The Secretly Rich Man Chapter 196-200

[Chapter 196]

“Ahaha, don’t say that! He goes to Mayberry University, you know—after he graduates, he might very well find himself a job along Mayberry Commercial Street, too!”

Everyone wanted to get in on the merriment.

“Oho? Then we’d basically be colleagues! Let’s get along, Gerald!” Murphy chortled.

He wanted to keep this conversation going. He would often have to hear about everyone bringing up this old friend of Sharon’s.

It had made him curious about what she’d seen in a penniless guy like Gerald.

Sometimes it even made things awkward for him.

That was why, the moment this guy was introduced to him as Gerald, Murphy couldn’t resist having a bit of fun at his expense, just to see how he’d respond.

So far, it appeared that this Gerald had no social skills to speak of whatsoever. Once he started working life, it would be a carnival with him!

“Haha… Leave him alone, Murphy! For a guy like him to get a job in Mayberry Street, the boss would have to be deaf and blind!”

“Oh, yeah—Murphy, you never told us how you scored that Sales Manager job over there!”

The focus had been returned to Murphy, anyway.

“Oh, that’s a long story—but I suppose it could be because this is my field of specialty. But my boss thinks I’m still kinda green, so my salary’s only 45k per year for now. Ahh, I still have such a long way to go!”

“Whoa! That’s amazing, man!”

A fresh graduate commanding that level of pay was a rare thing. What’s more, he could still climb further up the coveted Mayberry corporate ladder.

Lilian was green with envy toward Sharon now. She was her equal in terms of looks—but Lilian was more carefree, while Sharon was more reserved. The latter approach apparently made a woman more desirable.

At the moment, Sharon was beaming with pride.

Unbidden, her gaze sought out Gerald, further down the table.

A quiet pang of sorrow arose in her heart, followed immediately by horror—imagine if, during those years, she’d succumbed to a moment’s sentimentality and had become an item with that guy… what would her fate have been?

“Ahah, I just got lucky. Lilian, you and the others have done pretty well for yourselves too—I hear you’re an elementary school teacher now? Is that for real?”

Lilian nodded. “Yup, yup!”

“That’s wonderful to hear. From now on, we can all continue to grow with the Mayberry family. I’m planning to get my own place in the district in a couple of years… and then, I shall marry Sharon!”

Chuckling merrily, Murphy added, “Oh, yes—Gerald, bro, what are your plans for after you graduate? Gonna apply for a government position? Have you got a job lined up for yourself? Interested in sales? Design? Perhaps admin work?

“I’d recommend that last one for you. A government office would be a tough fit for you. Speaking as someone working in sales, honestly, you’d be terrible at this sort of thing, Gerald. As for design, it sounds great on paper, but the reality is a nightmare! It takes a sharp, logical mind… another talent you don’t seem to be blessed with. No, it’s gotta be something less cerebral, a basic desk job where all you need to know is how to work a simple calculator—that’s perfect for you!”

After Murphy said all this, everyone watched Gerald contemptuously.

The food was already on the table. Gerald ate, keeping his own counsel. The only thing he said in reply was, “We’ll see how it goes. Whatever works. No need for your concern.”

“Yo, yo, yo! There’s that attitude, again… Can’t handle the truth?”

“That’s it! It’s bad enough how hopeless you are, but you won’t even listen to good advice? Alas, your future looks bleak!” Lilian moaned.

As they went on heckling Gerald in this way, unbeknownst to any of them, trouble was brewing outside their private room.

A group of youths were having a disagreement with one of the staff:

“I said we’ll pay extra, understand? We’re a big group—it has to be this room!” snapped a crude sort of fellow. “Name your price, d*mn it, and then kick everyone out of there!”

[Chapter 197]

“Sir, there’s just no way! Their food has already been served!”

“You still don’t get it? Don’t you know who you’re talking to? Three minutes, that’s all I’ll give you—and if you can’t get it done for me, your manager will do it in your place. Try me!” the man blustered arrogantly.

“Alright… I’ll give it a shot.” The waitress hurried inside and explained the situation.

Lilian and the others would have none of it.

What was the meaning of this? They had gotten here first—they had even begun eating already! Now, you come in here and say, what, switch tables? Just like that?

Who do you think you are!

“No way. Tell them we’re not moving!” Lilian was glaring, her temper suddenly flaring.

“Oho? I’d like to see just who that is hollering in there, thinking she’s hot stuff!”

The doors to the private room opened, and the other group strode right in.

It was building up toward a brawl.

Murphy was their champion on this side. He had nothing to fear from your run-of-the-mill rich brats— especially not now that he was working for the Mayberry group. Everyone looked toward him in anticipation.

Murphy cleared his throat and stood. “My friends, we did reserve this room first. Changing places now is simply not an option—that’s just unreasonable. How about this, next time, I make it my treat? We can have a meal together at Homeland Kitchen along Mayberry Commercial Street!”

He was cool and collected, smiling amicably.

It was a statement bearing multiple payloads: They were standing their ground, and he had connections to Mayberry.

“Gods! Everyone and their mother claims to be from Mayberry these days! You think just because I don’t work there myself, that means I don’t have any big friends in Mayberry?”

Saying this, someone appeared at the doorway, strolling through with both hands in his pockets.

“Mr. Ziegler! So it was you, sir?” Seeing this man, Murphy’s stern countenance instantly gave way to effusive fawning. Even Sharon had to avert her eyes from the sight of this.

Yancy Ziegler was a big kahuna attending Sunnydale University and had been painting the town red regularly with the Bakers!

He also used to be a recurring fixture at cruise parties, where he was said to have made friends with someone of note!

This was big. Yancy was not your typical rich brat at all!

“Oh, you know who I am?” Yancy said pleasantly.

“How could I not? I’m friends with Ken, and he’s always going on about you!” Murphy was in total doormat mode now. Gone was the cool champion from a moment earlier.

“I see… one of Ken’s boys, huh?” Yancy smirked. “I came here to have dinner… is switching tables for my sake really too much to ask?”

“Meaning no offense, I swear, but… Mr. Ziegler, we’ve already started here, you see… Couldn’t you just see this as doing me a favor?”

“Pah! Like I owe you any favors.” Yancy was done playing nice. “Enough horse crap—will you move or not?”

Murphy swallowed hard. So did everybody else at the table.

Mr. Yancy Ziegler was not someone to be taken lightly.

Murphy’s usual routines were worthless here. One word to Aiden and he could kiss his precious job in Mayberry Street goodbye.

Though his cheeks were burning now, there was nothing for it but to grit his teeth and say, “Understood! We’ll move!”

“Gosh, but there are so many dishes on the table… How shall we do this?” Lilian suddenly chirped sweetly. Just a moment ago, she had been a raging tigress.

Though she was still discussing the same matter as before, this time, she had become a mewling kitten.

“Gerard can move everything over to our new table. Clear the room for Mr. Ziegler!” one of the other girls suggested.

“Right! That’s the way we’ll do it, then!” Everyone else nodded in agreement.

Yancy, meanwhile, froze in place.

Gerard?

He peered down at the young man, sitting with his back toward him, just quietly eating away without another care in the world.

Truth be told, when Yancy had first walked in here, he had glanced at that same guy and thought that he looked familiar.

Now that his name had been spoken, Yancy burst into action, hurrying over to Gerard for a better look.

He very nearly shrieked aloud. It was Gerard Crawford!

“Gerald! S-s-so you were here!” Yancy stammered, remembering what Aiden had said last time.

Behind him, those henchmen who had also met Gerard before were too stunned to move.

[Chapter 198]

Who would have thought that Mr. Crawford would be here, hanging with this sort of crowd?

“Oh? Mr. Ziegler, you know this hobo, Gerard?” Murphy asked in surprise.

For some reason, when Yancy Ziegler greeted Gerard Crawford by name, Murphy and many of the other guys present at the scene were overcome with jealousy. How was it that Yancy knew that guy but not them?

What was this?

“How the hell is it any of your business whom I happen to know? Get the hell out of my sight!” Hearing what Murphy had called Gerard, Yancy was roaring with rage.

The blood drained out of Murphy’s face.

Gerard set down his chopsticks before calmly replying, “Ah, it’s you, Yancy. I remember you from my last visit to Sunnydale. Oh, yes—did you find yourself a ticket after all?” He had deliberately modified past events slightly.

“Oh, yes! I did indeed! Thank you so much, Gerard! Really, thank you!”

Yancy bent over in a deep bow. Considering how he was always bowing and scraping in Aiden Baker’s presence, what more Gerard Crawford?

“Thank you, Gerard!” All the men behind Yancy followed suit.

And that was hello.

“No problem. If I could ask something in return, Yancy… Let me keep this room?”

“Of course, of course!” Yancy didn’t know what business Gerard had here, but if he said jump, Yancy would only need to know how high. After exchanging a few more quick pleasantries, he grabbed his people and withdrew without delay.

Peace returned to the private dining room.

Silence reigned as everyone stared at Gerard with mouths agape. This guy wielded that sort of clout?

How could this be possible?

“Gerard, how… How do you know Mr. Ziegler? What was he thanking you so much for?” Her stomach churning horribly, Lilian anxiously spoke first.

“Oh, he misplaced a bus ticket one time—but I found it for him!”

What?

Everyone stared with eyes as wide as the dinner plates on the table.

Who was he trying to kid? All that just now, for a bus ticket?

Gerard himself had only just realized that this off-handed lie might have come off as a bit of a stretch.

“Hmm… Maybe it was a plane ticket. Can’t remember anymore.”

“Huh?” Both Lilian and Sharon were still flabbergasted. Not even a plane ticket would account for this!

Scratching his head, Gerard tried to figure a way out of this. “I honestly don’t remember what sort of ticket it was, but he was really grateful for it. Hahaha!”

That should do it—and Gerard felt that he had just about had his fill now. He didn’t see any point in hanging around for much longer. Making up some excuse about having things to do, he made his escape.

Following his departure, everyone in the room stared at one another. Obviously, Gerard had been hiding something… but how could he possibly have anything to do with Yancy Ziegler?

Why couldn’t it have been them, instead? Why, if it had been them, then…!

Some were seething with envy. Others, like Sharon and Lilian, were wrestling with complicated emotions.

It occurred to them that Gerard could quite possibly experience a complete reversal of fortunes through his acquaintance with Yancy. It seemed completely plausible.

In that event, both girls felt as if they now understood the true meaning of regret.

The thought of seeing that day arrive filled them with abject horror.

Argh, what was there to be done!

“Haha, I don’t think Yancy will have that much to do with Gerard. Gratitude is only worth a couple of favors, after all. How much could a tramp like Gerard ask for from someone like Yancy? Basically nothing!” Sensing the agitation in the room, Murphy declared this with a smile.

At this, everyone was able to relax a little.

Gerard had simply walked away although he could very well have wrung them all out on the spot. For the sake of the affection he once held for Sharon, he had stayed his hand. No matter what she was like now, he wouldn’t forget that she had helped him out before in the past.

This made them even.

Rubbing his belly in satisfaction, he began to wonder if Queta and the kids had eaten yet. Perhaps he would bring them something.

And so, he ended up at Queta’s place once again… and again, for the next seven days in a row. He headed there whenever he had any free time, chatting with her and playing with the kids… it was a blissful haven for him, and he was always in a good mood there.

Even better than hanging around in school.

Moreover, he was growing closer to Queta every day.

Having secured her contact information, they messaged each other often as well.

Had he fallen in love? Not even he could say… but he certainly liked her enough.

This whole week spent chatting with Queta, he was occasionally slow in responding to Mila’s own messages. One night, Mila abruptly sent him the following:

‘Gerard… have you been chatting with other girls besides me?’

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