Listening to Bald Rivers boast endlessly, Chris couldn’t help but find it amusing. From Bald Rivers’ words, it seemed Susan had often badmouthed him in front of him.
But that was expected, as Susan had always disliked him. It was only after Chris had severely disciplined Susan a few times that she began to hold back and stopped bothering him. Chris picked up a cigarette and started smoking. Seeing this, Bald Rivers frowned.
“You really lack manners; don’t you know smoking is not allowed in the office? If you want to smoke, go outside. My cousin is working, don’t disturb her,” Bald Rivers said. Hearing this, Chris just laughed. He was smoking in his own wife’s office, and she hadn’t complained.
Yet, here was Bald Rivers, acting as if he ran the place, even trying to dictate Chris’s smoking habits. If it had been anyone else, Chris would have slapped them already. But since Bald Rivers was Esther’s distant cousin, Chris restrained himself a bit for Esther’s sake.
Without a word, Chris turned and left the office to smoke outside. Watching Chris’s departing figure, Bald Rivers said disdainfully to Esther, “Cousin, I really don’t see what you see in this guy. He has no class. How does he deserve you?”
Esther looked up at Bald Rivers with a helpless expression. She prayed silently that Bald Rivers wouldn’t offend Chris, as the consequences would be unimaginable.
Soon, it was time to leave work. Chris and others drove home. May had already prepared dinner, waiting for them to return. During the meal, Bald Rivers kept boasting about his greatness. Chris finally understood how a cow dies-it was blown to death by people like Bald Rivers.
The next day, early in the morning, Esther woke Chris up. Bald Rivers, visiting the East Coast for a rare occasion, was to be shown around by the host, which would have been Esther had she not been busy with work. So, she asked Chris to take Bald Rivers around the East Coast.
While driving, Chris asked, “Cousin Bald, what do you want to do? I’ll take you there.”
At this, Bald Rivers became visibly annoyed.
“Chris, can you stop calling me Cousin Bald? It sounds terrible!”
Chris chuckled silently; he was deliberately calling him that to annoy him.
“Hmph!”
Bald Rivers snorted.
“Take me to the mall. I want to buy something for my cousin.”
Chris said nothing and drove straight to the largest mall on the East Coast. After parking, Bald Rivers patted Chris on the shoulder and said, “Come in with me and help me carry things. I’ll treat you to a big meal at noon.”
After this, Bald Rivers entered the mall. Chris couldn’t help but be speechless. Bald Rivers really was treating him like a lackey. Since Chris had been managing the East Coast, the area had developed rapidly. The mall had everything one could want. Bald Rivers, dressed in a suit, looked every bit the part he was trying to portray. The sales associates in the mall almost couldn’t stand him.
After a round of shopping, Bald Rivers spent tens of thousands of dollars. Leaving the mall, he looked at Chris with disdain and said, “The East Coast is just a small place with nothing in it. Back in my hometown, a casual stroll through the mall would cost me millions.”
Upon hearing this, Chris’s mouth twitched momentarily. Ever since he met Bald Rivers, the man had been constantly showing off. Chris chuckled and asked, “Cousin Bald, where are we headed now?”
Hearing this, Bald Rivers’s face darkened instantly. He was sure that Chris was deliberately mocking him by calling him that. Bald Rivers waved his hand and said, “Let’s go eat first!”
To flaunt his wealth in front of Chris, Bald Rivers specifically took him to the East Coast’s most luxurious restaurant, Dream Night. Upon arriving at Dream Night, a mysterious smile appeared on Chris’s face. It reminded him of the time he had spent fifty million dollars to book the entire restaurant for Esther’s wedding anniversary celebration.
Bald Rivers sat down and looked at Chris disdainfully, “Order whatever you like, Chris. For someone rustic like you, I’m sure you’ve never been to a place this fancy. Don’t worry, I have plenty of money.”
Seeing Bald Rivers’s ostentatious demeanor, Chris couldn’t help but find it amusing. Since Bald Rivers wanted to show off, Chris decided to let him do just that, but hoped he wouldn’t end up looking foolish.
“Is that so? Well then, I won’t hold back!”
Chris called out, “Waiter, we’re ready to order!”
Soon, a waiter approached with a respectful expression, “Hello, what would you like to have?”
With an air of grandeur, Chris said, “Bring us the most expensive and finest dishes your restaurant offers!”
Upon hearing this, Bald Rivers’s face turned ashen.
Damn it! Chris was going to bankrupt him! Bald Rivers wanted to stop Chris, but he had just boasted about not being short of money. Stopping Chris now would be like slapping his own face. The waiter was momentarily stunned. Who was this bumpkin trying to show off at Dream Night? Nonetheless, the staff at Dream Night were well-trained and highly professional. The waiter continued, “Alright, and what would you like to drink?”
Chris waved grandly, “Bring us the most expensive wine you’ve got. My Cousin Bald isn’t short on cash!”
He said, turning to Bald Rivers with a grin, “Right, Cousin Bald?”
Bald Rivers’s mouth twitched again, and he forced a laugh, “Exactly, exactly, I’m not short of money!”
“Very well!”
The waiter nodded and then turned to leave. After the waiter left, Bald Rivers gritted his teeth and said, “Chris, can you even finish all that food? Aren’t you afraid of bursting?”
Chris responded coolly, “It’s fine if I can’t finish. We can always take it home. It’s rare to have a feast like this, how can I not indulge?”
Hearing this, Bald Rivers’s face grew even redder. Chris was clearly not spending his own money-he was aiming to eat him out of house and home! Soon, the waiter brought over dish after dish of signature delicacies-sea cucumbers, giant lobsters, abalones, and more.
Once the food was served, Chris did not hold back and began to eat voraciously. Seeing Chris eat like he was starved, Bald Rivers lost his appetite. Chris looked up at Bald Rivers and said, “Cousin Bald, why aren’t you eating? The food here is quite expensive, it would be a shame not to enjoy it.”