When Darnell volunteered to perform, Eliezer felt a pang of uncertainty. This bastard always made him feel uneasy.
But the bragging had already been done, and retracting it would only make him lose face. Besides, Zoey’s singing skills were unmatched. Eliezer hesitated for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Mr. Halford, you want to join in the fun? Sure, it’s a rare opportunity to liven things up.”
“I’m not interested in joining in the fun.”
Darnell wiped his hands with a tissue and leisurely walked towards the stage. “I just want Mr. Izzard’s one million dollars.”
“Didn’t you say that if one sings better than Zoey, he’ll get the reward?”
Darnell had a clear goal in mind and smiled at Eliezer and Zoey. “Although I love money and women and I don’t even help old ladies cross the road, I do have a decent voice.”
“I was the number one in a singing competition in elementary school. I want to see if I can win Mr. Izzard’s one million dollars.”
Upon hearing Darnell’s challenge, the crowd erupted in astonishment. They thought money could really cloud someone’s judgment.
With Zoey’s talent on display, not to mention Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, there were probably few people in all of Whiteville who could sing better than her. Darnell’s challenge seemed reckless, risking embarrassment.
Areli furrowed her eyebrows and thought to herself that this oddball really enjoyed seeking attention.
Casey and her two companions were anxious and full of self-blame. They thought Darnell was angry at Eliezer for bullying them, so he rushed forward for revenge.
Roberto was taken aback but then sneered, “Mr. Halford, you’re truly skilled at taking advantage of opportunities. Are you that eager to get that million?”
He leaned back in his comfortable chair, looking up with disdain at Darnell walking towards the stage.
“Let me ask you this, what if you sing horribly, hurting everyone’s ears like your team members did? Will you give Mr. Izzard one million dollars?”
“Whether I’m good at singing or not…”
Darnell looked at Roberto for a moment and then smiled, “Well, just wait and see. Mr. Izzard did say he would reward me if I sang better than his niece.”
“And this is not a gamble, Mr. Gower. You’re distorting Mr. Izzard’s intentions. It goes against his good intentions of having someone sing to liven up the atmosphere.”
Darnell pointed at the Python Team with his finger. “Even though Casey and her friends didn’t sing well, they did entertain everyone.”
“You…”
Roberto was frustrated by Darnell’s words and snorted heavily, “Mr. Izzard generously offered rewards to liven up the atmosphere, but I don’t want him to be taken advantage of.”
“Moreover, singing without clear rewards and punishments makes it difficult for you to unleash your full potential.”
“Darnell, if you want to challenge yourself, besides Mr. Izzard’s one million dollars, I’ll add another one million.”
“A total of two million as a prize. If you sing better than Zoey, you can get two million, but if you don’t sing well, you have to pay one million.”
“And don’t say you don’t have money. Mr. Izzard said he would give you a one million dollar bonus tonight so that you can use it as your bet.”
Roberto wrote a check on the spot. “You can win our two million with just one million. It’s quite a lucrative deal, isn’t it?”
Eliezer burst into laughter and clapped his hands. “Brilliant, Mr. Gower.” He then looked at Darnell with a smile.
“Mr. Halford, Mr. Gower has generously contributed one million dollars for everyone’s enjoyment and for you to showcase your full potential. Are you going to continue the challenge or decide to back down?”
“If you choose to challenge Zoey, pick up the microphone and sing a song. Don’t worry. The game isn’t rigged. Miss Fanshaw and around two hundred people in the audience are witnesses.”
Damn! These two bastards came here for his one million dollars!
Darnell could tell that Eliezer was reluctant to give him one million dollars. To take back his promised reward of one million dollars, he created this high-stakes challenge tonight. It was an effortless way to nullify his reward while combining it with Casey and the others’ poor performance, Eliezer had set up a deadly trap for Darnell.
Areli suddenly interjected, “Mr. Gower, Mr. Izzard, tonight is supposed to be a celebration banquet. We need some excitement, but not on such a grand scale.”
Roberto smiled and replied, “Miss Fanshaw, one million dollars may be significant for many people but not for Mr. Halford.”
“Besides,” he continued with a smile on his face, “We all hope for a grand performance tonight. It makes things more interesting and has motivational effects.”
“Becoming rich overnight by earning two million dollars will motivate the sales department even more.”
Roberto raised his hand high and shouted loudly, “What do you all say?”
The crowd cheered again. “That’s right!”
Getting to watch this spectacle without spending any money made it all the more thrilling and entertaining. The more thrilling the performance was, the more fun it became.
Seeing everyone’s enthusiasm rise, Areli smiled without saying anything more. She wasn’t worried about Darnell losing. She was afraid he might accidentally win.
Winning two million dollars from both Eliezer and Roberto would be painful for them both.
At that moment, Zoey smiled sweetly and said, “Mr. Gower, Uncle Eliezer, don’t make things difficult for Darnell.”
Eliezer laughed at Darnell and said loudly, “Mr. Halford, forget it. Don’t embarrass yourself and the Python Team further.”
“It’s not like I’m afraid of losing one or two million. I’m just afraid your performance will be as poor as your teammates’ and ruin everyone’s appetite.”
Casey and the others lowered their heads upon hearing this comment. Their cheeks turned red from embarrassment.
“Two million?”
At that moment, Darnell stood in front of them and stared intently at Roberto and Eliezer. “Raising the stakes? Betting against me?”
Amidst the shocked gazes of many people in the audience, Darnell slapped his thigh excitedly. “Great! I love raising stakes like this. Two million is too little.”
He extended his hand and shouted out loud, “Mr. Gower and Mr. Izzard said that bigger stakes are more exciting, so let’s make it even bigger. How about five million”
“I have over five hundred thousand dollars in commission from my business dealings. I’ll put it all on the line for this bet.”
Darnell had already decided to counterattack against Roberto and Eliezer. Thus, he began an audacious gamble.
“Mr. Gower, Mr. Izzard, do you dare to go all-in against me with ten million dollars? If you two dare not accept my challenge, then you should slap yourselves twice as punishment for the big talk earlier.”
The whole audience was shocked once again, followed by murmurs of discussion. Areli raised an eyebrow and said incredulously, “Darnell, are you crazy?”
To bet five million or ten million on singing a song? He must be out of his mind to make such a wager!
Casey shouted anxiously, “Mr. Halford! Don’t act impulsively!”
The three women were almost in tears. They thought Darnell’s impulsive move was driven by anger on their behalf, as if he had lost his mind for their sake.
Zoey also squinted her eyes in surprise at Darnell’s audacity but also muttered disdainfully under her breath.
Darnell paid no attention to their shouts or excitement. He just stared at Roberto and Eliezer, whose faces had slightly changed color.
“Mr. Gower,” he said while maintaining eye contact with him and then turning towards Eliezer with determination in his eyes. “Are you willing to accept the challenge?”
Roberto exchanged glances with Eliezer before huddling together for a brief discussion. After cornering Darnell earlier, they now found themselves being cornered by him.
If they didn’t accept the challenge now, they would appear weak-willed individuals who only made empty threats, a situation they absolutely couldn’t afford in this setting.
Moreover, seeing Zoey’s impressive performance gave them great confidence. They didn’t believe that Darnell could sing better than her.
“Sure! Why not? I’m game!” Roberto slapped the table decisively as he made his final decision. “Ten million dollars. Let the singing begin!”
Areli hesitated for a moment before sighing softly without saying anything else.
With Roberto accepting the higher stakes bet from Darnell amidst silence from the crowd, Darnell rolled his neck before picking up the microphone without any signs of hesitation. He casually chose a song by Sasha Sloan, “Dancing With Your Ghost”.
When the music started playing, it seemed like Darnell had transformed into a different person. His whole demeanor exuded melancholy which resonated deeply with everyone due to the accompanying sad melody.
Areli watched with fascination as she saw Darnell’s expression filled with sorrow. Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
“Yelling at the sky. Screaming at the world. Baby, why did you go away…”
But just as Darnell sang out the first word, the whole crowd burst into laughter once again, realizing that he was tone-deaf.