Chapter 119: Those Who Look Down on Others

At the entrance stood the greeters and the wealthy guests arriving for the evening event, each dressed in suits and ties. Some of their family members wore cheongsams and formal dresses, catching the eye. We stood outside the Intercontinental Hotel when a waiter approached and said, “I’m sorry, sir, this venue is fully booked.”

The master was momentarily taken aback and replied, “We’re here for the evening gala.”

The waiter paused, then said, “Oh, I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t realize you were attending the gala. May I see your invitation, please?”

Hearing this, the master was stunned again and said, “Invitation? I don’t have one. Zhong Ming never mentioned needing an invitation.”

After hearing “invitation” repeated thrice, the waiter smiled slightly and said, “I’m sorry, sir, without an invitation, we can’t verify your identity.”

The master looked awkwardly around at the in-and-out guests and asked, “Is there any other way to prove my identity?”

The waiter eyed him curiously and said, “You tell me.”

The master nodded, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the keys to a Rolls-Royce. The waiter’s eyes widened in surprise. The master shook the keys playfully and said, “I hear the gala is only for wealthy people. Do you think this counts as being rich?”

Feigning innocence, the master awaited the waiter’s response. Seeing the keys, the waiter froze, then nodded slowly, “Yes... yes, it does.”

The master smiled faintly and asked, “So what if I don’t have an invitation?”

The waiter suddenly snapped out of it, grinning broadly, “Ah, a tycoon who can afford a Phantom doesn’t need an invitation. Sir, I must have been mistaken earlier. My apologies, truly.”

The waiter’s attitude was fairly polite, offering apologies twice. The master waved it off and asked, “Do you still have parking spaces here?”

The waiter glanced behind us and said, “Uh, sir, it seems there aren’t any spots available at the moment. But I can check for you. Please go ahead inside first; the gala is on the top-floor ballroom. You can take elevator number one directly there.”

The master nodded at the waiter and led us straight inside. We entered the lobby without hindrance. This was my first time here, but I was already accustomed to such decorations. Just as we stepped into the lobby, we heard the waiter’s voice call out behind us. The master turned in confusion and saw the waiter waving his arms, shouting, “Sir, I checked — there is a parking space available. Shall I park your car for you?”

The master paused, then went back and said, “Alright then, please move it for me.”

The waiter was thrilled. After all, a Rolls-Royce Phantom isn’t just any luxury vehicle—just touching it would be considered lucky. As the master reached for the keys, a couple passed by. They overheard our conversation. The woman frowned as she walked and said, “Husband, isn’t this the place for the gala? Why are people like that showing up here?”

They glanced at the three of us, clearly disapproving of our attire. The man beside her shook his head and said, “Don’t know, probably a new waiter.”

The woman sneered, “Didn’t you hear? The waiter just said he’d park the car for him. What kind of clothes is he wearing that he can even afford a car? Ridiculous.”

The master smiled slightly and called after them. The couple stopped and looked back at us. The master rubbed his pockets with both hands and smiled, “What did you just say?”

The man, also a businessman, replied politely, “Sorry, we were just talking about someone else.”

The master smiled again and said, “Do you think I’m hard of hearing? Come here.”

The man was stunned. The woman grabbed his arm and defiantly said to the master, “I was talking about you. So what? You dress like that and still have the nerve to show your face outside? One in shorts and sneakers, one in shabby clothes, and one dressed like from another era. Do you think you’re from a different time? Well, no wonder people like you have no money.”

While she spoke, she flaunted the various jewelry on her hands with a smug look. The master kept smiling. Curious onlookers gathered around to watch the scene. The master clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at the woman, “I think you overestimate yourself. You’re just a lucky woman married into wealth. Your husband didn’t say a word, so why are you showing off? Such a gold-digger—laughable, truly laughable.”

The master shook his head with a smile. The woman’s temper flared, and she snapped, “I did marry into wealth! I do have money! So what? You think everyone’s like you—a broke beggar?”

The master remained calm and called to the waiter, who had been standing dumbfounded nearby. The waiter approached, and the master said, “Please park the car for me now, or the spot will be gone soon.”

The waiter nodded blankly. The woman sneered from across, “Driving a car? Do you even have one? Probably just some old junk, don’t embarrass yourself.”

The master ignored her, took the keys from his pocket. The moment he revealed them, I saw the woman’s husband’s eyes widen in shock. Sharp-eyed onlookers also noticed the keys and gasped in surprise. The master deliberately raised the keys and waved them before the woman. She maintained a haughty expression, mocking the master. Slowly, he handed the keys to the waiter. The husband’s eyes followed the keys to the waiter’s hands. The waiter nodded and walked away with the keys.

The woman continued her sneering, “Oh, so he really has a car. The waiter must be an idiot if he thinks that junk can be driven.”

But just as she finished speaking, her husband tugged her back. She paused and looked at him, “Why are you pulling me?”

He shook his head, “Come on, don’t embarrass me.”

She was confused. “Embarrass? What have I done to embarrass you?”

Seeing her defiant expression, he glared at her sharply. The woman was startled and said, “How dare you glare at me?”

He was angry. “Have I been too gentle with you all this time? What right do you have to insult others? Do you know who this gentleman is?”

“What identity? I don’t care who he is. If I don’t like someone, I’ll call them out. So what?”

She was clearly stubborn, but the man, furious, roughly shook her arm free and shouted, “I’ll ask you again—what right do you have to insult others? If you think you’re so great, try living without me!”

He spoke harsh words. The woman’s face changed, “How dare you yell at me? After all these years, you dare yell at me?”

“So what if I yell? You embarrass me every day out there. You can deal with that yourself. This gentleman is someone I can’t offend. One word from him could decide your entire future.”

After saying this, the man calmed himself and sighed, then looked at the master. The master said nothing, just smiled at the couple. The man then came forward with a forced smile and said, “Apologies, sir. My wife doesn’t know any better. Please don’t hold it against her. I apologize on her behalf.”

After speaking, the man slowly lowered his head. The master smiled and twirled his finger. The man immediately felt some invisible force holding him back—he couldn’t lower his head any further. The master chuckled, “A man shouldn’t bow his head so easily. You said you don’t care about your wife, but you still stood up to apologize. I respect that. And you don’t owe me an apology.”

The man, ashamed, raised his head and smiled awkwardly. The master patted him on the shoulder. Just then, a voice came from behind us: “Sir, your Rolls-Royce Phantom has been parked. Here are the keys.”