Chapter 12

Five minutes, still no connection.

Raymond stood up, planting his hands on his hips. “Who on earth are you even calling, idiot?! Are you pretending to be the buyer of that expensive flower, huh?” Raymond berraged, his expression doing a complete one-eighty from anxious to gleeful.

All eyes converged on Marvin.

He had service, data, and a strong signal.

Marvin kept his cool. “It’s already late afternoon. The shop is probably closed and their phone is switched off.”

Russel immediately jumped in. “Excuses! You’re just a liar, you disgraceful in-law! I knew it—someone definitely sent that flower to the wrong address. There are hundreds of people named Gennifer in Gloriston. It could easily be a mix-up.” Russel was energized again.

Raymond looked at him with utter disdain. “And you expect us to believe you're buying a Red Diamond for your wife? In your dreams! You’re just an ex-con with a chronic hallucination problem. You really ought to spend more time at the library reading self-help books, Rocky!” Raymond eagerly spat out his vicious taunts.

Gennifer grew increasingly frantic. She pulled Marvin back down. “Marvin, I told you, stop playing around. I don't want you getting into trouble again, especially over something so trivial.”

Derick and Elena were stunned. Naturally, they had no intention of defending their embarrassing son-in-law. Even if they threw more insults at Marvin, it was useless; they preferred to just sit back and watch with amused smiles. By now, the panic in their hearts had completely vanished. They actually preferred watching Marvin get humiliated—at least it was safer. If Raymond were the one humiliated, the Winston family would undoubtedly face severe backlash.

Marvin remained completely unruffled. “I swear to God that I am the one who ordered that flower for my wife!” he declared firmly and clearly.

Russel sat back down, confronting Marvin directly. “There's no need to swear over petty nonsense like this, Marvin. Just admit defeat, and go ahead and lick Raymond's shoe.”

Raymond had no desire to drag things out. “Let's forget about the flower, because the real wager was about the crude oil for Winsoil. As everyone already knows, the shipment came from The Oxy. Not you!” Raymond pressed, his tone high and piercing. His eyes grew increasingly malicious, and the smirk on his face was terrifying.

Yet, Marvin remained unfazed. There wasn't a single shred of fear in him, and for good reason. He was right, and he was wealthy! What on earth did he have to fear?

Before Marvin could reply, Axel suddenly chimed in. “I just checked the internet. The Gloriston flower shop is indeed closed for the day. If you want to contact them, you can only reach them tomorrow morning at seven. Marvin, what was the phone number you called just now? Does it match the number listed here?”

Marvin unlocked his phone again and rattled off the digits.

Axel smiled brightly. “The phone numbers match. Marvin, go ahead and show them your call history.”

Marvin had called the shop shortly after seven in the morning, and the flowers had arrived just before eight.

Axel nearly chuckled. “Marvin probably just forgot to explain that detail earlier. I'll get him a glass of water so he can refocus. Well, so far Marvin has proven he isn't a liar. Please, do continue!” Axel leaned back comfortably against his chair. Accustomed to grueling academic debates at university, he felt zero tension whatsoever.

Right then, as evening approached, Marvin dialed one of The Oxy's directors directly. Unlike before, the call connected instantly.

“Mr. Nicholas, apologies for the interruption. I just want to ensure that Winsoil’s crude oil supply is secure for the next month.” Marvin deliberately switched it to speakerphone so everyone could hear.

“Mr. Rock, everything is proceeding according to your exact instructions. If there's anything else you'd like to add, we'll handle it immediately.”

“No need, Mr. Nicholas. I’ll contact you if anything else comes up. Thank you.”

*CLICK!*

Russel stood up again and began pacing the room. He knew Nicholas was the Director of Sales and Marketing. The voice he had just heard could not possibly be a fake.

Raymond clicked his tongue in distress. His eyes reddened with mounting panic, yet stubborn disbelief still held him back. “You could easily have staged that call, Marvin!” he argued, his voice slightly stammering.

Marvin smiled faintly and replied, “Staged what? Go ahead and call Mr. Nicholas right now using your own phone to verify. There's no way you don't know him. Isn't The Oxy Harvard's fiercest competitor?”

It was a reality almost too bitter to swallow. For years, Harvard had strictly forbidden Winsoil and other companies from accepting raw materials from The Oxy under any circumstances. Ironically, Harvard itself imposed tight restrictions whenever it supplied them. It was a ludicrous system.

Whenever companies tried to push back, they were slapped with penalties by the government. The collusion between Harvard and the authorities was tight-knit, naturally making life difficult for countless businesses. That was precisely why Marvin had to take decisive action to smash all these bizarre regulations and restrictions once and for all.

Suddenly, Derick shouted from a short distance away near the stairs, “Marvin, how much did you pay them? And how on earth did you get government clearance so fast?” he demanded, his voice thick with curiosity.

Derick wasn't the only one; everyone was filled with curiosity, especially Raymond. Hadn't his father explicitly told the authorities to closely monitor all raw material distribution, both domestic and international?

Marvin raised his voice. “You guys couldn't even believe my words from a moment ago. So how could you possibly believe me if I gave you a long, detailed explanation?” Marvin let out a doubtful sigh.

Suddenly, all eyes shifted toward Raymond. As hard as it was to swallow the reality that Marvin had a hand in that crude oil shipment, they couldn't deny the concrete evidence from the phone call just moments ago.

Marvin stood up, propped his right foot back onto the table, and said firmly, “Crown Prince Raymond of Harvard, just a single lick, and you are free to leave. I guarantee you, we will keep this major secret safe. You don't need to worry!” He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze remaining piercingly sharp.

*Thump!*

The room fell instantly silent.

Raymond broke out into a cold sweat, his face turning even paler. Deep down inside, he would never, ever lick anyone's shoe—especially not the sole of a man like Marvin.

Seeing that Raymond was stalling, Marvin finally offered a new compromise. “Alright, fine. If you haven't brushed your teeth this evening, there's no need to be ashamed to admit it. If you aren't willing to lick the sole of my shoe, then starting today, you are never to harass my marriage again. Understood? Don't you ever bother my wife again, and don't bother sending any more of your cheap trash gifts!”

Hearing that, Raymond growled, burning with intense humiliation. “Bastard!” he cursed, turning on his heel and storming out without even bidding farewell to the homeowners. Raymond took long, sweeping strides, ignoring everyone in his path.

Marvin cast a sweeping glance at each member of the Winston family as he pulled his wife close into his embrace. “Tonight, I am taking my wife back to my home because she is my right and my property. No further explanations are necessary, and tomorrow, she will be wearing a Red Diamond necklace!”