He believed that he would definitely make a fortune one day. He had been so full of himself that he only felt disdain when he heard that Jasper had made it big.
From his perspective, success as described by a bunch of poor rural relatives could not be anything special.
However, he was overcome with overwhelming jealousy after seeing the luxurious villa and the row of BMWs parked in front of it. It was luxury beyond his wildest dreams.
“Can’t he share some of his money with us since he’s that rich? We’re his relatives! All he does is flaunt his wealth! How can someone like that succeed in life? Even if he’s rich, it’s just temporary. He’ll lose big in the future!” Terence Laine murmured through gritted teeth.
……
When Jasper arrived at Shangri-La Hotel, his relatives had already been there for more than 20 minutes.
Everyone sat in their respective seats while they engaged in noisy chatter.
Each and every one of them were trying their best to maintain their composure in front of each other. They tried their best not to turn their heads to look around, making it seem as if they often attended such high-end occasions.
However, the truth was that none of them had ever had a meal in a five-star hotel.
They did not even know how to use a napkin properly. Some of them stuffed it into their collars or put it under their dinner plates, whereas others used it as a towel to wipe their hands before balling it up and throwing it aside.
The three tables in the room had already been served with cold dish platters and drinks. The children stared at the exquisite dishes eagerly. However, the adults slapped their hands away when they reached out to grab the food.
Although the adults also yearned to try these exquisite cold dishes that they had never even seen before, nobody dared to touch their utensils before Jasper’s arrival.
Even as a mere junior, he had the ability to make all the elders in his family wait for him before they started eating. This was the charm that money brought.
Jasper walked in through the entrance. Noticing the situation in the room, he laughed out loud. “Excuse me for being late, everyone. Why haven’t you guys started eating?” He asked.
Jasper’s uncle stood up and greeted him with a smile on his face. “We have just arrived as well. You’re here, Jasp. Come here, sit down at once,” he said.
Jasper looked at the main table. The seat to the left of Carson Laine, his father, was empty. The seat obviously belonged to him.
Jasper chuckled and said, “I’m a junior, so I should sit by the side. If I sit somewhere as prestigious as the main table, I might get criticized.”
His relatives burst out into laughter as well. Terence Laine, who was seated at the end of the third table, fixed a jealous gaze upon Jasper. He sneered at him repetitively in his heart.
“Alright, everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up, all the seats are the same,” Carson Laine ushered Jasper over to his side and forced him to sit down beside him.
After instructing the waiters to begin serving the dishes, Jasper chatted briefly with the elders seated at his table. He then stood up and raised his glass. “Everyone, today marks the end of the year for us. Let’s leave the past behind and welcome new beginnings,” he announced cheerily in front of his relatives.
“My alcohol tolerance is quite average, so I won’t make an individual toast to each and every one of you. Therefore, I’ll make a toast to all of you right now. Here’s to new beginnings and peace in the new year.”
Everyone showed a good response to Jasper’s words. They stood up, and those who could drink alcohol drank from their glasses whereas those who could not drink sipped at their beverages instead. Nevertheless, everyone present emptied the content of their glasses.
Jasper put down his empty glass and was just about to return to his seat when Terence stood up at the end of the third table. He brought a large box over and told Jasper, “This is the wild ginseng that you requested from our family, Jasper Laine. I brought it for you today.”
The tone of Terence’s voice was stiff and rigid. He spoke to Jasper without an ounce of courtesy. It was as if Jasper had forced his family to hand over the wild ginseng.
Seated at the same table as Jasper, Jasper’s uncle’s expression changed immediately. He was about to reprimand Terence when Terrence let out a cold sneer and began speaking.
“Now that you’re wealthy, we don’t even dare to say a single word when you take things from poor relatives like us. However, you already have so much money. Why don’t you lend me some money? Five figures ought to do it. We are all relatives. You wouldn’t have any objections, right?”
