Chapter 280: Unable to Swallow His Pride
Daniel had been unable to get the golden bull and the Greek god out of his mind during the nights he stayed at Larry's house. Such treasures, displayed in his own home, would certainly impress his relatives and elevate his status.
He had been yearning to take them back.
"The golden bull and the Greek god are tokens of your filial piety towards me, Noah. You must kneel and apologize, then present these treasures to me. We’ll record the whole process for the show, and your image will naturally be redeemed," Daniel said solemnly, confident Noah would not refuse.
Refusing would mean bearing the scorn of millions of viewers of "I Am the Great Tycoon." Could Noah withstand such public condemnation? As the show's audience grew, Noah might find himself recognized and ridiculed on the streets. No one could endure that.
"Noah, have you thought it over?" Daniel asked again. "Only by doing this can you restore your image in the eyes of millions and save face for the Wilson Family."
"Dad, just kneeling to you isn't enough," Sarah interjected immediately. "This coward hit me while you were hospitalized. He must also kneel and apologize to me!"
Sarah turned to Noah. "Noah, I'm your elder sister. How dare you lay a hand on me? After you apologize to Dad, you must also kneel and apologize to me. Do you hear me? Otherwise, your reputation will be ruined! You'll be cursed and possibly even doxxed! I bet you won't dare step outside again!"
Sarah's face was full of smugness.
"Noah, don't just stand there. Kneel and apologize to Dad first," Larry said, taking out his phone and opening the camera to record Noah's apology. He was destined to become a star with millions of fans, and he held Noah in utter contempt.
"Get out!" Noah coldly spat out.
"Get out?" The three of them were stunned, thinking they had misheard.
"Noah, are you telling us to get out?" Daniel's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm your father-in-law, and you dare tell me to get out? If I were staying at your house, I might tolerate it. But now I'm at Larry's house. How can you tell me to get out?"
"This villa is mine. If I want you to get out, you get out. Understand?" Noah sneered at Daniel.
"You... you... you..." Daniel was furious, pointing at Noah with a trembling hand. "Noah, are you willing to bear the scorn of millions? You might not care about your reputation, but the Wilson Family does! What about our face?"
"I don't care about your face!" Noah scoffed.
"Noah, you don't understand the power of public opinion?" Sarah said. "Kneeling to Dad, to me, and to George, and apologizing is your only chance to redeem yourself. Don't you value that?"
"Don't you consider the Wilson Family or Lisa? If someone recognizes you while you're out with Lisa and insults you, you might not care, but have you thought about Lisa's feelings?"
Sarah believed Noah's refusal was due to his pride. She tried reasoning with him, hoping he would agree.
"So, Noah, kneeling and apologizing while Larry records it is beneficial for both you and Lisa," Sarah pleaded. "You say you love Lisa. Can't you do this small thing to prove it?"
"Yes, Noah, just kneel," Larry said, starting the recording with a smile. "Only then can you redeem yourself. Once I become a star, you might even get some fame as a minor celebrity."
He waited for Noah to kneel with a smile.
Noah frowned, annoyed by their incessant chatter. "I said, get out."
"If it weren't for the fact that you're family, you'd be the ones kneeling and apologizing."
Hearing this, the three were stunned again.
"Still not leaving?" Noah's voice turned icy, his gaze sharp as a blade, making them shiver.
Feeling the chill down their spines, the three hesitated.
"Fine, we'll leave!" Sarah huffed. "But remember, Noah, if you're ridiculed on the streets, don't blame me for not giving you a chance!"
She stormed out of the villa.
"Noah, don't say I didn't warn you. The opportunity was there, but you didn't take it," Larry said, disdain in his eyes.
"Noah, not only do you have issues with your character and behavior, but now I see your mind is also flawed," Daniel said, looking at Noah like he was an idiot. "Kneeling and apologizing would have redeemed you. Such a good opportunity, and you wasted it. If the Wilson Family's reputation suffers because of you, you'll see how I deal with you!"
With that, the three left the villa.
"Mr. Larry, did Noah agree to kneel and apologize?" Sofia asked as she approached Larry outside the villa.
"No," Larry shook his head. "That guy is stubborn. We were very lenient, just asking him to kneel and apologize, but he still refused."
"Maybe he still cares about his pride," Sofia said, taking out her notebook. "I'll document this for the next episode of 'I Am the Great Tycoon.' The ratings might hit new highs."
"Noah is currently the second most searched topic on Twitter. The audience is very interested in him!"
...
After driving Daniel and the others away, Noah ate the breakfast Chloe had made. As he was eating, his phone rang.
"Hello, Noah, it's Thomas."
"What's up?" Noah asked, taking a bite of a steamed bun.
"You know the first episode of 'I Am the Great Tycoon' had high ratings, right? It topped the time slot and trended number one," Thomas said. "So, the pressure is on for the next few episodes to maintain or exceed those ratings."
Thomas's voice was serious. "So, Noah, we have a heavy burden. I think your previous video had some flaws. We should reshoot some parts. You could also buy a villa and host a housewarming like Larry did."
"Moreover, to redeem your image in front of millions of viewers, you should kneel and apologize to your father-in-law during the housewarming. Coupled with the video of you catching a thief, it would create a dramatic turnaround, boosting your image and the ratings!"
Thomas became more excited as he spoke. "Noah, with Larry setting the stage, the audience is very interested in you. This is your chance. When are you free to buy a villa and shoot the video?"
"I'm not free," Noah said calmly.
"Not free?" Thomas was taken aback. "Noah, are you really that busy?"
"Yes, I'm very busy. I have no time to buy a villa or shoot a video," Noah said. "And according to the rules of 'I Am the Great Tycoon,' you don't have the authority to make me do anything. I'm not interested in buying a villa, and I haven't spent much of that million yet."
"But... Noah, this is a great opportunity!" Thomas's voice rose, frustrated. "With Larry's groundwork, you're very popular now, trending on Twitter!"
