Filed to story: Disdained Son-in-Law, Destined Riches >>
Joe glanced over at them briefly. He remembered them as his college mates. The woman’s name was Joanne Hampton, and the man’s name was Jerry McLean.
Douglas replied timidly, “Oh no, I cannot take credit for all of that. Sigh, it’s a long story, just forget about it!”
He then looked at Joe, feeling grateful with a tinge of emotion.
It had been a stroke of misfortune to have been with a cheater and slut that he had almost lost everything to her, even getting beaten up for that.
Luckily, thanks to Joe’s help, he was able to reclaim ownership of the restaurant and receive two million in compensation. Thus, everything that he owned now was literally because of Joe. He couldn’t take any credit for that.
Hence, he changed the subject and started, “Anyway, Jerry, you’re pretty well off now, aren’t you? I heard that you are one of the top executives in your company! I bet you must be making six figures a year.”
Jerry answered with a sigh, “Ah, forget it. The company doesn’t treat me fairly. I’m about to resign and send my resume to Spikeworth Corps to try my luck. Remember George? George Harris? I heard that he is a senior manager there, a solid position! Who would have thought that the kid is doing so well now!”
“Oh, George…” Douglas managed an awkward smile. He was not on good terms with George, which was why George had not been invited to tonight’s dinner.
However, Jerry and George were quite close. If Spikeworth accepted him, he would be appointed to a distinguished position with George’s recommendation.
Loreen spoke after pondering for a while, “I heard that Spikeworth is a big company in Aurous Hill that has very good reviews. Wow, I didn’t know that George is doing so well now, either.”
Claire was a little stunned when she heard the name of Spikeworth Corps being mentioned.
After breaking her ties with the Wilson family and being kicked out from the Wilson Group, she had been sending out her resume to a lot of companies over the past few days in hopes of a new job, one of which was Spikeworth Corps.
Claire said with a smile, “Hey, I also sent my resume to Spikeworth. If we ace the interview, we will work in the same company.”
Joanne was a little surprised. “Claire, you’ve been working in your family company all these years, why would you suddenly want to apply for a job at Spikeworth?”
Claire’s smile became a little bitter as she continued, “I’ve cut ties with my family now, so I need to find a new job. Otherwise, I can’t support my family.”
Upon hearing this, Joanne glanced at Joe, her gaze full of contempt and disgust. “Joe, look at your wife. She has to work so hard for the family. As a man, you are so useless and ignorant to allow your woman to be so desperate and depressed.”
Jerry was not very close to Joe, so he laughed unscrupulously. “Joe, why don’t you try your luck in George’s company, too? Maybe, based on your qualifications, you are only qualified as the cleaner, but for the sake of our time spent back in college, he should be able to make you the head of the cleaning crew.”
Joe replied flatly, “No thanks, you should keep the benefit for yourselves. I’m not interested.”
Jerry was agitated by Joe’s indifference, and his tone became more sinister as he said, “Joe, I know that you are very egoistic, but just look at yourself now. Everyone is doing better than you. Take my word of advice, don’t set your expectations too high! Get real!”
Douglas frowned at the bantering and interjected, “Alright, that’s enough! It’s our class reunion today, don’t bully Joe like that.”
Then, he turned to Joe and said apologetically, “Dude, don’t take it personally. You know them, they have a quick tongue.”
Joanne snorted insolently. “Douglas, we are so frank because Joe is always laid-back and passive. He has no ability whatsoever, but he’s pretty good at pretending.”
Jerry added disdainfully, “This is what a deadbeat loser looks like…”
Joe stared daggers at them, but for Douglas’s sake, he couldn’t be bothered with these two idiots.
Despite Joe’s silence, Joanne and Jerry despised him even more for not defending himself after being ridiculed and insulted! What a loser!
Jerry continued his insults, “Hey, in my opinion, Claire was truly blind. So many fine gentlemen in our class and yet, Joe the loser was her final choice? Huh, such a waste!”
In the middle of their banter, suddenly, the suite’s door was pushed open.
Bang!
Several brawny men in black barged into the room, and one of them, a young man with a crew-cut head and a cigarette in his hand said coldly, “Get out of here. I want this room.”
Jerry frowned in annoyance. “What do you think you’re doing? Can’t you see that we’re having our dinner?”
Then, he slammed the table fiercely and growled, “This is the Maple Hotel, first come first serve! Don’t you know the rules?”
“First come first serve?”
The fierce-looking young man came over to Jerry and slapped him on his face without any warning. Jerry fell to the floor, his face swollen and bright red.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? I am Rambo, Don Albert’s underling! Fuck off!”
“Rambo?”
Clutching his swollen face, panic and anxiety flooded Jerry’s eyes. Rambo was infamously known to own the block around here. Although his rank was considered menial in the whole Aurous Hill, he was still feared by commoners like them.
“I’m sorry, Rambo! We’ll go now! We’ll get out of here right away!”
Rambo sneered triumphantly and shouted at the crowd, “What are you still doing here! Get out, fuckers!”
Loreen and Claire were shocked by the sudden altercation and they hid behind Joe submissively.
Joe looked at Rambo, his eyes as calm as the lake, but his tone as cold as ice when he spoke. “For Albert’s sake, I’ll spare your life if you get out of here right now!”
“Fuck, Joe, are you fucking crazy! That’s Rambo Miller!”
“We’re extremely sorry, Rambo, we don’t know this guy! You can do whatever you want with him but please don’t hurt us…”
Jerry and Joanne cursed Joe inside out with their gritted teeth and panicked gazes. What the heck did he think he was doing right now? That was Don Albert’s man, Rambo Miller! A murderer who had seen blood! Could he just dig his own grave away from them and leave them all alone!
However, despite their panic, Rambo paused as he looked back at Joe, trying to search that face in his memory. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he asked hesitantly, “You are… Joe? Joe Smith… Mr. Smith?!”
Rambo had been under Don Albert for a long time, and so, he had heard of Joe’s name before. Thus, the memory struck his mind.
Joe responded coldly, “Is there another Joe Smith in Aurous Hill that I am not aware of?”
As if struck by lightning, Rambo widened his eyes in extreme shock and then knelt on the floor immediately. “Mr. Smith, I’m so sorry! I didn’t recognize you, sorry for messing up your dinner! Please accept my apology!”
Jerry was utterly dumbstruck by the abrupt change of situation that he mumbled, “Rambo, there must be some misunderstanding here. Yes, his name is Joe Smith, but he’s just some deadbeat loser! You don’t have to address him so formally!”
Blood drained from Rambo’s face upon hearing such an atrocious remark, and he kicked Jerry to the floor, yelling, “Shut the fuck up! How dare you insult Mr. Smith! I’ll kill you today!”
Rambo could be regarded as the leader of the underworld in this block, but he knew full well that he was nothing but Don Albert’s lapdog. Joe was someone that even Don Albert had to flatter and coax! He didn’t even qualify to be so close to him!
“And you, bitch, how dare you to insult Mr. Smith!”
Rambo raised his hand and slapped it across Joanne’s face, forcing blood to ooze from the corner of her lips.
“That’s enough, Rambo. We’re having dinner here, get lost!”
Joe couldn’t care less about a small character like Rambo, so he waved his hand lazily and asked him to leave.
Rambo bowed respectfully and said, “Okay, Mr. Smith. I’ll get out of here right now!”
Then, he quickly retreated from the room like a pug.