Chapter 11 Birthday Gift
All of a sudden, everyone in the room gasped.
They were indeed surprised when they saw how marvelous Bernie's gift was, but the moment they saw Larry's gift, they were too stunned to speak.
His gift was also a bottle of perfume. It was a diamond-shaped bottle that looked like it was made out of the best quality amethyst. It was so bright and glimmering like it had a myriad of stars inside it. In comparison to Larry's gift, Bernie's looked like rubbish.
"It is the most exquisite Hermes perfume. There are only two hundred bottles of this limited edition perfume in the whole world. It was developed by the famous perfume master Robert. It is worth three hundred thousand dollars!"
A girl with short hair took a photo of the perfume bottle before she looked it up online and read about it loudly.
“Three hundred thousand dollars? How could that be possible?” Everyone was shocked.
If a boy had bought such a beautiful, expensive bottle of perfume for a girl, then he could certainly hope to spend several memorable nights with her.
"No way!"
All of a sudden, something occurred to Bernie, and with an evil smile, he retorted, "Right! I am sure it is a fake! Larry probably dug the bottle out of a dumpster and filled it with some cheap perfume!" It was because of Larry's stereotype that everyone began to doubt him.
"You're right! How could someone like him afford such an expensive gift? It must certainly be a fake!"
"I agree! He even wished to stretch the money that he earned from us. How dare he show so much generosity?" someone said.
"Yeah, I am pretty sure that the cheap perfume he used only costs a dozen dollars!" None of their words affected Bessie's opinion at all.
She never really cared about the cost of their gifts, so she picked up the perfume bottle and packed it up again.
She chuckled and said sweetly, "Well, even if it is worth only a dozen dollars, I am still very happy. At least, it is a very beautiful bottle of per fume! Thank you for the thoughtful and wonderful gift, Larry. You are so considerate!"
"It's all fake! He tried to pretend to be rich, but we all saw right through him."
At first, Candie felt a little regretful for rejecting Larry, but after listening to what Bernie said, she felt more disdainful towards Larry.
Several basketball team members also saw what was going on, and they laughed sarcastically to ease their shocked hearts.
Larry frowned and cast a resentful glance at all the people who were mocking him. No matter how much money he spent on the gift, they were only going to mock him and label it as a fake.
"Miss Sailor, happy birthday to you. Please excuse me; I have something that I need to take care of at home, so I will be leaving now." Larry said goodbye as he stood up. He was bored and tired of all their insults. Bessie couldn't stand it anymore.
She said, "Bernie, you can’t bully Larry just because he is a poor."
Bernie responded, "He deserved it. He pretended to be rich and bought a fake Hermes perfume to please you. This poor bastard really knows how to pick up a girl!"
As soon as Larry left the hotel, his phone rang.
"Hello, Dad. What's the matter?"
"Larry, I have decided to give you the Willard Manor as a birthday gift."
Upon hearing his father's words, Larry was stunned for a moment. Since he had lived in York for many years, how could he not know that the Willard Manor was one of the best and most famous resorts in the city?
It should be worth at least three hundred million dollars. Many celebrities and businessmen would often show off that they had access to the manor, and it was extremely expensive!
For a poor student like him, the place seemed like a dream.
"Don't you think that your gift is a little too expensive?"
Larry found it hard to accept it. His father always shocked him with such news, and he felt like he would collapse from a heart attack if his father continued to do so.
Chapter 12 Willard Manor
"I actually thought of giving you the whole business district around the Willard Manor, too. Now, go to the manor and ask your sister to arrange the handover procedure for you."
What his father said was quite a shock to Larry. He had finally realized that his family was rich. However, he did not know how rich they were. To his surprise, he was far richer than he had imagined.
The business district around the Willard Manor was the most luxurious place in York. Many high-end hotels and clubs were built there. It was no exaggeration that an inch of land there was worth an inch of gold. But, his father just said that those properties belonged to their family.
Larry bit the tip of his tongue to calm himself down. All of a sudden, something occurred to him.
"Wait. Dad, isn't my sister working in another city?"
"Ha-ha! You silly boy. How do you think we can rest assured that you are left living in poverty alone in York? Do you remember the richest woman in York, the one who owns the Sanders Profumeria, which is worth at least five hundred billion dollars? You used to joke about her being your sister. Well, you're right. That woman is indeed your sister. She has been in York the whole time and keeping an eye on you," the man on the other end of the line said while laughing.
But then, he suddenly turned serious. "Larry, you have to remember that we raised you in poverty not only because we wanted you to experience hardships but because we wanted you to retain your virtues. Anyway, I've said too much. Go to the manor now. Your sister is waiting for you."
"Okay, Dad." Larry ended the call as soon as he finished speaking. He was glad that his father was strict with him regardless of whether he was rich or poor.
Once he calmed down, he took a taxi to the Willard Manor. Larry was a little curious about his destination. This was the first time he would see the most popular place in York, after all.
There was a pool of crystal clear water constantly flowing in the fountain behind the tall and white arched door. The lush trees danced gracefully in the wind. Houses decorated with red bricks and green tiles were scattered among the trees, and they made the place look elegant.
Outside the manor was a luxurious reception hall. Only through the hall could one enter the manor. Larry was so fascinated by the scenery in front of him that he mindlessly went into the manor.
"Sir, please stop. This is private property." The receptionist at the entrance, who was dressed in a skimpy uniform, black stockings, a short skirt, and high heels, stopped Larry from taking another step.
She stared at him disdainfully and did not even bother to ask why he had come there. The people who were allowed to enter the Willard Manor were all dignitaries. Their clothes were never shabby, which led her to think that Larry did not belong to the place. His clothes were worth no more than a hundred dollars in total.
The receptionist figured that he must have come here to take pictures to post online to satisfy his vanity.
"I... I came here for Ellie Sanders," Larry said timidly.
"I'm sorry, sir. But you need to book an appointment first before entering the manor," the receptionist coldly replied.
At that moment, a young man got out of a Tesla car not far away and walked towards them with a bouquet in his hands.
He glanced at Larry and scoffed, "Why is there a beggar here? Drive him away!"
The moment the receptionist saw the man, her eyes lit up, and her attitude completely changed.
"Mr. Shore, it's nice to see you again. I'll just call the security to deal with him."
Her attitude toward the man was warm and friendly, and she seemed as though she wanted to throw herself into his arms.
"Sure."
The man, Brandon Shore, laughed smugly and suddenly grabbed the receptionist's boob, which made her moan.
Brandon then raised his eyebrows at Larry arrogantly as though he were flaunting his capability.
With that, he turned to the receptionist and asked, "Is Miss Sanders in the manor today? Well, I came here to confess my feelings for her."
Chapter 13 Willard Manor
"Miss Sanders went out earlier this morning. She seemed to be in a hurry to prepare something important. I don’t know where she is right now."
The receptionist eyed the bouquet with jealousy. It was so expensive that it was almost equivalent to a few months of her salary.
"Alright, I'll go in first. Remember to ask someone to drive this guy away. It's really annoying to just see him there!" Brandon sneered.
The incident angered Larry a little. He looked at the receptionist and asked, "This guy doesn't have an appointment, right? How is he able to just walk in directly?"
He could tell that this playboy was pursuing his sister. And the receptionist let him in so easily! She was acting like a snob, for sure!
The receptionist rolled her eyes at him impatiently and said firmly, "Mr. Shore is the heir of Sen Tale Group. You're nothing compared to him."
Brandon also heard Larry's words, so he walked up to him and arrogantly pushed him hard.
"Look at you, dressed in such shabby clothes! How can someone as miserable as you enter the Willard Manor? Can you even afford to pay for this place?"
"No appointment, no entry!" the receptionist echoed.
"Let’s wait and see if I can get in today!" Although Larry was furious, he suppressed his anger, took out his phone, and stepped out of the lobby.
"Didn't you just say that you will get in? Why are you walking out then? Come back here if you have balls!" Brandon shouted after him with a scornful smile.
To their surprise, Larry seemed to have disconnected the call in the middle of the conversation and turned to look at them both.
"Shit! Poor bastard! Believe it or not, I am going to pummel you right now!" Brandon clenched his fists and threatened Larry.
He was obviously not taking Larry seriously.
"Mr. Shore, please calm down. I've already called the security department. I have asked them to break his legs today. Let's see if he dares to step foot here again!"
The receptionist also shouted at Larry, threatening him, in an attempt to please Brandon.
At that moment, they all heard a pleasant voice coming from behind them.
"I'd like to see who would dare to beat my brother!"
A tall young woman walked into the lobby. She was elegant and beautiful, like an angel dressed in a suit.
The woman was Ellie, Larry's sister. She had long flowing hair that resembled a waterfall. Her skin was soft and dewy. She looked very sophisticated and intellectually sound for her age.
Although she was quite pretty, her eyes were covered with a sense of gloom as anger rose within her like a tide.
The entire lobby fell silent as soon as she entered. No one even dared to breathe loudly. It was the first time that the staff and Brandon were seeing her so angry.
"Miss Sanders!" The receptionist ran up to her and saluted her respectfully.
Looking at his dream girl, Brandon quickly took out the bouquet of roses that he had prepared in advance and handed them to her.
With a flattering smile on his lips, he continued, "Miss Sanders, this is a gift that I carefully selected for you. As for the cooperation with Sen Tale Group this year, we should talk about the contract extension."
Ellie's face was as cold as ice as she said, "You bastard! You were thinking of hurting my brother until a second ago, so don't even think about the contract extension."
Brandon's eyes went wide in horror. Looking at Larry, he stopped for a second. Thinking that a guy like him could not be Ellie's brother, he ignored him. He continued to look around for another five minutes. However, he could not find Ellie's brother at all. Feeling bitter in his heart, he felt that Ellie was just giving him some excuse to avoid signing the contract.
Brandon smiled bitterly and said, "Miss Sanders, I haven't seen your brother at all, let alone beat him.If you are not satisfied with the contract, then maybe, we can negotiate the terms."
Sen Tale Group had encountered a big financial crisis that year. If they failed to extend the contract, then the company would certainly go bankrupt. And when that happened, even Brandon would be reduced to a state of poverty.
Chapter 14 Willard Manor
“Does being poor really make me invisible? This guy acting like I'm not even standing here,” Larry murmured.
Finally, he decided to not care about what everyone around him might think and strode straight to Ellie. He raised his chin and said, "Sister, Dad asked me to come to you to sign the contract."
As soon as Larry finished speaking, the lobby fell silent. All heads turned to him, and everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
"What's wrong with this guy? Is he insane? How could he come up to Ellie and claim that he was her brother?"
"Yes, you're right. He doesn't even look the part. His clothes are valued at less than one hundred dollars. How could someone like him be related to Miss Sanders?"
Everyone talked about Larry as if he was not there to hear what they were saying. They eyed him with disbelief and even disdain.
Suddenly, it dawned on them that Larry was the only stranger in the lobby. Everyone held their breaths and pricked up their ears. They waited for Ellie to respond.
"Why didn't you call me when you arrived, Larry?" The coldness on Ellie's face turned into a gentle smile.
All the people present heaved a collective sigh of relief and a little bit of surprise. Seeing Ellie with such a lovely, tranquil expression on her face was a rare sight.
"How... How could it be possible?" Brandon was confused.
Without taking a look at Brandon, Larry said to Ellie, "Sister, is this your pursuer? I don't think he is a good candidate. He wanted to hit me just now."
"Mr. Sanders, I..." Hearing this, Brandon hurriedly attempted to explain.
Ellie snapped, "Enough! Brandon, I'm not an unreasonable person. If you want to renew the contractwith me, you have to make me happy first."
"Just tell me what you want me to do, Miss Sanders, and I'll do it," Brandon replied immediately and took a deep breath.
The gentle look on Ellie's face slowly melted away, and a knowing smile curled her lips. She looked like a queen who was about to squash one of her enemies under her heel.
She pointed at the Tesla car parked not far away and said softly, "Your car is parked at the door. It blocked my way here to find my brother."
Brandon pressed his lips together in a thin line.
After hesitating for a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, "Since it inconvenienced you, I'll smash it!" He strode toward his car and picked up a big stick on the way. He smashed the windshield with the stick.
After the first strike, Brandon chanced a glance at Ellie and realized that she had no intention of stopping him. He smashed the windshield once again.
Fifteen minutes of non-stop hits later, the elegantly shaped and fashionable luxury car was badly destroyed.
Panting and sweating all over, Brandon went back to the lobby and said to Ellie, "Are you satisfied, Miss Sanders?"
"No, I'm afraid not. You almost kicked my brother just now." Ellie's face remained unchanged, but her tone grew even colder.
"I... I see." Brandon's throat bobbed, and color gradually drained from his face. He closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. Then, he raised the stick he was holding and struck his own leg with it. He tried to bite down his screams but miserably failed.
Everyone present was stunned into complete silence.
Some gasped and put their hands over their chests. They were not expecting Brandon to do what he just did.
"How about now?" Brandon asked in a voice trembling with pain.
Ellie did not answer. She just looked at Larry and asked, "Is that enough for you, Larry?"
Larry whipped his head toward his sister. He was not expecting her to address him. Ellie was usually quiet at home, but she could be so domineering in front of her employees and outsiders.
Without thinking too much, Larry quickly answered, "Yes, that's quite enough."
Hearing this, Ellie smiled. She took out her checkbook and began writing. "Here's a check for two million dollars. Buy yourself a new car, Mr. Shore."
After saying that, Ellie turned around and said to a security guard, "You, get someone to drive Mr. Shore home. As for the cooperation, Mr. Shore, you can talk to my brother after your leg recovers."
Chapter 15 Willard Manor
"Ellie, don't go too far!" Brandon shouted through gritted teeth. He was the heir of the Shore family. Nobody dared to provoke him just like Ellie did. His car had been destroyed, and his leg was injured. However, he still had not had a chance to discuss the cooperation.
"Security, see him out!" Ellie commanded coldly.
With her tall figure and sharp features, she was like an ice queen. The security guard grabbed a wheelchair from the side, dragged Brandon into it, and pushed him out of the Willard Manor.
"I can walk by myself!" Brandon cried out in grief and indignation while being wheeled out. He had just been humiliated. Not to mention, people were staring at him with snickers.
The heir of Sen Tale Group was humiliated. How pathetic! Larry wished he could be as domineering as his sister one day.
At that moment, Ellie turned to him and asked, "Larry, are you okay?"
Her demeanor changed in an instant when she talked to him. She was gentle and affectionate, unlike her usual temperament which was cold and unforgiving.The staff around were astonished by her attitude. This was the first time they had seen Ellie like this.
"I'm okay." Larry nodded. "Sorry for the trouble."
"It's okay. Dad should've told you that he's giving you not only the Willard Manor but also all the shops on this commercial street. Everything you see is owned by our family."
With a smile on her face, Ellie waved her hand, and her female secretary came up to her. "Gather all the staff in the manor for me," Ellie ordered.
The secretary nodded in response. Five minutes later, more than a thousand staff of the manor gathered on the vast golf course. They all wore the same black uniform, which made the course look black instead of green. They were lined in the golf course and waited for what Ellie had to say.
With Larry next to her, Ellie stood before them and announced, "All of you, listen. From now on, my brother, Larry Sanders, will be the owner of the Willard Manor!"
All the staff, including security guards and managers, bowed respectfully upon hearing Ellie's announcement. The beautiful female staff all became excited. They wanted to marry into a rich family. The young man in front them was a billionaire. He was bound to become the target of the girls.
"Welcome, Mr. Sanders!" they shouted in unison. Their voice was loud and clear, and it echoed throughout the golf course.
Not knowing what to do, Larry just stood there in a daze. He wondered if this was the feeling of being a rich man. Everyone treated him with respect. In the crowd, the face of the receptionist who had just humiliated him turned ghastly pale.
"Larry, an employee reported to me that the receptionist in the lobby disrespected you," Ellie said with implication.
Everyone held their breath and stared at Larry, wondering what he would do next. Apart from respect, there was fear in their eyes. Now that Larry became the new boss, who knew if he would fire all the employees?
Working in the Willard Manor not only brought them high salaries, but it also came with benefits. Many people were dying to work there.
Larry pondered on how he should handle this issue. He didn't know what to do. He was anxious as all eyes were on him. He did not even know where to place his hands.
Meanwhile, the said receptionist was trembling like a leaf. All of a sudden, she rushed towards Larry and stood timidly in front of him. She lowered her head and bit her lip in shame. To everyone's surprise, she revealed a large part of her boob and looked up at Larry apologetically. Fear was written all over her face, which made everyone pity her.
Larry's face flushed. Never in his life had a girl approached him.But then, the receptionist's snobbish attitude crossed his mind, and he felt disdainful.
The Willard Manor was now his property. If the employees, even one of them, disrespected a guest in the future, the reputation of the manor would be affected.
At the thought of this, Larry cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "I want to ask you something. Is this how you treat the guests?"