Chapter 174 An Ominous Visitor
"Impossible! How could that useless James know them?" This relative's voice was loud enough for Joe and Arnold to hear, and they looked over.
Joe immediately frowned and stared at the relative, saying, "Who are you calling useless?"
The relative trembled all over under Joe's intense gaze, his face turning pale, and he was unable to utter a word.
Peter gritted his teeth, put on a fawning expression, and quickly walked up to Joe, handing over his business card with both hands, nodding and bowing as he said, "Mr. Evans, my name is Peter Green. I am in the cement business. My son, Mark Green, just became a government official this year and works at the government building. I hope you can look after him."
He was so nervous that he stuttered, and his hands holding the business card trembled slightly.
Joe did not take his business card but instead asked James, "Dr. Smith, who is this?"
Peter immediately glared at James, frantically signaling him to help. His eyes showed a hint of threat and command.
James immediately smiled. Considering they were relatives, he initially planned to help Peter, but he didn't expect Peter to dare to threaten him.
"He's a relative of mine," James replied with a smile.
Joe nodded and reached out to take the business card.
Peter was overjoyed, thinking that James still didn't dare to go against him.
However, James's next words were like a slap in the face.
"Although we're related, we're not close," James said calmly.
Joe's hand stopped midway. As someone who had been in officialdom for many years, he immediately understood the meaning behind James's words. He withdrew his hand and said, "Then there's no need to receive the card."
Instantly, the smile on Peter's face froze, looking extremely ridiculous.
James was not petty, but he also had his pride. He couldn't ignore how these relatives had treated him. Seeing this, the other relatives regretted their actions.
If they had known James really knew Joe and so many officials, they wouldn't have dared to mock him earlier.
Now, some relatives started to curry favor with Jennifer's family.
The most uncomfortable person was Tony. Seeing James and Jennifer in the limelight made him feel worse than eating dirt.
Marvin's face was equally unpleasant, filled with bitterness. He couldn't understand how the useless James could know Joe and so many officials. Why?
With Joe and so many officials congratulating them, the clinic suddenly became lively. Many unfamiliar neighbors also came in to offer their congratulations.
"What's there to be proud of? It's just knowing Mr. Evans. What's the big deal?" Tony said jealously from the side.
As for those relatives, they had already started to enthusiastically flatter Dennis and Kaitlyn, asking them to have James introduce Joe to them.
"James really has made something of himself, knowing Mr. Evans and all."
"Of course, I always knew James had the potential to succeed. Now, with Mr. Evans and so many officials personally coming to congratulate him, I was right all along."
"James is a role model for our family. Our descendants should stay close to James in the future."
"Yes, we know James is a great man."
Seeing these once high-and-mighty relatives now speaking to them humbly and respectfully, Dennis and Kaitlyn felt immensely gratified and proud.
At the same time, their impression of James increased even more, and they knew that all of this was thanks to him.
Jennifer also felt a sense of satisfaction, standing dutifully by James's side, her gaze towards him growing even more tender.
An official, unaware of James's background, curiously asked, "Who is this Dr. Smith? Even Mr. Evans came personally to congratulate him and brought us along?"
"No idea. Maybe he's really some kind of miracle doctor. Anyway, following Mr. Evans can't be wrong."
"That's true."
Joe overheard the conversation among his subordinates and smiled knowingly. Others might not know, but he was well aware that James had saved Brandon's life and earned Herman's appreciation. Just for that, it was worth setting aside status to build a bond with him!
What was more, Herman had subtly instructed him to take good care of James before his leaving.
With Herman's appreciation, climbing the ranks wouldn't be difficult at all!
"What are you all doing here? Who allowed you to gather here?"
At that moment, an arrogant voice came from the doorway. About a dozen people in uniforms walked in, and they were wearing different uniforms.
The speaker was a middle-aged man in plain clothes with a large belly and an arrogant demeanor. He was clearly an official.
Dennis quickly walked over and said, "We're having an opening today, so there are a lot of people."
The official with the prominent belly frowned and said, "Nonsense! The entire city has banned fireworks and large gatherings. Do you know you're breaking the law?"
"What? A city-wide ban on large gatherings? We didn't receive any notice."
The official glared and said, "Does the government need to notify you personally about every policy?"
"I didn't mean that!" Dennis hurriedly said, "I just meant we didn't think it was that serious."
The official immediately glared and said, "Are you questioning me?"
As an ordinary citizen, Dennis was quite fearful of these officials and quickly explained, "No, I didn't mean that. I was just speaking casually."
Then, he respectfully offered the official a cigarette. "We're having an opening today. Could you make an exception?"
The official glared and scolded. "Are you trying to bribe me? Do you know the crime of bribing a law enforcement officer? How dare you!"
Dennis was instantly scared pale.
James frowned, easily seeing that these people were here with ill intentions. He was puzzled, though. With Joe and so many officials present at the opening, how could anyone dare to cause trouble? Were they out of their minds?
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
