"The family is already disgraced; ceasing now is meaningless."
Raymond Vanderbilt scoffs, "If you ask me, might as well keep going till the end. What if Sebastian actually makes a name for himself?"
His mocking tone intensifies as he adds, "Isn't the king of adult toys still a king?"
As his words fall, the others exchange glances, their eyes brimming with derision.
It seems the young grandson has truly become dorky from his hard-working studies.
Adult products? It may look like a business on the surface, but wasn't it really for personal enjoyment?
They all understand the concept, having come of age themselves. The difference is, they keep it hidden. Sebastian, on the other hand, brings it out into the open, even treating it like something to be proud of.
By associating with such vulgar things, Sebastian has almost certainly cut himself off from the line of inheritance. The elders, who value face more than anything else, would never consider the owner of an adult novelty store for succession. Not to mention, there are private rumors that Sebastian's stock investments are hemorrhaging money.
Word has it that at least half of that 3 billion he got from old man has evaporated in capital market.
So, in their view, this young grandson is getting farther and farther from the position of inheritance.
But unexpectedly...
"Hey, can you guys not handle it? Even if Sebastian is dubbed the 'Pleasure King' or 'Adult Toy King,' at least he ventured out to start his own business, unlike some people who still rely on their parents' protection to maintain their childish dignity even at an adult age," Abigail Vanderbilt's face holds a trace of coldness as she speaks, "Yet you shamelessly mock others' entrepreneurship. Do you really think our grandfather has been avoiding the head of the Caboat family just because the Oceanic Group isn't up to par with the Hilson Group, or is it because his grandson doesn't measure up to theirs?"
"Hey, Abigail, do you know who you're talking to?" John Nelson Vanderbilt lowers his voice and speaks sternly, "We are your elder cousins..."
"Being my elders might mean something to me, but does it to the Caboat family?" Abigail retorts sarcastically, "Not to mention the eldest son's excellence, I've heard that the youngest of their family started a business in his freshman year of college, and now in his sophomore year, the profit is about to break through 100 million."
"And what about you guys? Has any one of you truly earned a penny without relying on your parents?"
Abigail's words cut sharply like swords to the heart.
The three cousins' faces turn dark immediately, having no words to refute her and ultimately leave with ugly expressions.
"What does a girl still in school know?"
"People who aren't even in the line of succession can't see the real nature of this world."
"How amazing can a start-up business be? Can it surpass the Oceanic Group?"
"If the children of the Caboat family don't take over the Caboat Group, that would be truly ridiculous."
After the three cousins leave, arguing with Abigail only leads to embarrassment, regardless of the outcome. And truly, Abigail's words are not just a sting to the heart but a jab right in the eyes.
Everyone knows that Nicholas Vanderbilt's only hurt point of pride, being strong-willed all his life, is that his descendants couldn't match up to those of the Caboat family.
Otherwise, an acceptance letter from New York University wouldn't have made the old man so happy, though that happiness didn't last long. But it did prove how mediocre the third generation of the Vanderbilts really was.
"Just a bunch of loudmouths!" Abigail casts a disdainful glance at them, then turns her head to see Sebastian looking at her with a smile.
"Abigail, thank you," Sebastian says sincerely.
He really hadn't expected his sister, who had always looked down on him, to stand up for him.
But as soon as he speaks, he is met with even more disdainful eyes.
"You too, why do you endure when they speak of you like that? Can't you fight back?" Abigail then leaves for another table, muttering under her breath, "My mom must've been blind to make me take you as a role model since I was young..."
Her voice is soft, but the words clearly reach Sebastian's ears, causing him to give a wry smile.
My tsundere cousin can't be this cute? It reminds him of content from a novel he had read in his past life.
"It really is quite similar," Seb murmurs to himself.
"I remember KG Studio's profits last month already reached five million, didn't they?"
"What are you talking about?" Sebastian turns his head to find Victoria looking at him with a curious gaze, "Why didn't you clarify just now?"
"I'm more curious about how you know such confidential company information," Sebastian says with a half-smile.
"Mr. President, did you forget? I brought you the financial report this afternoon," Victoria says, slightly embarrassed.
"It seems we need to add some rules about the company classified files disclosure," Sebastian chuckles, then interlaces his fingers on the table, acting to be serious and start to explain:
"Because it doesn't matter."
"It doesn't matter?"
"Right, it doesn't matter."
Sebastian nods, explaining, "Whether it's the title of adult toys or mockery and attacks, none of them caused any real harm, not even a ripple in spirit, so naturally, there's no need to retaliate."
"But those words were clearly unpleasant..."
"Not living in the words of others, but unwaveringly pursuing our own goals, that's life!" Sebastian lifts his cup for a sip, smiling, "Until we reach the end of our lives, slander, defamation, and misunderstanding are just parts of the scenery along the way."
Having said that, and noticing a middle-aged man entering the banquet hall, his eyes light up. He puts down his cup and goes over to greet him.
Behind him, Victoria ponders his words, her lips curling into a slight smile, a soft glint of amusement in her eyes.
"Goals and scenery?" So this was Sebastian's kind of romance?
A minor commotion erupts in the banquet hall. A middle-aged man suddenly stands on the table, proposing an investment opportunity for the Empire.
"Hey, do you not realize this is the Vanderbilt's banquet hall?"
"How did someone like this get into the eldest grandson's wedding banquet?"
"Where's this drunkard coming from? Security, get him out of here."
However, some recognize the man and look upon him with a touch of pity. "Isn't that Garland Blackwood? I heard just the other day that his Empire Investments ran into some trouble. It's shocking to see him like this, truly desperate."
"Garland Blackwood, the investment prodigy?"
"What use is talent if you're arrogantly defiant? His Empire Investments is a doomed asset now and nobody would take over." Someone mocks.
No investor would allow others to disrespect them, unless the man in charge no longer has control on the board. And that is the fundamental reason for Empire Investments' downfall.
At the entrance. The middle-aged man is pushed out, protesting loudly:
"Do you realize who you're turning away?"
"I'm Garland Blackwood of Empire Investments!"
"You short-sighted fools will one day regret today's actions..."
"Thirsty, huh? How about a drink?" A bottled water is offered by a beautiful slender hand.
Garland Blackwood turns, his gaze briefly lingering on the beautiful secretary's face before shifting to the young man in front of him with a soft, welcoming yet confident smile.