I stood in the auditorium, watching my daughter, Ivy, about to step onto the stage to receive an award for the robotics competition. Suddenly, a man in a sharp suit rose, his voice booming. “I recall your school has a policy: a five-million-dollar donation adds ten points to a student’s score in this year’s competition. This card holds five million dollars. The first prize should go to my son!” Everyone present was stunned. The teacher, after a moment of hesitation, nodded in acknowledgment. Ivy, looking bewildered on stage, exclaimed, “But I was the real first place winner!” The man’s son shot Ivy a disdainful glance, sneering, “Ivy Zheng, what’s the point of trying so hard? My mom’s rich. The chance to study at a top-tier lab is only for me.” Ivy’s eyes welled up. I walked over, taking her hand, a faint smile playing on my lips as I looked at the smug father and son. “You said the card holds five million dollars,” I began. “Is that true? Perhaps we should verify it on the spot.” The man arrogantly nodded. “Of course, it’s true. My wife has plenty of money. Swipe it now!” My smile deepened. The card in his hand was clearly the supplementary card I’d given my wife—her allowance! … Patrick Chen gave me a dismissive glance and haughtily handed the card to the school teacher. Immediately, someone gasped, exclaiming, “This… this is an Apex VIP Black Card! Only individuals with verified assets exceeding a hundred billion would have one!” “Good heavens! Liam Chen’s family is a top-tier dynasty!” Patrick was clearly relishing the adulation, his eyes conveying undisguised arrogance. He then shot Ivy a look that was a mix of disdain and pity. “Little girl, blame it on your folks not having five million. You commoners can try as hard as you want, but you’re just stepping stones for us.” Ivy’s small face flushed crimson. She shouted indignantly, “That’s not fair! I won first place!” She had loved artificial intelligence since she was a child. She’d prepared for this competition for three whole years, and the advanced study opportunity was her dream. The murmurs from the parents in the audience rose and fell. Someone couldn’t help but sigh. “That’s really cruel to the kid.” “But the elite are the elite, especially in a private international school like ours. Wealth is privilege. There’s no fairness in the face of privilege; this is a necessary lesson for her growth.” Even the teacher shook his head at Ivy. “Rules are rules.” Liam, seeing this, laughed even more wildly. “See? I told you, Ivy Zheng, you can’t beat me! What good is your ability?! Your efforts are worthless in front of me!” “Dad, can I go accept the award now?” Patrick grinned triumphantly, glancing at me before telling his son, “Of course.” Ivy’s whole face crumpled, her eyes slightly red, stubbornly repeating under her breath, “I won first place. I won first place!” I felt both heartache and amusement. I leaned in and whispered to her. Her eyes widened. “Dad, is that really true?” I nodded to her. “Watch this.” Just as Liam was striding confidently towards the podium, the teacher suddenly rushed over. “Mr. Chen, this card is locked and completely unusable!” Patrick frowned, raising his voice. “How could that be?! You country bumpkins just don’t know how to use it!” The teacher, helpless, handed the card reader to him. With a “ding,” a robotic female voice announced: “Your card is unusable!” “How is this possible?” Patrick gasped in surprise, unconsciously taking half a step back. Other parents in the audience couldn’t help but snicker. “Mr. Chen, did you just pick up that card?” “If you don’t have five million, why put on such a show? Aren’t you embarrassed?” Patrick’s face turned red with frustration. He gritted his teeth, swiping the card on the machine again and again. “Your card is unusable!” “Your card is unusable!” The laughter and chatter in the crowd grew louder. Liam, too, started getting anxious. “Dad, what’s going on? I need to get my award!” Watching Patrick’s slightly disheveled look, I stepped forward, smiling. “Since Mr. Chen can’t produce the five million, then first place still belongs to my daughter.” Ivy’s face had already cleared. She winked at me, about to walk towards the podium. “Hold on. There’s an issue with this card, but that doesn’t mean I can’t produce the five million. This award today can only go to my son.” Patrick stared at me with a dark expression. After speaking, he immediately made a call, and soon, my wife Eleanor Shen’s voice came through. Patrick hung up, his face once again beaming with confidence. “Don’t worry, son. No one can snatch this award today. It’s yours and yours alone!” He then shot me a challenging look. I let out a cold laugh. Just moments ago, Patrick and Eleanor had put on a public display of affection over the phone, their intimate tones making everyone blush. Soon, my phone rang. Eleanor’s voice, haughty and imperious, immediately came through: “Ethan Zheng, what’s going on with that card you gave me? Contact the bank to unlock it immediately, and increase the limit to fifty million!” I remained unusually calm. “What do you need that much money for?” “For business dealings and entertaining, of course. Don’t ask so many questions, just get it done!” I subtly lowered my eyes, concealing the cold fury swirling within them. Anyone familiar with me, who had been behind the scenes pulling strings for the group for over a decade, knew this was a signal that someone was heading for utter destruction. How absurd. A woman who owed her very existence to the Zheng family dared to keep a lover under my nose and order me around. It seemed I had been too lenient, making her forget who the true master of this household was! Seeing my lack of response, Eleanor sent a few frustrated voice messages, then fell silent. Conversely, Patrick directly raised his phone, displaying his bank balance to everyone: a full five million! A polite smile appeared on his face, but his eyes were filled with triumphant smugness. “Teacher, feeling reassured now? I told you, a family like ours wouldn’t be short five million. Even fifty million is chump change. Unlike families who earn dead-end wages, who haggle over even a hundred thousand.” He first gave me a pointed look, then, feigning kindness, spoke to Ivy: “Little girl, next life, remember to pick a good family to be born into. Don’t let people easily snatch away the fruits of your hard work again.” Ivy smiled sweetly at Patrick. “Mr. Chen, no one can take what’s mine!” I stepped forward, my smile unwavering, and said unhurriedly, “Exactly, no one can take what belongs to my daughter!” “Five million, that’s all.” A kind teacher stepped forward and tugged at my sleeve. “Ivy’s father, five million is no small sum. For the elite, it’s just pocket change for a designer bag, but for ordinary families, it’s an astronomical amount. This advanced study opportunity is rare, but don’t sacrifice your and your wife’s future for it.” Other well-meaning parents also started advising me not to act impulsively. Then there were the sycophants, chiming in with sarcastic remarks: “How much do you earn in a year? Trying to throw money around like the elite, aren’t you afraid of losing your house?” “Some people just want to show off, without considering their own weight class!” It was also my fault for always teaching Ivy to be low-key. In everyone’s eyes, we were just an ordinary working family, and Ivy’s good grades were the only reason she got into this private international school. I scanned the sycophants, and in an instant, the names of their affiliated companies flashed through my mind. I already had a plan. Then, I politely smiled at the teacher. “I’ll do the same as Mr. Chen and transfer the money to the school account.” “Ding!” “Five million credited!” The robotic female voice echoed from the teacher’s phone. A hush fell over the surroundings, then someone shouted, “Holy crap! Ivy Zheng’s dad actually forked out five million!” Patrick’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth, furiously tapping on his phone, then a robotic female voice announced: “Ding!” “Ten million credited!” Immediately, the crowd erupted. Parents gawked. “Ten million?! Are they crazy?!” “You don’t get it, this is what top-tier wealth looks like! Mr. Chen truly has the power, you just can’t deny it!” Three large donations arrived consecutively, and even the teacher couldn’t help but wipe sweat from his forehead. Liam couldn’t help but gloat, “Go, Dad!” Patrick, basking in the surrounding praise, patted his son’s head. “Son, don’t worry. Your mom said, whatever you want, she’ll support you, no matter the cost. What’s ten million, anyway?!” Yes, what's ten million? A woman, cheating on me, using my money to bolster her lover’s image, bullying my daughter – she truly had a death wish! I was rather curious to see how far Eleanor would go for this father and son, and just how much money she had embezzled behind my back. Under Patrick’s arrogant gaze, I calmly spoke. “Twenty million!” Everyone’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief. “Is Ivy Zheng’s dad insane? Does he even have twenty million?!” Patrick gnashed his teeth. “Just running your mouth won’t do any good…” He hadn’t even finished his sentence when the robotic female voice, “Ding!” “Twenty million credited!” echoed in everyone’s ears. My smile deepened. “Of course, I don’t mind contributing more to education. Do you want to continue raising your donation? I’m in this until the end!” “Good heavens, Ivy Zheng’s family is not so simple after all! I never would have guessed!” The teacher again wiped sweat from his forehead, an uncontrollable ecstasy on his face as he looked at Patrick and asked, “Mr. Chen, are you going to raise the price again?” Patrick’s cold gaze gradually darkened. He then pulled out his phone and called Eleanor again. A moment later, his eyes and brows regained their triumphant look. He even deliberately unfolded his tri-fold phone, subtly revealing the wallpaper. Someone with sharp eyes immediately noticed. “The woman on the screen is Eleanor Shen, the General Manager of Oceanfront Group! Oh my God, she’s Liam Chen’s mom!” “Look, the photo on the screen is of their family of three. It’s hard to imagine that the aloof goddess, known as a highly educated elite dominating the business world, could show such a sweet smile.” “Then Ivy Zheng’s first place is completely out the window. No matter how rich her dad is, he can’t surpass Oceanfront Group in Ocean City!” Even more well-meaning parents earnestly pulled me aside. “Ivy’s father, don’t push it anymore. Everyone in Ocean City knows how powerful Oceanfront Group is. If you offend them, you won’t even be able to do business, and you’ll lose everything!” Patrick approached me, chin lifted, his eyes full of contempt and scorn. “I originally wanted to keep a low profile, but some people just can’t take a hint. Now you know how powerful we are, don’t you? Even if you have a few stinking bucks, in the eyes of an elite family like ours, it’s not even worth a glance!” I raised an eyebrow, deliberately asking, “Are you saying your wife is Eleanor Shen, the General Manager of Oceanfront Group?” “Dad, that’s clearly…” Ivy almost blurted it out. I quickly pressed her hand, then winked at her. She immediately understood and nodded. Patrick and his son, engrossed in the continuous flattery from the crowd, naturally didn’t notice my daughter and my actions. He haughtily nodded at me. “Scared now, are you?” Then, he smirked maliciously. “You’ve offended me today. But I’m a magnanimous man. If you and your daughter, Ivy Zheng, bow three times to me and my son in front of everyone, I’ll tell my wife not to pursue your transgressions.” “Otherwise, my wife will make your family bankrupt!” “Little girl, you won’t just be out of the robotics competition; you won’t even be able to afford school anymore!” Ivy was furious. “I’ve never seen such a shameless person!” She spat directly onto Patrick’s face. Liam, seeing this, angrily charged at Ivy, intent on hitting her. “I’ll kill you, you little brat! How dare you spit on my dad!” I instantly turned cold. With a swift movement, I pushed him to the ground. A shriek. “Dad! My knee’s busted, it hurts so bad!” Patrick glared at me fiercely. Seeing Liam’s bloody and bruised knee, his eyes were terrifying as he delivered a harsh threat. “This isn’t going to end well today. My wife will be here any minute. Oceanfront Group’s legal team isn’t to be trifled with. You and your daughter can spend the rest of your lives in prison!” I raised an eyebrow. Well, that saved me the trouble of figuring out how to get Eleanor here. The group’s executive assistant and top legal experts were already on their way with divorce papers and Eleanor Shen’s termination letter. Today was the end for this scumbag man and unfaithful woman! Upon hearing that Eleanor was arriving, the sycophants immediately swarmed Patrick and Liam, showering them with concern, eager to curry favor. They continued to mock me, their words growing increasingly vile and morally bankrupt: “Indeed, commoners never know their place. Ms. Shen’s wrath isn’t something little people like you can bear! Get ready to lose everything in compensation!” “Ivy Zheng, you won’t need to go to school anymore. Go pick up trash with your dad!” “Picking up trash won’t be enough. The old one will find a sugar mama, and the young one will learn from him and go after rich men too! That’s how you make quick money!” Just then, a sleek sedan sped up. Someone shouted, “It’s Oceanfront Group’s executive car!” “Ms. Shen truly is a virtuous wife, keeping her husband and son so close to her heart, arriving so quickly! The Zheng father and daughter are completely finished now!” The sycophants unleashed their malice on Ivy and me without restraint, their eyes as if they wanted to devour us alive. Patrick’s face twisted into a grotesque smile, filled with the joy and arrogance of impending revenge. “You pathetic loser, my wife is here. Your and your daughter’s doom has arrived!”
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