Chapter 32: The Four Old Men

Arthur Vane had always held a grudge over what happened back then. Being able to maintain a superficial peace with these men over the years was already giving them a lot of face.

Now that they dared to look down on his granddaughter-in-law, Arthur felt even more displeased. These useless old things—who knew how much money they had lost in their own business ventures over the years—actually had the nerve to be disdainful of Seren.

Arthur suppressed his thoughts, keeping a polite and genial smile on his face as he addressed them. "Old Lee, Old Zhu, it’s rare for us to run into each other. How about letting Seren give you each a free fortune reading?"

Mr. Lee laughed. "Sure, but there’s no need for it to be free. We should pay whatever the cost is."

The others chimed in as well. "Exactly. It wasn't easy for Seren to learn these things; as elders, we can't take advantage of her."

"Just tell us straight how much a reading from Seren costs."

Arthur had already anticipated they would say this. He chuckled and said, "The price isn't expensive. Since we’re all old friends, I’ll give you a fifty-percent discount. Two million per person will do."

Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions froze. "That doesn't seem right, does it?"

Arthur maintained his smile. "What’s not right? Tell me."

Despite the smile on his face, the others could faintly hear a hint of a threat in his tone. They had actually heard that Seren only charged five hundred yuan for a reading, and they had only agreed because they thought it wouldn't cost much. Who would have thought Arthur Vane would dare to swindle them so blatantly?

Unfortunately, they currently relied on Vane Corp for their livelihood. No matter how unwilling they felt, they could only swallow their anger and force a smile. "No, no, the two-million price is quite appropriate. After all, hiring a random Feng Shui master costs over a million. Given Seren’s high attainments in fortune-telling, there’s nothing wrong with charging two million."

The others nodded in agreement.

Only the director named Mr. Zhu couldn't help but say, "Old Vane, those masters outside only charge that much because they have real skill. You get what you pay for. If Seren’s reading isn't accurate, a few hundred yuan as a token of appreciation should be enough."

His grandson had recently caused some trouble with a drunk-driving incident, and he had paid out a lot of money. While two million might be manageable for the others, for him, it was like taking his life. He couldn't let himself be cheated by this Vane grandfather-and-daughter-in-law duo so easily.

Seeing him contradict Arthur Vane, the others broke into a cold sweat, fearing they would be implicated.

To their surprise, Arthur didn't get angry. Instead, he readily agreed. "Fine. But I’ll add a condition: if Seren gets everything right, you each add another five hundred thousand to make it two-and-a-half million."

The group: "?"

Why does it feel like Old Vane is calling us 'idiots'? (Note: 250 is Chinese slang for an idiot).

Arthur’s gaze swept over everyone present. "Do you agree to this condition?"

They nodded in rapid succession, looking as if they were afraid Arthur would regret it if they answered too late. What a joke—this wife of Alaric Vane looked like a useless trophy wife; it would be a miracle if she actually knew fortune-telling. If they could save two and a half million, anyone who didn't agree would be the real idiot.

Seeing their eager agreement, Arthur sneered inwardly. These old things thought they were getting a huge bargain, unaware that they had each just lost an extra five hundred thousand.

With four people seeking readings from Seren, that totaled ten million. Even with a fifty-fifty split between him and his granddaughter-in-law, he would still have five million—enough for quite a few rounds of Mahjong.

Arthur rubbed his hands expectantly and turned to Seren. "Seren, come and take a look for these uncles."

Since there was money to be made, Seren naturally wouldn't refuse. She sat down in the chair and looked up at the old men before her. "Who’s first?"

Mr. Zhu stepped forward. "I’ll go first."

Seren asked, "What do you want to find out?"

Mr. Zhu said, "My wife lost a bag worth over a hundred thousand a while ago. Help me calculate where that bag went."

The other directors standing beside him silently gave him a thumbs-up. If Mr. Zhu had asked about his career or wealth, Seren might have been able to bluff her way through. After all, no one can be sure about the future; she could just say his fortune would be prosperous for the next year, and a few points might coincidentally hit the mark.

But with a precise question like a lost bag, it would be very difficult for Seren to fake it. Even if she gave a general area, as long as they looked and didn't find the bag, it would directly prove her wrong.

Mr. Zhu was clearly very satisfied with his own cleverness. He couldn't help but smile, his cloudy old eyes crinkling into slits.

However, in the next second, his smile vanished.

"Wasn't your wife's bag taken by you to give to your mistress? Do you not remember?"

Hearing Seren’s words, everyone turned to stare at Mr. Zhu. Seeing the look on his face, the others already had a faint answer in their hearts. Who would have thought? Mrs. Zhu kept such a tight leash on him, yet this old lecher actually dared to keep a woman on the side. He truly wasn't afraid of that shrew breaking his legs!

Being exposed for keeping a mistress in public made Mr. Zhu’s face flush with embarrassment. He stiffened his neck and said, "What mistress? My wife and I have been in love our whole lives; there’s never been a third party. Don't go spreading rumors about me! This reading isn't accurate at all, so I don't need to pay."

Seren said unhurriedly, "Whether it's accurate or not, don't you have a clue in your own heart? Your mistress lives in Unit 1, Building 4, Apartment 2103 of Shallow Water Bay. Do I need to notify your wife to go check if her bag is there right now?"

"No! You can't tell my wife about this!" Hearing Seren say she would tell his wife, Mr. Zhu panicked instantly and shouted to stop her.

His wife was a fierce woman, 175cm tall—two centimeters taller than him. Whenever they argued in the past, he was always the one being beaten. If that tigress found out he was fooling around outside, she would definitely flay him alive.

Seren raised an eyebrow. "I don't have to say anything, but you tell me: was my reading accurate?"

Mr. Zhu gnashed his teeth and forced out a single word: "Accurate."

Seren pulled out her bank card and placed it on the table. "This is my card number. Transfer the money."

Mr. Zhu took a deep breath. "I’m short on cash lately. Let’s put this on tab for now. Once I have the money, I’ll definitely pay you back immediately."

"Liar." Seren’s tone was casual. "You clearly have 2,513,548.60 yuan in your possession. You can fully afford this."

Mr. Zhu was startled. He didn't expect Seren to calculate even this. If that card hadn't been opened using the ID of a deceased friend—with no one else knowing of its existence—he would have thought Seren had investigated him.

Now that there was no room for maneuver, he could only swallow his anger, grit his teeth, and pay Seren the money.

Having been in this world for nearly half a month, this was the first time Seren had received such a large sum of income. Her eyes were shining like stars.

"Since you paid up quite promptly, I’ll give you one more reading for free. That mistress of yours is actually your grandson's girlfriend. If you don't want to end up losing both your money and your dignity, you’d better break up with her immediately."