"Grandpa... please wait a bit longer. I don't know where the gift is right now."
Regine's face was a bit unnatural, her brows full of anxiety. She kept her head down, frantically typing on her phone, sending message after message.
"Master Nelson, where are you?"
"Why hasn't the custom mech I ordered arrived?"
"I trusted you so much. How could you deceive me?"
"Please call me back when you see this message!"
Mason, seeing his daughter's distressed expression, frowned and asked softly, "Regine, did that Master Nelson scam you?"
"Uh-huh..." Regine's eyes were already red with worry.
"Regine, where's your gift? Don't keep it hidden; show everyone," Molly said as she ran over, hugging Regine's arm and shaking it, urging her again.
"I..."
Regine's eyes filled with tears, her chin trembling slightly. Her face was full of grievance, and she was on the verge of crying. How could she admit that she had been scammed? It was too embarrassing!
Molly, realizing that Regine really didn't have the gift, was overjoyed inside. Ever since they were kids, Regine had always excelled in everything—academics, music, art, math competitions, you name it.
Finally, she lost to her today!
Molly struggled to hold back her laughter, pretending to be concerned. "Regine, did you lose it? Don't worry, I'll say that 4-inch exoskeleton model was from both of us! Grandpa really liked it!"
"No, it wasn't lost," Regine replied, feeling even worse after hearing Molly's words.
She had actually prepared a 20-inch mech model, which Grandpa would have loved! Now, she had no choice but to explain how she got scammed.
"I did prepare a gift, but..."
Her phone suddenly beeped, interrupting her. A call came in right after. She glanced at the number—it was Nelson!
Unbelievable. Scammers these days were getting bold.
Regine angrily answered the call, only to hear an exasperated voice on the other end.
"Beauty Regine, when did I scam you? I delivered the goods last night. It's parked in the open space outside the villa."
"A 16-foot tall mech, such a huge thing, did you really not see it, or are you just pretending? I'm speechless! Twenty calls this morning—you're something else!"
Regine was stunned, her mind struggling to process what was happening. She was supposed to be the one furious, but now it seemed reversed. And what was this about a 16-foot mech?
Regine quickly switched to the chat interface. It was then she realized that when she placed the order two days ago, she had mistakenly added an extra zero.
What was supposed to be a 20-inch mech had turned into a 200-inch giant!
Gasp—
Regine took a sharp breath.
"Mr... Master Nelson, please don't get upset, I..."
Now that she understood the situation, Regine's previous frustration vanished, and her tone became much more polite.
"What do you mean, 'I'? I'm not giving you a refund! And you have to pay the remaining balance, or else... or else I'll call you every day to harass you, and I'll hire a lawyer to sue you. I won't let you off!"
Regine was cut off mid-sentence, the voice on the other end clearly agitated.
"No, no, Master Nelson, I won't default on the payment. I'll transfer the balance to you as soon as I finish my tasks."
"That's more like it! The mech's activation and data tracking are managed through a dedicated mobile app. I've sent it to you, so check your messages!"
Beep beep beep...
Hearing the call end, Regine felt a bit dazed.
It seemed she had wronged Master Nelson.
But still, a 16-foot-tall mech completed in less than two days?
Could it really be high-quality?
Oh well, as long as it works. Regine didn't have high hopes anyway.
The phone call wasn't on speaker, but everyone around could still catch the gist of it.
Molly glanced out the window, thinking that something so big must be poorly made, just a bunch of scrap metal welded together to look like something impressive. She had seen plenty of such junk models before. They couldn't compare to the 4-inch detailed model she had bought from Lachlan.
Her eyes twinkled as she smiled and said, "Regine, it seems like the gift you prepared is quite something. Since the birthday banquet hasn't started yet, why don't we go take a look?"
"Grandpa, would you like to see it first?" Regine asked, feeling a bit down. She hoped to wait until the guests had left; it was better to be embarrassed in front of family than in front of hundreds of guests.
"Oh, come on, let's just take a quick look! It won't take long!" Molly chimed in, egging everyone on.
"Alright, let's go see it then," Mr. Patricio said with a hearty laugh, leading the group outside the villa to an open area, chatting and laughing along the way.
Regine followed at the back, her heart pounding with anxiety. She could already imagine the looks on everyone's faces when they saw the ugly model. Standing under the mech's feet, covered by a red cloth, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into. This was going to be so embarrassing!
Mr. Patricio, Mr. Princeton, and the relatives and guests gathered around, curiously guessing what might be hidden under the red cloth.
"Regine, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and unveil it!" Molly urged, unable to contain her excitement at the thought of Regine making a fool of herself.
"Little Regine, Grandpa loves any gift you give. Go ahead and show us!" Mr. Patricio, noticing his granddaughter's anxiety, reassured her warmly.
"Come on, Regine! Let's see it already!" The guests joined in, urging her on.
Hearing their encouragement, Regine took a deep breath to steady herself.
Here goes nothing!
She grabbed a corner of the red cloth and yanked it forcefully.
The cloth fell away.
A massive red mech, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, stood towering before everyone, blocking out the light.
Its imposing presence brought an overwhelming sense of awe.
People held their breath.
The mech's sharp, angular design and its domineering, cool appearance were breathtaking.
Its eyes glowed with a metallic red light, and on its shoulder rested a colossal railgun!
In that moment, it blew everyone's minds.
A wave of intense shock surged from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads.
Scalp-tingling excitement!
Molly, who had been eagerly waiting to see Regine embarrassed, suddenly trembled all over, her pupils dilating in shock.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
With a thud, she collapsed to the ground.
She was completely stunned, her mind shattered.