Bruno’s heart was genuinely cold.
The guests at this birthday banquet were all prestigious families from Langstel. If they collectively targeted the Bloomer family, there would be no way for the Bloomer family to thrive in Langstel. Despite the flattery from everyone, Renee remained noncommittal as she returned to the main table.
The old Mrs. Henley’s current expression was miserable. In her view, attending Old Mr. Browne’s eightieth birthday celebration today should have been an opportunity for the Bloomer family to rise. However, the bloody reality told her that this was not an opportunity but a disaster.
After what happened today, Bruno had become a joke among Langstel’s upper class. Handing over the position of chairman to him would turn the Bloomer family into a joke as well.
No, she couldn’t sit idly by. She had to find a way to handle this situation properly.
The old Mrs. Henley thought this way and turned her gaze to Leo. Leo was the son-in-law of the Bloomer family; he had to do something for them. Moreover, Bruno’s ridiculous act of barking like a dog was instigated by Leo!
As the birthday banquet neared its end, Andy Rossetti couldn’t help but say to Leo, “Leo, my friend, if you’ve finished eating, let’s go upstairs.”
Andy Rossetti was itching to play again. He had lost to Leo earlier, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He wanted to regain some face.
Leo looked at Old Mr. Browne and asked, “Sir, have you finished eating?”
Old Mr. Browne had a small appetite, and he had finished his meal long ago. He said, “Let’s go upstairs. August, Renee, you stay here and attend to the guests.”
Amidst everyone’s attention, Old Mr. Browne, Leo, and a few others left the banquet hall.
The ten members of the Bloomer family, except for Sophia, looked at Leo with resentful eyes.
Now, in the president’s penthouse suite.
Without much ceremony, after Leo and Andy Rossetti took their seats, another intense game began.
Just like before, Andy Rossetti chose the white pieces, and Leo chose the black pieces.
Levi Charles, who was watching the game, sneered, “Leo, soon you’ll see my master’s true strength. You better be prepared for defeat.”
Leo glanced at Levi Charles but chose not to respond.
The Go game was like a battlefield. Only those immersed in it could truly understand. To show respect for Andy Rossetti, Leo played the game seriously, not casually.
As time passed, it was evident that Andy Rossetti’s face became more serious again.
Andy Rossetti knew very well that he was putting in all his effort in this game. He displayed all of his skills, but the game’s progression continued irrevocably in an unfavorable direction for him.
By the middle game, small beads of sweat appeared uncontrollably on Andy Rossetti’s forehead.
The person who could exert so much pressure on him was someone Andy Rossetti hadn’t encountered in over ten years. But today, this person appeared, and he was a young man of similar age to his apprentice.
Levi Charles had been watching his master’s expression. Seeing sweat beads on his master’s forehead, he felt uneasy.
Was his master going to lose to this guy again, just like before?
When Levi Charles shifted his attention back to the Goboard, his heart became even more conflicted. The side with the white pieces was now at a disadvantage, and defeat was only a matter of time.
Levi knew that in this Go game, his master had already exerted all his strength, yet they still faced a disadvantageous situation.
If his master lost again, his reputation would be completely ruined.
As Andy Rossetti’s apprentice, Levi couldn’t allow such a thing to happen.
“Master, you haven’t been feeling well lately, and playing Go can be mentally exhausting. How about taking a break?” Levi suggested.
Andy Rossetti shook his head, signaling that there was no need for a break.
Seeing Leo about to place a black piece, Levi quickly pushed Leo’s hand, “Leo, my master is tired now. Let’s end the game here for today.”
Although Levi didn’t manage to knock the black piece out of Leo’s hand, the contact disrupted the Go board.
Old Mr. Browne, who had been engrossed in the Go game between Leo and Andy Rossetti, was furious when he witnessed this scene. “Levi, what are you doing?” he roared.
Andy Rossetti also stood up from his seat, looking at Levi with anger. “Levi, you were intentionally doing this, do you want me to lose not only the game but also my character?”
Levi rarely saw his master lose his temper, and in this situation, he couldn’t help but be frightened.
Old Mr. Browne had been enjoying the Go game, but Levi’s recent actions greatly spoiled his enthusiasm. It was like a gourmet savoring a delicious dish only to find a mouse dropping in it.
“Levi, you’ve ruined such a brilliant game. I think there’s an issue with your upbringing, and you need some education,” scolded Old Mr. Browne, who rarely showed anger in recent years. But today, for the sake of a Go game, he was furious.
Levi was smart enough to understand the implications of the phone call Old Mr. Browne made. He immediately knelt down in front of Old Mr. Browne, pleading desperately, “Mr. Browne, I was wrong. I was just concerned about my master’s health, and that’s why I accidentally disrupted the Go game.”
Ignoring him, Old Mr. Browne took out his phone and made a call.
Levi, understanding what the call meant, knelt in front of Old Mr. Browne, continuously begging, “Mr. Browne, I won’t do it again. Please spare me…”
Lorraine Bell, standing on the side, looked at Levi begging on the ground with disdain. A master should provide strict guidance, losing a Go game was acceptable, but losing one’s character was absolutely intolerable.
Having followed his master for so long, Levi lacked even this awareness, and he dared to ruin a Go game in front of his master and Old Mr. Browne.
He truly didn’t know the severity of the situation.
Seeing Old Mr. Browne unmoved, Levi turned to Andy Rossetti for help, “Master, I know I was wrong. Please help me.”
Feeling that his entire face had been disgraced, Andy Rossetti angrily said, “Levi, I thought you could inherit my skills in Go. Now it seems I was wrong.”
Levi, upon hearing this, was stunned.
Did his master mean he wasn’t going to help him?
Was destroying a Go game such a big deal?
At that moment, Levi’s father and relatives from the Charles family were brought into the room by the Browne family’s people.
After Levi’s father learned about the situation, without a second word, he slapped Levi in the face twice and scolded him, “You troublemaker!”
In Langstel, the Charles family was a second-tier aristocratic family, slightly higher in status than the Bloomer family.
The reason the Charles family could attend Old Mr. Browne’s birthday celebration was mainly because Levi was Andy Rossetti’s apprentice, and Andy Rossetti was a close friend of Old Mr. Browne.