Chapter 343 Snobbish Marigold
James slid into the passenger seat.
Wayne was fuming, but after a moment, he unclenched his fists and drove away from the train station.
Six months ago, these red patches started appearing on his skin. They didn't bother him much day-to-day, but after sex, they would flare up, burning almost like a hot iron.
Every time it happened, Wayne was in excruciating pain, wishing he could just bash his head against a wall to end it.
Because of this agony, Wayne, who was usually quite the womanizer, had stopped going near women altogether.
He had seen numerous doctors to no avail. Now, hearing James pinpoint the issue so accurately, Wayne felt a glimmer of hope, so he had to swallow his anger.
As they drove, James pulled out his phone and sent a message to Olivia, informing her he had arrived in Glowing Oasis.
If she didn't respond by sunset tomorrow, he would head straight to The Lee Manor.
James was determined to force Olivia out of hiding.
After sending the message, James looked out the window, taking in the ancient charm of the city.
Compared to other cities with their skyscrapers and modern flair, Glowing Oasis had a much more traditional feel, with many beautiful old buildings along the way.
James also noticed the Wish Group building, shaped like a knife, standing thirty-eight stories tall and overlooking the Glowing Oasis Bridge.
According to Nathaniel's intel, Larry was both power-hungry and money-driven. He not only controlled the Mystic Alliance in Glowing Oasis with an iron fist but also used its connections to build his company.
Wish Group was Larry's brainchild, valued at billions of dollars, involved in machinery, security, and finance, making it one of the few major enterprises in Glowing Oasis.
The company was divided among three vice presidents, who each held ten percent, Mystic Alliance members who held twenty percent, and the remaining fifty percent was in Larry's hands.
However, Larry didn't hold this fifty percent directly; he had Ruby hold it for him.
So when Larry died, both the Mystic Alliance and Wish Group were thrown into chaos.
As James pondered, the car arrived at a luxurious hotel with a sign reading [Hibiscus House.]
It was high-end and classy.
A table here had a minimum spend of three thousand dollars, and private rooms went for eight thousand eight hundred dollars.
The prices weren't outrageous, but they were beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
Bruce, a machinery parts dealer, made millions annually, and Coralie's mother, Marigold, was a real estate executive, earning hundreds of thousands a year.
For them, coming here was no big deal.
"James, this way." Wayne, now all smiles, led James into Hibiscus House as he said humbly, "I'll take your luggage, let me handle it."
"Mrs. Howard and the others are already here, along with some old business friends."
"Mr. Howard and Ms. Howard will be here a bit later."
"Mr. Howard told me to bring you straight here for lunch instead of going home first."
"They're in room 203."
Wayne nodded and bowed. "James, you go ahead. I'm just the driver, so I won't join you."
His face was swollen from a beating, and he didn't want to be laughed at inside.
James nodded and headed towards the private room.
Wayne hesitated. "James, about my condition, can you help me?"
James replied indifferently, "We'll talk in a couple of days."
"Okay, okay." Wayne nodded repeatedly, submissive but with a flash of resentment in his eyes.
For now, he had to bow his head, but he had already decided that once James cured him, he would make James pay dearly.
'A country bumpkin dared to hit me? Just wait.' Wayne thought viciously.
James noticed Wayne's look but didn't care. If Wayne didn't know his place, James would make him wish he were dead.
He carried his luggage and ginseng to the door and knocked politely.
"Coming, coming, it must be Vance and Coralie." Before the door fully opened, James heard a string of polite laughter. "I should call Bruce and tell him to hurry over for lunch, or we'll be keeping everyone waiting."
Then, a stunning woman appeared in front of James, her smile as bright as a flower, as if she were welcoming some VIP.
But when she saw James, her smile froze, and she exclaimed in surprise, "James?"
It was Coralie's mother, Marigold.
James smiled and greeted her warmly, "Hello, Mrs. Howard."
Despite Marigold's long-standing disdain for him, James was still enthusiastic after not seeing her for many years.
James glanced into the room, seeing seven or eight well-dressed men and women, but no sign of Bruce or Coralie.
Marigold was shocked. "James, what are you doing here?"
James was slightly taken aback. "Bruce had Wayne bring me here."
"Damn it, always doing things without thinking. Why did I marry that useless man?" Marigold cursed Bruce, then grabbed James and said, "James, today is a very important lunch. Everyone here is either rich or powerful, including some high-ups from Wish Group."
"I know your dad and Bruce are close, and I know you like Coralie."
"But today is really inconvenient. I'll host you another day."
"You wouldn't want to ruin my mood, would you?"
"Please, do me this favor."
Marigold pulled out her wallet and handed James a hundred-dollar bill. "Here's a hundred bucks. Go get yourself a family meal at KFC across the street."
James frowned slightly.
"James! Finally!" At that moment, a loud voice came from behind James.
Then, two strong arms hugged James and lifted him off the ground, spinning him around.
"James, you've really grown up. I can barely lift you now, but you still have that same lean look."
"I recognized you right away."
A tall, robust middle-aged man with a beaming smile appeared behind James. It was Bruce, whom James hadn't seen in years.
Bruce laughed heartily as he put James down, still patting his shoulder with a look of deep emotion.
James was equally delighted. "Long time no see, Bruce."
Bruce asked warmly, "How are your parents? How's their health?"
James felt a warmth in his heart. "They're doing great, thanks for asking, Bruce."
"That's good to hear. I'm telling you, now that you're here, you have to enjoy yourself." Bruce said generously. "Don't worry about money. I've got plenty."
Marigold's face turned sour, and she looked at James with even more disdain.
James smiled again, "Thank you."
"Alright, enough talk. Let's go inside and sit down." Bruce, all smiles, said, "I was worried you'd get stuck in traffic and miss lunch. Come on, let's eat."
He led James inside. "Marigold, why are you blocking the door? Let's go, James is starving."
James felt a warm current in his heart.
"Bruce, are you out of your mind?" Marigold's face changed. "Don't you know I invited Vance Murphy for lunch today?"
"I know, that slick guy, right?" Bruce snorted. "I'm telling you, don't try to set him up with Coralie. That guy is too effeminate for my taste."
"What do you know? Vance is the nephew of Milo Murphy, the vice president of Mystic Alliance, and also the PR manager at Wish Group."
"With the Mystic Alliance in chaos, Milo is the most likely to become the next president. If he does, Coralie will be the president's niece-in-law."
"Mystic Alliance, Wish Group, combined they're worth over a billion dollars."
Marigold scolded, "With just a few orders from them, we'd make millions a year and save ourselves a decade of hard work."
President?
James chuckled. The future president of Glowing Oasis was standing right here.
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