Chapter 27 We Drove Here
"Not going smoothly?" Daniel furrowed his brows.
"I've heard that the financial market in Oceanbridge City has been unstable recently," Larry said. "Lots of clients are running off with money. Pinnacle Wealth Management is facing the same situation too, a cash shortage. I guess they're about to file for bankruptcy."
"What does that mean?" Daniel asked.
"Means I'm gonna lose my job," Lisa said with her lips pursed. Sadness showed on her face.
"What's there to fear about? You still have some savings, right?" Sarah said sarcastically. "After all, someone who can afford Omega-3 fish oil that costs 8,000 dollars probably has tens of thousands in savings! Even if you're unemployed, you can still survive with that until you find a new job."
"Sarah, there's only 3,000 left in savings now," Lisa said earnestly.
"Come on. Who are you kidding with?" Sarah snorted and rolled her eyes. "I might believe you years ago when you claimed that you couldn't even afford public transport. You said it was all because of helping me, and I was actually touched. What a fool I was. But now, I just can't believe you anymore!
"You've been lying to me for years, all the way till now!"
Lisa tried to explain, "Sarah, I haven't. About that Omega-3 fish oil, it was Noah..."
"Enough. Stop it!" Daniel interrupted them. Then, he sighed lightly, "Nowadays, men are the major earners in families. Yet, unfortunately, Lisa has married a worthless man who just idles his life away every day, jobless."
"Dad, Noah has a job. He's working in sales," Lisa said.
"Sales? That's just another time-passing job, daily clocking in and out, just earning a base salary, no difference from being unemployed." Daniel shook his head. "Lisa, once you get unemployed, your family will fall apart! That Noah, he's of no use at all. Larry, you know many people. Can you find a job for Lisa?"
"Well, my friends are all in engineering. I don't think Lisa can do that." Larry shook his head.
"Right, Larry, you need a cook at your construction site, right?" Sarah chimed in. "How about having Lisa cook for your workers? A salary of five to six hundred a month should do. After all, she's family, and that's also not a small amount."
When Lisa heard this, her expression became icy cold.
She turned to Daniel. "Dad, even if I lose my job, I can find another one myself. I don't need Larry's help!"
Besides, Sarah's words were an insult to Lisa.
"Well. We still have to rely on Larry. Jobs aren't easy to find nowadays," Daniel sighed lightly again. Then, he looked at Lisa, saying, "The point is that you've married a loser. He brought this pressure to you! Look at Sarah, even without a job, she still has Larry.
"And look at Noah, not a single ounce of manly responsibility!"
"Noah isn't a loser. He's my husband," Lisa retorted.
Hearing this, Daniel shook his head helplessly.
***
After the meal, everyone bid Daniel farewell and left.
"Hey, whose car is this? Why is it parked right at our doorstep?"
Sarah was curious when she saw a black Mercedes parked beside her BMW. Apparently, Mercedes looked more mature and steadier, exuding an aura of success.
"This is a Mercedes E350L. It's over 50,000 dollars more expensive than my low-end BMW 520." Larry recognized the model instantly.
"So what? It's just a Mercedes! No matter how rich the owners are, they shouldn't have parked it outside someone else's house, okay? It's blocking our path! Such people have no manners at all!" Sarah made a face and said with envy.
"Call the owner to move the car, or we can't get out!"
Then, she approached the Mercedes. When getting a closer look at it, she felt even more jealous.
"Seems to be a new car, still with a temporary plate, no number left." Sarah looked it over.
"Well, then let it be," Larry said. "Those who can afford such cars must have some background. Calling them over might get us in trouble.
"Besides, there's still some space, and our car can still get out."
Larry opened the door and started the car, and Sarah too got in.
Suddenly, Larry poked his head out, teasing, "Noah, need a ride? If you don't, you'll have to walk for at least ten minutes to find a cab."
Hearing this, Sarah tugged at Larry's clothes.
"What's wrong with you? Our car just got washed. Giving them a ride? What if they get our car dirty? Besides, Lisa is about to lose her job, and Noah is just a loser. What makes them think they can sit in a BMW?"
"I was just being polite. If they really wanna get in, I'll tell them there are clothes and stuff in the back, no room for them," Larry said with a chuckle.
"That's good then," Sarah sighed with relief.
"No need," Noah spoke up. "We have a car."
'They have a car?' Sarah and Larry both froze in shock, having the same question in their hearts.
Noah took out his car key and pressed it.
In the next second, two beeps sounded, and the lights of the Mercedes flashed.
In that instant, Larry and Sarah felt shocked as if struck by thunder.
This Mercedes was Noah's car!
"How's this possible!" Sarah couldn't believe it. "How can Noah afford a Mercedes? He's just a good-for-nothing!"
"No way!" Larry shook his head. "It costs at least 110,000 dollars to get this E350L down. Noah can't have that much money!"
"Could it be the car's rented?" Sarah guessed.
Larry and Sarah exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing.
Sarah said mockingly, "Well, Noah, quite splurging to be driving a Mercedes!
"Renting a car like this must cost hundreds a day, right? Just to show off at Dad's place, you really went all out. I gotta say you really surprised me."
"Seriously, Noah, if you had that money, why not keep it in a bank? We're all family. No need to put on airs like this, okay?" Larry sounded quite incredulous.
But Noah didn't wanna reply to them. He directly got in the car with Lisa and drove away.
"Well! Just a rented Mercedes. Look how pretentious he is!" Sarah snorted with a sneer.
"That's not right though. I took a closer look at that car. It's absolutely new, still has the film on and everything! And the plate, it's temporary. There's no rental service that would provide such a car." Larry's eyes flashed. "So this car is really Noah's?"
When he thought of this possibility, his face darkened.
***
The next morning, Lisa was awakened by her ringing phone.
"Hello, Evelyn," Lisa answered the call.
"Lisa, great news!" Evelyn's excited voice came through. "We've got a lead on the financial gap at Pinnacle Wealth Management!"
"Did Joshua agree to help?" Lisa also began to feel a little excited. She thought that if the funding issue was resolved, she wouldn't lose her job.
"I haven't confirmed it with him yet," Lisa responded. "But the news I got is that a capital entity wants to buy out Pinnacle Wealth Management!"
"A buyout?" Lisa was taken aback. A buyout is completely different from an investment. It implied that Pinnacle Wealth Management would become a subsidiary.
"Which capital is it?" Lisa asked.
"I'm not sure. They're very secretive. But I got a feeling that Joshua probably helped in finding them." Evelyn's happy voice came through clearly.
