Chapter 52 Smoking Too Much Shortens Your Life
James had Rachel and Joseph over for dinner, and he was in a great mood when he got back home.
He'd just signed the trial contract, and both Joseph and Rachel promised to keep it under wraps. Once he made it through the trial and officially joined the national basketball team, he wouldn't have to worry about Michael giving him a hard time.
James was humming a tune as he kicked off his shoes. But when he walked into the living room, he was totally caught off guard. There was Michael, lounging on the sofa in his comfy clothes, smoking a cigarette like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Michael," James stammered, "Why are you back so early? Isn't Mandy still in the hospital? Why aren't you with her?"
Michael glanced up and asked casually, "Have you eaten?"
James nodded. "Yeah, I have."
"Come here," Michael said, tapping his cigarette on the ashtray, "We need to talk."
James tensed up immediately. Did Mandy spill the beans about his basketball plans to Michael? He clutched his backpack tightly, his nerves on edge as he walked over and sat next to Michael. "Michael, it's all my fault, I..." he started, ready to take the blame. He figured the worst that could happen was a punishment, but he wanted to keep Michael from finding out and going after Rachel.
"If you want to play basketball, go for it," Michael interrupted him.
James looked at him, stunned. "Michael, you're okay with me playing basketball?"
"Yeah," Michael said calmly. "Do what you love. I won't stop you. If it's basketball, I'll talk to Mom about it."
That night, Michael had watched the videos Joseph sent him again and thought a lot about what Rachel had said. Eventually, he came to a decision.
Michael had always been involved in the family business because he was good at it and didn't mind it, but James hated finance and didn't want any part of the Smith family business.
Michael had just called the coach who visited the school today, and from their conversation, he could tell the coach was really impressed with James and kept praising his talent, saying that with the right training, James could really shine in the sports world.
James didn't want to take over the family business, and Michael didn't want to force him, fearing James would resent him later. He also didn't want to squash James's talent in basketball.
"Really?" James was so shocked he could hardly believe it. He cheered, "Michael, you're the best! You're the coolest brother ever! Don't worry, I won't let you down. I'll make it to the national team and bring home some trophies!"
Michael gave a small nod. "You chose this path, so make sure you walk it well. Don't embarrass yourself or our family."
"Got it!" James nodded enthusiastically, his excitement bubbling over. He quickly handed his brother a bottle of water and a bowl of fruit. He grinned, "Michael, did you land a great project today? You seem especially chill and understanding!"
Michael raised an eyebrow, looking at him calmly. "What did you think of me before? A tyrant?"
James scratched his head and muttered, "Not really, but I always felt like I was your employee, working under you. I was always on edge when you talked."
Michael was silent for a moment before saying, "Because a woman scolded me today."
He had thought he had everything figured out, but after hearing what Rachel said, he realized he had never really cared about what James wanted. He acted more like a boss than a brother, and their relationship was pretty distant.
"Who's bold enough to scold you?" James asked in surprise, "Your old school principal?"
Michael didn't answer but casually asked, "What did you have for dinner with Rachel?"
"Barbecue, it was super delicious," James said, praising the dinner. But then he realized something was off and quickly shut his mouth. "I still have homework to do. I'll head upstairs now!"
James grabbed his backpack and bolted. As he was halfway up the stairs, he turned back and shouted, "Michael, smoke less. Rachel says smoking too much shortens your life."
Michael's gaze swept over, making James scamper away even faster.
Michael stared at the half-smoked cigarette in his hand, thinking back to that night with Rachel and that kiss. He lost the urge to smoke and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
Meanwhile, Rachel called John to check the time, and they caught a flight to Unity Republic.
Yablue Resort, located in the northernmost part of Unity Republic, was the largest ski resort in the country. Every winter, it drew countless visitors for skiing vacations. Outside the airport, there were plenty of cars heading to the resort.
On the way to the resort, Rachel admired the snowy scenery outside the window and asked John, "Isn't it freezing to ski in below-zero temperatures?"
"With the right gear, it's not cold at all," John explained. Knowing Rachel didn't like crowds and hadn't done much skiing, he added proudly, "I've won a national skiing championship. How about I be your coach and teach you?"
Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "We're here for business, not for fun."
John sighed, "Yeah, business first, I'm not important." Then he asked curiously, "The whereabouts of the Blue Sky Ventures boss are hard to track. How did you get the intel, Rachel?"
"Knowing he's here is enough, don't ask too much," Rachel replied, turning to look out the window, ignoring him.
After arriving at the resort, Rachel and John checked into the hotel. She was still thinking about how to find an opportunity to talk to the Blue Sky Ventures boss when he happened to return from skiing with friends and ran into them in the hotel.
Rachel stepped forward and greeted the man in front, "Mr. Rivera. I'm Rachel Williams, the Vice President of Skyline Corporation."
After getting the information about his whereabouts, Rachel had immediately looked into the background of Benjamin Rivera, the Blue Sky Ventures boss, and knew his father was also an entrepreneur, and he had made a lot of money on his own.
Because of conflicts with his father, Benjamin would rather see Blue Sky Ventures go bankrupt than accept his father's help. That was good; it gave her an opportunity.
"I know, the new female VP of Skyline Corporation." Benjamin shook hands with Rachel, his smile a bit faint. "What a coincidence to meet here."
"I came specifically to find you," Rachel replied, knowing he wasn't one to be fooled and deciding not to beat around the bush. "I see you just came back from skiing. Once you've rested, could I borrow ten minutes of your time to talk?"
Benjamin nodded. "Sure, I'll contact you once I've rested. Goodbye."
With that, he and his friends left.
John said unhappily, "He didn't even ask for your number, how will he contact you? We should follow him now and force a conversation! His company will be acquired sooner or later, might as well be by Skyline Corporation."
Rachel shot back, "Do you think everyone is as shameless as you? Maybe he has our company's number."
John sneered. As it turned out, the next day, Rachel still hadn't heard from Benjamin.
John mocked, "I told you he wouldn't bother with you, but you didn't believe me. Now do you believe it?"
Rachel sighed, "Stop kicking me when I'm down."
"I just asked the front desk; he and his friends went to the ski resort," John said, putting his arm around Rachel's shoulder and leading her outside. "Let's go find him at the ski resort!"
"The ski resort is so big. Are you sure we can find him?" Rachel questioned, a hint of doubt in her voice.
John grinned, "If we can't find him, we'll just ski!"
Just as they left the hotel, the elevator opened, and a man and a woman walked out.
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