Chapter 3

Words : 0 Updated : Sep 4th, 2024

Preposterous! Levi’s bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend. Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind? “Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I’d like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!” “I…” Levi was stunned. It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now. “See, you can’t do it, can’t you? Then don’t you ever talk big if you can’t!” Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath. Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You’re not welcome here. We’ve got a family banquet to attend!” “No. Mom, Dad, let him in!” “What do you mean, Zoey?” “I won’t remarry. My husband is back.” … Aaron and Caitlyn couldn’t talk her round, so they could only let him in. After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom. “Since you’re back, you’re still my husband. I don’t care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you’re innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who’d framed you!” Levi could feel the warmth in his heart. She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him. “But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I’ll give you five years!” “That’s unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I’ll de—” “Shut up! I don’t want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can’t we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted. “Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you’ll get back on your feet!” Levi shut up obediently. “I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!” “Zoey, what is up with you?” Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied. Zoey clung onto Levi’s arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!” Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven’s sake!” The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant. Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton. When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes. In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron’s family status was the highest in the Lopez family. But after Levi’s downfall, Aaron’s family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events. “Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?” “Yeah! It’s really him! He’s released from prison already?” All eyes fell on Levi at once. Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them. The old man’s favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family. Mainly because Fabian’s son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas. This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel’s younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now. With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first. As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can’t sit here.” It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family. “What?” “There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.” Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?” “There are four tables for the family banquet! And it’s decided according to the family contribution!” “For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!” Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we’ve contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.” “Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.” “Unfortunately, we couldn’t be any clearer about your family’s situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry’s wife. “Now that there’s an ex-convict in your family, I’m sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!” “Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn’t contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry’s son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it’s a negative contribution. It’s unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!” “Yeah, I agree!” The rest of the Lopez family concurred. “Okay, we’ll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!” Harry gave his consent. “Hurry up and sit down. Don’t just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron. With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly. “Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey’s arm. Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number. In fact, he didn’t know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron’s family. As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query. After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh. “Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!” “This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!” “Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha…” Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole. This is embarrassing! Too embarrassing! Zoey’s temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage. “Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven’t done enough after all these years?” Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks. “But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly. At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi’s sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian’s son-in-law, had arrived. Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him. “I’m sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression. “Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What’s up with that?” Harry asked in concern. Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don’t you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.” What? Is there such a thing? “Who’s this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly. “It’s not just that. It’s said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.” “Damn!” “What?” The crowd gasped in shock. “He’s the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn’t expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I’ll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you’ll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily. “God! That’s incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?” “My brother-in-law is so cool!” “The Lopez family’s son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!” Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian’s son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well. But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud. Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter. This kid is quite something to know that I’ve arrived. But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive. “You’re saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked. Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?” Levi chuckled. “Then why don’t I recognize you?”

Chapter 3

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