Old Master Turner smiled widely and spoke. Turning to Ian, he suddenly asked, “You’re Ian Gardner?”
Ian had not expected Old Master Turner to call out his name and took two steps forward in surprise before replying courteously, “Yes, Old Master Turner. I’m Ian Gardner.”
Old Master Turner nodded. “Haddock’s Chamber of Commerce has been developing rather well these years. You’ve contributed a lot to your local economies. Especially the Waterhoof Branch, I heard that you pay hundreds of millions for tax now?”
Ian hurriedly replied, “Thank you for keeping an eye out for us, Old Master. It’s thanks to having a good environment and policies from the higher-ups that we’re allowed to develop.”
Old Master Turner pointed at Ian and smiled at Old Master Law. “See? These people are the backbone of our country’s business world. Not bad, right?”
Old Master Law asked intently, “Who’s Gale Hurlbutt to you?”
Ian’s expression turned solemn as he quickly replied politely, “Old Master Hurlbutt is the spirit of Haddock’s Chamber of Commerce. He has already retired because of old age but he’ll always be the honorary president of Haddock’s Chamber of Commerce nationwide. He’s my teacher.”
Old Master Law nodded and ignored Ian’s politeness, opting to turn to Old Master Turner instead. “Hurlbutt is a very sly man. He promised to send me some superior grade rosemary tea long ago but I haven’t received it yet. You ought to ask him for me the next time you meet.”
Old Master Turner smiled. “I didn’t know you two had such a past.”
Old Master Law ushered Old Master Turner to his seat. “It’s already been years since then. He was doing business with foreigners and ended up getting kidnapped all the way there. I paid his ransom.”
Old Master Turner replied intently, “You saved his life. Hurlbutt isn’t being very kind then.”
Ian, by the side, and Norman, who could not add to the conversation, felt their knees go weak at the words.
‘This was Gale Hurlbutt they were talking about!
‘Haddock’s first rich businessman!’ Both Ian and Norman were still children when the man dominated the business world.
Even though Gale had already retired, the man’s students were all over the world. Ian and Norman were just two unremarkable students among all the others.
After the two old masters took their seats, everyone else began to take theirs according to their statuses and identities.
People could not randomly sit as they wished on such an occasion.
The two old masters sat in the middle, with Zachary, Henry, and Anna on Old Master Law’s right.
Meanwhile, on Old Master Turner’s left was Brad and Erik respectively.
Ian and Norman went to sit with the Turners without another thought.
This left Jasper to take the furthest seat from the old masters despite being the host.
As such, he had Anna on his left and Lisa on his right.
Seeing such a seating plan, Lisa suddenly stood up and said coldly, “I don’t want to sit with a broke beggar!”
Lisa did not seem to have registered the dark void-like glares Norman and Ian were giving her.
After all, envy could turn a man crazy while hatred blinded all rationality.
She turned to Old Master Law and spoke, “You’re a very respectable senior, Old Master Law, and it’s precisely so that I must tell you. You and your family have been deceived by Jasper! He’s a liar!”
Lisa then pointed at Jasper and shouted, “This man! While he flirts amorously with your granddaughter, he also has a girlfriend! How could someone like him appear here?
“He’s dating two girls at once. He’s treating the Law family like they’re a bunch of fools!
“Wise as you are, Old Master, how could you be deceived by the likes of him?”
