Chapter 798 Coming for Abella
Bradley was a businessman, and he didn't forget to drag his daughter along, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "This is my daughter Enid, she just started her freshman year in college. It's kinda embarrassing, she's still hitting the books while your grandson's already running the show. Haha, your grandson's really something else."
Enid got the hint from her dad's words. She flashed a sweet smile and said hi to Ryan. "Mr. Bourbon, nice to meet you, I'm Enid."
"Haha, no need to be so formal. Hey there."
"Hey there." Ryan had no clue who these folks were. Tonight, he just wanted to drop off a birthday gift for Clarence, snag a piece of cake, and most importantly, catch a glimpse of Abella. He didn't expect to get mobbed by so many people, it was like being in a sardine can.
He kicked himself for not bringing the butler. If the butler were here, he could at least play defense against some of these people.
"Ryan, is that you? How long's it been since we last hung out?" Noe barged in, shoving Bradley aside, and stuck out his hand with a grin. Whether Ryan wanted to or not, Noe grabbed his hand and shook it. "I'm Noe. We played Go a few times back in the day, remember?"
Honestly, Ryan had no memory of it, but since every guest here was invited by Clarence, he nodded politely. "Yeah, long time no see."
"It really has been ages. The last game we played was like seven or eight years ago. You were chilling at the Bourbon Group's resort, staying in the presidential suite. I was next door. I had a Goboard, you had some free time, so we played a few rounds." With that nudge, Ryan had a faint recollection.
Man, that was forever ago.
If Noe hadn't brought it up, he wouldn't have remembered at all.
"Check out my granddaughter, she's all grown up now. Betsy, come over and say hi to Mr. Bourbon. Don't be shy," Noe said, smiling at Ryan. "This is my granddaughter Betsy. Didn't you say you have a grandson around her age?"
"Yeah, they do seem about the same age." Ryan nodded, trying to move on.
"Isn't that Ryan?" An elegantly dressed older woman with a kind face walked up. "Long time no see, I'm Stefan's wife, Dawn. Do you remember me?"
Talking about Stefan Ramirez, Ryan did have some memory. He was a well-known Go master, not as famous as Clarence, but still pretty respected.
"How's he been?" Ryan asked, genuinely curious.
When Stefan was winning championships, Ryan had noticed him and even played a few games with him. The longest game lasted from morning till sunset, with them eating and drinking right at the Goboard. They had a bit of a bond.
"He passed away." Dawn's eyes got misty as she pretended to wipe away tears.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's okay. He went peacefully. Before he left, he passed all his Go skills to his granddaughter Faye. Oh, I forgot to introduce her. This is my granddaughter Faye. Come say hi to Mr. Bourbon," Dawn called out.
"Hey there, Mr. Bourbon." Faye flashed a polite smile. "My grandpa used to talk about you all the time. Seeing you today, you really do have that special vibe. His biggest regret was not getting another game in with you. If you’ve got the time, maybe I could play in his place?"
Bradley snorted and called her out. "Didn't you just say the same thing to Mr. Wodehouse?"
She had told Mr. Wodehouse that her grandpa's biggest regret was not playing another game with Clarence before he passed.
"Faye, lying at your age isn't a good look."
"What lie? My husband had two Go buddies he cared about the most, one was Ryan, and the other was Clarence. You wouldn't get it. Move along." Dawn, using her age as leverage, shot Bradley a look of disdain.
But when she turned to Ryan, her tone softened. "Ryan, let me toast to you on behalf of my husband."
"No, no need. I can't drink because of my health. My doc told me to steer clear of alcohol and spicy food, and I gotta follow orders."
"Must be some doc to make you listen so well." Dawn didn't push it. "Speaking of which, I've been feeling pretty worn out lately, like my body's just not keeping up. When you get a chance, could you hook me up with this doctor?"
"She's super busy. She only treated me as a big favor." Ryan didn't want Abella getting swamped. "I think you're just getting older. If it's nothing major, any regular doc can handle it."
Dawn felt a bit awkward but managed a smile. "You're probably right."
"I need to go have a word with Clarence. I was already late, so please excuse me." Even though Ryan said this, a bunch of guests still wanted to get close to him. It was rare to see him, and they all wanted to seize the moment!
Ryan picked up the pace, wishing he could just teleport to Clarence.
At the same time, he wondered why Phillipe hadn't shown up yet. It was getting late, and he hadn't come to help fend off the crowd.
"Alright, everyone, back off. Don't scare Mr. Bourbon away. Today’s Clarence's birthday, no business talk." Rodolfo knew exactly what these people wanted from Ryan. They were all trying to network and find opportunities with the Bourbon Group. Swarming him like this would just tick him off.
"Mr. Wilson, we just want to say hi to Mr. Bourbon." Some guests were still holding their champagne glasses, not ready to give up.
"Yeah, just a quick hello and we’re out."
"Last time the Bourbon Group helped us a lot, and we haven't had a chance to thank Mr. Bourbon."
"The Bourbon Group isn't under his management anymore. If you’ve got business, talk to Phillipe." Rodolfo put his arm around Ryan's shoulder. "If I hadn't stepped in, you wouldn't have made it a few steps."
"Yeah, your timing's perfect. Where's Abella?"
"I knew you were here to see Abella." Rodolfo knew that the reason these old-timers showed up tonight was all because of Abella.
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