Chapter 90: The Call to the CEO and The Shattered Artifact

The elite crowd of high-society guests and greedy relatives murmured in heavy agreement with the smug hotel executive, since Preston held a prestigious corporate title that blinded their shallow minds, making them eagerly nod their heads as Mr. Harrison was rudely shoved aside.

​Uncle Henry crossed his arms with a mocking sneer, fully buying into the fabricated lie, because a frog at the bottom of a well found it much easier to believe a kitchen worker was a scammer rather than a hidden dragon possessing heaven-defying wealth.

​"Preston is a Regional Vice President who works directly with billionaires, so he obviously knows the truth!" Uncle Henry announced loudly to the surrounding guests, pointing a judging finger at the glowing crystal resting in the velvet box. "This street rat bought a cheap piece of colored glass just to manipulate the Patriarch, which is an unforgivable insult to the Vance family!"

​"Throw him out!" Aunt Sarah shrieked maliciously, standing right beside Isabella. "He is dirtying our pristine courtyard with his cheap parlor tricks!"

​Preston puffed out his chest, basking in the sycophantic worship of the gullible crowd, as his massive, fragile ego demanded he deliver the final execution stroke to cement his status as the ultimate savior of the elite family.

​Wanting to completely secure the Patriarch’s favor and thoroughly crush Rick’s dignity into dust, Preston took a heavy step forward and snatched the flawless Luminous Void Orb right off its silk cushion, ignoring the horrified gasp that escaped Mr. Harrison’s throat.

​"I will not let this disgusting peasant insult Patriarch Arthur with a cheap flea-market toy!" Preston roared righteously, raising the heavy, mesmerizing crystal high above his head as a twisted, malicious smile stretched across his face. "Allow me to dispose of this garbage, so we can focus on true luxury!"

​"No! Are you insane?!" Mr. Harrison shrieked in pure panic, reaching his trembling hands out to stop the arrogant executive. "That is a dynasty masterpiece!"

​But Preston ignored the respected appraiser, utilizing all his strength to hurl the heavy crystal artifact directly down onto the hard, unforgiving stone pathway.

​CRASH!

​A sharp, deafening sound of shattering crystal echoed through the quiet courtyard, as the flawless thirty-million-dollar Luminous Void Orb fractured into hundreds of jagged, glowing pieces, scattering the trapped smoke and starlight across the pristine stone floor.

​The ancient dynasty markings etched into the base split apart, reducing a priceless piece of national history into a pile of sparkling debris in a mere fraction of a second, drawing loud gasps of shock from the surrounding elite guests.

​"Yes! Break his cheap garbage!" Isabella cheered loudly, clapping her manicured hands in sheer delight, thrilled to see her cousin’s supposed gift turned into dust. "Now throw this broke kitchen rat out the front gates where he belongs!"

​Elena’s face flushed a furious shade of crimson red, her ice-blue eyes blazing with intense anger, since she knew Rick possessed limitless power and would never bring a fake item, but seeing her own family act like rabid dogs made her feel suffocated by their pathetic snobbery.

​Mr. Harrison dropped to his knees on the stone pathway, ignoring the sharp shards digging into his expensive trousers, as he wept openly over the ruined artifact, mourning the loss of a true historical treasure.

​Rick did not panic, nor did he yell in anger, as a dark, highly entertained smirk stretched across his sharp jawline, since watching an arrogant fool dig his own inescapable grave was the finest comedy the mortal realm could offer.

​Instead of arguing, Rick raised his large hands and began a slow, mocking clap that cut directly through the noise of the barking relatives, drawing every single judging eye back toward his towering figure.

​"Bold move, Preston," Rick mocked lazily, his deep voice carrying a heavy, lethal calmness that made the temperature in the courtyard drop. "It takes a very special kind of disabled frog to purposely smash a thirty-million-dollar national treasure just to stroke his own fragile ego."

​Preston scoffed loudly, adjusting his tailored designer suit, entirely blind to the massive shadow of Mount Tai looming over his head.

​"It was a hundred-dollar piece of glass, you pathetic scammer!" Preston sneered, pointing a finger at Rick’s plain black suit. "I already told everyone here that I saw the real orb resting on CEO Cheng Shuang’s desk just last week, so your stupid little lie is over!"

​"Since you trust your CEO so much, let’s ask him," Rick replied smoothly, casually raising his sleek titanium phone, making sure to tap the maximum speaker volume button so the audio would project clearly across the quieted courtyard.

​"Hahaha! Look at him pretending to call a billionaire!" Isabella wheezed maliciously, leaning heavily against Preston’s arm. "He is probably dialing a local pizza place to ask his manager for a raise! This is pathetic!"

​The phone rang exactly twice, breaking the tense silence of the East Lake Villa, before a panicked, heavy voice answered on the other end, carrying an undeniable tone of pure, unadulterated groveling.

​"B-Boss!" CEO Cheng Shuang’s voice echoed loudly through the speaker, dripping with extreme reverence, acting exactly like a loyal dog eager to please its master. "To what do I owe the absolute honor of this call? Did my security team deliver the package safely to your penthouse?"

​Preston’s arrogant smile froze instantly, as his small brain registered the familiar voice of his supreme corporate leader, making a tiny bead of cold sweat form on his forehead.

​"They did, Cheng," Rick answered flatly, his deadpan eyes locking directly onto Preston’s pale face. "But I need you to confirm something for a very confused employee of yours. Tell the people here exactly what you sent me."

​Cheng Shuang did not hesitate for a single second, eager to prove his worth to the phantom billionaire who held his entire career in the palm of his hand.

​"I sent you the authentic Luminous Void Orb, Boss!" Cheng declared loudly, his voice echoing across the silent courtyard, causing the jaws of the surrounding aunts and uncles to slowly drop. "It is the genuine dynasty masterpiece! I personally spent thirty million dollars acquiring it from the shadow auctions, and I was incredibly honored to gift it to you yesterday in exchange for your supreme backing!"

​The entire East Lake Villa fell into a dead, horrifying silence, as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the sprawling courtyard, leaving only the sound of the evening wind rustling the silk banners.

​Uncle Henry stopped rubbing his chin, his greedy eyes bulging out of his head, while Aunt Sarah choked on her expensive champagne, realizing the kitchen worker they had been mocking was actually a god-tier existence who received thirty-million-dollar tributes like cheap pocket change.

​Patriarch Arthur Vance gripped the armrests of his heavy mahogany chair, his wrinkled hands trembling with pure shock, as he stared at the shattered glowing crystal on the floor, realizing his foolish family had just destroyed a tribute worthy of an emperor.

​"N-no... that’s impossible," Preston stammered pathetically, as all the blood drained from his face, leaving him looking like a sick ghost, his knees shaking uncontrollably under his tailored suit. "CEO Cheng... is that really you?"

​Cheng Shuang heard the familiar voice through the speaker, as his tone instantly shifted from groveling reverence to cold, furious corporate authority.

​"Who is speaking?!" Cheng demanded aggressively. "Are you questioning my words in front of the supreme boss?!"

​"I am... I am Preston Croft," Preston whispered, his voice cracking with pure terror, as the crushing gravity of his colossal mistake threatened to snap his spine. "Regional Vice President of the southern district..."

​Rick let out a dark, booming laugh that sent shivers down the spines of every single elite guest, as he took a slow step forward, looking down at the trembling executive.

​"You really failed to see Mount Tai, Preston," Rick stated coldly, dropping the ultimate execution blade right onto the man’s neck. "You didn’t just smash a thirty-million-dollar masterpiece in front of the city’s elite. You did it right in front of the man who legally owns a massive forty-two percent controlling stake in the Imperial Jade Hotel Group."

​"I am your supreme boss," Rick declared, his voice carrying the suffocating weight of an apex predator.

​Preston’s legs physically gave out, as his fragile corporate ego shattered into dust, collapsing heavily onto his knees right on top of the sharp crystal shards, weeping openly as the reality of his actions destroyed his mind.

​Isabella stood frozen in horror, stepping away from Preston as if he carried a deadly plague, watching her golden ticket to high-society wealth turn into a massive, inescapable liability in a matter of seconds.

​"Boss! I swear I didn’t know!" Preston sobbed hysterically, crawling forward on his bleeding knees, raising his hands in a desperate plea for mercy. "I was just trying to impress the Patriarch! Please forgive my blind ignorance! I will be your most loyal dog!"

​Rick ignored the pathetic trash groveling at his feet, speaking directly into the titanium phone.

​"Cheng, this disabled frog just destroyed my property," Rick ordered ruthlessly, leaving no room for debate. "Terminate his employment right this second, strip him of all unvested stock options, and blacklist his name from every single hospitality network on the globe."

​"Consider it done instantly, Boss!" Cheng Shuang roared back, furious that an underling had offended the supreme shareholder. "He will never work in this industry again! I will send security to clear out his office tonight!"

​Rick hung up the phone, slipping it back into his tailored jacket, looking down at the weeping, ruined man bleeding on the stone pathway.

​"You are fired, Preston," Rick stated lazily, a wicked smirk dancing in his eyes. "And since you owe me exactly thirty million dollars for the artifact you just smashed, my corporate lawyers will be seizing your bank accounts, your cars, and whatever pathetic real estate you own by tomorrow morning."

​[Ding!]

[Quest Completed: The Patriarch’s Tribute!]

[Objective: You flawlessly slapped the faces of the arrogant snobs, asserted your absolute dominance, and proved that a true Culinary Emperor bows to no one!]

[Rewards: +1500 Mischief Points, +2% Chef Occupation Progress!]

​Rick read the glowing blue text floating in his vision, feeling a massive surge of system power settle into his bones, highly satisfied with the chaotic destruction he had just caused.

​He turned his broad back on the weeping executive, offering his arm to Elena, who slipped her soft hand through his, her ice-blue eyes shining with pure, undeniable devotion, realizing her fake boyfriend was a literal god walking among mortals.

​The aunts, uncles, and wealthy guests parted instantly, bowing their heads in pure reverence, too terrified to even breathe loudly as Rick led the beautiful Ice Queen toward the head table, leaving the shattered snobs to choke on their own bitter humiliation.