[Chapter 107: Herbal Supplier]
After dinner, the two returned to the hotel, and Daniel took out all the items Scarlett had purchased from the System Space again. Scarlett's eyes sparkled; this was far more entertaining than the so-called magic.
At least she knew magic was fake and required a lot of preparation beforehand. But Daniel had done this empty-handed, with no preparation at all.
"Mr. Cross, why don't you hold onto these for me? You can give them back when we get to Los Angeles," Scarlett said. "It's inconvenient to carry them on the plane."
"All right." Daniel waved his hand, and the bags vanished right in front of Scarlett once more.
"That is truly miraculous," Scarlett couldn't help but exclaim for the umpteenth time. "I booked tickets for tomorrow morning. We'll head back to Los Angeles together then."
"Okay," Daniel replied. "I'm heading back to my room. Get some rest. Good night."
"Good night, Mr. Cross." Scarlett waved as Daniel left.
...
Once in her room, Scarlett took a shower. Afterward, she examined herself carefully in the mirror, confirming that her skin had indeed improved significantly.
"No wonder it felt so smooth when I touched it earlier. It's truly amazing."
Scarlett lightly touched her face, still unable to suppress her amazement. How can there be such magical things in this world? Just a tiny elixir caused such a massive change in me. When I get back to the film crew, the makeup artists are going to be stunned.
Who exactly is Mr. Cross? How does he possess such power? He also seems quite handsome."
Scarlett thought all this as she finished her nightly skincare routine.
By the time she was done, she checked the clock: it was already past 10 p.m. Lying in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Her mind kept circling back to how amazing Mr. Cross was. The more she thought about it, the more mysterious he seemed, holding so many secrets unknown to anyone else.
He appeared straightforward, yet was wrapped in a fog that made him impossible to see clearly. But that mystery was part of what made him so attractive.
...
While Scarlett struggled to sleep, Daniel next door answered a phone call.
"Mr. Cross, why haven't you been online? I couldn't reach you," said a young male voice.
Daniel asked, "Are you Autumn Wind?"
"Yes, it's me."
"I was away on a business trip and didn't have my computer on."
"Is it convenient for you to log in to chat now?" Autumn Wind's voice carried a hint of frustration over the cost.
Daniel said, "Yes, please wait a moment."
He hung up, took his laptop out of System Space, and logged into the portal using the hotel's network.
As soon as he logged in, he saw the message Autumn Wind had sent confirming successful connection with a traditional medicinal herb supplier.
Daniel replied, "Can they provide all the herbs on the list I sent?"
"Yes, they can. They seem quite interested in you, too."
"How much do you want for the referral fee?"
Autumn Wind sounded a little embarrassed as he tentatively asked, "Is 5,000 US dollars acceptable?"
He readily agreed. "Yes. I'll wire the money to you tomorrow."
"Boss, I trust you. Here, I'll give you a phone number and his account details on the portal. You can contact him however you prefer. I've mentioned you to him, so just drop my name."
After Daniel agreed, Autumn Wind quickly sent over a phone number and account ID.
...
Daniel dialed the number directly.
After a few rings, a calm male voice answered. "Hello, may I ask if this is Mr. Cross?"
"Yes, this is Daniel," he replied. "Autumn Wind referred me."
The man chuckled lightly. "I thought it might be you. He just told me he passed along my contact. My name's Marcus Hale. You can call me Marcus."
Daniel didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Marcus, do you have the medicinal herbs I requested?"
"To be honest," Marcus said, "when I first saw your list, I didn't fully understand it."
Daniel frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Quite a few of the herb names were unfamiliar. After showing them to my grandfather, we realized they were older terms -- mostly archaic English and some Latin names. Many of those herbs aren't called that anymore."
Daniel was surprised. He genuinely hadn't known this. The herb names had come directly from the System. While he understood their properties clearly, there had been no indication they were archaic terms.
"My grandfather said very few people these days recognize those old names," Marcus continued. "He's actually very interested in you. If you ever have the time, he'd love to speak with you."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible right now," Daniel said.
"That's a shame, but no problem. There will be another chance."
"Of course," Daniel said. "I'll make the trip eventually."
"Great. Now, let's get to the point," Marcus said. "Besides the list you sent, do you need anything else?"
"Yes. That list was only a small portion. If it's convenient, we can continue this over chat."
"Sure."
Daniel soon sent a more comprehensive list through the portal message.
Marcus looked through it and gave a wry laugh. [There are even more names here I don't recognize. I'll have to ask my grandfather again. Give me a little time.]
Daniel had an idea. [Marcus, could you mark the archaic names and their modern equivalents on the previous list and make a comparison chart?]
[That's no problem,] Marcus said. [I actually have something like that already. Give me a moment.]
Within minutes, Marcus sent a photo showing handwritten notes comparing old herbal terms -- some in Latin, some in archaic English -- with their modern botanical names. It was clearly something he used for reference and study, and now it was very convenient for Daniel.
After exchanging a few more messages, Marcus said he needed to consult his grandfather, and the two paused their conversation for the time being.
...
The night passed without incident.
The next day, because she had to catch a flight, Scarlett couldn't sleep in too late.
When Daniel saw her, he noticed two dark circles under her eyes.
He asked, puzzled, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Scarlett looked a little embarrassed. "Uh, it's nothing. I was up watching TV too late."
Daniel didn't think much of it. "Then catch up on sleep on the plane later."
Seeing that she'd managed to brush it off, Scarlett secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her heart race slightly.
'It's all Hunter's fault for talking nonsense, making me feel nervous whenever I see Mr. Cross now.'
Scarlett silently cursed her younger brother in her heart.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.