Chapter 26 Dinner With Family
Noah parked next to the BMW. Then, he and Lisa entered the living room through the yard.
"Well, you're late again. Almost half an hour late," commented Sarah. She was looking at her phone on the sofa. After glancing at Noah scornfully, she focused back on her phone.
"Sarah, we got stuck in traffic," Noah replied. They came during the peak of the evening rush hour.
"Traffic? Couldn't you have left earlier to avoid it?"
Sarah scoffed in contempt, "Besides, you spent 6,000 dollars on Omega-3 fish oil. That's enough for a down payment on a family car! Couldn't you buy a car instead?"
"Sarah is right!" Larry walked out of the kitchen with dishes; he was the chef today.
"Noah, I'm not criticizing you, but spending 6,000 dollars on Omega-3 fish oil is such a waste! It would've been better spent on a car. Of course, you can't afford a BMW, but you could've bought a new Santana or something like that for around twenty thousand dollars. It'd be enough for someone like you!" Larry said.
"What are you all talking about?" A voice came through as Daniel walked out from inside the house and sat down in the chair. He looked rosy-cheeked, and his breathing was stable. Obviously, his health was much improved.
"Dad, we're discussing getting a car for Noah," Larry explained with a smile.
"A car for Noah? With what means?" Daniel cast a glance at Noah. "If he could earn enough money in his lifetime to buy the wheels of Larry's car, I'd thank heaven and earth."
Hearing this, Sarah couldn't help snickering.
She chimed in, "Speaking of cars, I remember there's a trending internet celebrity known as 'The Owner of the Rolls-Royce'. He drives a Rolls-Royce with the license plate number A99999, very domineering.
"I don't care about that license number, but to own a Rolls-Royce in my lifetime would be grand.
"Plus, there's a video of him playing guitar online, quite well too. People who are both wealthy and talented aren't that common!"
Sarah spoke with a face full of envy.
"A Rolls-Royce, huh? One costs at least one million dollars. If I work hard, I may be able to afford one eventually," Larry said with a laugh.
Then he added, "When I get the Rolls-Royce, I'll give Noah my BMW 5 series."
"Noah, look at how nice Larry is. He's gonna give you a BMW 5 series. Aren't you going to thank him?" said Daniel to Noah.
Noah felt annoyed inside. But since Daniel had made a statement, Noah had to show his respect.
He said, "Thank you, Larry. But I just bought a..."
"You? A Rolls-Royce? Give it a rest!" Sarah interrupted Noah, completely dismissing his words.
She rolled her eyes at Larry. "By the time you have enough money, we'll both be in our fifties or sixties, and I'll have lost interest in Rolls-Royces by then."
Then she said to Larry, "Besides, even if we have a Rolls-Royce, you can't give Noah our BMW 5 series! BMWs retain their value. We can sell it as a second-hand car and still make thousands of dollars! That money isn't nothing!"
"Yeah! Sure!" Larry nodded repeatedly. Then, he turned to Noah. "Noah, it's not that I don't wanna give you a car, but Sarah doesn't allow me. Don't blame me."
"It's fine." Noah shook his head slightly.
"All right, no more talk about this," said Daniel. "Those who can afford a Rolls-Royce are extremely capable individuals with powerful backgrounds, rich properties, strong abilities, and great talents. We can't even imagine their lives. It's like we're living in two different worlds."
Larry and Sarah nodded, agreeing. After all, Daniel was a seasoned man who had weathered many storms, and his words carried weight.
"We might not be on the same level, but we can't lose our ambition. We should strive to emulate such esteemed figures!" Daniel imparted earnestly.
"In the past few years, Larry's career has been going very well. In the next thirty or forty years, with hard work and a little fortune, he may also become an influential figure!"
"Dad, I'll do my best!" Larry nodded, sparks of ambition flickering in his eyes. "The owner of the Rolls-Royce is now my role model!"
"Good." Daniel looked pleased and then turned his gaze disdainfully toward Noah. "Noah, I have no expectations for you. Owning a Rolls-Royce? Come on. It's just not gonna happen with your capabilities.
"If you can reach Larry's level, I'll be glad, and that's it."
Hearing this, Sarah laughed again, and mockery flickered in Larry's eyes.
"Okay, let's eat," Daniel announced, and everyone began their meal.
After a hearty meal, Daniel would have a smoke. But he hadn't used the jade hookah Larry had given him even once.
"Dad, smoking is harmful to your health. Your heart can't take it. Better to smoke less," Noah said, advising Daniel as he saw him smoking.
"Besides, I think it's best not to use that hookah anymore. After all, it's unclean..."
Noah had been informed by Robert yesterday that the reason for Daniel's sudden heart attack and hospital admission was smoking moldy tobacco.
Therefore, Noah suggested Daniel to smoke less.
But before Daniel had any reaction, Sarah abruptly slammed her spoon down on the table and cast a cold gaze at Noah.
She asked coldly, "What are you implying, Noah? What can you possibly know?
"Are you suggesting that Dad had a sudden heart attack because there was something wrong with Larry's hookah and tobacco?"
"Even if not, it's still best to smoke less," Noah spoke up, not mentioning the issue with the tobacco to avoid embarrassing Larry. After all, they were all family.
But Daniel had a heart attack just after he smoked with the hookah. If nothing was wrong with the hookah and tobacco, then what was it? And it was Robert who told Noah about it.
"Even if not? Well! What do you know, you good-for-nothing? That tobacco cost thousands. How could something possibly go wrong with it? I think you just wanna slander Larry!" Sarah shouted.
"All right, all right! We're family! Why the arguing?"
Daniel chimed in, a sense of authority radiating from him.
"Dad!"
Sarah sounded wronged with the quiver in her voice. "I don't want to. But this good-for-nothing is trying to slander Larry. You have to say something!"
Daniel shook his head and then sternly looked at Noah.
He said, "The tobacco Larry gave couldn't possibly be bad. Don't make insinuations, understand?"
"Yes, Dad," Noah responded.
He sighed inwardly, knowing Daniel was aware of the cause of his illness but still chose to protect Larry.
Pride showed in Larry's eyes. He thought proudly in his heart, 'How can this pauper compare to me in Dad's heart?'
"By the way, Larry, how's your work been lately? Still going smoothly?" Daniel asked Larry.
"Yes. Of course. I've snagged a few large contracts. Should make a few million this year," Larry replied.
"Good. Keep it up. Remember what you said just now. The Owner of the Rolls-Royce is your role model!" Daniel instructed.
"Yes, Dad!" Larry nodded.
"Lisa, how's your work been recently?" Daniel turned to Lisa.
"Not very well..." Lisa hesitated, unsure whether Pinnacle Wealth Management would be able to pull through this crisis. If it couldn't, she'd have to face unemployment.
