‘Damn you, I just washed this set of clothes yesterday, and now you’re saying it’s dirty?’ Darryl thought to himself. He was about to voice his opinion but before he could do so, he was dragged away by Alex Armstrong.

The two were close friends back in high school. They had fought together and even ditched classes together. Alex might be the only one tonight that was not disgusted with Darryl.

Dragging Darryl to a corner, Alex shook his head and said, “Bro, I’m telling you, a girl like Giselle isn’t the type for us to get hung up on. Aren’t you asking to be ridiculed for simply sitting beside her?”

Darryl said nothing and merely chuckled. They wined and dined the whole night through, and the evening passed by quickly.

Giselle was a little tipsy, and under the crowd’s pressure, she picked up the microphone and sang while gently swaying her body. Her appearance was sensual and seductive, striking awe at the men around. Giselle was truly a beauty!

It was only at night when they decided to call it a day. The class teacher could not make it as she had something on at the last moment, so they agreed to have another gathering next Monday.

As they left, all the men were vying to send Giselle back. However, when they arrived at the entrance, she got on her own Porsche and left the scene, leaving them stupefied.

“Such a beauty,” mumbled Alex at the side. “Darryl, no wonder you wanted to sit next to her. I wouldn’t mind having my life shortened by ten years if it means I could spend only a night with her.”

Darryl let out a cold laugh. ‘So Giselle intends to go to Platinum Corporation tomorrow to have her contract signed? Excellent,’ thought Darryl, as he too had planned to go there to claim his title of President. His thoughts were cut short by the sudden ringing of his cellphone.

The crowd laughed upon hearing his ring tone. What era was it for somebody to still be using an old Nokia phone?

Darryl hastily answered the call upon seeing the number displayed. Before he could speak, the voice of his mother-in-law, Samantha, came from the other side. “Darryl, do you know that tonight is our clan’s annual gathering? Do you want our entire family to wait for you? Get your ass back here immediately.”

Darryl let out a wail, he had completely forgotten about the gathering!

He quickly got on his scooter in front of his classmates and sped away. Even though he was quite a considerable distance away, he could still hear the voices of his female classmates laughing at him.

A Land Rover was parked at the gate of a high-end residential community in Beihai City. A beautiful woman was standing in front of the car, looking at her phone impatiently.

“I’m back,” said Darryl, struggling to catch his breath. He stopped his scooter and ran toward Lily. He could see that she was wearing the Worship of Crystal on her delicate feet. It seemed that she really liked the gift as she put it on so fast.

However, Lily merely gave Darryl a cold glance. “I’m warning you, today is the Lyndon clan’s annual gathering, you best keep your mouth shut and not embarrass me.”

“Oh,” acknowledged Darryl.

Darryl had barely gotten in the car when he heard another complaint.

“Darryl, don’t you have a suit? Do you know how embarrassing it is to wear such bargained goods?” asked Samantha coldly.

Samantha was wearing a short dress that accentuated her beauty. A touch of maturity combined with seductiveness, she was truly an elegant sight to behold.

Darryl shrugged his shoulders without saying anything.

Samantha flew into a rage upon seeing Darryl’s indifferent behavior. “Are you deaf or dumb? Look at how worthless you are, having you marry my daughter has cursed our family for eight generations.”

“Mom, don’t be mad,” said Lily gently while driving.

“How can I not be mad?!” said Samantha as she pointed at Darryl. “I’m ordering you, after tonight’s gathering, immediately go to the marriage registry and settle your divorce. Stop hanging around my house, do you understand me?”

Darryl sat there speechless.

At that moment, over a hundred cars were parked outside the Lyndon clan’s villa, and without exception, all of them were luxurious cars.

When Lily and her family arrived, the hall was already filled with people. Several people went up to greet Lily upon her arrival.

During such occasions, Darryl was treated as if he was invisible, no one cared to acknowledge him. However, he did not mind that, for he was only here to join in the fun. Once the food arrived, he was ready to dig in as much as he could.

However, some people enjoy causing trouble when there is none, such as William Lyndon. He appeared to have something against Darryl, every time they meet, he would hurl a couple of insults at Darryl.

“Yoohoo, aren’t you Lyndon clan’s good little son-in-law, Darryl?” asked William as he walked from afar, purposely speaking in a loud tone. “Darryl, I might have seen the clothes you’re wearing at the bargain bin. What are they, ten bucks each?”

William’s words made Darryl the focus of the entire hall. They gawked at him as if he was a monkey.

“Mind your words, this cost me 19 bucks,” mumbled Darryl.

The crowd let out a burst of roaring laughter. A few ladies who tried to maintain their composure ultimately caved in and laughed.

“Just shut your mouth,” said Lily in a hushed tone. She could feel her pride besmirched by Darryl yet again. If not for the clan rule that every single member of the family must attend the gathering, she would not have even allowed him to come!

“Oh Lily, it’s not that I look down on your family. I don’t even care that your husband is wearing something that is only 19 bucks. The dress you’re wearing, however, can’t cost more than 1,800?” William laughed. “Wouldn’t you feel embarrassed wearing such a low-end dress? Do you see this suit I’m wearing? It’s a tailor-made Ermenegildo Zegna. Do you know how much it costs?”

William stuck a few fingers out and shook them in front of Darryl and Lily. “700,000.”

“Wow!”

William’s words triggered the crowd to cast an admiring stare. The ladies were awestruck, and the men were envious of him as well.

Lily bit her lip tightly, indeed her dress had only cost her 1,200 bucks. She would not even dare to dream of having clothing that would cost 700,000.

Lily felt as if the whole crowd was laughing at her like a joke, her beautiful face showed a hint of blush.

Out of a sudden, Darryl walked toward William and gave his suit a light touch.

“Are you mad?!” William exclaimed as he flew into a rage. “You have no right touching this suit!”

Darryl merely smiled and said, “I think the suit you’re wearing isn’t appropriate for the occasion. This suit was designed by a famous Italian fashion designer named Francesco Martin. There’s only one in existence, and it’s currently housed in the Italian Fashion Museum. Hence the one you’re wearing is a replica and not just that, it’s a crude imitation. There’s an uncut thread on your right pocket, you may take off that thread now. If my calculations are correct, this suit is only worth 200 bucks. Even my wife’s 1,200 bucks dress has better quality than your suit.”

“Another thing, this suit’s inspiration was derived from his father, Petrarch, who had depression after his bankruptcy. He felt that the world was distorted. Therefore the stripes on this suit are crooked to represent his perspective of distorted reality,” he continued.

“The fact that you’re wearing this suit today, are you hoping for the Lyndon clan to go bankrupt as well?!” said Darryl as he smiled. His voice was not loud, yet his words echoed throughout the hall!

Silence! Total silence!

The crowd was shocked by his words, they found it hard to believe that those words came out of Darryl’s mouth!

“Oh right, another thing I forgot to mention. My wife isn’t too demanding with her clothes, but her standard for shoes is immense,” his words came one after another. “The heels on her feet is The Worship of Crystal. If you’ve never heard of it, you can read it up online.”

“Wow!”

“The Worship of Crystal? It truly is the real thing! How magnificent…”

The crowd was chattering with excitement! The women here were all of high-standing, how would they have not heard of The Worship of Crystal? One glance was enough to determine that the heels on Lily’s feet were genuine!

That was The Worship of Crystal that cost 30 million! Try asking and see which woman would not love it?! Lily instantly became the focus of attention, and she was showered by praises and admirations.

Lily could not help but look at Darryl. After three years of marriage, this was the first time she felt that this piece of trash resembled a real man. But, how did Darryl know all this information? The Italian designer’s name and inspiration, surely only a handful of people would know?

After some thinking, Lily deduced that Darryl must have secretly looked it up online beforehand!

“You’re talking nonsense!” said William, pointing at Darryl angrily with embarrassment.

‘Smack!’

Out of nowhere, Samantha slapped Darryl!

It was a hard slap, and in an instant, the whole crowd stood there in silence from the shock.

“Darryl, what are you babbling about? Apologize to William right now!” Samatha demanded coldly.

The Lyndon clan’s authority rested in the hands of the grandmother, and she favored William the most. Moreover, William’s development is pretty decent, he has at least 30 million worth of assets. Any offense toward him would surely not end well.

“Mom, what are you doing?” asked Lily as she walked over and held her mother back.

Even though she detested Darryl, it was him that had gotten her out of her predicament.

Darryl covered his face, the red slap mark on his cheek was strongly visible. However, he had a small smile on his face. After three whole years, this was the first time Lily spoke on his behalf. Darryl simply turned and left, with a smile on his face.

“Get your ass back here, you piece of trash!” Although it was quite a distance, Darryl could still hear Samantha’s shouts.

As the crowd watched the spectacle unfold, an aged voice could be heard from not far away.

“What’s with all the commotion?” Grandmother Lyndon asked as she walked onto the stage. The originally bustling hall fell silent upon the sight of her.

“Alright alright, no need for such formalities. Take a seat.” Grandmother Lyndon waved her hand, and under the support of some people, slowly sat down on her chair. “According to my reliable sources, Donghai City’s Platinum Corporation will have a new President tomorrow.”

“Woah!”

The matter sparked a heated discussion among the crowd. The Lyndon clan has over ten advertising companies under them. In recent years, the Lyndons were keen for a partnership between them and Platinum Corporation for they were Donghai City’s largest entertainment company. A partnership with them would give the Lyndons steady profits without loss.

However, backing the Platinum Corporation was none other than the Darby clan, who have always looked down on the Lyndons! Every single mention of a partnership had been rejected by them. With the arrival of a new president, the Lyndons had to give it a shot, hoping for a partnership!

“Who’s willing to go discuss the partnership?” Grandmother Lyndon asked slowly as she looked around the hall. “Whoever that can successfully negotiate and secure the partnership, would be considered making a huge contribution to our clan!”

“I’ll go!”

“Granny, I’ll go!”

“I’m willing as well!”

All of them were vying for that role, except for Lily. She knew that deep down, her standing in the clan was relatively low.

Upon seeing how enthusiastic they were, Grandmother Lyndon nodded her head in praise and smiled. She pointed at William and said, “William, why don’t you go over there tomorrow and give it a try.”

William let out a wide-eyed smile and nodded excitedly.

Darryl left alone and took a cab back home to sleep. He had to make up for the lack of sleep last night from the excitement of discovering that he had made a fortune.

Darryl slept especially soundly that night. The very next morning, he left for Platinum Corporation on his scooter right after preparing breakfast.

Uncle Drake had already told him that Pearl Hahn, the secretary, would be at the company waiting for him.

Platinum Corporation was situated in the bustling central business district of Donghai City. At the entrance of the company parked a row of luxurious cars, and quite a number of them belonged to the celebrities signed under the company.

It was company policy that every celebrity had to report to the company every day. If there were an emergency, they had to apply for leave. Therefore paparazzi frequently hang around the building, hoping to snap some celebrities’ photos and sell them for a profit. If they managed to capture anything gossipy or scandalous, they would be able to make a huge profit.

‘Damn, riding this scooter here surely seems uncouth, I should get a car…’ thought Darryl as he parked his scooter at the company’s entrance.

Suddenly, came the roar of an engine, followed by a ‘bang’ that nearly sent Darryl flying.

Darryl turned around and saw that a Porsche Cayenne had knocked his scooter. The Porsche was barely scratched, but the back of his scooter was completely dented.

‘Son of a b*tch! My newly bought scooter! Broken again?’ thought Darryl, as he felt like weeping but had no tears. He noticed a crowd started to form around him, judging and watching the commotion.

“Do you know how to drive?” said a beautiful lady, as she stepped out of the car.

“Wow...”

Sounds of exclamation came from the crowd, the appearance of this woman drew all their attention. She was wearing a sheath dress and a pair of high heels, her figure was alluring and toned. A woman like her would surely be the focal point wherever she went.

“Giselle?” Darryl exclaimed.

Giselle was here to sign her contract! Darryl smiled. Although she crashed into him and broke his scooter, it was a good thing that none of them were injured. He did not want to pursue this matter further and was about to walk over to greet Giselle when she saw that it was him.

“You? Darryl? What are you doing here?”

Giselle furrowed her eyebrows and thought that Darryl must be a security guard at Platinum Corporation.

“Are you blind? Do you even know how to drive?” said Giselle full of spite. Her car was only one week old, although it was only a minor scratch, she still felt hurt for it.

“But you’re the one that knocked into me...” said Darryl helplessly. “Why are you blaming me for it...”

“What’s going on here?” Suddenly came the voice of a middle-aged man. It was the head of security, who had brought his guards with him to the scene.

The head of security was shocked to see what had happened. A crash between a scooter and a Porsche? He deduced that this beautiful lady was a celebrity, here to sign a contract. She must not be offended at any cost!

At the thought of that, the head of security pointed at Darryl and shouted, “What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know that Platinum Corporation bans the entry of scooters into the premises?”

“There’s such a rule? Who made it?” Darryl asked coldly.

“Who made it? I made it!” The head of security stepped forward. “Apologize to this lady immediately!”

Upon hearing what the head of security said, Giselle smirked and pointed at Darryl. “He must be the new security guard?”

The head of security was stunned and took a good look at Darryl. He was dressed in bargained goods and rode in on a scooter, he must be here to apply for the position of a security guard.

“Don’t worry Miss, I won’t be hiring him!” The head of security assured as he patted his chest. He looked back at Darryl and said, “Today is your first day on the job? Then let me declare that you’re fired.”

‘This was not a healthy general practice for the company.’ Darryl shook his head. The head of security was such a mean snob.

“I would like to see you try to fire me,” said Darryl slowly with a grin. “Do you even have the authority to fire someone?”

“You!” The head of security pointed at Darryl. Surely this punk was mad? Indeed the head of security has no authority to fire anyone, but if Darryl was here to apply for the position of a security guard, as the head of security, he would not be giving him a good time.

“Darryl, you’re such a disgusting person,” said Giselle as she stomped her heels toward Darryl, eyeing him with contempt. “If the head of security can’t fire you, then surely the deputy manager would be able to?”

After finishing her words, Giselle took out her cellphone and sent a text message. Within moments, a lady dressed in business attire came walking out of the company building.

This lady was attractive, and her height was roughly 165cm, and over 30 years of age. She was dressed in business attire and wore black high heel shoes, accentuating her femininity and maturity.

“Miss Peach.”

Upon seeing the business lady’s arrival, all the employees and security guards bowed and greeted her one after another. This lady was Platinum Corporation’s deputy manager, Penelope Peach.

“Aunt Penelope,” said Giselle, as she stepped forward to greet Penelope. It was because Penelope was Giselle’s aunt, and through her connections as deputy manager, got Giselle a contract with Platinum Corporation.

Penelope nodded her head in acknowledgment, and turned her attention to Darryl, and said, “Apologize to Giselle.”

What?

Darryl felt that it was a funny moment. He asked, “Why do I have to apologize? Who are you?”

“This guy must’ve hit himself on the head, can’t even recognize the deputy manager.” whispered some of the employees.

“Yeah, is he looking for trouble by not apologizing?”

Penelope stared at Darryl with cold eyes and frowned. “You’re here to apply for the position of a security guard, yes? Who hired you for this job? It does not matter. Since you’re not willing to apologize, as deputy manager, I hereby inform you that you’re fired. Get on your scooter and get lost.”

“Me? Get lost?” Darryl pointed at himself and laughed.

“Are you deaf? Can’t you understand?” Giselle said coldly through her teeth. “I’ll take it as my unlucky day to meet a fly like you. Even though you scratched my car, I won’t ask you for compensation. Get out of my sight immediately.”

‘Beep beep beep!’

At that moment came the honking of a Bentley, which stopped in front of the crowd. A girl who looked slightly more than 20 years of age, wearing a black business suit and glasses came out of the car.

“President, I am so sorry I’m late,” said Miss Pearl, the secretary, as she hastily walked to the front of Darryl and did a 90-degree bow.

Darryl glanced at Pearl. If he was not mistaken, she should be the secretary his uncle mentioned about.

“Sorry President, I didn't mean to be late. There was a traffic jam...” Pearl explained softly, afraid to look Darryl in the eye, and merely bowed.

“Pearl, what nonsense are you talking about!” Penelope stepped forward. Her beautiful appearance was slightly tinged with anger. “This is our company’s new security guard, why are you addressing him as president?”

“Security guard?” Pearl searched inside her handbag and took out a photo. She compared the photo with Darryl, and hurriedly replied Penelope. “Miss Peach, there is no mistake. This is our company’s new president, Mister Darby.”

“What!?” The crowd stood there with their mouths agape, and stared at Darryl in disbelief!

“Uh Miss, you... you have to be mistaken?” Giselle bit her lip tightly and looked at Pearl. “This guy is Darryl, he was my classmate in high school. Look at how uncouth he is, how could he be the president?”

How was this possible! Why would a president be wearing bargained goods and riding an electric bike? Moreover, during the very recent high school reunion, none of them cared to acknowledge Darryl!

“Mistaken?” Pearl took out her cellphone and showed it to Giselle. “Look closely, the patriarch of the Darby clan personally told me that the name of the new president is Darryl Darby! There is also a photo of the president shared in the conversation records, see for yourself!”

Woosh!

Giselle’s mind went blank in an instant! She could feel her legs weaken, she dared not look Darryl in the eye anymore.

Meanwhile, Penelope bit her lip tightly as well. As the deputy manager of Platinum Corporation, she was of a higher rank than many of the common employees. However, Platinum Corporation still belonged to the Darby clan. She could not believe that just moments ago she had threatened to fire the president…

“Mister Darryl…” Penelope’s face was pallor, she walked up to Darryl and whispered to him gently.

“I don’t think that’s the right address,” chuckled Darryl. “Giselle was my classmate, and you’re her aunt. I don’t think it’s fitting for you to call me mister.”

“Mister Darryl, I was wrong... I was wrong, I truly know that I did wrong…” said Penelope softly with her head lowered.

Darryl waved his hand and interrupted her words, he turned around and looked in the direction of the head of security. At that moment, the head of security was dumbfounded, his body staggered back, almost falling onto the ground.

“You’re fired,” Darryl merely said those words to him and entered the building.

A group of people followed Darryl with might, which prompted discussion among the employees at the ground floor level. Giselle and Penelope followed suit as well, but with a sense of humility. Although it was hard for them to walk on heels, they still trotted as fast as they could to follow close.

It has to be said, Platinum Corporation was extremely grand. Its interior was decorated to resemble a palace. News regarding the new president’s arrival spread across the entire company, employees along the way bowed and greeted Darryl.

The president’s office was on the 11th floor. Darryl sat in his chair when he arrived at his office.

‘How fancy,’ thought Darryl in admiration. Ever since he was banished from his clan three years ago, he never had the opportunity to visit such fancy places.

“President…”

Giselle and Penelope followed him into his office and stood obediently in front of his desk.

To be fair, although Penelope was Giselle’s aunt, she had gone to great lengths to take good care of her appearance. They looked like sisters standing side by side.

“Mister Darryl... I sincerely apologize…” Penelope bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, before she continued. “Mister Darryl, will Giselle still be able to sign her contract with our company? As long as you allow her the contract, I’ll do anything you ask.”

“Anything I ask?” Darryl laughed out loud. As he was about to speak, Pearl knocked on the door and walked in.

“Mister Darby, it’s William of the Lyndon clan, he’s here to talk business.”

William Lyndon? The mere mention of him made Darryl’s blood boil.

Darry chuckled, “Tell him to piss off.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

At the Lyndon clan’s villa. Grandmother Lyndon called upon an emergency meeting, hundreds of family members were gathered around.

“Granny, this Platinum Corporation is too ridiculous!” William was so angry that his face was bright red. “I went there to discuss a partnership and they told me to piss off, piss off! Clearly, Platinum Corporation looks down on us Lyndons.”

The Lyndons shook their heads one after another. There was nothing they could do, Platinum Corporation has the power to behave in that manner. They were angry but they could not complain.

“Enough,” Grandmother Lyndon said as she waved her hand. “I’ve heard that Platinum Corporation’s new president is just slightly over 20 years old. He is young and promising, which gives him the right to be reckless. Although they have a bad attitude, we Lyndons still have to continue to strike a deal with them, who among you is willing to go?”

What?!

They looked at each other in shock. The Lyndons still intend to discuss and negotiate a partnership? Platinum Corporation had already told William to piss off, and yet they are still requested to seek their cooperation? Who would be willing to do that!?

Grandmother Lyndon let out a long sigh. She knew that no one was shameless enough to go there again. However, if they could form a partnership with Platinum Corporation, the benefits brought to the Lyndon clan would be immense! They cannot give up!

William clenched his fists and sneered out of a sudden. He stood up and spoke, “Granny, how about we let Lily try?”

“William, you!” Lily bit her lip tightly, she knew that William was the type to cause trouble, but she did not expect him to be such a wicked person.

“What’s wrong?” William asked. “You’re a member of the Lyndon clan, and the company you’re in charge of lacks a funding of five million bucks right? Let’s ignore the fact that the company is running badly. You’re still not willing to put in this effort to help your clan?”

Finishing his words, William went to Grandmother Lyndon’s side. “Granny, I suggest Lily negotiate this partnership!”

Grandmother Lyndon nodded her head. William was her favorite in the clan, and upon hearing his words, she looked at Lily. “Lilybud, this matter is placed in your hands. Go to Platinum Corporation on time tomorrow and negotiate a partnership.”

“Granny, I…”

Lily wanted to speak, but Grandmother Lyndon merely waved her hand. “That’s enough, we will dismiss the meeting.”

At the sound of Grandmother Lyndon’s words, hundreds of them left one after another. Each of them rejoiced at the fact that they were not the one that was chosen.

Returning home, Lily felt uneasy in her heart. This was an impossible task. How was she supposed to negotiate this partnership tomorrow?

Lily felt terribly upset, she simply did not want to think about this matter anymore. She called her best friends Jade and Phoebe over to vent.

When Lily’s best friends arrived, sure enough, her mood turned ecstatic.

“Lily, where’s that piece of trash?” Jade asked as she sat on the sofa, gently sipping on a glass of wine.

Lily knew who Jade was referring to and laughed. “He left after making breakfast, he hasn’t been back yet.”

“Lily, you’re so patient.” Jade placed her wine glass down. “Even I could not bear how hopeless he looked. Your company is lacking in funds, if you had a capable husband, even if he couldn’t fork out five million, at least he could provide two to three million bucks. Meanwhile, Darryl can’t even provide 30,000 bucks.”

As Jade was talking, the sound of the door opening could be heard. Darryl came in holding a black sack, his whole body covered in dirt and grime.

Damn it, it started raining when Darryl was on the way back from his company. His scooter was broken earlier this morning when it was knocked by Giselle so he had to walk back drenched in the rain.

“Yo, speaking of the devil,” said Jade as she glanced at Darryl.

Darryl could not bother to acknowledge her, instead, he just placed the black sack on the sofa.

“Darryl, you still dare to show your face around here?” said Samantha as she came out of her bedroom, looking angry.

If it was not for Darryl’s conflict with William, why would William suggest Lily be the one to negotiate the deal?

Samantha glared at Darryl. “You’re behaving more and more improper. Putting aside your conflict with William during yesterday’s gathering, you still dare to show your face around here? Don’t you know that you’re leaving your footprints everywhere in the house by wearing your shoes inside? Another thing, that ugly bag of yours is so dirty, and you just place it on the sofa? Do you still want to live here or not? You’re welcomed to leave if you don’t want to!”

Darryl heaved a deep breath. Indeed he was the one that dirtied the house, but was he also not the one responsible for cleaning up the house all these years?

Darryl was not angry, for if he minded Samantha’s words he would have been driven mad way earlier.

Darryl put on an indifferent attitude and approached Lily, and spoke to her with a wide smile on his face. “Honey, your company is in dire need of five million bucks, right? I have here…”

“Woah.” Jade who sat at the side let out a laugh, interrupting Darryl’s words, and glared at him. “This guy is truly shameless beyond redemption. Nevermind the fact that you’re useless, yet you still want to remind people of their problems. Lily needs five million bucks, which is something a piece of trash like you can never help with, and yet you still brought it up.”