All Chapters of The Intelligence Edge: From Zero to Billionaire: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

"The rumor, it seems, was correct. One's fortune, built on demolition compensation and stock speculation, lacks the substance of true industry." Cindy's tone dripped with disdain. "A parvenu remains a parvenu. You may surround yourself with gilded walls, yet you cannot escape the stench of your origins. It clings to you—a complete absence of refinement, replaced only by a small-minded vulgarity."You single-handedly degrade the standard of this entire address."Every word was a precisely aimed dagger.Laura's face flushed an ugly shade of purple. Her lips trembled with rage. She longed to fire back, but she had spent her whole life honest and mild-mannered, never once quarreling like this. Her mouth opened, but not a single word came out.Beside her, George's fists tightened at his sides. His own face burned hot with fury and shame.Then, in a sudden flash, his son's words from a few days ago rang through his mind, 'Dad, Mom, just live your lives the way you want. Who cares what

Ruby didn't stop. Her tone remained calm and deliberate, every word striking with precision."Your father-in-law was lucky. He opened a scrap recycling business at the right time, and it did fairly well."By the time it reached your husband's generation, he simply followed the trend—rebranded scrap collection as some so-called 'eco-friendly building materials company.' That's the only reason your family barely managed to squeeze into high society. Am I wrong?"Each word landed like a slap, stinging with brutal clarity.Her gaze shifted, cool and faintly amused."As for you, Cindy... if I remember correctly, you come from an ordinary working-class family. You secured your position in the Lecter household only because you were young and pretty enough to marry Mr. Lecter."And later, by sheer luck, you conceived twin sons in one go. That's the only reason you managed to cement your footing in the family, isn't it?"Her final question was soft, yet it crashed down with the force of

"You don't need to care about what others say." Ruby's voice was soft, yet it carried a quiet, persuasive strength."People like Cindy are far too narcissistic. She always believes everyone else is beneath her. The more you argue with her, the more excited she'll get. The best way to deal with her is to ignore her entirely. Treat her like air, and she won't be able to stir up trouble."Before Laura could respond, George let out a weary sigh."My son already warned us about her," he said, glancing at Ruby, his expression tinged with belated regret."Chris told us that here in Crownsville Residences, there are all sorts of people—some might look glamorous on the surface, but in reality, they're terribly difficult to get along with. He told us not to bother with them. The thing is..." George gave a wry smile. "He only mentioned it in passing, and we never put the names to the faces. If we'd known that was Cindy, we wouldn't even have looked at her twice!"At those words, curiosity

"To this day, I can't even scrape together a down payment for a place in Kenton City. My family of three is still stuck renting," the stall owner said with a heavy sigh. "And business these days... It's only getting worse."Chris had just picked up a skewer of sizzling chicken when his hand paused mid-air. He lifted his head, frowning."That doesn't make sense. Your food is the best in this whole area. It's clean and it's delicious. Why would business be bad?"The stall owner dropped onto a plastic stool beside them, his face dark with worry."You don't understand," he said. "People only care about that so-called 'technology and tricks' now!"He leaned closer, almost spitting the words."Other stalls cut corners with additives—their costs plummet, and the flavor is instant. They can charge next to nothing, and honest folks like me get squeezed out."His eyes swept across the half-empty tables, frustration boiling over."The year's not even half over, and I'm already thousands d

Laura pulled Chris down to sit beside her and spilled the whole story—how Cindy had ridiculed her, and how Ruby had stepped in to defend them."Tell me, isn't that Cindy out of her mind? We were just talking about planting a few vegetables in our own yard. How does that concern her? She jumped out for no reason at all, just to make a scene. Truly hateful!"Chris listened quietly, his expression unruffled. A faint smile curved his lips."Mom, it's not worth getting upset over people like that," he said. "Whatever she says, just ignore her. Treat her like air."Then he turned to George, raising his thumb in approval."Dad, you handled things perfectly today. That's exactly the way to deal with it!"His voice carried genuine admiration."We bought this house with our own money. If we want to plant flowers or vegetables in our own yard, that's our right. Whatever we choose to do is no concern of hers!"The words landed squarely in George's chest, sweeping away the smoldering indign