"Ms. Camron, that's a bit too much," Cody finally spoke up. "Harper is my junior. It's not exactly appropriate for you to make that comment with me here, don't you think?" "Oh? Mr. Ostrower is here as well? My apologies." Lana feigned astonishment.She then continued with a sly smile, "It's no wonder Harper was able to get in. It turns out you were the one backing her. "I'm just curious, as the scion of a noble and respected family, how come you have such bad taste? You're actually attracted to this bland woman?""Hey! Who are you calling bland?" Harper was enraged at her words. She was about to act out but was quickly held back by those around her. The Camron family's influence was slightly stronger than the Ostrower family's. If Harper were to lay her hand on Lana, not even Cody would be able to get her out of trouble. "If you reacted, I guess I must be talking about you then. What about it? Do you have an issue with it?" Lana smirked, her gaze provocative. She thorou
Harmony Healers didn't earn much. They either treated the poor for free or only charged them the cost price of the medications. Despite their reputation, they struggled financially. One billion was an amount Harmony Healers would never earn in a lifetime. That was why Harper thought there was no harm in betting on it. It could change their fortune dramatically. "There are no absolutes in life. I will never allow you to risk Harmony Healers like that!" Brooke refused to give in. "Grandpa, why won't you trust me?" Harper was getting frustrated. "When those thugs were causing trouble, didn't you stake Harmony Healers too? You even did it on behalf of Dustin! Why are you willing to trust an outsider but not me? Why?" Harper was practically yelling by the end of it. "Kid, I had no choice back then. But you're just being willful now. You need to understand the difference," Brooke explained with a frown. "I don't care!" Harper wasn't listening to reason and was getting agitated.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." As the literary event commenced, a fair, stout, middle-aged man went up on stage. Flashing a welcoming smile, he greeted the audience respectfully. "My name is Keanu Jankow, and I'm the manager at Regal Court. Thank you for gracing us with your presence tonight." Keanu continued with a smile, "It is once again the night of our quarterly literary exchange. Regal Court has selected a precious treasure from Treasure Pavilion to serve as the highlight of our evening and liven the crowd. "Of course, our primary goal is for everyone to engage in friendly literature discussions, not competition." "Mr. Jankow, what marvelous treasure has Regal Court prepared for us? Could you grant us a glimpse?" a man asked loudly."Yeah, we came here for the treasure. I hope it's worth it," many others echoed the sentiment. "Dear guests, please, be patient. I'll have it brought forth shortly for all to admire."Keanu nodded and signaled to the two men stand
Once the artwork's origin was revealed, the entire place buzzed with excitement.Most of the attendees present had a mild appreciation for the refined arts. And a legend like Andrei Walser was especially loved.Poetry and painting were two different categories of art. Mastering one was already an incredible accomplishment. It was rare to find someone who excelled in both.Those who had mastered both the art of poetry and painting, like Andrei Walser, were virtually unheard of.Most importantly, he was an unconventional artist. He had a complete disregard for wealth and seldom created poems or paintings.That was the reason every one of his pieces was highly sought-after. Many VIPswith a penchant for art saw owning one of Andrei Walser's authentic pieces as a matter of great pride.Naturally, they were overwhelmed to witness his work in person in Regal Court."Dear guests, I believe all of you are aware of how rare it is to obtain Andrei Walser's authentic work. This is only poss
"Riddles?" The attendees were taken aback, exchanging glances in confusion.In the past, the competitions often revolved around poetry, chess, calligraphy or painting. Why did they suddenly shift to riddles?They had spent a considerable amount of money on poetry and literary talents. It was all to help them come out on top in today's competition. How could they suddenly change it to solving riddles? They had wasted all their efforts in ensuring they had an advantage. "Mr. Jankow, wouldn't it be better to have a poetry battle? You're making it difficult for us by changing the theme at the last minute," someone expressed their dissatisfaction. "Dear guests, please don't misunderstand. Regal Court decides on the theme of the night through a random selection. We weren't trying to make things difficult for anyone. "Please accept our apologies if you feel this has inconvenienced you." "Alright, enough with the complaints. We'll solve word riddles then. It shouldn't be any proble
"It's a grandmaster!" Harper declared confidently. "Only a grandmaster has the power to do everything that the poem mentioned.""A grandmaster? Are you sure?" Cody asked."Of course! How can a simple riddle stump me? I just needed to warm up my brain to get the answer easily." Harper was extremely confident."Harper is amazing, as usual. She solved the riddle in such a short time. As expected of the renowned prodigy!" Caldwell praised her. "That's right! With Harper here, we'll not only get our hands on Enchanting Elegance, we'll even earn a billion dollars!" The students of Harmony Healers were ecstatic. "Hah … It's just a riddle. It's hardly a challenge. I can't even showcase my talents in this," Harper said arrogantly. Dustin could only shake his head and snigger lightly. Harper was so overconfident that she didn't even listen to the riddle carefully and misinterpreted the riddle. It was quite amusing. "Hey! What's so funny? Did I say anything wrong?" Harper had noti
"Hey! What makes you think my answer is wrong? How could I be wrong? It's a simple word riddle!" Harper shot up in anger.She was defiant. As a prodigy, she was prideful. It was impossible for her to be defeated by a simple word riddle."Dear guest, please calm down. The answer has been set beforehand, and your answer is indeed wrong," Keanu tried to explain."Fine! Since you said my answer is wrong, reveal the correct answer now! I want to see what can be a better answer than mine," Harper demanded indignantly."Dear guest, since the other guests have yet to make a guess, it's against the rules for us to reveal the answer at this time."If no one is able to answer this riddle, I will reveal the answer afterward. Please, calm down for now," Keanu replied humbly. "Oh, Harper, just admit you were wrong. A prodigy like you shouldn't be a sore loser, don't you think?" A sarcastic voice rang out beside them. It was Lana who spoke out, holding a wine glass."Who said I'm a sore lose
After returning to his senses, Cody regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself. He should have listened to Dustin.He not only failed to bask in the limelight, he even succeeded in embarrassing himself."How could it be time? Just how could it be time?" Harper mumbled to herself, finding it hard to accept. "Well, Ms. Talented Busch, do you have anything else to say?" Lana smiled mockingly. Harper was at a loss for words. Even though she didn't want to accept it, the truth was undeniable and left her with little room for argument. After listening to the explanation, she had to acknowledge that time was indeed much closer to the answer. "Congratulations, Ms. Camron, for getting the first point." Keanu clapped. He then flashed a smile toward the rest of the attendees. "Of course, there's no need to feel discouraged, fellow guests. We have a few more questions prepared. "If you can answer them all correctly, there's still a great chance for victory."Upon hearing