Chapter 328
This time, with Charles's words, the blame was completely shifted onto the Redemption Society and the Pleasure Society... If pursued further, it could even lead to a hefty compensation claim against the Redemption Society.
Lucy reaffirmed to herself that she had definitely not joined the wrong organization.
As long as she worked hard, a wealth of opportunities and riches awaited her in the future!
At that moment, Ashford was raising his hand to pinch the brim of his hat, his thoughts in disarray.
The fact that one of his students had caused a plague outbreak already filled Ashford with guilt and remorse. To think that the source of it all was the Pleasure Society, stemming from a mere graduate student...
And he, unaware of the situation, had promoted him to a teaching assistant, all to fill the vacancy left by the death of Lecturer Sherron...
“The person hasn’t been found; all of this is just your baseless speculation, Miss Charles.”
Ashford lowered his hand from the brim of his hat and spoke slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse. “But I am willing to cooperate with the Redemption Group’s investigation to capture Fred... Hopkins and interrogate him thoroughly.”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
The three watched as Professor Ashford’s figure disappeared into the distance.
**Chapter 183: Arrival at the World’s Highest City—Ansu.**
[Date: Day 107 (Year 741, October 25, 12:00) (Cost: 200 Destiny Points)]
Only seven days left...
Charles looked at the silver-white panel in front of her, her unease slightly dissipating.
At least the system’s simulated time hadn’t changed; she could still simulate until October 25. This at least proved that she could live well until that date.
But that only confirmed she could survive until then; it didn’t allow her to infer anything else.
After Ashford left, Lucy turned to Charles and said, “Miss Charles, I heard you’re going to Ansu City?”
That was the purpose of Lucy’s visit, though Ashford’s arrival had interrupted her slightly.
“Yes,” Charles nodded slightly.
Ashford had coincidentally run into Charles, but Lucy had definitely investigated her itinerary; she just didn’t know how she had done it.
Most likely, Aivina’s act of chartering an entire train was a bit too conspicuous.
However, she had promised Lucy she would invite her when going to Ansu City, so Charles didn’t mind her investigative behavior too much.
“By the way, I’m also planning to go to Ansu City tomorrow. Could you let Miss Aivina know so I can hitch a ride?”
Lucy was quite bold, directly asking to tag along. “I’ll pay for the fare.”
“Come early tomorrow.”
Charles nodded.
“Thank you for your generosity, Miss Charles.”
Lucy smiled as she stood up. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and turned to Charles, saying, “By the way, Miss Charles, when the new ‘Death Game’ project’s acceptance ceremony is held, would you like to attend?”
Lucy knew that Charles would likely decline. If Charles didn’t go, Lucy could take most of the credit and rewards, but she still had to feign politeness and ask.
Charles could choose not to attend, but Lucy couldn’t skip the invitation; it was a matter of etiquette.
“I think I’ll pass.”
Charles shook her head, uninterested in such matters.
“Alright, if there are any rewards, I’ll make sure to send them to you.”
Lucy gave a slight bow to Charles, then left the parlor with a smile.
Promotion and a raise! It’s a sure thing!
As for the bonus, even if it all went to Charles, it wouldn’t matter; what Lucy valued most was the position and authority.
If the results were really good, she might be promoted several levels in a row, jumping straight from a senior officer to an executive director... that would truly place her in the upper management of the Dedton Group.
The reason she had declined the regional manager position and stayed at headquarters as an executive officer was precisely for such direct promotion opportunities...
If she had been assigned as a regional manager, she could have made a decent profit, but getting back to the center would be difficult.
This was a gamble, relying on her luck, and it seemed Lucy had made the right bet.
Indeed, she was the chosen one; since stepping into the extraordinary, she hadn’t lost a single gamble.
Of course, being a senior officer on an external assignment wasn’t bad either, but the board offered her a much broader horizon.
As Lucy pondered, she smiled as she climbed into the carriage. It wasn’t until the door closed that she could no longer contain her smile, leaning back and bursting into laughter.
...
Around 4 PM, Aivina returned to the estate with Nia.
The first thing Aivina did upon returning was to find Charles in the study to exchange information.
Aivina had transferred some benefits, allowing the railway company to deposit £20,000 into her account. For the short term, Aivina likely wouldn’t have to worry about money, but she hadn’t yet decided on an investment direction for using that money as startup capital.
Charles also informed Aivina about Ashford’s visit and that the Redemption Society’s teaching assistant, Fred Hopkins, had still not been found; he was likely already gone from Boren City.
This was dangerous information.
After inviting others to enjoy dinner at the estate, Aivina arranged for the guests’ rooms to be on the third floor, with Nia keeping watch throughout the night.
The butler, along with a few trusted maids and Tara, worked through the night to pack Aivina’s belongings, filling over thirty large and small suitcases.
What they could quickly take were mostly extraordinary creations, precious jewels, and valuable books and manuscripts—items Aivina deemed essential after trying to streamline her packing.
As for paintings, sculptures, and other artworks, as well as antique furniture and silverware, Aivina left those in the estate for the butler to manage.
It was no wonder Aivina needed to charter an entire train; the items to be transported were likely worth several complete luxury trains.
Fortunately, until the morning of the 11th, nothing unusual occurred. The luggage was mostly loaded onto the cargo carriages, forming a discreet convoy.
By 7 AM, Lucy had already ridden to the estate and greeted Aivina.
Having washed up and eaten breakfast, Charles did a quick headcount.
Nia, Lichi, Aivina, Adele, Amy, Tara, Lucy, and herself—there were a total of eight main people.
Three luxury carriages, three cargo carriages, plus three accompanying maids and six drivers made up the entire convoy.
They needed to take the carriages to another city’s station—Boren City still didn’t have direct trains to Ansu City—then board a train there to head to Ansu City.
The entire journey would take nearly 14 hours, and they should arrive in Ansu City before nightfall.
This was already the most efficient method, considering the departure speed of the steam train and their circumstances.
As for the configuration of the carriage personnel, there was also a strategy.
Aivina, Charles, and Lichi shared one carriage, with Charles responsible for protection; Adele, Tara, and Amy shared another, while the three accompanying maids took the last one.
Nia rode a warhorse to escort Aivina’s carriage, while Lucy rode alongside Tara’s carriage.
In fact, anyone in any of the carriages, along with their guards, could face a third-tier extraordinary threat without fear. Even Amy had a spirit servant sealed behind her, ensuring her self-defense was top-notch.
Most importantly, there was no radio technology at the moment, and information transmission was slow. Even if that teaching assistant was indeed from the Pleasure Society, by the time the news reached them, Charles would likely already be on Ansu City’s soil, leaving them empty-handed...
At least, that was what Charles hoped.
Everyone boarded the carriages and set off toward their destination.
In the carriage, Aivina looked at Charles sitting beside her, seemingly sensing her inner worries. She didn’t say anything, just reached out to hold her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m fine.”
Feeling Aivina’s gesture, Charles turned her wrist to gently grasp Aivina’s hand in return, shaking her head.
Lichi, sitting opposite, noticed the expression on Charles’s face and asked, “Charles, are you feeling unwell?”
“No,” Charles shook her head, looking out the window. “It’s just my first time leaving Boren City; I’m a bit nervous.”
“Me too…”
Lichi nodded, fully understanding Charles’s feelings.
Moreover, from her current position, she could see Boren City gradually receding in the distance. Even now, Lichi still felt a bit unreal about it all.
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