chapter 38 Abalone is good

Arriving upstairs, just as they reached the Emperor VIP Room, they were greeted by a man in his thirties coming out of the restroom, still shaking his hands. "Mr. Ivan, where have you been? I've been calling you," Monica rushed over like an eager puppy as soon as she saw Spark. This guy was Mr. Ivan? Clarence observed him calmly. He was dressed in designer suits, with a Rolex Submariner on his wrist, walking with a bit of a floaty gait, and heavy bags under his eyes. This kind of person had poor kidney function, likely due to excessive indulgence. "Where have you been? You made me wait for so long. Come in, everyone," Spark imperiously gestured, not even sparing them a glance. Inside the Emperor VIP Room, Spark comfortably took the main seat, scanning the crowd until he spotted Rachel. He chuckled, "Rachel, I've admired you for a long time. Come sit with me, don't be so formal." Even Clarence, with his calm demeanor, frowned slightly at the wolfish look in Spark's eyes. Rachel remained silent, not intending to engage with this so-called Mr. Ivan. "Oh, my apologies. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Spark, the heir of the Ivan’s Group. Our company just went public recently. A pleasure to meet you," Spark said as he approached Rachel, extending his hand. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ivan, I'm not accustomed to shaking hands with strangers," Rachel declined politely, though it was more about not wanting to give such a repulsive man any advantage. "Huh? Monica, what's wrong with you? What's your identity? What's Mr. Ivan's identity? He extended his hand to you out of respect," Monica hurriedly stepped forward, sounding frustrated. "Mr. Ivan, if you have anything to say, you can tell me," Clarence stood by Rachel's side, speaking calmly. "This is...?" "He's Chad's brother, just returned from the military," Spark chuckled. "You've come at the right time. Now that everyone is here, Stuart Family's people, Van Family's people, not bad, not bad," Spark's eyes gleamed with a hint of cunning, suddenly seeming less rushed. Then he instructed the waiter to serve the dishes. After everyone was seated, various delicious dishes were served, including Australian lobster, Kobe beef, Nordic caviar, and more. To flaunt his wealth, Spark even had two bottles of Hennessy wine brought out. After the meal, the bill easily totaled between thirty to forty thousand dollars. Monica and Camille, the married couple, were dazzled; they had never eaten such expensive food before. While eating, they lavished praise on Spark. Especially Monica, who kept addressing Spark as Mr. Ivan, giving everyone goosebumps. "Now that we've eaten and drank, isn't it time to talk business?" Spark's gaze turned hot as he glanced at Rachel, getting down to business. "Don't worry, Mr. Ivan, I've talked to Rachel about it, it's all good," Monica reassured him, patting her chest. "Yeah, Rachel has good taste. Rest assured, I won't mind Rachel being married before," he took a sip of wine, emboldened by the alcohol. Rachel was indeed a rare beauty in Zensea. It would be an absolute pleasure to be intimate with such a woman; it would truly be one of life's great joys. Rachel felt a mixture of embarrassment and anger, about to say something, but Clarence spoke up before she could. "Mr. Ivan, since you want to marry my sister-in-law, I wonder how many betrothal gifts you've prepared?" Betrothal gifts? Spark frowned, feeling somewhat displeased. "Kid, are you kidding me? Do you still want betrothal gifts? Monica, what did you tell them?" Monica trembled in fear. "Mr. Ivan, please don't be angry. I'll explain everything to them right away." "Enough, it's all settled here at this table, isn't it?" Spark placed his wine glass on the table and gave Clarence a wicked glance. "I don't mind Rachel being married before, and let me make it clear to you, Nyse Group belongs to Rachel and has nothing to do with you." "When Rachel marries me, Nyse Group will belong to my Ivan Family." Clarence chuckled. "So, you want something for nothing, huh?" "Damn it, what does it have to do with you? I'm not negotiating with you, I'm informing you." "I'm not exaggerating. If you don't do as I say, no one in Zensea can protect you. Only by marrying into my Ivan Family can Rachel be safe." Rachel looked at Spark coldly. "I don't know who gave you the confidence, but do you think I'm an easy target?" How could there be such shameless people in the world? He just wanted to take over Nyse Group, yet he spoke so self-righteously. This guy thought too highly of himself. "Aunt, how could you find such a man for me? You've disappointed me!" Clarence also felt sorry for Rachel; she was her relative, her family. "Sis Rachel, don't be angry. Since things are clear now, I've got your back," Monica sneered, "What are you? Spark is the young master of the Ivan Family. Who are you to challenge him?" Clarence's expression gradually cooled down. As long as Rachel still called him Clarence, he would consider her his sister-in-law. This matter, he had made up his mind about. "I've always been curious why you're so concerned about this matter. Did you receive a hefty bribe?" Clarence's eyes became inexplicably sharp, with a hint of coldness. Monica seemed as if she were being stared down by a prehistoric beast, trembling and stammering. "You, you shouldn't speak nonsense, there wasn't much." "Well, that's an admission." Clap! Just then, Spark slammed the table fiercely. "Enough!" "Kid, are you intentionally going against me? Who do you think you are? Dare to defy me, Spark?" "I tried to negotiate with you, but you're being unreasonable. Then don't blame me for not being polite." "One is a widow, the other is a worthless soldier! In my eyes, you're nothing!" Clarence's voice was cold, and his gaze grew even sharper. "So, you're bullying us, siblings who are down on our luck?" "Haha, well said. I am bullying you. What are you going to do about it? Will you obediently send your sister-in-law to my bed? Maybe I'll spare your life." "Otherwise, I'll break your legs and feed you to the rats in the garbage heap!" Clarence nodded, seemingly satisfied with his response. "Maxine." Maxine nodded in agreement, without hesitation, she walked up and delivered a resounding slap. Smack! The force of this slap was tremendous, knocking out several of Spark's molars, which clattered into the soup bowl. Spark stumbled and fell to the ground, unable to believe what he was seeing. "You... how dare you hit me! I'll make sure you all suffer!" Monica's eyes widened, her finger trembling as she pointed at Clarence. "You dare to hit Spark? Are you all blind? How could you offend such a powerful figure?" Clarence shook his head, took a sip of red wine, and calmly said: "Maxine." Maxine smirked, swiftly approached Monica, and mimicked Maxine's action, delivering a slap. In mid-air, two front teeth flew out, and Monica tumbled twice before landing on the ground. In a split second, Spark and Monica, who were just being loud and arrogant, were now red-faced and embarrassed, lying on the ground in a sorry state. Suddenly, the entire Emperor VIP Room fell into a hushed silence, as quiet as a pin drop. The only sound was Clarence picking up food with his chopsticks. "Sis Rachel, this abalone dish is quite good. Give it a try."