Chapter 301 - 301: Losing Face
The restaurant’s interior.
Jake’s eyes glowed with rage as he heard Rubin’s comments. “Rubin, what the hell are you talking nonsense about here?” he yelled.
“What am 1 saying?”
Rubin glared at Jake, then asked flatly, “1 merely expressed a truth. Look at all of the people who have come to celebrate right now. Are they not here for my grandfather?”
“Rubin, you’re taking your statements too far. So what if your family has a somewhat better connection?”
Freya loathed Rubin even more.
She didn’t understand where Rubin’s arrogance came from, to the point where he ignored everyone. Even if he knew that these visitors had come to see Daniel and Brooklyn, he should have kept it to himself.
His acts were quite rude to Freya and her family.
As a result, she naturally came out in favour of Jake.
Rubin cast a dismissive look at Freya and replied flatly, “Freya, if 1 recall correctly, you should have started your own company by now, right? 1 wouldn’t say anything if you hadn’t started working yet, but now you dare to argue that connections are useless. Don’t you find that ridiculous?”
“Ridiculous? What’s ridiculous about it?” Maya pouted and inquired.
“In today’s society, money is merely transient; it plays no significant role in your life. What is actually important are your relationships. Hasn’t John told you?” Rubin remarked matter-of-factly.
“Rubin, be careful with your remarks. My grandpa is your granddad as well. Do you believe it’s proper to address him in this manner?” Freya yelled aggressively at Rubin.
But he only scoffed, closed his eyes, and returned to sleep, leaving Freya and the others alone.
Connor sat on the side without saying anything from start to finish.
He acknowledged that what Rubin had stated previously was correct.
Connections are vital in modern society, so much so that they might define a person’s destiny.
However, Rubin’s connections were incomparable to those of Freya and the others. That was why he spoke in such a prideful tone.
Rubin’s connections, however, were minor in comparison to Connor’s!
Connor could do it with only a few words if he wanted to wreck Rubin’s future.
But, seeing that Rubin didn’t continue to dispute the subject, he didn’t say anything either.
John, Gabriel, and Brooklyn sat at the main table on the opposite side of the room, waiting for the guests to arrive.
However, it was clear that John’s look was quite unpleasant.
After all, most of these visitors had come to see his two brothers. They simply shared a few birthday greetings with him before conversing with Gabriel and Brooklyn.
The expression on John’s face was not good, and it was the same for Sean and others.
It was humiliating for John that none of his children could assist on such an important occasion. They were really embarrassed.
“The CEO of Allico Group, Mr Stephen, has arrived!”
At this point, the receptionist at the restaurant’s entryway exclaimed.
When everyone heard this, they all turned to face the restaurant’s door. They saw a few affluent individuals in black suits and ties enter the restaurant, laughing and conversing.
When John spotted the middle-aged guy in the lead, a smile sprang up on his face.
Mr. Stephen was from Porthampton and had previously worked with John; when John saw him, he assumed Mr. Stephen was there for him and instantly approached him with a joyful expression.
“I didn’t anticipate you are coming here personally, Mr. Stephen. I’m sorry for making you come all the way here!”
John smiled as he cupped his hands and welcomed him.
“What are you saying, John? How could I not come to your 8oth birthday?”
Mr. Stephen responded indifferently and ended his conversation with John. Instead, he approached Brooklyn and quietly murmured, “Brooklyn, I’m sorry.
I just learned about your brother’s birthday, so I’m a bit late!”
“It isn’t too late. You arrived just in time!” Brooklyn responded.
“How have you been lately? Are you familiar with the herbs I requested someone to bring over a few days ago?”
Mr. Stephen struck up a conversation with Brooklyn, making a pleasing expression.
Meanwhile, John was glued to the ground with a hideous grimace. His eyes were filled with rage.
He had not anticipated Mr. Stephen to be here for him but for Brooklyn. John was afraid he would lose his face at the birthday party.
“Haha…”
Rubin couldn’t help but smirk when he watched this sight. He had a mocking grin on his face.
Freya, Maya, Jake, and the others seemed dejected, yet they were speechless. They had been too ashamed today, after all.
Furthermore, they were unable to identify any basis for rejecting Rubin. Even if they wanted to respond, they lacked the confidence.
As a result of Gabriel and Brooklyn, more and more visitors arrived. They were all influential. Rubin attracted some of Porthampton’s most powerful people.
The birthday meal had cost John’s family face.
After all, it was John’s birthday, but everyone there appeared to be there for Brooklyn and Gabriel.
Jake and Freya, as well as the others sitting with Rubin, felt even more embarrassed since there was a glint of scorn in his eyes as if he was continuously ridiculing them.
Originally, John planned for the feast to begin at 12 p.m., but there were too many people. Even at 2:oo p.m., people were still entering the restaurant.
The initial fifty banquet tables were plainly insufficient, so John requested that the restaurant install ten extra tables.
Brooklyn and Gabriel were occupied with the visitors, but the individuals on John’s side looked on their own. Sean even began to regret not inviting his business colleagues to attend.
They would not be in such an unpleasant predicament if he had brought in those people.
But it was plainly too late for regrets at this point.
“Freya, didn’t you ask me what the point of having connections is? You should understand its significance by now, right?”
When Rubin saw that most of the visitors had come, he abruptly stood up and asked Freya a question.
He clearly intended to use this chance to teach them a lesson.
“I…”
Freya was ready to answer when she heard Connor ask, “Are these people your grandfather invited considered connections?”
Rubin halted in position after hearing Connor’s comments, a look of perplexity in his eyes..