“Master Obrien, what do you mean?” Jason was confused.
“Tell Old Mr. Bloomer about the current situation and let him choose. Between me and this young man named Leo, he can only pick one.”
Master Obrien wanted to use this method to determine his importance in the Bloomer family. He was confident that Nicholas would choose him. His name was a golden signboard in Atraria, especially in the fields of geomancy and antiques.
“Jason, this…” Jacob’s words were interrupted as they saw Nicholas being helped over by a servant.
Outside the dining room, everyone focused their attention on Nicholas. He walked straight to Leo and asked with a smile, “Dr. Leo, did you sleep well last night?”
Nicholas’s attention was entirely on Leo. Whether he didn’t see Master Obrien or pretended not to, Old Bloomer didn’t even glance at him.
Master Obrien was surprised and puzzled. Since his rise to fame, no one had ever ignored him like this.
Jason felt awkward and quickly introduced, “Dad, this is Master Obrien I mentioned to you!”
Nicholas then turned his gaze to Master Obrien, but only looked at him calmly without speaking.
Although Master Obrien felt very uncomfortable, he had to speak up, “Nicholas, hello, I am Master Obrien! Since you invited me here, I don’t think there’s any need to invite anyone else. So I…”
Master Obrien was interrupted by Nicholas before he could finish, “Sorry, I didn’t invite you. My eldest son did.”
“I heard you took United States citizenship, right? I have never had any goodwill or trust towards people from the United States, so please feel free to leave.”
“Dr. Leo, let’s go have breakfast!”
Nicholas finished speaking and walked into the dining room with his cane. Leo followed him without saying more.
Nicholas had lived through wartime and had a deep-rooted patriotism. In his view, neither Orientians nor Americans were trustworthy.
Nicholas’s words made Master Obrien’s face turn livid with anger. If it weren’t for Nicholas’s status and power, he would have cursed him out loud.
Although Master Obrien had settled abroad and received some protection, he knew very well that the Bloomer family could easily deal with or eliminate him if they wanted to.
So even though he cursed Nicholas a thousand times in his heart, he dared not show it on his face.
Jason didn’t expect his father to give him no face in front of Master Obrien, making him extremely embarrassed.
“Let’s go!” Master Obrien snorted angrily and turned to leave with his assistant.
Jason had worked hard to invite Master Obrien and didn’t want to let him go easily. He quickly stopped them and apologized, “Master Obrien, please don’t be angry. My father may not understand your abilities. I’ll talk to him again. He will definitely choose you over Leo.”
Master Obrien had completely lost his patience and refused, “Mr. Bloomer, there’s no need. My abilities and character have been insulted. No matter how much your family offers me today, I will no longer be your family’s appraisal consultant!”
With that, Master Obrien snorted coldly and left with his assistant.
Master Obrien had flown in from abroad early that morning. His original plan was to have breakfast with the Bloomer family, communicate with Nicholas to strengthen their relationship, and then attend the auction at Springhill Gardens in the afternoon.
But plans couldn’t keep up with changes. Nicholas’s attitude was simply outrageous!
Watching Master Obrien leave, Jason felt helpless and resentful towards Leo’s appearance.
The dining room offered a variety of delicious buffet options.
After selecting their food, Leo and Nicholas sat together, chatting amicably while eating.
Jason had no appetite and walked over to where Nicholas and Leo were seated. With a bitter face, he said, “Dad, although Master Obrien has taken United States citizenship, his abilities in antique appraisal and geomancy are top-notch.”
“The antique we are bidding for this afternoon is very important to us. With Master Obrien’s help, we would have a great chance.”
Hearing Jason’s words, Leo couldn’t help but be curious about the antique the Bloomer family wanted to bid on.
Nicholas didn’t look at Jason but frowned and said sternly, “Jason, I made myself clear earlier. An Atrarian who takes United States citizenship is a traitor to his country. No matter how outstanding his abilities are, he is unreliable!”
From Old Bloomer’s tone, Jason could tell he was getting angry. Jason’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something but eventually turned into a sigh.
Nicholas then turned to Jason and said earnestly, “Jason, since you know how important the item we are bidding for this afternoon is to our family, we can’t let someone with United States citizenship participate in the auction.”
“Dad, that item is highly sought after by others as well. Without Master Obrien’s help, it will be difficult for us to win it.” Jason said helplessly.
“With Dr. Leo here, I believe that item will be ours.” Nicholas said confidently while looking at Leo.
Nicholas believed that at his age, his judgment of people was rarely wrong.
Jason disagreed with Nicholas’s confidence and retorted, “Dad, Dr. Leo may be proficient in antiques and paintings, but in geomancy, he is definitely an outsider and cannot compare to Master Obrien.”
Nicholas waved his hand dismissively and said, “The connection between that item and geomancy is just hype. As long as Dr. Leo can authenticate it, that’s enough.”
“Dad, I still think…”
“Enough! This matter is decided. If we don’t get that item in the end, it means our family isn’t destined for it.” Nicholas interrupted Jason impatiently.
Leo put down his fork and curiously asked, “Old Mr. Bloomer, what exactly is the item you’re bidding for this afternoon that makes it so mysterious?”
“It’s just an ordinary antique. The geomancy connection is just auction house hype. You’ll see what it is when we get there this afternoon.” Nicholas replied mysteriously.
“Dad, it’s not just an ordinary antique. Legend has it…”