Isaac Cameron was utterly baffled, “Butler Stephen went to Australia? That’s utterly inconceivable. He vanished without a trace back then, so why on earth would he suddenly turn up in Australia?”
Charlie wade said, “It seems he only recently immigrated there. I’m not clear on the exact details; I’ll have to go and see for myself.”
Isaac Cameron frowned and said, “Young Master, I can’t shake the feeling that this is all too coincidental. Could it be a trap?”
Charlie wade said, “I had the same suspicion at first, but I trust Butler Stephen. He would never side against me. If he intended to, he had plenty of opportunities before and no reason to wait until now.”
“That’s true,” Isaac Cameron agreed with a nod and said, “I just got a call from our staff in Australia. They’ve located the hospital where Butler Stephen is. I asked them to try sneaking in for a look, but they only glimpsed him in the ICU. We don’t know his exact condition yet. These staff members are from our Buckingham Palace Hotel in Melbourne; they haven’t had any special training, and their operational skills are a bit lacking. I’ll have them look for another chance.”
Upon hearing that Stephen Thompson was still in the ICU, Charlie wade felt a twinge of worry and said, “Tell them to stop trying. Butler Stephen’s sudden departure back then must have had its reasons, and this time, with trouble finding him, he clearly didn’t want me to know. If you spook him, he might vanish again.”
“Understood,” Isaac Cameron nodded and said, “I’ll have them prepare a car so we can head straight to the hospital once we land.”
It was not long before Don Albert, who had flown in from Aurous Hill, arrived as well.
Like Charlie wade, he disembarked and hurried directly to T3 to rendezvous.
The moment they met, he asked anxiously, “Master Wade, what exactly happened to Butler Stephen getting beaten?”
With a cold expression, Charlie wade said, “It was some local Australian teenagers, much like the street punks we had here a dozen or twenty years ago. The difference is these lads target foreigners, specifically Asians. The worst part is they rely on being minors, so they strike viciously, often leaving people severely injured. Not long ago, they apparently beat a Chinese international student into critical condition.”
“Those bloody little bastards!” Don Albert ground his teeth in fury, “If I get my hands on them, I’ll cripple every last one!”
Charlie wade said coolly, “Rest assured, not one of the attackers will escape.”
…
At four forty-five in the afternoon, the plane carrying Claire Wilson landed at Aurous Hill Airport fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.
She sent Charlie wade a WeChat message saying she had arrived safely, to set his mind at ease.
Charlie wade had not yet begun boarding, so he replied at once, “Darling, who’s picking you up from the airport?”
Claire Wilson said, “Dad’s bound to be at the calligraphy association at this hour, so I won’t trouble him. I’ll just grab a taxi outside in a bit.”
Charlie wade reminded her, “Let me know once you’re in the car, and remember to tell me when you get home.”
Claire Wilson replied, “Alright, don’t worry. I’m a grown woman; a thirty-minute drive is nothing I can’t handle.”
As she messaged Charlie wade, she made her way off the plane, through the baggage claim area, and to the exit.
She had intended to queue for a taxi directly, but then recalled Stephen Thompson mentioning someone would meet her, so she instinctively glanced left and right.
There were plenty of people waiting to pick up arrivals at the exit, but none seemed to be holding a sign with her name.
Just as she decided to head off anyway, a familiar voice called out, “President Xiao! Over here!”
Claire Wilson turned towards the sound, and upon seeing who had called her, she stood frozen in shock, mouth agape.
“Sun… Sun Mengmeng?! You… how on earth are you here?!”
