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Novel Catalog
“What’s 30 thousand dollars? Last year, a player sold a piece of equipment for over 200 thousand dollars! That was enough to buy a luxury mansion!”
“Wow, are things in the game really worth that much?” Gordon blinked, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of it all. His worldview seemed to be crumbling before his eyes.
“They’re valuable, but it’s like playing the lottery. I’ve been playing since 2001 and haven’t made a cent,” Lewis explained with a chuckle. “Gordon, you’d better forget about making money in the game while you can.”
Gordon forced a laugh, trying to brush it off. “I was just asking casually. I’m almost 40 years old. Where would I find the time to play games?”
“Right,” Lewis said, his tone light, “well, best of luck with your job search, then.”
“Oh, Gordon, where are you working now? Are they still hiring?” Hilda’s voice cut through the conversation. Her expression was tinged with concern. “I think I might be laid off soon…”
Gordon quickly coughed and changed the subject. “Let’s talk about that later. I’ve got something to attend to. I’ll hang up now.”
Before Hilda could question him further, he ended the call. His face tightened with worry. He didn’t want to burden her with the truth about his job situation, not until he could secure something else.
Hilda’s gaze narrowed as she stared at him. “What was that ‘talk about it later’ bit? Do you have a mistress?”
Gordon didn’t explode with anger like he might have in the past. Instead, he cracked a grin, trying to deflect her accusation. “Seems like you still have high expectations of me. Do you think I’m capable enough to find a mistress?”
Hilda’s lips curled into a wry smile. “You’re hopeless. You’re not even as capable as our son. Can you earn 20 thousand dollars like him?”
Gordon glanced at the stack of money on the table, then shrugged with a mock seriousness. “Like father, like son. If he’s capable, it only proves his old man is capable too.”
“You’ve got skin as thick as armor,” Hilda muttered with a laugh, but there was a trace of pride in her voice. Carlisle had certainly outshone his father in some ways, and that fact wasn’t lost on her.
At noon, Hilda woke Carlisle for lunch. Meanwhile, Gordon received a call from Gerard, his brother-in-law. The conversation took a sharp turn as Gerard announced he would be visiting the county at the end of the month for his daughter Kelly’s graduation banquet.
“Did Kelly’s SATs results come out already?” Gordon asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. It seemed early for the results to be finalized.
“It just ended yesterday. Shouldn’t the results take longer to come out?” Gordon added, slightly puzzled.
Gerard’s tone carried a note of pride as he explained, “Her uncle works in the Education Bureau. It wasn’t hard to check the results early.”
“What’s her score?” Gordon asked, trying to sound supportive.
“She scored 1225, just five points shy of making it into Riverland University!” Gerard sighed, but there was a sense of satisfaction in his voice, as if the score was a victory despite falling short of the top-tier university.
On the surface, it seemed disappointing, but Gordon’s mind immediately went to work. A score of 1225 could still land Kelly a place in various Tier 2 universities. In fact, it could even open the door to some lower-tier Tier 1 universities. Still, the missed opportunity for Riverland University nagged at him.
“What a shame! Only five points away!” Gordon muttered, though part of him felt a pang of sympathy for his niece, despite his strained relationship with Gerard.
Gerard, interpreting Gordon’s words as gloating, quickly added, “We’ll have plenty of summer job openings at my construction site this year. Should I have Carl come over for some work experience?”
Gordon’s expression darkened at once. “No need. My son’s scores won’t be lower than your daughter’s!”
Gerard chuckled softly, a touch of condescension in his voice. “It’s good to be confident. But you know Carlisle’s grades better than anyone. Don’t push him to retake the exam if he doesn’t pass. Success in education hinges on talent. Without talent, even three years of repeating won’t help. It’s better for him to start working early and earn money.”
Gordon’s face flushed with anger at the suggestion. “My family matters are none of your business. I’m hanging up!” He almost slammed the phone down, but his pride stopped him.
He had briefly considered asking Gerard to use his connections to check Carlisle’s exam scores, but after hearing Gerard’s patronizing words, he felt too embarrassed to ask for help.
“Hold on…” Gerard’s voice cut through the tension.
“What now?” Gordon asked, his patience thinning.
“I’m planning to invite some of the elders from the village to the graduation banquet at the end of the month. Can you help me with that?”
Gordon’s irritation flared once more. “I’m busy with work. I don’t have time.”
Gerard’s request seemed like a blatant attempt to stir up gossip among the village elders. He knew full well that inviting them would only fuel the rumors about their family.
Gerard tried to argue, but Carlisle’s voice suddenly interrupted from the other end. “Uncle Gerard, my dad’s tied up with preparations for my graduation banquet. He really can’t spare any time!”
Before Gerard could respond, Carlisle hung up the call.
Gordon slammed his glass of white wine onto the table, the force of the action rattling the glasses. “That idiot! He’s deliberately arranging Kelly’s graduation banquet in the county, inviting all those village elders. He’s trying to embarrass us!”
Hilda mirrored Gordon’s displeasure, her brow furrowed in frustration. The village elders were notorious gossips, and they’d surely spread rumors if they attended Gerard’s banquet. Unless…
“Unless Carlisle’s scores surpass Kelly’s and he gets into a Tier 1 university,” Gordon said, his voice low but filled with a glimmer of hope.
Carlisle, seated at the table, smirked as he bit into his roast chicken. “Who knows who’ll end up humiliated then?”
Hilda shot him a proud look, her heart swelling with a mixture of hope and pride. Gordon refilled his glass and gave a hearty laugh. “Exactly. What if my son gets into Riverland University?”
Despite the words, doubt crept into Gordon’s mind. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Carlisle might not be able to pull it off, even if he had the confidence to think otherwise.
