Chapter 29: Setting Up a Fortune-Telling Stall

Arthur Vane was just about to say ten thousand per reading when Seren Thorne already spoke up: "Five hundred per reading. Honest prices for all, no cheating the young or the old. You won't lose out, and you won't be fooled."

Hearing Seren quote such a low price, Arthur sighed softly. Sometimes it wasn't good for this granddaughter-in-law to be too honest; they were missing out on so many opportunities for a good swindle. At five hundred a pop, even making ten or twenty thousand a day would be a struggle. He didn't know if half a month's earnings would even cover one round of Mahjong.

The male employee felt five hundred was a bit pricey, but since this was the President's wife's stall, he had to show support even if the reading was inaccurate. Otherwise, he might not even know how he lost his job one day. Vane Corp's benefits were among the best in the country. Ordinary employees worked nine-to-five with no overtime, salaries started at ten thousand, and the insurance and housing funds were paid at the maximum rate. If he were fired, finding another job this good would be nearly impossible.

The employee pulled out his phone and scanned the code to pay five hundred. Seren asked, "Are you seeking insight on romance or career?"

The man was just doing it for fun and didn't think Seren could actually be accurate, so he said casually, "Help me check my career. See if there's any hope for a promotion or raise within the next two years."

Seren replied, "A promotion is unlikely. Your salary will increase slightly according to the standard ratio, but not by much."

This was largely what the employee expected. He had asked such a basic question to give Seren a graceful way out, ensuring the President's wife wouldn't lose face in front of so many employees. After the reading, he thanked her and prepared to leave.

Seren, however, spoke again: "Instead of a promotion or raise, you should be more concerned about your wife right now."

The man paused, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Seren said unhurriedly, "Your wife is eight months pregnant, isn't she? She went back to her parents' home in the countryside these past few days. This evening, she will go into accidental premature labor. You'd better bring her back and get her to a hospital immediately, otherwise, I'm afraid the baby won't be saved."

"My wife is indeed resting at her parents' house, but how did you know?" The man was stunned, then realized he had asked a stupid question. Since the Young Mistress could read faces, she could naturally see major events in his household. If she was right, didn't that mean his wife was in danger?

At this thought, the man panicked. "I'll call my wife right now and have her take a car back to the city. No... no, I have to go there myself!"

The employee ran out in a desperate hurry. Other onlookers were also worried and asked Seren, "Young Mistress, can Mr. Zhu make it in time? His wife will be okay, won't she?"

The atmosphere at Vane Corp was quite good, and colleagues were generally kind. They were genuinely worried for him.

Seren replied calmly, "Don't worry. Mr. Zhu’s in-laws live not far from City A, near the outskirts. It’s about an hour's drive. His wife will be fine."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Once the tension eased, curiosity took over. Others wanted to see if Seren could be accurate every time, so they pulled out their money to have their fortunes told.

After she correctly read several people in a row, the crowd around her grew larger. The company’s group chats exploded with rumors that the President's wife was a brilliant master of divination. Some even began to speculate that Vane Corp’s incredible growth over the past few years was due to Seren sitting behind the scenes, helping Alaric make the right decisions time after time.

Even though Vane Corp had been built solely through Alaric's hard work, many people began to believe this new theory and flocked to the first-floor lobby to watch. Since it was lunch break and everyone had free time, the area was soon packed, with people surrounding Seren in thick layers.

When Xander Ruan entered the building, this was the crowded scene he encountered. Hundreds of people were crammed into the lobby, leaving only a narrow path on the perimeter. In a company like Vane Corp, such congestion was rare; something big must have happened.

Xander was curious and asked someone nearby, "What’s going on here? Why are there so many people?"

The marriage between the Ruan and Vane families had been in the news, so many employees recognized the Ruan family members. The employee realized Xander was Seren’s third brother and said with a smile, "The Young Mistress is over there telling fortunes. Mr. Ruan, you’re so lucky to have a sister like her. If my sister were half as capable, I’d be thanking my lucky stars."

"Fortune-telling?" Xander’s brow furrowed.

It was one thing for this girl to talk nonsense in her heart and slander Mabel last time, but now she was engaging in feudal superstitions. As expected of a wild girl from an orphanage with no upbringing; she spent her days talking rot.

Realizing that if Seren continued this scene, it would be the Ruan family losing face, Xander didn't stand by. He squeezed through the crowd toward her. Many people recognized him and moved aside to avoid offending the third Ruan brother.

Xander successfully broke through the crowd and stood before Seren. She had just finished a reading for another client. Seeing him appear suddenly, she was slightly surprised. However, her first words weren't to ask why he was there. Instead, she stroked her chin and said, "Mr. Ruan, you’ve got a bit of 'green' over your head."

Xander had come to scold her and tell her to stop embarrassing herself, but before he could even start, she began spreading rumors about him being cheated on. Feeling the gossiping or pitying gazes of the people around him, Xander gnashed his teeth. "What green? I think you've lost your mind coming here to make a fool of yourself! Pack up this junk and go home!"

Before Seren could snap back, Arthur Vane spoke up with a cold face: "Mr. Ruan, you certainly think highly of yourself, meddling in my Vane family’s territory. With such an overbearing manner, those who know you think you're the third Ruan brother; those who don't might think you've taken over the Vane family!"

Arthur had spent decades in the business world. When his expression went cold, he possessed a formidable majesty that was a far cry from his usual kind image. Xander only then noticed Arthur was present and was inwardly shocked. It was one thing for Seren to mess around, but how could the old man be following her lead?

"Mr. Vane, please don't take offense. I misspoke." The Ruan family was far inferior to the Vane family; Xander didn't dare truly offend Arthur and immediately lowered his head. "I didn't mean to act powerful at Vane Corp. I was just worried that Seren promoting feudal superstitions in public might damage the Vane family's reputation, so I spoke out of turn."

Looking at his "bully the weak, fear the strong" attitude, Arthur snorted. "You’re worrying about things that aren't your business. Since when does the Vane family's reputation need an outsider like you to manage it?"