal, Catherine scanned the contents on it and put it down. Seeing that her expression remained the same, Withal was somewhat unable to figure out Catherine’s thoughts.
In the base, there were various legends about Catherine.
It was rumored that not only was she a genius in the field of science and technology, but she was also good at fighting, and on the list of the top ten killers in the world, she had always ranked in the top three.
It was also rumored that she had a cold personality, committed innumerable murders, was ruthless and cold- blooded, and no one dared to offend her.
But these were all rumors. Only a very few of the original members of the base had seen her, and the rest of the members could only contact her through absolutely secret single-line contacts. In order to find her, they had to find Ronin first.
Withal waited for a few more minutes, but Catherine still didn’t speak. Unable to sit still, he took the initiative to inquire, “Catherine, is there anything wrong with this contract?”
“No, it’s good!” Her goal from the beginning was to get the mine, and the rest didn’t matter. Withal had already accomplished his mission.
Catherine answered faintly, so Withal’s heart was still in a state of turmoil. He hesitated for a while before reporting what he had done in the past few days.
“Catherine, we not only blocked the Winfred Group’s project these days, we also shorted the Winfreds’ stock to make a profit. In three days, we have nearly 400 million dollars in revenue!”
At the mention of money, Catherine’s eyes lit up. She glanced at Withal in satisfaction. ” Great. It just so happens that I’m short of money lately!”
Catherine then sent Withal a bank account number. “Transfer the money to this account!”
Short of money?
Catherine from Hacker Alliance was actually short of money? Withal couldn’t believe it. Although this might sound unbelievable, it was true that Catherine was short of money. A large portion of her money went to the Arbotte Laboratory.
Any random project in their laboratory required several years of experimental time and several tens of billions of dollars in funding. Even if Catherine could make more money, she couldn’t afford so much money!
Originally, selling the products that their laboratory made could bring a huge profit to the laboratory, but Catherine sold the recent products to Zerwick at a 50% discount.
Although the other members were fine with it, it led to a shortage of funds for the laboratory. For this, Catherine could only choose to use her own money to pay for it.
It was a big sum of money, and even the richest person would be poor after paying for it! Could Catherine not be poor after that?
Seeing Catherine asking for money, Withal didn’t ask much and transferred the money directly without keeping a single penny for himself.
“Catherine, the money is transferred. Please check it!”
After he finished saying that, it so happened that the food was served to the table, and he hurriedly asked Catherine to eat.
“Catherine, this restaurant may be a bit out of the way, but it’s an old brand restaurant in Oceanvile, and their food is very authentic Oceanvile food. Try them!”
In order to find a good restaurant, Withal searched through food posts for a whole hour before selecting it. It could be said that he was very attentive to the matter of meeting Catherine.
Catherine glanced at the dishes on the table and thought they looked quite delicious. She then took off her peaked cap and tossed it aside.
Withal originally did not pay any attention to it. Unintentionally, he raised his eyes and saw Catherine’s face. He was so shocked that he bit his tongue directly.
He really didn’t expect that Catherine was not only young and had a good figure but also had a good-looking appearance. He thought it would be no problem for Catherine to enter the showbiz and become a famous actress!
Seeing Withal didn’t move, Catherine shook her head helplessly. “Are you absent-minded again? Hurry up and eat. There are things waiting for you to do!”
Upon hearing this, Withal obediently started to eat as if he couldn’t wait to take the coming task. If those familiar with Withal knew that the intimidating head of Withalist still had such an obedient side, they would probably be shocked to death.
During the meal, Withal thought of one thing and hurriedly reported to Catherine, “Catherine, idiot Xavier brought Tyler back. I received news that he scheduled surgery for Tyler today. That’s pretty ruthless. He’s really ruthless to do that!
“Catherine, should we intervene?”
Withal had heard Ronin say earlier that Erick was saved by Catherine. He wondered if Catherine wanted to save him again now.
If they needed to save Erick again, it would be just a small matter of arranging for someone to make a move.
Xavier was no match for them even when he was healthy, let alone he was dying now. Catherine was not surprised at all. She only gave a shallow sneer when she heard the news. What couldn’t humans do to survive?
She refused Withal’s proposal directly. “No need!”
She had given Erick the chance to make his own choice. Since Erick had chosen a path he wanted to take, no matter what the future held, he would have to pay the price for his choice. It had nothing to do with others.
“Have you heard any news about Red Star lately?” Catherine inquired suddenly.
Withal shook his head. In the past two years, they had been paying attention to a mysterious organization called ” Red Star”, investigating its movements, but there had been no news.
There were very few organizations in this world that even the Hacker Alliance could not find.
Red Star was one of them. It was a very powerful organization, and it not only sold weapons, manufacturing a variety of top chips, but it also participated in various high-end medical experiments. It could be said that there were no fields that Red Star was not involved in.
However, for such a huge organization, the world knew less about it than the Hacker Alliance, and this organization was even more mysterious than the Hacker Alliance.
Speaking of Red Star, Withal was furious. He said viciously to Catherine. ”
Catherine, don’t worry, I will do my best to investigate Red Star. Once I find out the chief of their organization, I will capture him and chop him up to relieve your anger!”
The reason why Withal said such words was because three years ago, the chief of the Red Star organization had once set Catherine up. They tried to set up a big trap to trick Catherine.
Withal was not sure what exactly happened. He only knew that Catherine lay in the highest level hospital bed at the base for three months after returning that time.
He, Ronin, and several other leaders swore together that they must find the chief of the Red Star organization and chop him up to relieve Catherine’s anger. Catherine wrote an address on paper and threw it to Withal.
“There was someone selling my information in the black market and there were once members of the Red Star here. Go check it out!”
Sean from the black market had some connection with Catherine, which Withal knew well, so he believed that the information must be true.
“Okay, Catherine. I’ll definitely check it out!” Withal glanced at the address and destroyed the paper on the spot after he remembered it in his heart. The address was in Oceanvile, which was one of the reasons Catherine had come to Oceanvile.
However, she still had to take care of the laboratory these days, so she didn’t have time to investigate for the time being. It just so happened that Withal was there, and she wanted to ask Withal to investigate before she made her move.
Almost finished eating, Catherine’s cell phone suddenly rang. She glanced at her cell phone and found that it was a message from Branden.
[Are things done? Do you need me to pick you up?]
Chapter 372 Wanted to Stay With You
Withal followed Catherine out of the restaurant in a sad mood. Their group of people were particularly envious of Ronin because he was the only person who could accompany Catherine every day, which was really enviable.
Catherine had sent Branden the restaurant address, and by the time she walked out, Branden was already there waiting.
He stood at the entrance of the alley as if he had sensed Catherine was coming. He raised his head as soon as Catherine came out and looked toward her. The moment his eyes landed on Catherine, he noticed Withal following her.
Catherine walked straight toward Branden, and from a distance, Branden reached out to hold onto her palm.
Withal followed behind and saw the scene clearly. When he saw their hands holding together, he trembled all over.
God, he had discovered another secret. Catherine was actually with someone, and the point was that the man was freaking handsome.
Just as Withal hesitated to politely go up and say hello, Catherine had taken the initiative to make the introduction. “This is Hamza, my friend!”
Hearing that Catherine was introducing himself to the man in front, Withal rushed forward. After sizing up Branden, he said politely, ” My name is Hamza. You can call me Withal as Catherine did!”
Branden nodded and said coldly, “My name is Branden!”
He then turned his gaze back to Catherine. There was no other place for anyone else in his eyes. He thought he and Withal only needed to get to know each other briefly. As Catherine prepared to leave, Branden followed her to the car.
Withal stood frozen in place for a long time as he watched the car move away. He always felt that the name Branden was somewhat familiar, and he could sense from the aura emanating from this man that this man was not ordinary.
“Branden!” Withal recited the name in his heart again silently, and suddenly…
He remembered! The man was the young head of the Duncans in Casier, who was rumored to be the perfect man!
According to rumors, the Duncans were not only the richest family in Casier but also the richest family in the country.
Because the Duncans had always kept a low profile, they had not publicly ranked as the richest family in the country.
People who knew the truth knew that the more prosperous a family was in the past century, the more they knew how to keep a low profile.
On the contrary, the wealthy families on the rankings were just being pushed out to cover the truly wealthy families. The truly wealthy were still the heirs of these top families.
The man behind Catherine was actually Branden. Withal originally thought that no man in the world was worthy of Catherine’s exceptional intelligence, but after learning that her man was Branden, Withal felt they were a win-win union inexplicably.
After all, Branden was rumored to have a transcendent status. The title of heir to the Duncans alone was enough to put him on the tip of the world’s pyramid.
It was quiet in the car. Catherine had rested enough today, so even if she was sitting in the car now, she was not sleepy at all and could still take out her phone to play games. Upon seeing her ending the game, Branden promptly reached out and pressed her hand.
“Stop playing. Let your eyes rest.”
Branden might not stop Catherine’s behavior openly, but he had always kept a standard in his heart. He would remind Catherine from time to time. After playing a game, Catherine was also tired. Upon Branden’s reminder, Catherine put down her phone.
Seeing her being so well-behaved, Branden looked at her with a doting face and asked, “Do you have anything to do tomorrow? When do you plan to return to Casier?”
“Next week!” Catherine then gave the precise time. She still had a few things to do, so she wasn’t planning on going back so early.
The matter of the Winfreds was still unsettled. The Swanns had close contact with the Winfreds, and it was a little more convenient for her to stay over here as she was able to get first- hand information at Oceanvile.
“I have something to do tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”
The man frowned slightly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.
“You can focus on your things. I can do it all alone.” Catherine was not the kind of little girl who was clingy. She had always been used to being alone, so even if Branden was not by her side, she was fine.
The huge Duncan Corporation was now all handed over to Branden to manage, and he had to do a lot of things every day. Men were busy with their careers, and Catherine could understand it very well.
“Haha…” Branden laughed a little helplessly. It was not necessarily a good thing that one’s girlfriend was too generous.
He put one arm around Catherine’s waist, and with a slight application of force, he grabbed Catherine’s entire body into his arms.
He rested his head on Catherine’s shoulder and whispered softly, “The one who can’t be alone is me.”
The one who couldn’t be alone wasn’t her but Branden himself. Thinking about leaving for two days, Branden wanted to kill that group of idiots in his company. They never got things done right, and he had to handle things in person.
Even he didn’t know when he started feeling like he couldn’t live without Catherine! Inside the dimly lit car, Catherine’s clear eyes shone like the brightest stars in the night sky. The person who had always been cold had her eyebrows curved with a smile at this moment.
“It’s just two days. It will end very soon! “Rarely, Catherine actually comforted the man who began to sigh because he was going to be separated from her for two days.
It was still early. Branden guessed that Catherine should have just finished her meal, so he didn’t plan to take her to dinner.
“How about we have a walk?”
“Yes!” Just finished eating, Catherine also planned to take a walk to help digestion. Before coming to Oceanvile, Audrey asked her to bring back some specialty products.
Although Catherine didn’t like shopping, she didn’t reject it, either. Shopping for something during a walk was not a bad idea.
Paxton parked the car in the underground garage of Oceanvile’s largest mall, which was not only the largest in Oceanvile but also one of the three largest plazas in the entire East.
On the first floor, there were cosmetics and luxury goods from around the world, all of which were first-tier brands. Some second-tier products were difficult to have a place here.
From the fourth floor to the eighth floor, there were all luxury items. Branden led Catherine directly to the clothing area on the fourth floor, but her requirements for clothing were not high.
Her clothes were all arranged by Ronin, all of which were luxurious and customized designs. She planned to start checking the bags on the fifth floor!
“Let’s go to the fifth floor!”
Branden had no objections at all. He took Catherine’s hand and walked up the escalator immediately. They got on the escalator, and the first store on the left was Hermès. Hermès products were always at the forefront of luxury products.
Catherine remembered that Audrey and Yesenia both loved this brand. After receiving the last shooting’s payment, Audrey bought a Hermès handbag and showed it off in front of her for a long time.
Catherine planned to go in and take a look, but Branden’s cell phone rang. She asked Branden to answer the phone first while she went into the store alone first.
There were not many customers in the store, but there were quite a lot of clerks. As soon as Catherine entered the store, the clerks noticed her.
They looked Catherine up and down. Seeing her shopping alone with a complete set of black sportswear and a peaked cap that couldn’t tell the brand on her head, they were somewhat reluctant to come up to receive her.
However, those who came to the store were guests, and they had to follow the employee rules.
After hinting at each other, the new clerk was pushed out. Approaching Catherine, she said coldly, “Hi, how may I help you?”
Chapter 373 TOP VIP
Glancing at the clerk, Catherine didn’t respond, intending to look around herself first. Seeing that she didn’t respond, the clerk thought that she had already done her most basic duty, so she didn’t intend to bother with Catherine.
After all, there were often many internet celebrities who could not afford to buy their bags and just liked to come in to take a look.
Knowing that they could not take photos inside the store, those internet celebrities would be happy enough just to take photos of them entering the store door.
Catherine looked around on her own and noticed that the styles listed were somewhat outdated. She looked up at the nearby clerk and said, “Do you have the latest model?”
As soon as the clerk heard this, she knew that Catherine was someone who couldn’t afford their bags but still wanted to come in to pretend to be a regular customer. The clerk rolled her eyes at Catherine numerous times secretly.
After that, she said to Catherine in a cold voice, “Sorry, miss. If you want to see the new models in our store, you need to make an appointment. Only VIPs who have spent a certain amount of money at Hermès have the opportunity to learn in advance about the new model’s launch and receive a chance to make an appointment.”
The clerk’s voice was loud, and there was some mockery lingering in her tone. She was with a look of not worrying about offending the customers at all.
Her words attracted the other customers inside the store. When Emma heard the clerk’s mocking words, she turned back to look.
Originally, she just wanted to watch the show of others being mocked, but she didn’t expect to see that the one being taunted by the clerk was actually Catherine.
Seeing Catherine made Emma angry. Not only did Catherine take away the championship of the competition, making her the object of everyone’s scorn, but Catherine also made her be chastised severely by her grandfather.
Emma was the only girl of their generation in the family, and her grandfather had doted on her since she was a little girl. This was the first time her grandfather had ever punished her so harshly!
It was all caused by Catherine and the Swanns.
The most despicable one was the girl Liana, who actually asked Korbin to come to Emma’s family to solve this matter.
In the end, not only did Emma’s family have to go through the trouble of helping Liana deal with the trouble online, but they also had to be the object of ridicule by everyone in Oceanvile.
However, Liana avoided the blame by simply saying that her cell phone was stolen and that it wasn’t her who sent the pictures.
Emma fell victim to the fight between the two sisters of the Swanns. Emma had never been fooled with such a trick in her life!
Thinking about all this, Emma was furious and wished she could tear Catherine apart on the spot. She was really lucky. Meeting Catherine there at that moment was a good opportunity for her to get back at her!
If she didn’t take this opportunity to properly humiliate Catherine, wouldn’t it be too much of a loss for her?
Putting down the bag in her hand, Emma crossed her hands around her chest, stepped on her high heels, and walked toward Catherine with a noble look on her face.
“Hey! So, it’s Miss Catherine. What a coincidence!”
Feeling that the voice she heard was somewhat familiar, Catherine turned her head and saw the one who just spoke was Emma.
She glanced at Emma with a cold look and ignored her. This kind of belittling attitude was an absolute blow to Emma. How could she let Catherine humiliate her like that?
So, she decided to strike back. She laughed loudly and coldly at Catherine deliberately. “Hehe, Miss Catherine. You enter Hermès stores to say that you want to buy a bag, while you don’t even know the routine knowledge that buying Hermès latest bags requires an appointment. Don’t you feel ashamed?”
Without waiting for Catherine’s response, she continued, “Right, I almost forgot it. You’ve been living in the countryside since you were a child and you’ve never seen the world, so it’s normal that you don’t know about this.
“But the bags here are not cheap. I wonder if Miss Catherine has brought enough money.”
After Emma said those words, the clerk looked at Catherine with more and more disdain. Catherine originally didn’t intend to argue with Emma, but Emma was too stupid and arrogant.
Catherine raised her eyes and looked at Emma coldly.
Without considering to show any respect to Emma, she parted her thin lips slightly and said, “I wonder what your Grandpa’s mood would be if he knew that you didn’t even take his words seriously?”
It wasn’t that Catherine wasn’t aware of the deal Emma’s family had made with the Swanns. It was just that she hadn’t been available lately and hadn’t planned on caring yet.
However, if Emma was so brainless and liked to provoke her, then she wouldn’t mind taking the time to teach the Hazels a lesson. Facing Catherine’s threat, Emma’s face turned pale with anger.
After a long time, she finally found her words. “Catherine, you only know how to threaten me with my Grandpa. You can’t even afford to buy a bag. Who do you think you are?”
Without waiting for Catherine to speak, an abrupt voice broke the atmosphere in the store.
“What kind of bag is it? Even you can’t afford it!”
Everyone looked up and saw a tall man in a dark blue suit with a handsome face walking straight toward the store.
Only by a glance, the clerk could tell from the aristocratic aura emanating from the man and the watch he was wearing on his wrist that the man was definitely a wealthy man. If he was not a wealthy man, how could he possibly be wearing a watch worth millions of dollars?
Without waiting for the clerk to warmly come forward to greet him, this incomparably noble-looking man stopped by Catherine’s side and wrapped one arm around her waist with a doting face.
“Didn’t I tell you to call me when paying the bill?”
Catherine replied lazily, “I didn’t see the right one!”
The man raised his head, and his gaze fell on the clerk in front of him. “Bring out all the new models for her!”
Although the man looked very rich, the clerk still had to follow the rules of the store. But in comparison, she treated Branden with a much more respectful attitude.
“I’m sorry, sir. Only our VIPs can reserve our new bags!”
VIP was nothing more than a system of treating customers differently using the amount of money they spent in their store. Paxton, the assistant, knew a lot more about this than Branden. After all, Branden had never come to buy a bag himself.
Paxton took out the membership card from his bag and handed it to the clerk. “Please check if the amount we spent is enough for us to reserve a new model!”
Seeing Branden with an assistant, the clerk knew at a glance that he was not an ordinary person, and she hurriedly took the card and went to check.
In less than three minutes, the clerk rushed back in a panic and whispered a few words to other clerks before reappearing in front of Catherine and the others.
“I’m sorry, our distinguished customer. We didn’t know about your visit. We’ll arrange it for you right away!”
After saying that, two of the clerks walked over to Emma and the others and said to them, “Excuse me, ladies. Please leave for now. We have to serve the exclusive VIPs individually!”
Emma glared at the clerk with cold eyes and gritted her teeth. “What do you mean? You don’t want me to pay the bill, do you?”
The bag that Emma was interested in was just a basic model in the store, and the clerk naturally couldn’t possibly offend a top VIP customer for her sake.
“I’m sorry, miss. That lady and gentleman are our brand’s top VIP customers. They enjoy exclusive rights.
As long as they appear in any of our stores, we have to close the store exclusively for them. Please pardon me, and look forward to your next visit!”
The clerk had a serious face when she said these words, and she didn’t look like she was discussing with Emma at all.
Instantly, the scene fell into an awkward situation.
Chapter 374 Exclusive Services
The other clerks had already started to set up the exhibition area for the exclusive VIP customers, while Emma still refused to give in. Seeing that Emma had no intention of leaving, the clerk immediately issued an eviction order.
“I’m really sorry. Our store cannot serve you today. If you are unwilling to leave, then I can only call the security!”
Emma and the others clearly knew the clerk’s words were not a joke. After all, this luxury company had always been known for its coldness and had no shortage of customers.
The only ones it couldn’t offend were the top exclusive clients, so this clerk would ask security to drive them away.
Perhaps this was why everyone wanted to become the top VIP of luxury goods stores. As long as one had enough money there, one could decide everything.
If Emma didn’t leave by herself now, she would feel more humiliated after being driven out by the security guards later. In the end, Emma was dragged out of the store by her friends.
Emma was full of reluctance, but there was nothing she could do. After clearing out, Catherine and Branden were the only two customers left in the store. All the clerks in the store came out and stood in two rows, waiting to serve Catherine.
The store manager came out to serve Catherine in person. “Just a moment. We’ll immediately show you all the latest bags in the store!”
Taking a glance at the clerk who served her when she entered, Catherine said to the store manager, “Let her get them!”
The store manager dared not hesitate at all and quickly nodded. “Okay, just a moment!”
The clerk who was named didn’t expect such a surprise. Judging from Catherine’s behavior, she knew that Catherine would spend much money here today.
She hurriedly ran to pick up the bags, and the other clerk could only be envious. Even if VIP guests came, they usually only showed one or two new products to the other party to check. But Catherine was different. The card that Paxton had just shown was the symbol of their identity.
There would not be more than ten top VIPs like this globally, and they not only enjoyed the exclusive clearance rights but also enjoyed the priority to reserve any bags from this brand.
Even if they asked the design team to customize them individually, there was no problem!
That clerk carried out all the new bags and popular models in the store, and because Catherine appointed her, no one else even had the right to help.
The clerk was the only one who ran around all by herself, sweating profusely. After the bags were brought out, the store’s exclusive display clerk would put on black velvet gloves and carry them out to show to Catherine one by one.
Catherine leaned lazily against Branden’s side, casually eyeing the exquisite displays in front of her.
It was like a carefully prepared big brand runway show, and Catherine was the only customer who came to watch this top luxury bag runway show.
When Catherine was interested in one bag, she would raise her hand, and the clerk would put the bag aside as a pending item, waiting for the second display.
Catherine would finally decide which bag she wanted to buy today among the pending items. Half an hour passed before the first round of display ended. Catherine yawned tiredly, and Paxton immediately stepped forward and called a halt to the display.
He looked at the clerk with a cold face. ” No need to display anymore. Pack up all the ones she just selected!”
The clerk was shocked. There was no less than ten bags!
The total price of these bags was enough to buy a house in the center of Oceanvile. This was too extravagant.
Branden reached out and gently rubbed Catherine’s hand, placing it in his palm and kneading it back and forth, with his face filled with doting.
“Anything else to buy? Let’s shop some more!”
Catherine rarely shopped, not realizing that buying a bag was so tiring. She glanced lazily at the man and uttered two words in response, “I’m tired!”
The man smiled both helplessly and dotingly. Didn’t they all say that women loved shopping the most?
Although he hadn’t accompanied a woman on a shopping trip, he knew that his mother and the other women from the Duncans would spend almost a whole day shopping once they decided to go shopping.
He was ready to shop until the evening, but he didn’t expect Catherine to get tired so quickly. Catherine was really special.
“Okay. Since you’re tired, let’s go back and rest!” The man stood up with his arm around Catherine. Catherine was like a cartilaginous animal, softly leaning on the man’s shoulder and letting him wrap his arms around her.
Seeing that the two of them were leaving, the clerk whom Catherine had just instructed to serve them went forward quickly to walk out the two of them respectfully.
Catherine was about to leave when she suddenly turned around as if she remembered something. She glanced at the clerk, then reached out and pointed to the clerk standing at the far end of the line wearing intern clothes.
“Oh, by the way, all my spending today counts toward her performance.”
After saying that lightly, Catherine turned around and resumed the languid look she had just now. The clerk assigned to carry the bags running around exhaustedly was shocked!
She was still in the joy of achieving a huge performance the previous second, and Catherine sent her to hell in this second.
Although Catherine’s instruction was a bit strange, the store manager didn’t dare to neglect her. After all, she was a top VIP, and not everyone could afford to offend her!
Adhering to the principle that the customer first, the clerks could only obey Catherine’s words. The intern Catherine pointed at did not expect such a big surprise to come to her suddenly and was dumbfounded for a long time.
Only when Catherine was about to leave the store did she return to her senses. She rushed toward Catherine, bending down and bowing toward Catherine’s back, shouting respectfully, “Thank you, miss, sir!”
Catherine heard it and sneered coldly without any further indication. There was no particular reason she did that, purely because she was unhappy with the clerk who had just been snobbish.
It just so happened that the intern was pleasant-looking, so Catherine wanted to give her a gift to make her happy.
Emma didn’t leave immediately after they were kicked out of the store. She was so angry that she wanted to see what background Catherine had.
Watching Catherine walk out being embraced by such a handsome man, followed by a large group of clerks carrying Hermès shopping bags, she felt both hatred and envy in her heart!
Bags were a woman’s favorite product, and no woman could resist the temptation of designer bags. Emma didn’t expect Catherine to be able to seduce such a wealthy and handsome man while having an affair with Grayson.
Why on earth did Catherine get so much favor?
Thinking of these, Emma’s heart was filled with anger. The flame of jealousy burned her reason, and she could no longer resist rushing out, blocking Catherine and Branden.
She looked up and fixed her gaze tightly on Branden, shouting loudly, Sir, do you know what dirty things the woman beside you has done behind your back?”
Chapter 375 The Unusual Relationship
Someone suddenly rushed over, and naturally, Paxton had to stop it.
He stepped forward to block Emma’s way. Paxton was cold in nature. Usually, when he didn’t speak, he had a stern face, and the aura that permeated from him was very appalling.
Emma retreated silently after Paxton gave her a look and didn’t dare to go forward. Since she dared not go forward, she stood still and glared at Catherine with wide eyes.
On the other hand, Catherine, the person involved, stood indifferent and had no intention of paying attention to Emma.
Seeing Catherine’s fearless appearance, Emma didn’t want to give up and shouted bravely, “Sir, you really don’t want to know?”
Branden glanced toward Paxton, and Paxton took a step back.
A faint smile appeared on Emma’s face. She knew that no man could tolerate his woman betraying him, not to mention the man in front of her was a nobleman. At first glance, Emma could tell he was a top tycoon.
She was a little smug and couldn’t wait to tell Branden, “Sir, Catherine must have deceived you. She’s having an affair with several boys.
“Do you know Grayson?” To get back on Catherine, Emma even mentioned Grayson.
“He’s a top idol star, and his relationship with Catherine is unusual.
If you don’t believe me, you can ask Catherine!”
After saying that, Emma looked at Catherine smugly. She was waiting for the man beside Catherine to get mad and see the image of Catherine being abandoned by the man.
Branden had thought he could hear some incredible gossip, but it turned out that was all!
He glanced down at Catherine and asked coldly, “Kathy, is what she said true?”
Emma was already happy inside because her purpose was about to be achieved. Her gaze was fixed on Catherine, and she could guarantee that Catherine would not dare to lie. At best, Catherine would not respond or change the topic.
No matter what Catherine’s reaction was, Emma had something to say in response, and she was sure that Catherine wouldn’t even have a chance to retort.
Unexpectedly, Catherine didn’t even deny or defend herself. She just nodded her head.
What Emma said was true. Vicente had adopted Grayson since Grayson was a kid, and he and Catherine grew up together. Their relationship was indeed unusual. But who said an unusual relationship had to be a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship?
Couldn’t it be friendship, sibling relationship, or something like that?
Seeing Catherine nodding her head, Emma instantly became excited and said to Branden anxiously, “Sir, did you see that? She admitted that she has an unusual relationship with Grayson!”
“Mmm!” After hearing Emma’s accusation, Branden nodded rather approvingly. Without waiting for Emma to get carried away, Branden looked at Catherine and asked, “What about us, Kathy? What about our relationship?”
His voice was very gentle.
Catherine knew very well in her heart what the man in front of her was thinking right now. With her eyes turned slyly and a hint of cunning at the corner of her mouth, Catherine’s gaze fell straight to the man. “Normal!
“Our relationship is that of a normal unmarried couple, I guess!”
She had a marriage contract with Branden. Although her grandfather set it, Branden was still her fiancé at the moment. The two of them were indeed an unmarried couple!
Hearing her admit their relationship, a smile appeared on Branden’s handsome face as he reached out and gently rubbed her soft cheeks.
“That’s right!”
It seemed he needed to thank the brainless Emma because she made Catherine willing to admit that he was her fiancé.
Watching the interaction between the two, Emma was extremely jealous. She didn’t understand what kind of charm Catherine had that could make men surround her one by one!
Were these men too blind to see how disgusting Catherine was?
Emma looked at Branden in disbelief.
“Sir, don’t you even mind Catherine flirting with another man?”
Branden turned back, his initially gentle face instantly darkened. He looked coldly at Emma, and his eyes were like two sharp swords that went hard through Emma’s body, frightening her to the point that she trembled.
“So what?”
The man’s low and grim voice was just two different voices from when he spoke to Catherine. Emma didn’t expect the man to say that.
As she was in a daze, not knowing how to answer, the man spoke again, and his words this time were even more shocking.
“Not to mention she has an unusual relationship with Grayson, even if she used to date Grayson, and as long as she’s with me now, willing to recognize me as her fiancé, that’s enough!”
Hearing this, Emma’s eyes widened in shock. There was such a man in the world. Emma wasn’t the only one who was shocked. Paxton, standing behind them, also widened his eyes in shock when he heard this.
Was the man who just said those words his boss?
Could it be that Catherine knew magic powers and had used a spell to control Branden?
How did a cold, big man become so doting toward Catherine?
His words just now were unbelievable!
Paxton wanted to tell Branden, “Mr. Duncan, if you’ve been controlled, just blink. I’ll help you!”
Branden didn’t have the time to keep fooling around with Emma. His little girl was tired from shopping and needed to get back to resting.
He left with his arm around Catherine, and when he passed by Emma, he followed Catherine’s previous attitude of speaking to the clerk, saying coldly and lightly, “Help me say hello to your Grandpa and tell him that my surname is Duncan!”
His surname was Duncan!
Emma froze in place instantly, feeling a constant coldness rising from her feet, making her body stiff with cold. She did hear her grandfather say that Catherine had a fiancé, and it was the well-known man in Casier.
But she thought it was just a marriage contract set by Vicente, and Branden wasn’t interested in Catherine.
She didn’t expect that he actually came to Oceanvile for Catherine, and not only that, Branden also doted for Catherine so much that he could even do this for her!
Emma gradually became desperate. She knew she was finished this time. That night, when Emma returned home, the Duncans made a phone call to her grandfather. It was Paxton who made the phone call in person!
Although Paxton usually followed Branden and did everything, he was also a senior manager at the Duncan Corporation. He could be considered Branden’s special assistant.
After receiving the call, no matter how Emma cried and screamed, her grandfather sent her abroad overnight.
Emma’s father came to plead for mercy, but Emma’s grandfather only said, “If you don’t want our family to go bankrupt, do what I say!”
Emma’s father naturally knew that his father would not joke about this, so he did not dare to say anything more but sent his daughter away directly.
Chapter 376 Getting Pregnant?
In Casier, Audrey had just completed a filming. Kim knew that Catherine wasn’t at home these days and wasn’t at ease with Audrey being alone, so he personally sent her back.
“Audrey, your sister is amazing. Did you see the comments on Twitter? It was like a famous scene! Many big men went to help her. Amazing!”
Audrey’s expression was light after she heard Kim’s words. She was not too excited. “They’re Kathy’s friends. Besides, this matter was not Kathy’s fault at all. Someone with an ulterior motive framed her!”
When Audrey first saw the comments on Twitter, she was furious and knew that someone must have framed Catherine deliberately. How could Catherine do such a thing?
She was such an influential person. Did she need to do such a thing?
She didn’t expect that in the end, it turned out to be related to Liana. Thinking of her sister Liana, Audrey couldn’t help but frown. Liana was going too far. How could she do such things?
They were sisters from the same family. It was fine that she didn’t help Catherine, but how could she go against Catherine? The more Audrey thought about it, the more headaches she got.
Seeing Audrey not speaking, Kim was hesitant to persuade, “Catherine knows so many big shots. Why don’t you ask her to help you a little? Her little introduction will be helpful, right?”
Upon hearing this, Audrey’s brow couldn’t help but furrow.
“Kim, that’s not what Kathy is trying to do by being friends with those people. Their friendship will be destroyed if I ask her to do that.”
Audrey didn’t want Catherine to be looked down upon because of herself. She knew that if she asked Catherine to do that, she would say yes, but she didn’t want to!
The two of them chatted and came out of the elevator. Just as they walked out, they saw several handsome men in suits standing in front of Audrey’s apartment.
They were carrying Hermès shopping bags in their hands. Kim and Audrey glanced over and found the scene very eye-catching.
Hermès was a luxury brand, and Kim looked envious. Audrey was confused. There were so many Hermès bags. How much should it be?
She thought these people must be delivering goods to Branden, who lived opposite her. Who else had the money except him?
Considering she and Branden were neighbors, Audrey kindly reminded the few handsome men before her. “You’re delivering to the wrong address. Branden lives in there.”
The leading among the men took a step forward and approached Audrey with a particularly respectful attitude, silently surveying her without any trace.
“Excuse me, are you Miss Audrey?”
Audrey wore a mask, and the man could not immediately recognize her. The man knew Audrey’s name, and Audrey was confused but still nodded. ”
Yes, I’m Audrey. Why…”
After confirming Audrey’s identity, the man quickly beckoned the other men behind him to come forward together.
“Miss Audrey, this is your package. Please sign to acknowledge the receipt! Audrey froze for a moment, subconsciously reaching out and pointing at herself. “You mean they are mine?”
The man nodded. “That’s right. Please sign for it. Here is the receipt form!”
Audrey took it and glanced at it, realizing that the sender was Catherine. She then understood. It turned out that Catherine had bought them for her, but there were too many, weren’t there?
After Audrey finished signing, she handed it to the man.
The man took it respectfully and said, ” Miss Audrey, there is also a Hermès store in Casier. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or come to us if you need cleaning. Have a nice day!”
After saying that, he took the other men left. Audrey followed Kim into the apartment with the bags, and Kim couldn’t wait to help Audrey unpack the package.
Every time a package was unwrapped, Kim’s exclamation could be heard. “Oh my god, Audrey. This is the latest limited edition. Someone took a photo with a fake one in the airport and was still mocked by everyone!
“And this one, the runway model. And this one…”
Audrey herself used to be a beauty blogger and naturally knew the preciousness and value of these Hermès bags.
She immediately called Catherine.
“Kathy, why did you suddenly buy so many bags?”
Catherine’s clear and light voice came from the phone. “I bought too many today while shopping, and I’m giving you several of them.”
Kim’s eyes widened as he listened to Catherine’s words aside!
They were top luxury Hermès bags and limited editions that were hard to get even if one was wealthy. Catherin gave them all to Audrey?
And she sounded so light?
And there must be at least ten of them!
Kim could only sigh now that he didn’t understand the world of the rich!
Audrey frowned slightly in the face of Catherine’s answer. “Kathy, these bags are expensive. It’s a waste of money to buy so many!”
Catherine said casually, “The person who paid for them was Branden. You keep them. I still have something to do. I’ll talk to you when I get back!”
Hearing that she had something else to do, Audrey couldn’t say anything more and took the initiative to hang up the phone.
Seeing her hang up the phone, Kim came up and said, “Audrey, your sister is really good. She always remembers to share with you when she has good things. Coincidentally, the company’s funds have been tight recently, and the cost of configuring clothing for you is not very much. This can be considered a saving for us. I’ll contact the photographer tomorrow, and let’s have you the airport fashion outfit photograph!”
Kim carried a rare crocodile leather bag and put it in front of Audrey. “Come on. Come on. Smell it. These are all the smells of money!”
The special odor of leather rushed into Audrey’s nostrils all at once, and the expression on Audrey’s face instantly changed.
“Barf…” She covered her chest in a fit of nausea. Kim was startled and poured water for her. It took a while for Audrey to relieve the feeling of nausea.
Kim looked at Audrey suspiciously. The look in his eyes was peculiar, and her voice was also a bit cold. “Audrey, you’re not getting… pregnant, are you?”
Audrey froze momentarily, and her face went pale for a while. But in a moment, she reacted. “You’re with me daily, and I don’t even have male friends around. How could I be pregnant?”
Kim thought for a moment and felt that Audrey’s words made sense. He had been focused on guiding Audrey ever since she had the beginnings of fame.
Audrey wasn’t the kind of star who needed to follow hidden rules to become famous, and even if she had occasional parties, she would leave as soon as she had enough food. She stayed in the crew every day and didn’t have the opportunity to get in touch with men.
“Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten much lately. I hurt my stomach!”
Audrey tried to explain. Female celebrities ate very little to maintain their figure, and they also had to face high-pressure work. Few of them had healthy stomachs.
Kim looked at her in distress and said, ” Then pay more attention to your body. If you can’t make it, let’s go to the hospital. I’ll arrange it for you!”
Audrey was now considered famous in showbiz, and paparazzi kept their eyes on her daily. If she went to the hospital suddenly, she might be photographed by the paparazzi and be in trouble.
“If you’re not feeling well, go to bed early. You completed the filming today, and I’ll arrange for you to take two days off. Just rest at home. I’ll cancel all your activities!”
Compared to other agents who only knew how to downtrodden actors, Kim was kind and considerate and took great care of her.
This was also why Audrey had been following Kim without changing agents.
“Thank you, Kim!”
Audrey stood up to walk Kim out, and the moment the door closed, she stared at her stomach blankly for a long time.
Only after she sighed deeply did she stop staring at her stomach.
Chapter 377 The Thing Handed by Robot
Catherine was still in a remote part of the Oceanvile countryside when she got the call from Erick. Erick’s voice was very soft, sounding a little breathless.
“Catherine, can I see you?”
Catherine did not reject him and gave him an address. She was sure he could find it. An hour later, Erick arrived at the address Catherine had given him.
It was a very remote part of the countryside, on the edge of Oceanvile. It was full of green wheat fields at a glance, giving a feeling of freshness and serenity.
Erick didn’t expect Catherine to stay in this kind of place. If it weren’t for Catherine giving him the address in person, he would have thought someone was playing tricks on him!
Erick searched the wheat fields, but there was not even a single figure in the vast wheat fields. He called Catherine, but the phone was never answered.
Erick had no choice but to go around the wheat fields by himself. When he broke into the deeper wheat fields inadvertently at the edge, he suddenly saw a familiar back figure in front of him.
Instantly, his eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace toward the back. The girl had her back to him, wearing a light gray dress with a hat to shield her from the sun and loose and plump pants, which were very different from her usual attire.
But Erick recognized her at once. When they were three steps away, he couldn’t help but start calling out her name, Catherine!”
Catherine was observing the ears of wheat in the wheat fields, and when she heard the sound, she turned around to see Erick walking toward her.
Used to seeing Catherine’s usual cold attire, Erick suddenly froze at the sight of her dressed like this. It was said that good-looking people would still be peerless beauties even if they went out in a sack!
This sentence was aptly used on Catherine!
Catherine took out the experimental bag from her pocket and put the wheat kernels in it before turning her head to look at Erick.
“Follow me!”
Erick followed Catherine. Seeing her passage through the dense wheat fields familiarly, Erick could tell she was pretty familiar with this place.
He had heard rumors that although Catherine was the lady of the Swanns, she grew up in the countryside, so it seemed the rumors might be true!
Thinking about this, Erick couldn’t help but feel distress for Catherine. Subsequently, he followed Catherine to a small cabin by the roadside.
Although it was a small cabin, it had two stories and was more like a courtyard. It was right near the wheat fields. A small yard was fenced out at the entrance, and quite a few crops were planted in the middle of the yard.
The most common crop was chili peppers, both yellow and red!
What surprised Erick the most was the installation of an electronic lock at the small fence switch, which seemed to be face-recognized!
After Catherine approached and stood there for a second, the small fence automatically opened. Erick followed closely behind Catherine into the small courtyard.
It was unclear from the outside, but after coming in, he realized that the interior of this courtyard was much larger than what he saw from the outside, and a small gazebo had been built.
In the center of the gazebo was a vintage set of tables and chairs with coffee cups on. Catherine took the hat off her head and hung it aside, walking over to the chairs and sitting down.
“Take a seat. Let’s have some coffee!”
Erick took the coffee, and the strong aroma of coffee hit his face. It was refreshing. The coffee had an intense color and aroma. After Erick sipped it lightly, the gentle coffee ran between his lips and teeth, sweet and refreshing.
“Catherine, the coffee is good!”
Catherine nodded casually. “Yes, it’s good. The people in the village planted it themselves. It’s pure natural and pollution-free!”
Erick nodded in agreement. As a kid living with his grandmother, he often had access to farm produce. The appearance of farm produce might look average, but they always had a different taste.
Thinking of the past, Erick’s eyes darkened instantly. Catherine was holding a coffee cup and lazily leaning against the rocking chair, feeling very cozy.
Branden had something to attend to for two days, and she just happened to take advantage of this time to return to the village to visit her wheat fields. If it weren’t for her grandfather’s call, how comfortable her vacation life would be!
She would only need to take care of her wheat fields daily, water her little chili peppers, raise flowers, and feed fish. How happy her life would be!
Unfortunately, her grandfather called her back to inherit his inheritance and asked her to help him deal with his bad son!
This was her daily headache!
Catherine didn’t miss the change in Erick’s expression, but she didn’t pay much attention. She had always emphasized that one would have to live the life one chose.
She was not the heroine and didn’t have the mind to save the world. After a few moments of sadness, Erick returned to his senses and locked his gaze on Catherine.
“Catherine, this is 30% equity of the Winfreds. I promised you that I would give the Winfreds to you!”
He fulfilled his promise to Catherine in the Winfreds’ dungeon of Casier!
Erick had a rare smile, and his gaze fixed on Catherine. Catherine glanced at the contract on the table and didn’t reach out to pick it up.
Catherine had no surprise on her face when such a huge fortune came suddenly, and the expression on her face made people couldn’t tell what mood she was in.
She turned her head and looked at Erick with a cold gaze. Looking at his pale cheeks, she asked in a low voice, “Is it worth losing a kidney for this?”
Erick froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting Catherine to know everything. On second thought, he understood. Catherine was such a powerful character. How could she not even know these things?
Erick gave a shallow smile that was both cold and sarcastic. “Just consider it a repayment for him giving me the chance to come into this world!”
In the beginning, Xavier hurt Erick’s mother and grandparents. Erick was carrying Xavier’s bloodline and used one kidney to pay back this. After that, he only had hatred for Xavier!
The Winfreds owed his mother and his family, and he would make them pay it bit by bit. Catherine pulled out her cell phone and pressed it toward the cabin behind her.
It didn’t take long to see a humanoid robot waddling out. It finally stopped in front of Catherine and said respectfully, “Boss, this is what you asked for!”
Erick looked at this scene in amazement. Was there an intelligent robot in this poor countryside?
“Catherine, what is this?” Erick couldn’t help but inquire curiously. Seeing his gaze on the robot, Catherine lightly replied, “I created it when I was bored to accompany me, and it usually delivers things to me!”
She took the thing from the robot’s hands, and the robot bowed to her before backing away on its own.
“Boss, see you next time. Looking forward to your next call!”
Erick was a bit dumbfounded. The robot was created by Catherine when she was bored to accompany her, but it was so high-end!
It seemed that Catherine was much more powerful than he had imagined. Catherine handed Erick what the robot had given her. Erick took it and took a closer look. He was shocked by the content.
“Catherine, this…”
Chapter 378 Help Me Make Money
Catherine also gave Erick a document of share, and it was the share of the Winfreds.
Erick didn’t realize that Catherine was holding five percent of the shares of the Winfreds, and it turned out that all those little shares scattered in the market were in Catherine’s hands.
At that moment, Erick suddenly realized how shallow his thinking was. When he got the Winfreds’ shares, he was inwardly joyful and even a little complacent.
He had worked so hard for so long to honor his promise to Catherine. He even expected Catherine to think highly of him and compliment him.
But now, he realized that perhaps everything was completely different from what he had imagined. Catherine was the one who controlled the overall situation. She had already laid out everything long ago, and he was just a tiny part of it.
Erick slowly raised his head, his hot gaze falling on Catherine’s face, examining her peerless appearance greedily.
“Catherine, are you planning to hand over the Winfred Group to me?”
Catherine liked interacting with intelligent people because she could say and explain less.
“The Winfreds are doing well in Oceanvile, and I’m short on money these days. How about you help me make money?”
She raised one eyebrow, her playful eyes surveying Erick’s face, which was supposed to be cute but had a fierce look. Erick agreed without even thinking. ” No problem!”
Even if Jeremy and his brother each held ten percent of the shares in their hands, Erick was still the largest shareholder of the Winfreds as he had thirty percent of the Winfreds’ shares in his hands and the five percent shares Catherine offered. He could become the president of the Winfred Group anytime he wanted.
Catherine would not give him these shares for no reason, and he knew that Catherine must have other purposes. He didn’t realize Catherine was asking him to make money for her!
It didn’t matter. As long as Catherine wanted him to do it, he would do it! Being able to make money for Catherine was also a joyful thing.
Catherine’s playful smile grew more assertive in her starry eyes as she looked up and down at Erick and asked, “Don’t you even ask about the pay?”
Since it was a transaction, then there must be effort and gain!
She asked Erick to help her make money, so naturally, she had to make Erick have something in return.
“I’ve sent you an address on your cell phone. Find him and ask him to treat you. I don’t want to see you lose your life before you can make money for me!
Although it was said that missing one kidney wouldn’t kill someone, it was a body organ, after all. How much damage it would cause to the body when missing one was imaginable.
Catherine knew a doctor who was very skilled in medicine and was an authority in this area.
He usually didn’t give medical treatment, but if it were someone Catherine referred to him, he would agree to treat.
“Okay!” Erick smiled with a gentle face as he looked at Catherine. He knew that she was caring about him. Perhaps only Catherine could make him unguardedly remove his disguise and reveal a smile.
“Don’t worry. Since I promised to help you make money, I will do it!” Erick looked at Catherine with a firm gaze and gave his assurance.
Since he had promised Catherine, he would do it. It was his promise to make a lot of money for Catherine to spend casually.
For Erick’s promise, Catherine did not respond. She slowly closed her eyes and leaned back on the chair leisurely to rest. This kind of day that she could sunbathe was simply enjoyable. She rarely had such a rest day, so she naturally wanted to enjoy it well.
Seeing Catherine resting, Erick didn’t want to disturb her and packed his things to leave. When he walked to the fence, the robot inside the cabin automatically came out. It walked to his side and opened the door for him.
Its intelligence level made Erick unable to resist being amazed again. This robot was much more practical than those high-tech robots on the market, and it looked cute, just like a big white ball.
Before Erick left, the robot said to Erick, “Boss said that you can come here to find her at any time.”
Erick smiled knowingly and took the initiative to reach out and touch the robot’s head. “Okay!”
Two blushes appeared on the robot’s face. It looked at Erick with a smirk.” Boss said no strangers are allowed to touch me.”
Erick was stunned and heard the robot whisper again, “You’re not a stranger. You’re Boss’s friend, so you can touch me!”
At that moment, the smile on Erick’s face involuntarily widened!
He started to echo what a robot said, ”
Yeah, your Boss is right. I’m her friend!
Erick waved at the robot Seven and then left. Seven closed the fence door and returned to Catherine’s side as soon as he was gone.
Catherine squinted and handed the coffee cup in her hand to Seven, and Seven took the cup with its round hand.
Catherine took a comfortable deep breath, adjusted herself to a cozy posture, and began her happy nap.
In a remote suburban factory in Oceanvile, it was the 417 Laboratory. No one would have imagined that the 417 Laboratory would be located in such a rudimentary factory with a mottled and rusty exterior. In fact, there was a different place inside, hiding a top-notch laboratory!
Inside the conference room, several elites of the laboratory were present, all gathered in one hall, waiting for the man sitting in the main seat to speak. Paxton stood behind the man, handing over several experimental data to him.
“Mr. Duncan, these data still have error points after repeated experiments and have delayed the schedule quite a bit!”
Branden took the data report and personally looked at it. However, he didn’t find the error points after scanning it.
Paxton whispered from the side, “Mr. Duncan, Dr. Jon gave a reply of one month, saying that their team should be able to pass the experiment in one more month!
“But news from Cory said that the first phase of the Arbotte Laboratory’s experiment has been declared a success!”
After Paxton finished speaking, he stepped back quietly, his entire nerves tensed silently. Not only he, within the entire laboratory everyone’s nerves were tensed at that moment.
The man stared at the data on the report and on his handsome face, the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold, grim, and domineering smile.
“The Arbotte Laboratory has succeeded in their experiment, but you guys are telling me that I still have to wait a month?
“This is the answer you guys gave me?”
His grim and cold words made these top researchers’ blood freeze. Their laboratory was on par with the Arbotte Laboratory, and their research direction was also the same.
It was just that their laboratory did not take on missions, and the results of the experiments they completed were all contributed to Zerwick except for their use Unlike the Arbotte Laboratory, they took on missions from all over the world.
The Arbotte Laboratory would use the remuneration obtained from taking on the missions as funding for the research and development of the laboratory.
The project the 417 Laboratory was researching was the same as the one being studied by the Arbotte Laboratory.
If their research were slow, it would inevitably subject Zerwick to the constraints of the Arbotte Laboratory, which was why Branden was furious.
Chapter 379 Bizarre Story
At this critical decision-making moment, all were focused on Paxton, hoping his words could reduce the sudden tension in the conference room and save everyone.
Paxton felt an enormous amount of pressure as each and every one of these people was trying to drag him toward his demise. If Miss Catherine Swann were here, everything could be resolved.
With just one sentence, Catherine could appease Branden’s anger.
However, he was not Miss Catherine Swann. Considering the earnest plea of the crowd, Paxton made the daring decision to give it a try, even at the risk of his own life.
“Sir, perhaps things are not as bad as they seem. Remember the previous experiment? Arbotte Laboratory sold their product to Zerwick at a discounted price, didn’t they? Maybe there is a similar possibility as well this time. What do you think?”
Branden slowly turned his head and glanced at Paxton. With one glance, it was as if a sharp blade had instantly pierced Paxton’s heart, bringing him endless oppression.
Startled, Paxton immediately knelt down and obediently apologized.
“Sir, I messed up big time. Please punish me!”
Branden’s chilly voice echoed throughout the conference room, leaving everyone too scared to breathe.
“I spend so much money to raise you all, and you let me rely on others for their verdict. Is this how you repay me?
The simple sentence left the attending experimental personnel ashamed and embarrassed. They knew that what Branden said was very reasonable.
“Even though Arbotte Laboratory might release the results of their experiments, that was ultimately something held in someone else’s hand and would inevitably be subject to their restraint.
“What if the other party becomes unhappy?
“If they don’t want to give, they don’t have to. The best result is always keeping things in your own hands,” thought they. Finally, the leader of the lab stepped forward.
“Mr. Duncan, our team is doing everything we can to cooperate with Dr. Jon and strive to give you the results within a week. Even though the first phase of the experiment in Arbotte Laboratory is completed, as long as we catch up in the later stages, there is still a chance to get ahead and gain an advantage before the other party!”
Branden hired the personnel himself and naturally knew their abilities. One week should be the limit.
Since the leader made a promise, Branden gladly accepted it. “If I don’t see any results in a week, then you can leave on your own!”
The team leader’s face turned pale momentarily, and he silently nodded to accept the task.
“Thanks a lot, Mr. Duncan!”
After that, the team members of the experiment left, and the organization members entered the conference room. Having more tightly scheduled meetings in a row, Paxton felt his lifespan would also decrease.
Branden combined the two meetings to save time and stay with Miss Catherine Swann. The leader of this team was Carlo Duncan. They all grew up together and were explicitly trained to stay by Branden’s side.
Unlike Paxton, who had followed Branden all year round, Carlo had been stationed in Oceanvile, taking care of the organization’s various matters.
Today, they received an urgent message, which was of great importance, and it was necessary to ask Branden to come forward for consultation.
“Sir, we have received information. The people from Asmein are all searching for Dr. Seven. It seems they want to seize the research findings in Dr. Seven’s hands!”
Dr. Seven, a globally renowned expert in the field of food, made tremendous contributions toward tackling global hunger.
However, Dr. Seven had always been mysterious. The outside world knew very little about them. It was unclear whether Dr. Seven was a man or a woman or what he or she looked like.
The only thing known was that Dr. Seven served Zerwick and had not only helped resolve the issue of grain production but also cultivated numerous rare varieties. Dr. Seven was considered a top talent that was highly sought after by countries around the world.
“Sir, the higher official has sent us a message, hoping we can protect Dr. Seven. However, they have already lost contact with Dr. Seven for over a month, and there is no news about Dr. Seven.”
This matter was indeed delicate. Asmein and Zerwick had never been friendly in recent years. Now, Asmein was attempting to poach Dr. Seven, undoubtedly in an attempt to break free from the constraints of Zerwick and upset the balance.
They could only hope for the higher official to quickly contact Dr. Seven and keep this top-notch research expert firmly in their grasp to maintain the balance between the two countries. Branden quickly made a decision. ”
Bring back Cory to work with you. Let’s find Dr. Seven first before anything else!”
“Will do!” Carlo eagerly responded. The largest intelligence network of the Duncans was under the control of Cory. Finding someone would be much easier with the cooperation of Cory.
The matter would become much easier if they could find Dr. Seven a step ahead of the people from Asmein and ensure his protection. Paxton suddenly remembered a message that had been sent by Cory and reported it immediately.
“Sir, I have heard that someone from Hacker Alliance has taken on a mission to investigate Red Star!”
Branden showed no reaction upon hearing this, but Carlo, who was standing aside, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Investigate us? We have always had no conflicts with Hacker Alliance. Why would they take on a mission to investigate us?”
“Who knows?” Paxton shrugged.
Whether to investigate or not was irrelevant. It all depended on how Branded decided. After all, whether it was the Red Star organization or 417 Laboratory, there was only one highest decision maker.
Branden vaguely sensed a complicated relationship between Hacker Alliance and Catherine, so he did not want to take action against Hacker Alliance.
Hacker Alliance now had quite a lot of cooperation with the Duncan Corporation, so his interferences would undoubtedly have a certain impact.
“Keep your eyes on it!”
“Sir, rest assured. I will keep a close watch on Red Star!” Carlo assured firmly. Since Branden entrusted him with Red Star one year ago, he vowed to protect it and never disappoint Branden.
Just as the meeting was about to conclude, Paxton wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, only to receive a shocking news out of the blue. He looked up, his eyes avoiding contact, with a slightly trembling expression.
“Sir, the men following Miss Swann have reported that they lost her.”
The man who remained unperturbed when faced with various decisions just now immediately became solemn upon hearing this news. His brows were furrowed tightly.
Even Carlo was startled on the side, secretly wondering, “Who is this Miss Swann? She can influence Branden’s emotions. It’s truly astounding.”
Branden whipped out his phone and made a call right away.
“Hello…”
His furrowed brow finally relaxed as the lazy and relaxed sound came through the phone. When he heard the lazy and low voice, a slight smile appeared on Branden’s handsome face, making him appear much gentler.
“What are you doing?”
Seeing such a scene, Paxton stood up with particular perceptiveness. Carlo was still foolishly sitting in his spot. If Paxton hadn’t dragged him away, that idiot would still be acting as a mere bystander.
Being yanked out by Paxton, Carlo still had some discontent in him. “Why did you pull me? I haven’t been given the order to leave yet, have I?”
Paxton silently rolled his eyes. “How could I have such a terrible teammate?” wondered he.
“You are foolish, but don’t drag me into your foolishness. You want to stay inside like a third wheel. How many lives do you have to waste?”
Carlo was still in a state of confusion and stared blankly at Paxton.
“Who is it that is calling boss? Why has his emotions suddenly changed so drastically?”
Paxton rolled his eyes at Carlo and disdainfully said, “Mrs. Duncan of the Duncans!”
Carlo was left in a daze as Paxton’s figure receded into the distance.
“Branden has taken a wife?
“This is truly a bizarre story!” thought he.
Chapter 380 Old Apprentice
After she finished the call with Branden, Catherine’s nap came to an end. After taking the cushion from Seven’s hand and placing it on the nearby chair, she ordered, “Go back and recharge!”
Seven nodded its silly big head toward Catherine.
“Thank you, Boss. I will now go back and have my meal!”
Catherine stared at the silly backside of Seven and got lost in thought inexplicably.
“What was I thinking? Why did I code such a silly program?” thought she. She stood up and stretched lazily when the doorbell echoed through the room suddenly.
She opened the door with her phone. Then, an older man with gray hair walked in from outside the fence and came before her.
The older man respectfully looked at Catherine with a genial smile and softly spoke. “Mrs. Swann, it’s time to eat!”
Catherine nodded and walked into the room. The older man carried a food box as he followed behind Catherine.
His name was Randolph Dunn. He was a specialist in wheat technology research and was commonly addressed as Dr. Dunn by the public.
Unlike other doctors who spent all year in the laboratory, Randolph spent all year shuttling between fields, dressing in a simple farmer costume of a white undershirt every day.
If one did not know his background, it was indeed difficult to associate him with those top scientists. Although he had gray hair, he was not that old and was only in his early sixties.
Inside the house, the furnishings were plain and simple. In the empty hall, there was only one table. Randolph was putting all the food from the lunch box on the table and arranging it nicely.
“Mrs. Swann, you can eat now.”
Upon hearing this, Catherine walked to the dining table and sat down. Randolph also followed suit, sitting down. It was rare to have the opportunity to have a meal with his teacher, and he couldn’t be happier.
“Mrs. Swann, this fish is a new breed that we have developed in our pond. It is delicious and only has one bone in its entire body, so it is hassle-free to eat. Please give it a try!”
Their own laboratory developed the ingredients of the three dishes and one soup. They were many times more delicious than those outside food products.
The chili pepper in the salad was a new variety carefully cultivated by Catherine. It was spicy and fragrant, very appetizing. Many people had begged him for some peppers, but he refused all.
After all, these were all the hard work of his teacher. He couldn’t bring himself to eat them, so how could he bear to give them away?
Catherine didn’t start eating immediately. Her gaze landed on Randolph nonchalantly as she casually said, “Dr. Dunn, as I mentioned before, you can call me Catherine. There’s no need to address me as Mrs. Swann.”
The old man chuckled foolishly and said, “I know. You did say that, but I feel more comfortable calling you Mrs. Swann. Let’s eat. The dishes are getting cold!”
Catherine’s talent in her field of expertise was beyond compare, and she had learned from the top leader in the industry. It was just that the old master had passed away, and Catherine was his only student.
“Over the years, Catherine had shared her knowledge with me without reservation. I respectfully called her Mrs. Swann, which was only reasonable.
“This is my showing of respect toward her, which will never change!” thought Randolph. Catherine saw that Randolph couldn’t be persuaded and decided not to dwell on it further.
“Call me whatever you like. It’s just a form of addressing, after all,” said she inwardly. Seeing that Catherine didn’t eat much, Dr. Dunn frowned slightly. “Mrs. Swann, do these dishes not suit your taste today?”
These dishes were specially prepared by the chefs here. As Catherine had a special status, Dr. Dunn brought them specifically for her to eat alone.
It was not exactly that the dishes didn’t suit Catherine’s taste, but that Catherine had been eating the food made by Branden lately.
Branden felt that overeating spicy food was not good for her stomach, so he gradually reduced the amount of chili used each time. Over time, Catherine became accustomed to it.
Dr. Dunn was arranging meals for her according to her previous preferences, making her somewhat unaccustomed to them.
“No, it’s fine. I am already full. Please continue!” said Catherine. Randolph was somewhat traditional, with a particular insistence and stubbornness toward specific ideas. As Catherine put down her fork, Randolph followed suit and put down his fork as well.
“Mrs. Swann, how did you feel about inspecting the wheat fields today?”
“Seven!” Catherine shouted in the direction behind her. Seven immediately responded, “Boss, I’m here. What do you want me to do?”
Catherine gave it an order. “Go to the second floor and fetch the report!”
A few minutes later, Seven brought the report that Catherine had requested and cleverly placed it in front of Randolph.
Randolph had a strong fondness for the robot invented by Catherine. When he was frustrated with unsuccessful research, he would chat with Seven.
This robot surpassed those disappointing gadgets on the market by a great margin, not to mention how much more sophisticated it was.
“Thank you, Seven!” He reached out and gently patted the little black dot on Seven’s head. This was the robot’s sensing area, capable of receiving specific messages.
Two flushes appeared on Seven’s face, and it sweetly said to Dr. Dunn, “You’re welcome. Dr. Dunn!”
Randolph always felt that Catherine managed to bring to life the missing aspect within her body when creating Seven. The adorable robot was like a charming little girl that everyone loved, attracting attention from all around.
“Dr. Dunn, check out this data analysis report I did on the sampling today. Maybe it’ll be helpful!”
Randolph flipped through the information Seven gave him earlier. The more he looked at it, the more excited he got.
It was often said that those closely involved often became bewildered, as they were often blindsided by superficial phenomena during their research.
However, Catherine was different. She always managed to hit the nail on the head and pinpoint the critical issues, identifying any overlooked points.
Seeing these data, Randolph was particularly excited and wished he could immediately turn around and dive into the laboratory to study the data thoroughly before proceeding with the experiment.
However, he still had something to report to Catherine.
“Mrs. Swann, there is news from the higher official that people of Asmein are looking for Dr. Seven, and they want me to get in touch with Dr. Seven as soon as possible and turn it over!”
Randolph did not inform the organization above about the news of Catherine’s return to the experimental base. Catherine had never liked dealing with those people.
“Mrs. Swann was fully committed to the research at the base. I naturally needed to maintain her integrity so that mundane matters did not disturb her,” thought Randolph.
“Asmein?” wondered Catherine.
She heard some news recently that some Asmein spies had been particularly active lately, but she never expected that they were coming toward the experimental base.
“Everyone says that Asmein’s spies were world-renowned. Well, I’d like to see how good these spies are!” said she inwardly. Catherine rejected Randolph’s proposal because she did not want to be disturbed.
“No need to say more. Just go ahead and deal with it.”
Randolph had always been supportive of Catherine’s proposal.
“Okay, Mrs. Swann. You can rest assured. I will take care of these things!
“May I ask how many days you plan to stay here, Mrs. Swann?”
Catherine pondered for a moment before answering.
“I have to return in three days because the SAT is coming up soon!”
Upon hearing Catherine’s response, Randolph was so surprised that his mouth parted wide.
He heard from that mischievous Ronin that Catherine went to study at a private school. He initially thought that Catherine just had a task and had to disguise herself for a few days.
“I can’t believe Mrs. Swann still has to take the SAT. What is she up to?” wondered Randolph.