America's Greatest Villain: I Defeat Magic with Magic

Chapter 136 Oak Valley Lakeside Manor

As evening fell, the group finally arrived at their destination for the outdoor activity – Oak Valley Lakeside Estate.

April in California is the perfect time for a spring outing. The sun shines brightly but isn't hot, the breeze is cool, and the weather is pleasant.

This is undoubtedly a perfect window of opportunity for college students across the United States to organize all kinds of "spring camping parties".

As one of the "new Ivy League" universities where wealthy second-generation students flock, the venue for this event at the USC School of Life Sciences was naturally carefully selected.

This Oak Valley Lakeside Estate is located in a secluded valley in the St. Ines Mountains, north of Los Angeles, and close to USC.

The main campus is exactly an hour and a half drive away.

Compared to the bustling, crowded state parks and tourist hotspots, this private, top-tier estate camp is not usually open to the general public.

Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry about being disturbed by any irrelevant outsiders when organizing student activities.

The estate covers hundreds of acres and is said to have originally been a private ranch of an old-money family.

After renovation, it can be used not only for golf tournaments, but also for large, flat, carpet-like lawns suitable for regular American football games.

At the heart of the estate lies a private freshwater lake, as blue as a sapphire, surrounded by a lush, century-old oak forest.

Several luxurious Nordic-style villas can be seen from higher ground along the lake, while large tracts of land lie at the edge of the woodland a little further away from the lake.

The facility includes a premium public tent camping area and a fire pit area for student accommodation.

Chen Yuan and the Rongdingge employees stepped off the dining car with their luggage. The three men were traveling light, with only a few changes of clothes and not many other items.

However, the ladies had many bags and it took several people quite a while to unload all the heavy personal luggage from the trunk.

"This place is so beautiful!"

"What a huge lake, it's like a mirror."

"It's a pity the water is a bit too cold now, so we can't go swimming."

Several young girls chattered excitedly. When they turned their heads and saw that many students who had arrived earlier were busy setting up tents and organizing their luggage in the tent area not far away, they couldn't help but show expressions of curiosity and longing.

"Boss, are we going to camp in the woods like them tonight?"

While Emily was excited, she also had some minor worries. She had never had a similar experience before, and the public high school in the countryside would not organize such an event.

As for Su Nian, Anna, and Hoshino Mina, they are all international students and have not experienced similar outdoor life as American students.

"Won't there be a lot of bugs?"

"Using insect repellent spray should be fine, right?" Anna was also a little worried. "Xiao Su has some medicated oil and floral water here, which are said to be very effective against insects."

Perhaps because they were genuinely afraid of insects, all four girls tacitly changed into smart outdoor outfits today.

Su Nian's style remained understated. She wore a beige hooded sweatshirt with a light windproof jacket, paired with simple dark blue straight-leg jeans and clean white sneakers. She carried a canvas bag over one shoulder, and her long, ink-black hair was loosely draped behind her head, making her appear quiet and refreshing.

Emily was the most eye-catching one among them.

She wore a short, tight-fitting sports jacket, the zipper casually half-unzipped, revealing a tight white sports vest underneath. She paired it with high-waisted cargo shorts, showcasing her long, muscular legs with a powerful presence, and finished the look with a pair of durable and comfortable high-top cargo boots.

Emily's long, golden-brown hair was tied up high, and she wore a pair of large aviator sunglasses on her nose, making her look very cool.

Anna, adhering to pragmatism, wore a blue windbreaker over a loose-fitting sweatshirt. She paired it with long workwear pants tucked into lightweight ankle boots, and a baseball cap. Her black-rimmed glasses, still perched on her nose, largely concealed her Eastern European features.

Mina Hoshino, on the other hand, clearly has a different style. Her cream-colored, thin sun-protective jacket is obviously carefully chosen. She paired it with dark-colored shorts, maintaining a feminine softness while avoiding looking too revealing during outdoor activities.

It's a burden.

When the four people stood together, their temperaments did not clash at all.

Su Nian is quiet and reserved, Emily is bright and outgoing, Hoshino Mina is delicate and gentle, and Anna is relaxed.

They were like four distinct springs, blown simultaneously into this seemingly carefree school field trip by a lake breeze, attracting the attention of the surrounding students who would occasionally glance in their direction.

Just as the group was considering where to stay, a woman stepped out of a black Maybach not far ahead. It was Vivian.

Unlike most students who opted for casual and convenient outdoor attire, she wore a well-tailored light beige long-sleeved dress, the hem of which gracefully fell to just below her knees. On her feet were a pair of exquisite light-colored ankle boots.

Her outfit was neither extravagant nor glamorous, but the moment she stood by the lake, she immediately stood out from the crowd.

After all, she didn't need to participate in any activities. As the executive director of the Sinclair family-sponsored foundation, all she had to do was sit on the observation deck of that villa, sip coffee, and ensure that the event went smoothly.

Vivian walked up to Chen Yuan, glanced at the food truck and refrigerated truck behind him, and then naturally turned to the camp leader who had followed her and said, "These people are the catering team for this event. They are responsible for providing meals and supplies for all staff and students during the event, so we've vacated a few rooms on the first and second floors of the villa for them to rest and prepare meals."

It wasn't that Vivian showed any special care for Chen Yuan and the others.

Event organizers with similar experience know that to ensure so many students can have hot food early in the morning, the chef team often needs to start preparing ingredients as early as four or five in the morning.

The total number of participants in this outdoor activity was around 200, including third-year students from the School of Life Sciences, the school's rugby team, and the cheerleading team.

It must be very hard for Rongdingge's few employees to cook.

Therefore, sufficient rest is essential.

Without hesitation, the camp manager immediately replied, "Yes, Ms. Sinclair, we will prepare the rooms according to your request."

"Did I hear that right?" Emily whispered to Hoshino Mina, "We can actually stay in that villa."

Anna nodded excitedly, "Hey, Miss Sinclair is quite a nice person!"

"Just call me Vivian." Vivian gave the girls a perfect social smile. "Due to limited rooms, it might be necessary for two people to share a room."

"Then—I'll go with Su Nian!"

Anna's film arts school and Su Nian's journalism and media school are in the same teaching building, and they often need to edit together.

Because of the video, the relationship between the two became increasingly harmonious.

"Old Cao and I are fine together!"

Kevin quickly explained that although he wasn't an employee of Rongdingge, he had conducted two experiments in the kitchen before. His social skills made it easy for him to become acquainted with Lao Cao and the others.

In this way, Chen Yuan had a single room with a lake view on the second floor all to himself. But since he was the boss, no one had any objections.

Just as the group was excitedly preparing to head to their rooms with their bags, a startled cry of "Watch out!" suddenly rang out from nearby.

As soon as Chen Yuan turned his head, he saw a small black dot flying rapidly toward where they were.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a rugby ball!