Ch. 521..530
Chapter 521: Can we not go to Belfard anymore?
“Whatever amount I can claim for myself, you all can get the same. We will all have the same amount. There won’t be anyone who can get more while others get less. There will be no such unfair treatment.”
“However, if any of you feel that the compensation amount doesn’t meet your expectations and you’re not satisfied, I might not be able to satisfy you. If you want a higher amount, you can also opt out now.” Harrington Lawrence made it clear to them in advance.
“Mr. Lawrence, may I ask, in our situation, how much can we claim?” Someone asked.
Wendy Clarke also pricked up her ears, wanting to know their plans.
The more they knew, the clearer their understanding, and the better they could respond with more comprehensive preparations on their side.
Harrington Lawrence smiled and said, “In my experience, we can each claim 1 million.”
“Holy crap!”
Everyone was shocked.
This was much more than they had expected.
Many customers thought that there were so many people dining at the restaurant.
It would be nice to claim tens of thousands of dollars per person.
At most, it would be around 100,000.
Unexpectedly, Harrington Lawrence asked for 1 million just like that!
As expected from a big shot lawyer from Capital City, experienced in worldly matters. They dare to ask for 1 million just for seeing a mouse!
Fortunately, they all agreed to let Harrington Lawrence represent them.
Otherwise, if they did it themselves, they wouldn’t know how much money they would lose.
With 1 million, one could buy a big house in Nork City.
Wendy Clarke almost called out.
1 million per person, there were more than fifty people present.
Why don’t they just go rob a bank?!
Wendy Clarke pinched her leg hard to restrain herself and not lose her composure.
If she called out now, wouldn’t they seize the opportunity to find fault?
It seems that they must find a lawyer on their side now.
It’s impossible not to find a lawyer.
It’s not like they would really be pressed into compensating 1 million per person by Harrington Lawrence, right?
On Harrington Lawrence’s side, he took out another business card and handed it to Wendy Clarke: “Miss Clarke, I am now the representative lawyer for our side. If the restaurant has any matters to discuss, you can contact me directly.”
“The customers here, as my clients, cannot be directly contacted and negotiated with by the restaurant. No matter what happens, it must go through me,” Harrington Lawrence said.
Wendy Clarke stiffly accepted the business card and heard Harrington Lawrence say, “Later, I will send a lawyer’s letter to the restaurant and formally sue in court.”
Without waiting for Wendy Clarke’s reply, Harrington Lawrence turned around and addressed the customers: “Everyone, let’s find a larger, quieter place where I can explain the details to you. By the way, please leave your contact information so that I can constantly report the progress of the case to you and communicate with you.”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Everyone agreed in unison.
It felt like they were all leaning on a big tree, feeling very confident.
Finally, when Harrington Lawrence left with the customers in an imposing manner,
The restaurant was finally empty and quiet.
But the matter was far from over. In fact, it had just begun, and there was still a huge mess for Wendy Clarke to clean up behind.
Wendy Clarke didn’t get home until midnight after working at the restaurant.
Because of the restaurant incident, Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke were unable to sleep and waited for her.
During dinner, Wendy Clarke didn’t explain very clearly.
But from the few sentences she said, they could tell that the restaurant had encountered something serious.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left without eating and rushed away.
And she didn’t return until midnight.
Although Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke couldn’t help, they were certainly worried.
When Wendy Clarke came back and saw the light still on in the living room,
Hearing her footsteps, Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke ran out together.
“Wendy, how’s the restaurant situation? Is it very serious?” Christy Xenos asked worriedly.
“Yeah, how is it now?” Joshua Clarke asked.
“The situation is difficult to handle. The customers at the restaurant today happened to include a famous lawyer from Belfard City. He has represented the customers and plans to claim compensation together. Each person wants to claim 1 million.” Wendy Clarke kicked off her shoes and didn’t bother to put them away, then entered the living room.
“1 million per person?” Christy Xenos wailed when she heard this, “How many customers are there in total!”
Their restaurant was always bustling with business and often full.
Seeing Wendy Clarke walk towards the living room, Christy Xenos quickly followed.
Joshua Clarke picked up Wendy’s shoes from behind and placed them neatly in the shoe cabinet before entering the living room.
“I didn’t count carefully, but roughly speaking, there are at least fifty or sixty people,” Wendy Clarke said irritably.
“Fifty or sixty?” Christy Xenos wailed even louder.
This was a smaller number than their usual customers.
But Christy Xenos couldn’t feel any happiness in it.
“Let’s calculate it as fifty people. With 1 million per person, that’s 50 million!” Christy Xenos exclaimed.
Not to mention 50 million, even giving away 10,000 to unrelated people would make her cry bloody tears.
This 50 million was even more painful than taking Christy Xenos’ life.
“Of course, it’s impossible to pay that much.” Wendy Clarke said, “The restaurant doesn’t even make that much in net profit per year.”
Although the restaurant business seemed glamorous, she had to manage everything from top to bottom.
Taking care of various departments, annual inspections, and ensuring that various documents all passed smoothly.
She also had to deal with the underworld so they wouldn’t cause trouble.
Not to mention the cost of ingredients, utilities, decorations, tableware, and the salaries of every employee from the chef to the waiter.
After deducting these costs, the annual profit wasn’t really that impressive.
The Clarke family enjoyed a glamorous lifestyle in Nork City.
But the cost of living in Nork City was also low.
The consumption level and housing prices were not high.
Of course, putting all that aside,
Even if she made several hundred million a year, she still wouldn’t be willing to pay fifty or sixty million in compensation.
What a joke.
Wendy Clarke thought that even giving several thousand dollars per person would be excessive.
“It’s too weird. I think someone planned this in advance,” Wendy Clarke said. “Because today’s customers always seemed to grasp the timing of every step so well. Thinking about it carefully, there was even a sense of rhythm to it.”
Wendy Clarke detailed the entire incident to Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke.
Though the two couldn’t help,
Wendy Clarke really needed to vent,
To keep her emotions in check.
After finally finishing her explanation, Wendy Clarke stood up and poured herself a glass of water.
“Now, that lawyer Harrington Lawrence represents the customers. He said that he will send me a lawyer’s letter and start the legal proceedings,” Wendy Clarke said.
“So, I have to find a good lawyer to deal with this,” Wendy Clarke said solemnly.
“Then… can we still go to Belfard City?” Christy Xenos remembered this matter.
With such a big problem in their own restaurant, Wendy Clarke certainly couldn’t leave.
So how could they go to Belfard City to find Cindy Clarke?
Wendy Clarke thought about it and said, “Go!”
“You’re still going?” Joshua Clarke asked in surprise.
“I really can’t leave. I have to stay here to deal with the restaurant’s problem. This time the incident is far too serious,” Wendy Clarke said.
Chapter 522: There Must Be Some Misunderstanding
“Actually, under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a big deal. It’s just a mouse, right? We could just comp the meal and appease the customers. The worst that could happen is making the local news, but it won’t blow up too much.” Wendy Clarke said irritably.
“But the problem is that today’s customers are all relentless. Before we could even react, they had already spread the news. They’re deliberately trying to make a big fuss.”
“That’s why I suspect someone is manipulating them, or at least a few people have infiltrated the group to create chaos. Otherwise, how could it be so troublesome?” Wendy pondered.
“Now because of this, I definitely can’t leave. I have to deal with the aftermath here. I don’t trust anyone else to handle it if I go. And the Restaurant Manager’s capabilities are limited.”
After all, it’s a small place, and it’s hard to find very capable people.
The big talents wouldn’t stay in small places.
They’ve already gone to the big cities to make their fortune.
“Today’s incident got out of hand because he couldn’t handle it in time. So I can’t leave the aftermath to him either.” Wendy said.
“And we have to investigate how the mouse droppings appeared. I know the restaurant’s hygiene conditions. I often visit the restaurant to check, and while I don’t claim the kitchen to be absolutely clean, there should never be mice.”
“Moreover, if we really get sued, I have to stay here to go to court.” Wendy added.
“If you don’t go, how can we go?” Joshua Clarke worried, “We two have spent our whole lives in Nork City and have never been to other places. Suddenly going to such a big city as Belfard, wouldn’t we feel lost?”
“Without someone to guide us, how can we find Cindy Clarke?” Joshua frowned.
Christy Xenos also thought about it.
To find Cindy, they needed to know their way around, right?
They were unfamiliar with Belfard, such a big place, that thinking about it made them feel a little overwhelmed.
“Because of the restaurant’s incident, you two have to go to Belfard even more.” Wendy said, “Now, we have a renowned lawyer from a famous law firm in Belfard representing us. With all the resources we have in Nork City, our local lawyers can’t match Harrington Lawrence, can they?”
“Once you’re in Belfard, you can also go to the big law firms to find a renowned lawyer to represent us. Otherwise, are we going to actually pay those bastards 50 million?” Wendy fumed.
Upon mentioning 50 million, Christy Xenos instantly gained immense courage.
She was no longer afraid of being unfamiliar with the big city.
“Yes! You’re right!” Christy immediately said, “We can’t give them any money. It’s clear that they’re trying to extort us!”
“First, I’ll cancel my flight, and the two of you will still go to Belfard as planned. Besides, you don’t have to worry. You’re not unfamiliar with Belfard, are you?” Wendy smiled, “Isn’t there Cindy Clarke?”
“Your daughter is in Belfard, so how can you be unfamiliar there? Once you arrive, find her and stay with her. She can take care of you. If you want something or want to go somewhere, just tell her. There’s no need for you to wander around the city aimlessly, worrying about getting lost.”
“You’re right.” Christy said, reminded by Wendy’s words, immediately feeling the logic of it.
“But we’ll only arrive tomorrow, and we won’t know where Cindy is. We won’t be able to find her.” Joshua worriedly asked.
“I’ll book a hotel for you first. Upon arrival at the airport, follow the signs to the taxi queue. If you can’t find it, just ask someone. Tell the driver the address, and he’ll take you there.” Wendy instructed.
“Even if they’re new to the area and don’t know where Cindy is, Zoe Silverstone knows, doesn’t she? Moreover, Cindy is participating in the Cooking Competition, isn’t she? Even if we don’t know her whereabouts, we can just buy a ticket and find her there, right?” Wendy said.
These are such simple tasks.
“Right, right, Wendy, you’re so smart.” Christy immediately smiled.
Josua took a final puff of his cigarette, extinguished it in the ashtray, and sighed while exhaling the smoke.
“Or… we can wait until the restaurant issue is resolved, and then we all go together,” Joshua suggested. “Otherwise, I’ll feel unsettled without you.”
“What’s there to feel unsettled about?” Christy couldn’t wait to go now that the 50 million sum was mentioned. “Wendy already explained it so clearly. We have hands, feet, and mouths, and we’re not stupid. Can we really get lost in Belfard?”
“Exactly, Dad. And don’t you have Zoe Silverstone too? If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask her. I’ll contact her tomorrow, and she can help with finding Cindy too.” Wendy continued.
“Zoe Silverstone is neither our relative nor friend; how can we trouble her with everything?” Joshua said helplessly.
“What do you mean ‘trouble her with everything’? Are we the kind of people who would bother Zoe Silverstone with every little trivial matter?” Christian exclaimed.
“But…”
“Enough of your ‘buts.’” Christy interrupted impatiently, “Zoe Silverstone was even willing to come all the way here in person to tell us about Cindy. She traveled from the north to the south by plane without any complaints. How can it be troublesome for us to ask her a few occasional questions in Belfard?”
“Mom is right, Dad.” Wendy agreed, “Besides, Zoe Silverstone is a warm-hearted person when she came here from far away to tell us about Cindy’s whereabouts.”
Josua nodded and said, “Although she has a grudge against Cindy and they’re considered enemies, I think Zoe Silverstone’s eloquence is pretty good. She’s a warm-hearted person when she came so far to tell us about Cindy. There must be some kind of misunderstanding between her and Cindy.”
Christy sneered in her heart.
She liked this aspect of Joshua.
Naive, easily deceived, and gullible.
“Yes, right.” Wendy secretly sneered in her heart but outwardly agreed with Joshua, “Once you reach Belfard, you can take a taxi directly to the hotel. You don’t need to trouble Zoe about these matters.”
“The only thing you might have to trouble her with is getting tickets to the Cooking Competition and spotting Cindy there. I can buy the tickets for you online. However, being in the audience may make it difficult to get to the contestants’ backstage area.”
“So even if you go to the scene, you may not be able to get close to Cindy. If you really want to approach her, we have to ask Zoe Silverstone for help.” Wendy explained.
“Although Zoe Silverstone has been eliminated from the competition and no longer participates, she has connections in Belfard as a food blogger.”
Chapter 523: One Change in a Moment
“Besides, she has participated in major competitions before, and with Zoe Silverstone’s connections, it’s impossible not to know some people there. So if you ask her, she should be able to bring you backstage or help you get close to Cindy Clarke,” Wendy Clarke analyzed.
Upon hearing Wendy’s words, Christy Xenos felt more at ease.
Joshua Clarke was somewhat swayed by Wendy’s words, but still felt uneasy.
He hesitated, opening his mouth as if he wanted to change his mind.
Wendy stood up directly: “I’m too tired after being busy till now, and I still have to go to the restaurant to deal with things in the morning. I’m going to my bedroom first.”
She forcibly prevented Joshua from speaking further.
“Oh, Mom, have you packed all your luggage?” Wendy asked again.
“Not yet. We had to rush out after getting the call about the restaurant incident, so we didn’t know exactly what was going on. We only packed half of our luggage and didn’t dare to pack any more,” Christy explained, “But since the plan hasn’t changed, I’ll have to go back and finish packing.”
“Alright, you guys hurry up and pack,” said Wendy, before heading to her room.
As she left, she secretly made a gesture to Christy.
Christy might not understand much, but she knew Wendy’s gestures too well.
After Wendy left, Christy and Joshua returned to their room as well.
“You pack your stuff first, and then I’ll pack mine when you’re done,” Christy said.
Joshua hesitated again: “I still think it’s not quite right for us to go tomorrow.”
“Why are you going back and forth? You’re a grown man, can’t you be more resolute? At least stick to what you say! Don’t keep changing your mind. One minute you want to go, the next you don’t. The next second you want to go again,” Christy said impatiently.
Distraught, Christy turned around and left the bedroom, heading to Wendy’s room around the corner.
“Wendy,” Christy knocked on the door and called softly.
Wendy opened the door and let Christy in: “Does Dad know you’re here?”
“He just started hesitating again. We had it all figured out, but then he said he didn’t want to go. I took the opportunity to argue with him and then came here,” Christy explained, getting angry just talking about it, “Your dad can’t make up his mind and keeps changing; it’s so frustrating.”
“He’s just talking. He won’t stick to what he says anyway. Even if he regrets it right before we leave tomorrow, can he really not go?” Wendy didn’t take Joshua’s attitude to heart, “He’s acting like he doesn’t want to bother Cindy, as if he’s the only one in this family who cares for her.”
“That may be true, but isn’t he still siding with us in his actions? If he really cares about Cindy and can’t bear to scheme against her, then he shouldn’t join us, and he should try to stop us.”
“If he could stop us, would Cindy have cut contact with him for five years?” Wendy scoffed, “Cindy actually sees through him. She’s avoiding us because she knows contacting him will get our attention, so she doesn’t contact him.”
“He still doesn’t get it, always playing the good guy, thinking that Cindy doesn’t understand what kind of person he is. In the end, he’s only deceiving himself,” Wendy sneered, “Hypocrite.”
“So why did you want me to keep it from him and plan together secretly?” asked Christy.
Since Wendy had already seen through Joshua,
Even if she told him in front of his face, and he found out, he would just talk but not actually do anything.
“Even if he does nothing, just listening to him talk annoys me,” said Wendy. “Besides, Dad is easily influenced. He may agree with us here, but once you meet Cindy in Belfard, she could manipulate him too. If he hears our plan and then tells it to Cindy, what do we do?” Wendy explained to Christy, “That’s what I’m guarding against.”
Christy thought that Wendy’s concern wasn’t unreasonable.
Joshua might really be capable of doing that.
So, Christy nodded and said, “Right, we need to be cautious.”
“By the way, you asked me to come here secretly. What’s the reason?” asked Christy.
“Mom, once you find Cindy, figure out a way to get some money from her,” said Wendy.
“Of course, even if you hadn’t said it, I’d definitely ask her for money,” Christy replied.
“I mean, besides the money we initially wanted, ask her to take out all her savings as well. No matter how much money she has, don’t leave her a penny,” Wendy continued.
“What? That wasn’t the plan before,” Christy was surprised, “Wasn’t our previous plan to gradually scrape her money? She owes the family five years of living expenses, plus another 19 years of upbringing costs that she should pay back.”
“Our previous plan was based on Cindy’s temper and her unwillingness to give back to the family. So we could only take it one step at a time. First, get this money back and then figure out the rest,” Christy said.
She and Wendy knew Cindy’s temper all too well.
Cindy was stubborn and uncompromising, much to their chagrin.
They tried to get her to change her college intentions, but she refused.
Christy, as Cindy’s mother, couldn’t hit her, so she bore the brunt of it.
Even when Christy used a feather duster to whip her, leaving her body-bruised, Cindy never gave in.
Finally, Christy secretly changed her college application, and Cindy reluctantly went to Nork University.
So, Christy and Wendy knew that getting money from Cindy this time wouldn’t be easy.
Though they verbally demanded repayment for all the years of expenses,
They knew that Cindy wouldn’t easily submit to their demands.
So they were prepared to wear her down.
However, their ultimate goal was to take all of Cindy’s money, leaving her nothing.
They also wanted her to become their personal ATM and money-making machine.
But they didn’t expect Wendy to be so impatient now.
“Isn’t the situation different now?” Wendy explained to Christy, “Before, our restaurant was running smoothly, and there was no financial crisis.”
Chapter 524: Too Profligate
“But right now, the Restaurant is definitely going to lose money.” Wendy Clarke said.
Christy Xenos’s face fell immediately, “Definitely a loss? Is there no use in hiring a lawyer and going to court?”
“Compensation is inevitable, it’s best to settle it privately and stop those people from making wild statements. It’s like using money to shut them up.” Wendy explained, “Hiring a lawyer is just to minimize the compensation as much as possible.”
“As for one million per person, it’s an absolute joke! It’s impossible to compensate them with such a huge amount.” Wendy got chest pains out of anger when she brought this up.
“But, even if we compensate as less as possible, we will still have to spend money.” Wendy said, “So, I was thinking that Cindy Clarke should pay this money.”
Upon hearing that she wouldn’t have to pay, Christy Xenos’s face immediately lit up: “Can she pay?”
“Consider it as the initial start-up cost for our restaurant!” Wendy said.
“I provided the money when the restaurant was first opened. The restaurant didn’t make any profit in its first year of operation and even made a slight loss. I’ve always been investng money in it. It can’t be that I am the one who pays for everything while Cindy enjoys the benefits, right?”
“Of course not!” Christy Xenos immediately raised her voice, determined not to let Wendy be at a disadvantage, “Why should Cindy get all the benefits!”
“So, now the money the restaurant has to pay for compensation, let her pay it. It’s like repaying some of the money that was initially spent on opening the restaurant.” Wendy said, “This is reasonable.”
“Yes.” Christy Xenos nodded, “I will tell her this when the time comes.”
Christy Xenos held Wendy’s hand firmly: “Wendy, don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer a loss.”
“I just want to discuss this matter with you privately. When you and dad go to Belfard and meet Cindy, don’t forget about it.” Wendy reminded.
“Don’t worry, I remember. It’s about money, how could I forget?” Christy Xenos assured.
“Dad will definitely make a lot of fuss then. You need to calm him down and not let him side with Cindy.” Wendy told her again, “Ever since we were kids, whenever Cindy was around, he always took her side. It’s only these recent years when Cindy wasn’t with us, we persuaded him and slowly changed his mind.”
“We can’t let him go back to how he was when Cindy is around.” Wendy said coldly.
“He dares!” snapped Christy Xenos, “Doesn’t he think about whether Cindy ever took care of him during these years? Cindy went to Belfard. It would’ve been okay if she didn’t make money, but she did! Your dad was always good to her, but even when Cindy made money, she didn’t show respect or filial piety to your dad.”
“It’s you who made money for him to spend.” she continued, “Oh, so in a few days when he sees Cindy, he forgets your benefits and starts siding with Cindy? That’s not reasonable!”
“If he forgets your benefits then I will remind him! You be assured, I will never let you suffer a loss. There’s no way I’ll let him wrong you just for Cindy.” Having thought of the scenario where Joshua Clarke sided with Cindy, Christy already felt aggrieved for Wendy.
After assuring Wendy, Christy Xenos said to her, “You should rest early. There will be a lot of work coming up for you. I should go back and continue packing my luggage, and keep an eye on your dad.”
“Okay.”
Returning to the bedroom, Christy Xenos saw that although Joshua Clarke said he wouldn’t go to Belfard, he had already neatly packed his luggage.
Christy Xenos sneered privately without a care and quickly packed her own luggage as well.
Since most of it had been packed before, the rest of it was packed very quickly, not taking much time.
The next day, while Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke set off for Nork Airport, Sheldon Rowland received the news as well.
Sheldon Rowland immediately passed this news to Adrian Zhekova.
“I didn’t expect that Wendy would know how to divide and conquer.” Adrian Zhekova sneered.
Then he told Cindy Clarke about it.
“So, Wendy got my parents to come and ask me for money.” Cindy said sarcastically.
“What?” Adrian Zhekova isn’t as familiar with the Clarke family as Cindy, so he didn’t react as quickly.
“The people at the restaurant, they’re all from your arrangement, right?” Cindy asked with a smile.
“I don’t take credit for that. I merely asked Sheldon Rowland to find some trouble for the Clarke family and create some problems at the restaurant to prevent them from coming to Belfard. The actual execution of the plan was Sheldon’s work. Of course, the money to pay those people, including the cost of hiring Harrington Lawrence was definitely from me.” Adrian added.
Cindy laughed and then hugged him.
With her head rested against his chest, she rubbed her chin on it and said, “Thank you.”
Her chin tickled Adrian.
Listening to Cindy, he said, “Am I being too extravagant?”
“Where have you been extravagant?” Adrian Zhekova didn’t understand.
This little girl, she’s always thinking about spending for him, not about spending his money.
He wishes she would be a bit more extravagant!
“Look at you. Just for me, you even spent money specially to create problems at Wendy’s restaurant. Being with me, you seem to be losing a lot.” Cindy seemed a bit frustrated.
It seems that he didn’t seem to have gained any benefits from her.
“On top of that, you have to specially assign people to keep an eye on my parents and Wendy. This needs additional manpower and resources.” If someone else were with Adrian, it would’ve saved him a lot of trouble.
There wouldn’t be so many annoying matters from her family to hinder him, nor would Adrian need to expend so much effort keeping an eye on those annoying matters.
Adrian’s usually very busy.
Managing Nork, there are so many eyes on him.
Not just outsiders, but the shareholders of the company, and the huge Zhekova family are watching him.
Any slight incompetence and numerous people would blame him.
They would feel that he’s incapable, that he hasn’t managed Nork well, that he isn’t suited for his current position.
After living with Adrian, she really felt the pressure and burden on Adrian.
Just watching from the side, she could feel the immense hardship and pressure.
Not to mention how Adrian himself would feel.
The worst part was, she couldn’t help at all.
And even increased his burdens.
Ever since she participated in the Cooking Competition, she’d been causing him trouble.
Some people questioned whether her advancement was due to him.
He had to deal with the aftermath of Zoe Silverstone and Iris Doone’s matter and questions from outsiders for her.
Now to top it all, there’s also Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke.
Cindy felt really guilty about this.
“What are you thinking about? The issues in your family, to me, are these even considered issues?” Adrian leaned his forehead against Cindy Clarke’s forehead and pressed it down hard.
When he let go, there was a red mark on Cindy’s forehead. It was an imprint left by him.
“You’ve only seen the members of the Zhekova family who are closest to us, our elders, my parents, no one else.”
Chapter 525: The Zhekova Family Also Has Top-notch Relatives
“But in reality, the Zhekova Family is so huge, how could there possibly only be these people? There are many relatives, many side branches. It’s inevitable that some people won’t have their hearts in the right place and will be digging for your flaws.”
“This is still better than the Zhekova Family having extremely troublesome relatives, much more so than what your mother’s family can stir up.” Adrian Zhekova said.
He tucked the hair behind Cindy Clarke’s ear and smiled, “You haven’t seen it yet, but the more you learn and understand about the Zhekova Family, the more you’ll realize that your mother’s family doesn’t really compare.”
“And, you call yourself a spendthrift? With just this little bit, how can that be considered real spending? I just have someone keeping an eye on things, I haven’t really put in much effort myself. And those troublesome Zhekova relatives are being watched as well, even more people are assigned to that task.”
“On the contrary, I hope you could be more of a spendthrift. Of course, not because of your mother and Wendy Clarke, but for yourself. If you want something, go ahead and buy it. Didn’t I give you an unlimited credit card? But until now, I haven’t seen you use it at all.”
Cindy Clarke: “…”
How did the conversation pivot back to using his credit card?
When she was with him, no matter what they were originally discussing, Adrian always found a way to bring the conversation back to her not wanting to use his card.
Cindy Clarke didn’t know what to say anymore.
“The most important thing is, you said you haven’t given me anything, but that’s completely wrong.” Adrian Zhekova said.
Cindy Clarke looked at him doubtfully, and then he said, “You’ve given yourself to me, and you’ve given me Morgan. You’ve given me a home, a real life to live. You’ve made me realize how dull my single life was before I met you.”
“By entrusting yourself to me, trusting me so much, you’re putting your life in my hands. What you’ve given me is so heavy and important, how can you say you’ve given me nothing?” Adrian Zhekova smiled, “You’ve given me so much.”
Cindy Clarke’s heart was racing, and suddenly, she couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t you say that everything I say is right?”
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
Adrian Zhekova was irritated, he pinched her nose and swayed it left and right, “I’m saying such touching words, and you bring up this.”
Cindy Clarke couldn’t help but laugh, but her nose was pinched, making it hard to breathe, so she spoke with her mouth open, “I can’t breathe.”
Only then did Adrian Zhekova begrudgingly let go, and he pulled her closer to his chest, still not quite appeased.
“Back to business.” Adrian Zhekova still remembered the main issue, “What do you think about your parents coming? If you don’t want to see them, I can find a way to send them back.”
Cindy Clarke shook her head, saying, “If we send them back this time, they’ll still come back. As long as I’m in Belfard and have money, my mother and Wendy won’t give up.”
“Leave this matter to me, but you’ll need to help me out a bit.” Cindy Clarke said.
“What do you mean ‘help’? Just give me your requirements and I’ll do it.” Adrian Zhekova laughed.
“They came for money. Your restaurant incident stalled Wendy’s movements, but it can only delay them for so long.” Cindy Clarke said.
“Instead, because the restaurant has to compensate, my mom and Wendy, who are stingy and only want to take advantage, definitely won’t want to suffer any loss. Not even a single cent. So, Wendy is probably sending my parents here to ask me for money.”
It had to be said that Cindy Clarke truly had a deep understanding of Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke.
The 19 years they had spent living together were not in vain.
“On the contrary, I might have unwittingly helped.” Adrian Zhekova frowned, feeling that he had not handled the matter well.
Cindy Clarke quickly shook her head, “How did you help? You stalled Wendy, who has stayed in Nork City. In our family, my dad doesn’t have a strong opinion, whoever speaks, he finds their reasoning quite good, always switching sides. So, there’s no need to worry about the threat he poses.”
“As for my mom, she’s uneducated, but quite shrewd for her own gain and has a sharp tongue. That’s why she often wins arguments by being more aggressive and ruthless than the other party. But if it comes down to using her brain, my mom is not competent.”
“Wendy is the one who comes up with ideas at home, my mom just executes them.” One thinks and the other acts.
“Now, it’s just my parents coming alone, without Wendy. My dad doesn’t have strong opinions, and my mom listens to Wendy. If Wendy doesn’t give prompt advice, my mom is prone to making foolish mistakes.”
Cindy Clarke laughed, “This is actually pretty good.”
“Using the restaurant they care about to hold them back, I didn’t even think they’d actually split up like this. It seems they really want money from me.” Cindy Clarke said bitterly.
“Normally speaking, the restaurant has encountered problems, but not big troubles that would force it to close down.” Cindy Clarke said.
On this matter, Adrian Zhekova and Sheldon Rowland were both controlling the situation well.
They were able to make Christy and Wendy worry, but also give them hope, not planning to close down the restaurant outright.
“They should continue to stay in Nork City.” Cindy Clarke said, “But it doesn’t matter, even if my parents come here, they’ll still be worried about the restaurant back home and won’t be at ease in Belfard.”
“So, do you want to see them?” Adrian Zhekova asked.
Cindy Clarke nodded, “I’ll see them, but we have to decide how to handle the meeting.”
“Previously, Zoe Silverstone went to the Clarke Family. She must have told them quite a bit about me, but I don’t know what she said.” Cindy Clarke pondered.
“Zoe Silverstone doesn’t know much about me either. In order to get them to come find me, she probably told them everything she knew, especially focusing on me having money. Only then could she ensure that they would come looking for me. Moreover, if she was able to find out about Nork City and the Clarke Family, she should have some understanding of the characters of my family members.” Cindy Clarke analyzed, “The question is, did she mention you?”
“Let’s see. If Zoe Silverstone mentioned anything about you, then my mom would definitely go to Pingla to find you.” Cindy Clarke said, “And today is Thursday, tomorrow is Friday. The day after tomorrow, I have the competition.”
“If they don’t go looking for you tomorrow, they’ll definitely go to watch the competition the day after.” Cindy Clarke said.
“Not looking for you tomorrow doesn’t mean they don’t know about our relationship. It’s possible they think they can find me the day after tomorrow at the competition and that they don’t need to cause a scene at your place tomorrow.”
Cindy Clarke thought for a moment and looked at Adrian Zhekova, “I want to be sure whether Zoe Silverstone told them anything about the two of us.”
She tended to believe that Zoe hadn’t said anything.
Because Zoe Silverstone was also a selfish person. When it came to temperament, she was quite compatible with Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke.
Hiding this matter wouldn’t necessarily benefit Zoe Silverstone.
But it would definitely harm Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke.
Chapter 526: Less than a hundred people, that’s it?
Doing things that are harmful to others but not beneficial to herself was something that Zoe Silverstone really enjoyed.
Moreover, hiding some things, some details, and having more information that the other party doesn’t have, makes it easier to take the initiative.
Zoe Silverstone was not a philanthropist, and she would not tell everything she knew to Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke at once.
She would definitely keep some things to herself.
And the matter about Adrian Zhekova was the most crucial thing regarding Cindy Clarke.
If she were to hide anything, it would naturally be the most critical point.
Cindy thought that there was a high probability that Zoe Silverstone wouldn’t mention anything about Adrian Zhekova.
Perhaps she intended to pit both sides against each other.
Zoe Silverstone wanted Cindy to engage with Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke and get entangled with them.
But she wasn’t really trying to let Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke take advantage of Adrian Zhekova.
The saying that your enemies might know you best was really true.
Cindy had guessed Zoe Silverstone’s intentions quite accurately.
“So, on Saturday, during the competition, I’ll have to ask you to keep an eye on things,” Cindy said.
Adrian Zhekova raised an eyebrow: “Isn’t that being too polite? We’re on the same side, there’s no need for such formalities like ‘please’.”
Cindy smiled and nodded, then said directly: “Zoe Silverstone doesn’t know where I live, so she can’t tell them. If my parents want to see me, the quickest way is probably at the competition venue on Saturday.”
“They might try to find me through Zoe Silverstone backstage, or wait for me at the entrance of the racecourse. However, there are quite a few entrances to the racecourse, and it’s hard for them to determine where I would leave from. So the probability of them choosing to block the entrance is not very high.”
“The most likely scenario is that they’ll go backstage directly through Zoe Silverstone.” Cindy said to Adrian Zhekova, “Before I can confirm whether they know about our relationship or not, I can’t meet them.”
“I have to be sure how much they know about me before I can respond,” added Cindy. “I absolutely cannot be in a weak position.”
“So, during the competition, your people will still have to keep a close watch. This includes every entrance and exit of the racecourse, as well as every road leading to the backstage. I can’t meet them before that,” said Cindy.
“Don’t worry.” Adrian Zhekova didn’t hesitate and immediately made arrangements.
The bodyguards employed by the Zhekova Family were mostly retired special forces personnel, as well as retired bodyguards from the Lanarn Training Ground.
But all of these people were the elite of the elite.
Each of the other Big Eight families also had their own bodyguards.
So there was no way there could be too many of them.
For each family, there were no more than a hundred people.
The rest were professional bodyguards.
Yet, in the eyes of the Big Eight families, these people were still not professional enough compared to those from Lanarn Training Ground.
So, they were trained and improved by the retired secret guards from Lanarn Training Grounds.
Luckily, Adrian Zhekova had not said his idea out loud.
Otherwise, if people heard him, wouldn’t they be taken aback?
Less than a hundred people, that’s all?
What’s more, these fewer than a hundred people were special forces personnel and secret guards from Lanarn Training Grounds.
What kind of bodyguard group was this?
With them, it was almost like having a mobile stronghold.
And the Big Eight families still weren’t satisfied?
Not enough?
Feeling that it’s lacking?
There were nearly a hundred elite individuals.
Not to mention those additional, privately hired bodyguards.
How many there were in total was hard to say.
It was a huge number even if you just thought about it.
Of course, the Big Eight families wouldn’t announce this publicly.
Letting people know their family’s specific strength would be a very dangerous thing in any aspect.
Once everything was arranged, Adrian Zhekova hung up the phone and muttered to himself, still somewhat uneasy, “Should I get some more people from the Lanarn Training Ground?”
He hesitated for a moment, then added, “I think I need to get some more people, just to be safe.”
“There’s no need for that,” Cindy quickly stopped him. “I only need to stop two people, plus Zoe Silverstone, that’s three. And two of them are my middle-aged parents, ordinary people. There’s no need for such a big show. The people you have now are enough.”
“If you really want to get more people from Lanarn Training Ground, plus your existing people, are you planning to surround the racecourse inside and out?” Cindy thought of that scene and felt it was too exaggerated.
Eventually, she managed to persuade Adrian Zhekova.
Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos’s whereabouts were now completely under Adrian Zhekova’s watchful eye.
The only thing left was to attach a CCTV to them and monitor them in real-time.
From the moment Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos got off the plane, their whereabouts had been monitored.
Their hotel, the car they took, the license plate number, the places they passed, and what they did, Adrian Zhekova was aware of every detail.
However, they hadn’t actually installed any surveillance devices on them.
So when Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos entered the hotel room, they couldn’t keep track of what was happening in the room.
Once Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos were settled in, their luggage was unpacked, and everything was tidied up a bit.
Christy Xenos then contacted Zoe Silverstone using the contact information Wendy Clarke had given her.
“Which hotel are you staying in? I’ll come to you.” Zoe Silverstone was excited upon hearing that Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke had arrived.
Cindy Clarke’s good days were coming to an end!
Christy Xenos reported the name of the hotel.
Zoe Silverstone set off immediately.
Over forty minutes later, Zoe Silverstone appeared at the hotel entrance.
At the same time, the people sent by Adrian Zhekova immediately reported this to him.
Zoe Silverstone arrived at the hotel room, “Oh, Wendy’s not here?”
Joshua Clarke, the good old man, smiled, “There was a temporary problem at the family restaurant, so Wendy’s staying in Nork City to take care of it first. If she can make it, she’ll come over.”
Zoe Silverstone’s heart sank.
Without Wendy’s supervision, could Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos handle it?
Christy Xenos said, “Before leaving, Wendy and I discussed everything. If there’s anything, I’ll consult with her before making any decisions.”
Zoe Silverstone was slightly relieved.
Well, communication is so convenient now.
Christy Xenos said, “Has Wendy ever told you? That if we’re to meet Cindy, we’ll need your help. We don’t know where Cindy lives, and the only way we can find her is at the competition venue.”
“But there are so many people at the competition venue that we can’t get close to her at all. We’re afraid that contestants have a dedicated channel, and we won’t be able to meet with her. And there are so many entrances and exits to the venue that we don’t know which one to wait at. In case we make a mistake, we’ll miss her.”
“With the competition getting more and more intense, whether Cindy can advance to the next round is still uncertain,” added Christy Xenos.
At this moment, the water in the room’s electric kettle was boiling.
Joshua Clarke went to brew some tea and brought it over for Christy Xenos and Zoe Silverstone.
Chapter 527: How much money, we don’t lack money
Christy Xenos picked up the cup, blew a few breaths, and carefully sipped a little bit along the edge of the cup.
Then, she continued, “If she advances, it’s no problem. If she doesn’t have a chance this time, we’ll continue to look for her in the next competition. But if she’s eliminated and we miss this opportunity, it’ll be harder for us to find her again.”
Zoe Silverstone knew the moment she heard that these words were taught to Christy Xenos by Wendy Clarke.
Otherwise, Christy Xenos wouldn’t be able to say something so organized.
“Wendy Clarke has already told me,” Zoe Silverstone said. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take you.”
“The next competition is on Saturday, and now the tickets are getting hard to buy,” Zoe Silverstone said.”]We can only find scalpers.”
“Wow, how come a cooking competition is so hard to get tickets for?” Joshua Clarke was surprised.
Zoe Silverstone directly opened the Pingla App on her mobile phone.
“Because the major competition is hosted by the Pingla Group, and Pingla’s App is the exclusive official purchase channel for competition tickets,” Zoe Silverstone explained.
After opening the ticket purchase page, she showed it to Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke.
“As you can see, there are no more tickets available,” Zoe Silverstone said. “Even the seats in the inner circle are gone.”
“Is it really that popular?” Joshua Clarke felt his understanding had been refreshed. “According to reason, the cooking competition should not have a wide audience. It should only be a small range of people who are interested in cooking and professional chefs who would pay attention to it.”
“That’s true in previous years,” Zoe Silverstone explained, “but this year is different.”
“So far, only two matches have been livestreamed, and both have been lively to watch,” Zoe Silverstone said, candidly mentioning herself. “In the first match, there was a dispute between me and Cindy Clarke. In the second match, there was a dispute between Iris Doone and Cindy Clarke.”
“With only two matches, CEO Adrian Zhekova had to personally resolve the disputes. Adrian Zhekova, you guys should know about, right?”, Zoe Silverstone looked at them.
Seeing Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke nod their heads.
Adrian Zhekova, who didn’t know about it?
Even though they seldom had contact with these things, they still knew Adrian Zhekova.
“Like the heirs of the other Big Eight families, Adrian Zhekova is rarely seen in public. But because of their appearances and status, they attract numerous fans, mostly female ones,” Zoe Silverstone said.
“The fewer times they appear in public, the more eager fans are to follow them,” Zoe Silverstone said. “In the past, fans struggled to see them online or on TV. However, they have appeared in two consecutive competitions. Consequently, fans have gone crazy, wondering if he will attend the next competition.”
“Even if they don’t get to see him on stage, it’s good to see him from a distance at the venue or on-screen,” Zoe Silverstone said. “Besides, with the two competitions having such exciting arguments – almost like a reality show, many fans are buying tickets to join the fun. Furthermore, many fans want to get as close to Adrian Zhekova as possible, even if they can only take a closer look, so they’ve bought up all the front-row seats.”
Christy Xenos snorted, “I really don’t understand. He’s just a man; what’s the big deal? Even if they see him, so what? It’s not like he’ll marry them.”
“You may not understand fans’ mentality,” Zoe Silverstone said.
She had to admit that seeing Adrian Zhekova up close could make one lose focus involuntarily.
“By the way, when I was watching the livestream at home that day, I saw that there were seats closest to the stage where Adrian Zhekova and his group sat,” Christy Xenos said. “How much does it cost to secure a seat there? There must be a price! How much is it, we can afford it!”
Zoe Silverstone rolled her eyes and said, “That area is the VIP Section, which is not for sale to the public. It’s where the competition organizers invite some guests to sit, separated from the regular audience area. Even the aisles are exclusive for VIPs.”
“With enough money, they still won’t sell? Can’t the organizers make money even if they want to?” Christy Xenos, who had been a local tyrant in Nork City for several years, now spoke with an extravagant tone.
Zoe Silverstone smiled and said, “The competition organizers don’t need the money. Does Pingla Group need the money? This competition is directly organized by Pingla Group without outsourcing to any other organization.”
“When Pingla Group first held this competition, they didn’t make any profit, and even lost a lot of money. But they still held the competition every year. It wasn’t until last year that they started to turn a profit, although not much. Pingla didn’t even care about the profit they made,”
To be honest, Pingla was really doing this to promote the culinary world out of love for it.
“They really don’t care about making this money.” Could Christy Xenos’ extra spending on tickets be something Pingla cared about?
A few tens of thousands?
A hundred thousand or so?
Could this amount be something that Pingla would consider?
Moreover, Zoe Silverstone doubted that Christy Xenos would be willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on tickets.
Don’t use Christy Xenos’ big talk as evidence.
“What should we do then?” Christy Xenos frowned. “Can’t we buy tickets?”
“It’s not that we can’t, but I just said, we need to find scalpers. Now that these tickets are sold out, not all of the buyers are real audience members. Because the tickets are in high demand, scalpers saw an opportunity to make a profit and got involved. Now there are quite a few tickets in the hands of scalpers.”
“Oh, where are we supposed to find scalpers?” Joshua Clarke spread his hands, feeling somewhat helpless.
They had never dealt with this kind of thing before.
Now that they had encountered it, they were at a loss for direction, like headless flies.
“Leave it to me. I know a few scalpers. I’ll contact them, compare prices, and see which one is cheaper,” Zoe Silverstone said. “However, since they are scalpers, the prices will definitely be higher than the official prices.”
“We know that,” Joshua Clarke said.
But it was useless for Joshua Clarke to know that, as it was not up to him.
Zoe Silverstone looked at Christy Xenos again.
Christy Xenos nodded, “Right, if it’s expensive, then it’s expensive. No problem, the important thing is to get the tickets.”
“Alright, I’ll contact you when I get the tickets.” Zoe Silverstone suppressed the joy in her heart.
She had been struggling financially lately.
She has already reached the point where she doesn’t mind earning less, as long as she can make some money, even a little bit.
This time, by helping Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke buy tickets, she could make some difference in price.
After all, these two people were unfamiliar with the market and didn’t know anything about Belfard.
In the short term, they could only rely on her.
Chapter 528: You are not allowed to leave alone
Wendy Clarke was right, Zoe Silverstone was the one who could get things done.
After Zoe Silverstone had left, Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos had retired to rest.
On Friday, they took the opportunity to stroll around Belford.
They went to the famous scenic spots in Belford.
Due to the multitude of scenic spots in Belford, they selected one of the most famous to visit first.
As time flew, it was already Saturday.
Cindy Clarke and Adrian Zhekova, just like last Monday, took Morgan Zhekova to the family mansion first.
Then everyone went to the racecourse together.
“What’s the challenge for today’s competition? Nothing was mentioned last time,” the Old Madam asked Adrian Zhekova, “Do you know anything?”
“I usually don’t interfere in this. The organizers have their own agenda. However, I did plan to ask so I could give Cindy a heads up,” said Adrian Zhekova, “but Cindy refused. She felt it would be unfair to the other contestants.”
“Moreover, she enjoys the thrill of not knowing the test in advance. She thinks that this relies on adaptability and on-the-spot performance, making it a true test of ability and culinary skills,” Adrian Zhekova added.
“And that, I believe, is the very reason the organizers designed this competition in this way,” Cindy Clarke mentioned. “I would like to respect that.”
“Exactly, you are right,” the Old Madam agreed with a nod.
However, Adrian Zhekova doubted whether the Old Madam had actually thought about it at all.
In any case, whatever their granddaughter-in-law says, must be correct.
“And actually, the secretive nature of this competition is quite intriguing,” the Old Madam added as she prepared to leave for the racecourse.
They drove there.
As they approached the racecourse, Maverick Zhekova noticed the surrounding arrangements and raised an eyebrow.
“What is the kid up to?” Maverick Zhekova asked Victoria Wheeler, “Has he assigned all the family guards here? And even with the top-notch equipment.”
Upon hearing this, Victoria Wheeler also took notice: “Goodness, it all seems defensive. This setup is so rigorous it appears that not even a fly could penetrate. Even in a conflict zone, this would suffice.”
Not only them, the Old Master and Old Madam had also noticed.
The Old Madam asked the Old Master in confusion: “Did we receive any information in advance? Is someone planning to ambush us on the way?”
“Stop talking nonsense! Ambush what?!” The Old Master glanced outside the window and suddenly fell silent.
The Old Master: “….”
“Even anti-sniper formations are in place?” The Old Master asked in astonishment, “Could it be that someone saw us watch the last two rounds and is planning to take advantage of this one to sabotage us?”
Then the Old Master’s mind began to spin with conspiracy theories.
He quickly started reviewing various tactics and guessing who else would dare to cross such a line.
The Old Madam wanted to call Adrian Zhekova to ask, but she was afraid that if it was a particularly serious matter, the call would distract Adrian Zhekova and cause trouble.
So, the Old Madam had to bear with it.
It wasn’t until they reached the entrance of the racecourse and Adrian Zhekova’s car stopped that the nerves of the mansion’s elders tightened.
Even Maverick Zhekova and Victoria Wheeler had their nerves on edge.
Although, Maverick Zhekova had not received any information about an ambush.
He was puzzled just now.
If there was genuinely danger, how could Adrian Zhekova have taken their whole family out?
Maverick Zhekova and Victoria Wheelers are one thing, but the elders and Morgan Zhekova, one too old and one too young…
Given Adrian Zhekova’s personality, he would not put them at risk.
Just as he was thinking about this, Adrian Zhekova’s car door opened.
Right after, Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke got out of the car.
Seeing them chatting and laughing, there was no sign they were in any sort of danger.
“I’ll go check it out.” Maverick Zhekova said to Victoria Wheeler.
When Maverick Zhekova opened the car door, Victoria Wheeler suddenly grabbed his arm, “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry, look, Adrian and Cindy are outside and they’re just fine.” Maverick pat Victoria Wheeler’s hand, smiling, “Are you worried about me?”
“Of course!” Victoria Wheeler rolled her eyes, “How could I not be worried about you?”
“Looking at you always being jealous of Morgan in front of the Old Madam, I thought you didn’t like me anymore.” Maverick expressed his grievances.
“How can that be!” Victoria Wheeler raised her voice to prove her innocence.
“I just… I just want to secure my position in the family!” Victoria Wheeler grabbed Maverick’s arm, “But my favorite is still you.”
“No, that’s wrong, we are husband and wife, the word ‘like’ isn’t enough to express my feelings.” Victoria Wheeler continued, “In short, you are the most important to me.”
“Really?” Maverick remembered the Old Madam and Morgan’s way of comforting people, and felt that her words might not be completely genuine.
“Of course it’s true.” Victoria Wheeler held Maverick’s face and gave him a quick peck, “No one compares to you.”
Maverick’s eyes lit up, he immediately asked, “Does that mean that even your mother doesn’t compare to me?”
Victoria Wheeler: “…..”
This question was really a tough one for her.
Why did Maverick have to do this?
But still, Victoria Wheeler nodded: “None of them compare to you.”
Maverick was utterly satisfied. He then squeezed Victoria’s hand, “Alright, I’m going down now, don’t worry about me.”
Victoria Wheeler pondered for a moment, then said, “I will go with you.”
Seeing Maverick’s surprise, Victoria Wheeler elaborated, “If there’s no danger, then there’s no problem in getting off the car with you.”
“But if there really is danger, I want to be with you. I won’t let you face the danger alone,” Victoria Wheeler continued, “Besides, look, Cindy is out there with Adrian. If they aren’t afraid, why should I be?”
Victoria Wheeler held Maverick’s hand, “In any case, I want to get off the car with you.”
Even if something really happens, they will face it together.
Now, Maverick truly believed her.
Victoria Wheeler had said that he was the most important person to her.
She wasn’t just trying to comfort him.
Maverick looked at Victoria Wheeler with gratitude, a smile formed unknowingly.
He nodded and was about to get out of the car.
But then Victoria Wheeler pulled him back, “Aren’t we supposed to go together? You’re not allowed to go alone!”
“This…” Maverick couldn’t help laughing, “We can’t both get out of the car from my side, right? If you won’t let go of me, I can’t get out of the car, and you can’t get out of the car either, right?”
It was only then that Victoria Wheeler realized, it was indeed so.
She let go of Maverick and said, “Then wait for me.”
After speaking, she hurried to open her own door.
Maverick also got off the car and went with Victoria Wheeler to find Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke.
As for the elders, they wanted to disembark as well, but Morgan Zhekova was still in the car.
They couldn’t take the risk, so they could only watch.
“Adrian, what’s going on? I saw our family’s bodyguards on high alert along the way, even the anti-sniper formation is in place,” Maverick Zhekova whispered. “Is there an attack?”
Cindy Clarke was startled upon hearing this.
“Anti-sniper formation?” Cindy Clarke was taken aback.
Chapter 529: It’s too much trouble
“Why can’t I see anyone?” Cindy asked, puzzled.
She didn’t realize it at all.
Victoria Wheeler explained, “Actually, there aren’t any signs along the way for people to recognize. It’s just that having spent a long time in the Zhekova house, I’ve seen enough and can recognize the unique formations belonging to the Zhekova family.”
“As far as I can see, there’s no one who matches Harrison’s description,” Victoria said.
“Dad, Mum, don’t be nervous,” Adrian Zhekova quickly explained, “Nobody is attacking us.”
Adrian Zhekova then briefly told them why Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos came looking for Cindy.
“Cindy believes that we currently have insufficient information on them, so she can’t meet them yet. Once we have control of the situation, then seeing them won’t be too late. So until then, I must ensure that Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos can’t get close to Cindy,” Adrian Zhekova explained.
“So you charged up such a large formation?” Maverick Zhekova’s eyes widened.
It was just a move against Cindy’s parents.
Two ordinary common people.
Not only did Zhekova’s bodyguards all activate without saying anything, they also made use of the anti-sniper formation.
Could Cindy’s parents even make a sniper shot or fly?
Cindy didn’t even know, that Adrian Zhekova actually activated such a large formation.
He had even planned to mobilize the staff of the Lanarn Training Ground earlier, but thankfully she was able to persuade him not to.
Cindy really thought it was normal, just assigning one or two bodyguards at each door would be enough.
She didn’t see anyone on the way there, so she thought it was low-key.
Who knew they all hid, taking on the highest rank form directly!
Cindy herself felt embarrassed and blush.
She can’t blame Adrian Zhekova for this.
Adrian Zhekova did all this for her, just to ensure everything was foolproof.
Cindy just felt very ashamed and embarrassed.
Such a large formation was used just because of her.
It was such a waste of manpower.
If the elders were discontent because of this, it would be understandable.
Cindy lowered her head deeply.
Maverick Zhekova sighed in relief: “Thank goodness, as long as there’s no threat of attack.”
Maverick Zhekova turned his head, saw that the two elders and Morgan Zhekova haven’t come out from the car yet, knew that they were still cautious and worried, so he quickly called Grandfather.
The Grandfather was relieved that it was a false alarm, and cursed before getting out of the car.
As soon as he got out of the car, Old Madam scolded him: “Be mindful of your language in front of Morgan!”
Grandfather was surprised, then he remembered.
Because there were no children in the house before, he wasn’t careful.
Now that there’s a child in the house, Grandfather hasn’t yet developed the habit of watching his language.
Old Madam scolded him, and Grandfather immediately said with a “Tsk tsk!” and bent over to speak to Morgan: “Grandpa said something wrong just now, you forget it quickly.”
Morgan thought to herself that she was so clever, and that she would remember it as soon as she heard it, it’s impossible to forget.
But, seeing Grandfather so nervous, Morgan obediently nodded: “I won’t remember!”
“Good.” Grandfather kissed Morgan.
The two elders then took Morgan together to join Adrian Zhekova.
In front of the two elders, Cindy felt even more embarrassed.
Adrian Zhekova briefly told the two elders about it again: “Cindy has a competition, so there will be no time to talk detailed. I’ll explain the detailed situation to you afterwards.”
Old Madam nodded, then gave Adrian Zhekova a glare: “Can’t you see how embarrassed Cindy is! Cindy must be blaming herself!”
When she turned to Cindy, her tone softened again: “Cindy, don’t overthink. This is Adrian’s idea. And, he did it in order to ensure nothing goes wrong and not to overlook because of underestimating the enemy.”
“If we guaranteed that we could do it, but we let Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos break through, then that would be really bad,” Old Madam said with a smile, “And, it will disrupt your plans and affect your competition and many other things.”
Old Madam had a clear mind.
“Right.” Grandfather nodded.
Adrian Zhekova felt that Grandfather missed out a sentence.
Old Madam was right.
“That’s right.” Victoria also said, “Besides, there hasn’t been anyone who dared to provoke the Zhekova family for many years. The many bodyguards trained in the family didn’t have the chance to exercise, they must be feeling frustrated. Now it just so happens that there’s this opportunity, they were pulled out to flex their muscles.”
Cindy: “…”
They wanted to use Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos to flex their muscles.
Fortunately, they don’t know.
Otherwise, if they found out, they wouldn’t know how they would feel.
“Correct.” Maverick Zhekova nodded, “Your mum is right.”
Adrian Zhekova finally took a relieved breath.
They should have said that sentence to complete it.
The two elders and Maverick and his wife were all afraid that Cindy would feel pressured and embarrassed, so they incessantly comforted her.
They tried their best to tell her that she really didn’t need to care.
The scolding they just did was all directed at Adrian Zhekova, and it had nothing to do with Cindy.
And also, for his wife, even if the formation was a bit larger and more manpower was expended, it should be like this!
If they can’t handle their wife’s affairs properly, then they wouldn’t even have the face to see anyone, okay?
“And also, we’ve been educating Adrian since he was young that he should use all his strength even when hunting a rabbit. No matter how weak the enemy is, don’t underestimate the enemy. You have to win completely. Because if you lose due to being complacent, it’s not only unjust but also frustrating, and in the end, you can only blame yourself.”
In the end, Cindy was almost dizzied by their words, and she almost forgot why she felt embarrassed in the first place.
With a confused face, they sent her off at the entrance of the racecourse.
Once Cindy was gone, the faces of the four people facing Adrian Zhekova immediately changed.
It’s not as gentle as before when they were facing Cindy.
“Look at you, you didn’t even give us a heads up, scared us so much.” Maverick Zhekova complained, “It’s okay if we just had a false alarm, letting Cindy misunderstand that we were blaming her, that’s really bad!”
“Look, just now Cindy couldn’t even lift up her head in front of us.” Maverick Zhekova complained about how unreliable Adrian Zhekova was.
Adrian Zhekova deeply realized his mistake and quickly apologized to the two elders and to Maverick and his wife.
“I was negligent this time,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Tell us in detail,” Old Madam said, “How did Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos find you?”
“Let’s get on the car and talk about it.” There’s still a long way to go before the competition starts.
This competition didn’t know what form it would start in.
The previous two races only required the participants to arrive one and a half hours in advance.
But today, they required participants to reach the venue four hours in advance.
Now that they’re here together, but they still had to wait for more than four hours before the competition starts.
Now, even if they go into the racecourse, they wouldn’t have anything to do.
Adrian Zhekova wanted to accompany Cindy backstage, but circumstances didn’t permit it.
There’s a café in the racecourse.
Chapter 530: Don’t Think About Pressuring Her with Filial Piety
However, it wasn’t appropriate to discuss this matter in public.
So, they all went back to the car.
Adrian Zhekova explained the situation in detail to the four of them, not hiding anything.
“This family must be crazy for money!” Victoria Wheeler said angrily.
This time, they didn’t blame Adrian for the mishandling of the situation.
After all, who could have expected it!
By their normal logic, their family restaurant had run into a problem that was neither small enough to be ignored, nor severe enough to shut them down.
It was still a serious matter.
But it wasn’t so serious that their family restaurant couldn’t continue to operate.
They just needed to spend some money, tidy up the restaurant, pass the inspection, and then they could reopen.
Usually, when such things happen, the whole family would work together to overcome it.
Even if the parents couldn’t help much,
they would still be worried about the family restaurant and wouldn’t leave it hanging, let alone go on a trip at such a time.
However, Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos had the nerve to rush to find Cindy Clarke.
According to Victoria’s words, the two of them were indeed outrageous.
Adrian then relayed Cindy’s analysis of the situation.
“Cindy does understand her parents well,” Maverick Zhekova said.
Old Madam sighed and said, “Well, who knows how much trouble and bullying she’s gone through to understand them so well.”
“Yes!” Victoria said, “After all, children normally don’t have any guard against their parents. The last people they would be wary of are their parents. Unless the parents are not even human, no normal family would have parents scheming against their own children.”
“In the news, there are many instances of children scheming against their parents, and fewer of parents scheming against their children. It’s not that it doesn’t happen, but it’s quite rare,” Old Master sighed. “Cindy’s family is truly worthy of a show.”
“If you treat all the children badly, at least it balances things out for the children. But in their family, only Cindy is treated like an outsider, while Wendy is the legitimate daughter.”
Old Madam snorted coldly: “In my opinion, Joshua Clarke is unreliable. Cindy is right—Joshua is easily swayed by others. You can’t rely on him. Otherwise, knowing that Christy and Wendy are scheming against Cindy, why wouldn’t he stop them?”
“Knowing that Christy came for Cindy’s money, why wouldn’t he stop her?” Old Madam scoffed. “Joshua Clarke is really ridiculous. If he truly cares about Cindy, why not think about how difficult it is for a young girl like her to make her way alone in Belfard? But he still indulges his wife and daughter.”
“From Cindy’s point of view, Joshua is relatively kind to her compared to Christy and Wendy. That’s why she keeps remembering his kindness. Even simple verbal care is valuable to Cindy because that’s all she gets from Joshua. Compared to Christy and Wendy, she naturally thinks Joshua is a good father.”
“But in reality, Joshua as a father is not qualified even in the most ordinary family!” Old Madam said, getting angrier as she spoke.
“Cindy knows that herself, so she has to guard against Joshua, too,” Adrian said. “If it weren’t for Christy, and there was only Joshua, Cindy wouldn’t mind showing filial piety. But because of Christy and Joshua being easily swayed, she both wants to respect him and has to guard against him.”
“Poor Cindy,” Victoria said.
“But Cindy can’t avoid seeing Joshua for her entire life,” Maverick said. “Since there is still some father-daughter affection between them, it won’t be easy to cut ties completely.”
Adrian nodded, “That’s why Cindy told me that when the timing is right, she will go back to Nork City to see Joshua. But she asked me not to appear. Even if Joshua knows about us, she’s afraid Christy and Wendy will cause trouble.”
“Actually, she’s mainly afraid of causing trouble for me and me getting annoyed,” Adrian smiled. “She’s overthinking it, I wouldn’t mind. But if that’s what she wants, I’ll go along with it. However, I wouldn’t feel at ease letting her go alone, so I’ll have a bodyguard follow her and stay hidden if the day comes.”
“I just didn’t expect Joshua and Christy to come here first and mess up Cindy’s plans. Cindy now wants to confirm whether they know about our relationship or not and plan accordingly,” Adrian said. “Cindy already has her own plans.”
“Ah, this poor girl,” Old Madam sighed, her heart going out to Cindy even more.
“But Cindy is quite capable in handling this situation. She doesn’t blindly follow them simply because they are her parents. She knows what she should do.” Old Master approved. “At least, these people cannot use their parental authority to pressure her.”
Old Madam sneered, “As parents who are not loving, on what grounds do they demand Cindy to be filial? Don’t they have another daughter? Just let that daughter be filial to them!”
“Mom is right,” Victoria agreed.
She had never been wronged like this.
Victoria knew herself that she had a good life.
She was born into a wealthy family and was the youngest sister, her three older brothers were particularly kind to her and had doted on and pampered her.
Her parents needn’t be mentioned either.
Her older brother once told her that since she was born, her parents had always instilled in her brothers the idea that they must protect and cherish their sister, and not allow anyone to bully her.
She was the most treasured one in her family.
Her parents had four children not because they wanted more sons to inherit the family business,
but because they wanted a daughter.
Who would have thought they would have three sons in a row, and finally had her as their fourth child?
Such a sought-after daughter, how could the family not treasure and pamper her?
It was because of her family background that she got into Jetaime Academy and met Maverick Zhekova.
In this world, there are many instances of marriages between equal social backgrounds.
Couples like Cindy and Adrian are very rare.
If it weren’t for Victoria’s good family background allowing her to attend Jetaime Academy, how could she have met Maverick?
Without the chance to meet Maverick, she would have missed the opportunity.
It was because both of them were in the same social circle that they could meet.
Two different worlds would never intersect.
She could never enter the world where Maverick was and meet him.
Victora and Maverick’s relationship was not arranged by their families. They had fallen in love when they were students, and they became each other’s first love.