Tyrion’s impression of Brucille was getting better. It was undeniable that Monique’s own understanding of him had been reset.
When they entered the restaurant, Sabrina had ordered for everyone. Melissa, Pollard, Aunt Kiana, Uncle Daniel and her cousin Haward were all there. As usual, Uncle Martin and his family were late.
“Tyrion, I have made the order,” Sabrina informed. “Take a look and see if you want to order anything else. We haven’t had dinner with Martin for a long time and who knows whether he’s going abroad for business again. Let’s have a feast to celebrate and reward the strong old assistant dean!”
“At this age, I ought to eat simple and plain food. I’m afraid my body won’t be able to stand it if I have too much,” Tyrion said.
Chuckling, Brucille suggested, “Dad, you should really take care of your blood pressure. When we get home, I will give you a medicine that helps to alleviate your blood pressure, otherwise you won’t be able to enjoy this feast. Aren’t you hungry by just looking at the food?”
“Alright, alright. You’re getting more considerate. I guess I didn’t dote on you for nothing.”
At the table, they discussed what food to order. However, since it was a five-star hotel, anything on the menu was good. The highlight of the restaurant was the exquisite workmanship of each dish. All the dishes looked like a work of art, and just a look at the menu made them hungry.
At that moment, Uncle Martin walked in with his son Frank.
Tyrion quickly stood up to welcome him. “Martin, we are all here waiting for you. Why isn’t Betty with you?”
“Ah, she’s gone on a trip to an island with her good friends since last month. Originally, she planned to stay there for a month, but now it’s been extended to six months…”
Chortling, Sabrina commented, “Tyrion, this should be a life for a woman. Betty is traveling around the world. Meanwhile, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk after I retire.”
Melissa responded loudly, “Mom, it’s not like that. Although we can’t travel around the world like Aunt Betty, we can still go on vacation. The thing is that you don’t want to, isn’t that right, Dad?”
Frank wore a Rolex watch on his wrist and carried with him the latest iPhone. When he entered the room, he had sunglasses on, which gave the impression that he was stylish.
Brucille knew that Frank was his cousin. At that moment, Melissa asked in surprise, “Frank, I heard that you are a senior executive of the company now, with an annual salary of a few million yuan, isn’t it?”
Frank took off his glasses, looked at Melissa and said with a smile, “Melissa, let me correct you on that. Our company is a listed company. The annual salary you stated is indeed true, but if you consider the stocks, it would be a few million yuan.”
“Well, if I were to put simply, I can be considered financially independent…”
Sounding envious, Melissa sighed, “Pollard, Frank here is a director. While you’re a director too, you are not even a close match to him. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”
Before she spoke, Pollard’s heart was already filled with jealousy. After all, Melissa and Frank had a short relationship between them. If Tyrion hadn’t interfered with it, Melissa and Frank might have actually ended up together.
Because of that, he didn’t like Frank at all, especially after Frank had found success. Therefore, he covetously responded, “You shouldn’t compare us at all. Uncle Martin has such a big company, and Frank has been trained since he was a child. That is why he is so successful. Nonetheless, I will learn from him.”
Meanwhile, Martin was aware of Brucille, whom he had only met a few times. He enquired, “Brucille, how are you? I heard that you have not been working. Since you have arms and legs, it’s not good for you to sit around like an old man.”
Tyrion felt that Martin’s comments were inappropriate. Therefore, he spoke up, “Martin, Brucille easily made a million yuan by just selling off some antiques.”
While his words were actually true, selling antiques seemed rather derogatory in that context. Therefore, it gave Frank another opportunity to criticize.
“Tyrion, is selling antiques an actual job? Don’t joke around, Brucille. I am the deputy general manager of the branch office. If you are willing, I can grant you a team leader role at my company where you can earn at least a hundred thousand yuan a year, which is better than selling antiques at home.”
Brucille had enough of his disdain. With Aunt Kiara out of the picture, it was Frank’s turn this time.
Upset, he protested, “Frank, selling antiques requires knowledge. Amateurs won’t understand the depth of this field. In fact, by selling antiques, I can make enough money to last me several years without needing to run a business every day. I assure you, I am doing well.”
His words were extremely impolite, especially when directed at a successful person like Frank.
“It sounds like you’re not convinced. All right, let’s talk about something else. My new Ferrari GTC4Lusso parked outside is 4 million yuan. Can you afford it?” Frank asked.
Brucille rebutted unceremoniously, “If it costs 4 million, I think it would be better to get a Ferrari 812 Superfast, since that’s the best Ferrari.”
Frank didn’t expect that a person who had been through a serious car accident would actually discuss sports cars with him. “I’m not looking down on you, but can you even afford it? You’re talking about the top Ferrari. I don’t think you can even afford the wheel.”
Sabrina did not expect Frank would ridicule Brucille in such a manner. Eager to ease the situation, she interrupted them, “Alright, that’s enough. Please make way for the waiters. Let’s eat while we chat.”
The entire atmosphere felt tense. Frank was extremely unhappy that his beautiful cousins had both married poor men of low qualifications.
Braised pork in drizzled brown sauce was a delicate dish for a banquet.
When the seafood platter was served, steam could be seen when the lid was lifted. It was fresh as though it had just been caught from the ocean, extremely mouth-watering.
The sarcasm and horrid jabs seemed to disappear gradually as everyone dug into the great food and wine. Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, a waitress came in all of a sudden.
Flustered and panicked, she searched for the host of that night. Finally, she went to Tyrion’s side.
“Mr. Ching, right? I have something very important to discuss with you.”
Tyrion was well mannered and treated the waitress with respect. Putting down his cutlery, he wiped his mouth and asked, “What is it? Is there poison in the food?”
The waitress, who was initially very nervous, was amused by him. She informed, “Mr. Ching, the leader of the Merchants Bureau has invited a very important guest over, but there are too many of them, so the room is not big enough…”
Her volume decreased as she explained. Nearing the end of her sentence, her fearful voice was barely audible.
Nevertheless, Tyrion understood what she was trying to say. There weren’t enough seats, so they wanted him to move away.