After the gambling-stone frenzy ended, several influential figures stepped forward to exchange business cards with Alex Lin, eager to form ties.
After all, even the renowned Elder Huang had personally praised him.
Amidst all the admiration, Alex Lin smiled modestly, pulled the sullen Ethan Ye to the front, and said,
"Honestly, I don't have any real skill. I don't understand anything about stones. Everything today was thanks to my brother here! Without him, I couldn't have earned a single cent. He's the truly remarkable one!"
The crowd's respect for Alex Lin deepened instantly.
Look at that humility!
Look at that composure!
Look at that generosity!
He didn't take the glory for himself but gave credit to his subordinate. Such character was rare among the wealthy heirs of Mo Hai.
By contrast, Ethan Ye stood frozen, his face expressionless, as if he had just buried his parents.
A man like that, they thought, could never match up to someone like Alex Lin.
Indeed, the difference between people was greater than the difference between heaven and earth.
At that moment, someone in the crowd frowned.
"This person looks familiar… I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
"Now that you mention it, he does look familiar!"
"Who is he?"
Alex Lin chuckled. "Of course he looks familiar. My brother here isn't just my bodyguard—he's also an internet celebrity! A rather famous one, in fact!"
"An online celebrity? Who?"
"I still can't recognize him," someone muttered.
Alex Lin smirked. "Let me give you a hint—'You're so flirtatious, I love it!'"
The crowd erupted in laughter.
"Oh! It's that male dancer! No wonder he looked so familiar—I almost didn't recognize him with clothes on!"
"Hahaha, Boss Lin, your bodyguard really is talented. Those moves were unforgettable!"
Ethan Ye: "Cough… cough…"
Having made a fortune and won Elder Huang's favor, Alex Lin and his group left the jade market in high spirits.
"Rachel, today we made 490 million yuan in profit, plus the 100 million we already had—that's nearly 600 million total! We can do a lot with that, right?" Alex Lin said proudly.
Rachel Liu could barely contain her excitement.
"Nearly 600 million! That's incredible—we can finally move forward with several of our plans. Boss Lin, your luck today was simply divine—you even found two priceless jade treasures!"
"All thanks to Ethan Ye!" Alex Lin said cheerfully, slapping his shoulder.
"If it weren't for his suggestion to come gamble on stones, I wouldn't have opened that nine-million jade! And if he hadn't helped pick, I'd never have found that 400-million piece.
He's my great benefactor! Without him, I wouldn't have what I have today. Brother Ye, I'll make sure to reward you handsomely when we get back!"
Alex Lin meant every word.
But every sentence landed like a hammer on Ethan Ye's heart—slow, heavy, suffocating.
If he could turn back time, he'd have bitten his tongue off before suggesting this trip.
And he'd certainly never have helped pick those cursed stones.
Loose tongue, reckless hands—his own downfall!
"Forget it," Rachel Liu rolled her eyes.
In her opinion, this was nothing more than dumb luck—a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.
Besides, Ethan Ye's performance today was atrocious.
As Alex Lin's bodyguard, representing his image, he had looked grim, joyless, and painfully awkward.
Meanwhile, Alex Lin was all grace and poise.
He charmed people, made friends easily, and even protected his subordinate's dignity in public.
Then, after earning millions, he still remained humble and gave credit where it was due.
For the first time, Rachel Liu began to rethink her opinion of him.
Maybe this so-called "prodigal son" wasn't completely useless after all.
At that moment, Ethan Ye sighed and said tiredly, "Boss Lin, I'd like to take half a day off."
Alex Lin looked surprised. "Brother Ye, what's wrong?"
"I drank too much last night. I still feel awful, so I want to rest for a bit. I hope you'll approve," Ethan Ye said, making up an excuse.
In truth, he just wanted to crawl into bed and nurse his broken pride.
This morning, he'd been mocked as a "sexy dancer."
This afternoon, he'd accidentally helped his greatest enemy earn half a billion.
His heart couldn't take any more humiliation.
Alex Lin smiled kindly. "Brother, you've worked hard. Go rest and recover—I approve your leave."
"Thank you, Boss Lin." Ethan Ye clutched his chest and left dejectedly.
Rachel Liu, however, frowned.
"What's wrong with him? He's your driver and bodyguard. How can he just leave in the middle of duty? What if something happens? That's not professional at all! Even if he's contributed, that doesn't give him the right to be arrogant!"
"Don't say that about my brother Ye," Alex Lin said, waving her off. "He's exhausted—it's already impressive that he held on until now. Let him rest. It's getting late anyway—let's go."
"Go where?"
"To the hospital—to visit Ethan Chen."
Soon, they arrived at the hospital.
Alex Lin carried a bouquet of pale flowers, his expression solemn, as he stepped quietly into the ward.