Michael had initially thought about downplaying the value of the wine, but when he realized that Henry knew its worth. So, he reluctantly said, "Indeed, at an auction in Aurelia years ago, this wine fetched over 300,000 dollars per bottle!""No way!" Deric exclaimed. He could not accept the idea that someone as unremarkable as Henry could possess such valuable wine.Amy and Cecilia were also curious about the authenticity of the wine.Henry shook his head and said calmly, "Mr. Leon can tell.""Alright, I'll give it a try!" Michael was eager.As a lover of fine liquor, he could not resist tasting such a rare find. He poured himself a small glass and savored it, feeling a sense of bliss that resonated deeply in his soul.Such fine wine!Even though he had never tasted that particular one, his experience told him it was genuine. The satisfaction on his face left no doubt for the others.Knowing her husband's deep knowledge and passion for liquor, Amy was taken aback.'Is the wine
Just then, Michael returned to the room.He had not gone to the restroom. Instead, he had rushed out to find the waitress. However, he must have been a step too late, as he could not locate her anywhere. He was regretful—if only he had not claimed the wine was fake.When he saw another bottle of wine on the table, he paused and asked, "What's that?""Henry brought that out. Unfortunately, it's just an ordinary bottle of Maotai. It's not even the Flying Fairy Maotai," Deric said.Henry glanced at Deric with disdain as if he were staring at an idiot. He remarked casually, "Is that so?""Of course!" Deric replied confidently."Have you never heard of Flying Fairy Maotai's predecessor?" Henry asked.Deric was momentarily taken aback—he genuinely did not know. He preferred red wine and was not well-versed in the intricacies of hard liquor."Five-Star Maotai!" Michael interjected, showing that he had a deep knowledge of alcohol.His eyes lit up as he asked eagerly, "Is that a bottle
As soon as Noel entered, he asked, "Is this your wine?"He was puzzled as to why someone would discard such a fine bottle of wine, mistaking it for a fake.Everyone was momentarily stunned by his question.Michael, however, felt a surge of excitement. He was regretful, but since the bottle of wine had been returned, he quickly answered, "Yes, yes, it's ours!"Noel frowned in disbelief. "Why would you think it's fake and want to throw it away? You're wasting a treasure!"Michael was at a loss for words. He was unsure if the wine was real, but it seemed legit based on Noel's reaction.Deric, however, could not stand it any longer. He sneered, "Old man, you're quite an actor. How much did this man pay you?"Noel's face darkened as he felt humiliated."Keep going, you're doing a great job," Deric mocked."Henry, why bother with the act? You're trying to fool everyone with a cheap bottle of fake wine?""I'm speaking the truth," Noel retorted angrily."Feel free to check the White
Noel's expression remained cold as he responded, "No need. I'm not worthy to hear such an apology."Deric was dumbfounded. He had not anticipated Noel to be someone so influential that even his uncle was terrified of him.Deric did not realize that Harvey's presence at that dinner was because he was from Redhoc. After all, the dinner was organized by Aden Whalen, the mayor, to welcome Aaron Clements, the wealthiest man from Redhoc, who was planning to invest there."Why are you standing there? Get over here and kneel!" Harvey barked, his face dark with anger.Deric was shocked. He knew he was in big trouble. He had always been in awe of his uncle, but kneeling in front of Cecilia and apologizing to someone else was something he could not stomach.Harvey, however, was beside himself with rage, ready to step in and force the issue. Realizing that kneeling was his only way out, Deric quickly knelt and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ray. I didn't recognize you and spoke out of turn. Please for
After all that back and forth, the wine ended in Noel's possession, but it was not Deric's to give away. It also meant Deric had not paid any price for his actions.Harvey's expression darkened; Henry's action had harmed Deric. Harvey knew it was not the time to act, not before Deric got through that mess.Noel paused for a moment. He chuckled. "You're quite interesting. What's your name?""Henry. Henry Truman," Henry replied."Good, I'll remember that. I owe you one," Noel said.He could afford the wine, but he could not get one due to its rarity."Don't mention it, Mr. Ray," Henry replied nonchalantly.Noel said nothing more and was about to turn when he noticed the Maotai on the table."A 1958 Five-Star Moutai—impressive, young man.""It was a gift from a friend," Henry replied."That shows your connections. I'm getting more interested in you," Noel remarked.He then took out a business card and handed it to Henry, saying, "Here's my card. Let's have a drink together some
"And you, Cecilia!"Do you really think you're a goddess? I gave you a chance, but you refused it. Well, don't blame me for what comes next," Deric sneered coldly."Austin, blame your sister for this. Prepare 3 million dollars or get ready to go to jail."In his anger, he failed to think through what was really happening.Everyone's faces turned grim.Michael quickly pleaded, "Young Master Pierson, let's talk this through. That has nothing to do with us. We've always supported you.""Prove it then. Tell this guy to get lost right now," Deric said, pointing coldly at Henry.Michael looked at Henry, but before he could say anything, Cecilia exclaimed anxiously, "Dad, what's going on?"Michael did not answer but said, "Henry, you should leave. There's no way I'm letting you marry Cecilia. Young Master Pierson is the best match for her."Deric's face filled with smug satisfaction as he taunted, "See that? Did you really think bringing a couple of fake bottles of wine would make yo
Everyone was stunned by Henry's words. They thought he must be insane.The Piersons were rich and powerful, making them invincible in Michael's eyes.Deric was momentarily taken aback before bursting into laughter."You're utterly ignorant and brainless!"Do you really think you're in Mr. Ray's good graces just because he gave you a business card? He was just being polite because you gave him the bottle of wine."Do you know why, even though I insulted Mr. Ray, he couldn't do anything to me? It's because of my uncle—he's a high-ranking official in Eastonia!"And you think you're somebody just because of a business card? That's so funny; you're killing me here!"Get out of here right now, or you better prepare to die."Do it, or no one can save you!"He felt triumphant as if he had reclaimed all the dignity he had lost earlier.Michael and the others shook their heads in resignation, convinced that Henry was a dead man.However, Cecilia's expression softened slightly, though
Deric was smug as he watched everyone crumble under his control, especially Cecilia."Why did the amount go up again? I only borrowed 1.8 million dollars!" Austin could not help but fume.Austin realized he had been trapped, but he could do nothing about it.Deric sneered, "Don't you know that borrowing money comes with interest? I covered 3 million dollars for you for days—and 750,000 dollars in interest isn't that much. If it were someone else, I might've doubled it."Henry said, "Indeed. Doubling your money wouldn't be out of the question if you ran a casino like that. In fact, your family owns that casino, don't they?"Deric's face twitched, but he smiled coldly. "So what if we do? My family has the power to make money in no time.""Is it legal?" Henry asked.Deric's expression darkened momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure and retorted, "What can you do about it? Let me tell you, the Piersons make the law over here."Enough with the nonsense. Didn't you say yo