Chapter 1661
No.1
“Don’t play dumb! Isabella Montgomery, did you think we wouldn’t see you? You were trying to run away!” accused one of the elderly men.
Isabella forced a dry smile. “Haha! You’ve got it all wrong! I was just testing your fitness. It seems you’re all still in great shape!”
“Ha-ha!” The four men laughed sarcastically before grabbing her arms and marching her into the villa.
“We finally caught you, so you’re staying with us tonight. Don’t even think about running away!”
Trapped, Isabella had no choice but to let them in. “Don’t worry, I live here now. Where would I go?”
One of them sighed. “Lucky for us we decided to try our luck tonight. With your habits, we’d be lucky to see you once a year!”
“Since you’re back, why didn’t you come see us immediately? Is the entertainment industry that fun? Is it better than our games?” grumbled another elderly man with a long beard.
Isabella poured water for each of them. “I didn’t mean to. I would’ve come to see you all after handling my matters.”
“Eh? You? That’s not right, Isabella! Why did you serve Lawrence first? Don’t I deserve to be first?” Silas said.
No.2
“You got yours second, what more do you want? Why am I third?” complained another.
“And I’m fourth! Isabella, do you not like Uncle Alistair?”
The four elderly men argued over the water like children.
Isabella sweatdropped at the sight.
No one would guess these four men were titans of their respective industries!
Uncle Lawrence led the Esports industry; Uncle Alistair was president of the International Go Association; Uncle Silas was a bigshot in scientific research; and Uncle Reginald dominated the construction industry.
Years ago, when Isabella was sent to Africa to escape Victoria’s schemes, she stumbled into their territory and uncovered their crucial secrets.
Just as they were about to eliminate her, Isabella used her extraordinary talent to solve their most perplexing problems, saving her own life.
From then on, the four men treated her as their apprentice. They pitied her struggles, trained her wholeheartedly, and…
No.3
Five long years had passed.
These powerful men had secretly protected her while managing Victoria's affairs.
They ensured Isabella remained hidden from the world.
Under their guidance, she surpassed all their expectations.
Her rapid progress astonished them.
They cherished her like a precious jewel.
Isabella watched the four elderly men nearly come to blows.
She quickly defused the tension by changing the subject.
"Enough," she said firmly. "The water was given without any particular order. No point fighting over it! Why did you come find me again? I'm going to sleep if this continues."
No.4
She turned toward the staircase.
The four men immediately stopped arguing.
They rushed to block her path.
"Isabella, you can't sleep yet. Something important requires your attention!"
She settled onto the sofa, her expression curious. "What is it?"
"Since you began planning your return, you've neglected us. My Esports team suffered a humiliating defeat in the international tournament. The Westhaven team acted arrogantly. They mocked our loss!"
"Isabella, no matter how busy you are, you must find time to duel their team leader! Restore our pride!" Uncle Lawrence exclaimed passionately.
Uncle Reginald interrupted, "Esports is trivial. Your loss means nothing. Infrastructure is what truly matters! Every nation now competes to build the tallest structure, surpassing the Khalifa Tower. We must join this competition!"
"Why the urgency?" Uncle Alistair countered. "The international Go tournament begins next month. The Germans claim their AI will defeat our human players! The humiliation would be unbearable!"
No.5
"Those are minor issues!" Uncle Silas interjected. "Denmark's newly developed Series-7 aircraft has achieved full autopilot! We're falling dangerously behind!"
Chaos filled Isabella's ears.
Had she only returned for two months?
How had so many problems accumulated?
Solving everything would require significant time...
"Calm down," Isabella interjected. "We'll address each issue sequentially, alright?"
"Good! Handle mine first!"
"No, mine takes priority!"
"Absolutely not! My matter is most urgent!"
No.6
Isabella struggled to speak amidst their renewed arguing.
The four men began fighting again.
If this continued, she would get no sleep tonight.
She retrieved four slips of paper.
Numbering them from one to four, she crumpled each into a ball.
Placing them in her palm, she announced, "Draw your lots. Your number determines the order."
"Brilliant idea! Our dear Isabella is truly the smartest!" Uncle Lawrence praised.
Isabella shook the paper balls and scattered them across the table.
The elderly men immediately scrambled for the lots.
No.7
Uncle Lawrence from Esports drew number one.
Uncle Reginald with the infrastructure issue got number two.
Uncle Alistair from the Go Association received number three.
Uncle Silas from scientific research ended with number four.
Uncle Silas collapsed onto the sofa, utterly dejected.
Isabella offered comfort. "Scientific research is the most time-consuming field. It requires over a decade of dedication anyway! After I finish the others, I'll devote all my time to researching with you, alright?"
"Alright. You promised!" Uncle Silas instantly brightened.
Isabella's words, however, dismayed Uncle Lawrence. "So you're saying my issue is least important because it's first?"
"Not at all! Bringing pride to our nation is never trivial! Don't worry, I'll make you proud tonight," Isabella reassured.