Chapter 7: The Assignment from Lionel Lewis
The quiet private room was slowly filled with an awkward atmosphere.
Selina also stood frozen in place, while the faces of Cavendish, Helen, and Isabella were all expressionless with disbelief.
"Deputy Secretary Lionel, could you have the wrong person? Graham is just a mute and a good-for-nothing, relying entirely on his wife for food and drink. Why would you offer a toast to him?"
It was Colin who reacted first and immediately asked the question.
That was exactly what everyone wanted to know.
Why would Deputy Secretary Lionel offer a toast to such a person?
"A good-for-nothing?" Deputy Secretary Lionel sneered and frowned before turning to Colin.
"Who are you?"
Upon being addressed by Lionel Lewis, Colin immediately replied, "My name is Colin, and I am the assistant to Captain Lionel in Yangcheng."
"Secretary, I remember this man. Last month, Captain Lionel even had us vote for him; he is the one who is about to become the deputy captain," one of the people behind Lionel stepped forward and said.
"Deputy captain?" Lionel narrowed his eyes.
In that moment, Colin's heart raced to his throat.
Then, Lionel suddenly shifted his gaze back to Graham, "Mr. Graham, do you have any conflicts with this man?"
Wow!
Everyone in the room turned their attention to Graham at that moment.
Colin's gaze was intense on Graham; he never expected that the man who had just been ridiculed by him to the point of losing face would now inspire such fear in him.
Graham smiled, not knowing that by pleasing Lionel Lewis's father, he had gained Lionel's respect.
This improved Colin's impression of Lionel significantly.
It was clear that Lionel was giving him face at this moment.
Perhaps this shrewd man had seen through the situation in the room right away.
Graham glanced at Colin and clearly saw the fear in his eyes, and he sneered inwardly.
Such a useless individual!
However, he didn't want to entangle with such a person, and after all, Colin was related to them. Being too decisive could only cause trouble for the Cavendish family.
"No, he's my brother-in-law; we don't have any conflicts. We were just discussing whether this antique is genuine or a fake."
Graham's simple statement relieved Colin immensely, and he realized his legs were going weak.
Fiona, who was nearby, quickly supported him so he wouldn't fall to the ground.
But Graham's words shifted the focus of the room back to the Yuan blue and white porcelain bowl.
Lionel smiled slightly and stopped asking Colin further questions, instead becoming quite interested: "An antique? Isn't that a Yuan blue and white porcelain bowl? What a beautiful color."
"By the way, Walter Brooks, aren't you an expert in appraising antiques? Come and take a look; is this genuine or fake?" Lionel turned to another person behind him and said with a laugh.
Walter Brooks shook his head and smiled, "Secretary, you really know how to give me a tough task. I haven't appraised antiques for many years, but Yuan blue and white was once my specialty. Judging from the color, it looks genuine."
The atmosphere in the room was completely under the control of the three of them. Everyone else felt like elementary school students in class, especially Cavendish, who had spent half their lives in the business world, now feeling weak.
Secretary… such a person was usually only seen on TV, and now he was in their private room, chatting and laughing with the very man they despised the most!
"This bowl is something I acquired from the countryside for three million. I knew it was genuine! It seems Mr. Graham's judgment is a bit lacking, haha," Colin suddenly interjected, referring to Graham as a "brother."
Hearing this, Graham almost laughed out loud; Colin was indeed a flexible person, not ashamed at all of his behavior.
Unbeknownst to him, Colin had sensed that if Lionel had continued to ask about their conflict, Lionel would have made his dreams of becoming deputy captain come unraveled immediately.
Although he didn't know what good fortune Graham had, Colin didn't want to risk anything at this moment.
"Haha, Graham, you almost wronged an honest person," Cavendish also realized and said, "I knew Colin was such a good guy; he wouldn't have given me a fake."
Graham sneered and turned to Walter Brooks, "You also think it's genuine?"
Walter Brooks raised an eyebrow, "So you think it's fake?"
Graham nodded.
Walter Brooks burst into laughter, "Now I understand why Lionel likes you!"
This reaction left many people confused, and the second sister couldn't help but ask, "So, is this Yuan blue and white porcelain bowl genuine or fake?"
Seeing everyone staring at him, Walter Brooks stopped holding back the truth, "As I said, it looks genuine. But upon closer inspection, it's a high-quality imitation that was once stored in a tomb."
Ah?
"What? A fake, stored in a tomb…" Cavendish immediately pushed the bowl away.
Helen also shrank back in disgust!
Walter Brooks' words were like a bombshell; everyone looked shocked.
A tomb… that was extremely inauspicious!
"How could you… how could you give such a thing?" Helen said through gritted teeth, unable to find the right words to express her disapproval.
Colin's face turned pale; he could have argued if Graham had simply lied.
But now, Walter Brooks was someone associated with Lionel, and his judgment was unquestionable.
"Haha, a good lesson, isn't it? It's better not to bring such things home. It's not that I'm superstitious, but tombs are full of germs, and the materials used in such fakes are more prone to bacterial growth," Walter Brooks said.
"If you bring it home, the bacteria will make everyone in the house uncomfortable."
Walter Brooks continued, "Graham, I like you too. But to be honest, this imitation is very well-made; you have good eyesight to spot it as fake."
"Okay, okay, your antiques are just for fun. Mr. Graham is a distinguished person," Lionel said, pretending to be disgustful as he pushed Walter Brooks away.
"To be honest, Mr. Graham, I was planning to meet with you tomorrow," Lionel said, then looked around the room, "Could we borrow a moment to talk?"
Graham immediately agreed and followed Lionel and the other two out of the room.
Once the door was closed, the room fell into complete silence.
The status of Cavendish and Helen, along with the others, had suddenly reversed. They, who had just been mocking someone, now couldn't stop shaking with embarrassment.
"I say, Helen, if Graham is really that impressive, why did you hide it from us?" the second sister said with a forced smile.
The eldest sister also spoke with bitterness, "Indeed, your son-in-law is much more impressive than Colin; he's so close to Lionel."
The change in attitude from both families surprised Helen and the others, and they were filled with curiosity about Graham's relationship with Lionel.
When had Graham met Lionel, and why was their relationship so good?
But Helen, being concerned about her reputation, thought Graham had done her a favor and couldn't help but laugh, "Haha, that boy has always been quiet and obedient. We just listen to him."
"We didn't want to mention this for fear of damaging our relationships, but who would have thought Lionel would come to us today?" Helen said with obvious satisfaction.
Both families were feeling embarrassed, especially the eldest sister's family, whose faces turned red with shame.
"Mr. Graham, since we've met today, it's fate. I have a request for you," Lionel said, pulling Graham to the corner of the hallway.
"Deputy Secretary Lionel, please go ahead; I'll do whatever I can," Graham replied.
He knew that Lionel's behavior in the room was a gesture of goodwill, and even without Lionel's presence, he could have handled the situation.
"To be honest, my father's illness started a year after he came to our home. Before that, his condition was almost cured," Lionel said with a frown.
He finally understood why he had found something strange about Conrad's illness back then.
Conrad had a black aura about him, and now it seemed that aura was exactly the same as that on the Yuan blue and white bowl!