Chapter 66: Family Dinner, Without Rick!

Chapter 66: Family Dinner, Without Rick!

It was about six o’clock in the evening when the quiet of Star University settled over the first-floor offices.

Inside her personal workspace, Victoria Long sat behind her desk, putting the final touches on her official incident report regarding the ruckus from earlier this morning. The confrontation itself wasn't anything major, but protocol dictated a paper trail whenever a prominent family member attempted to make things difficult for the university faculty.

A sharp knock rattled the door, prompting Victoria to look up in surprise at the late hour. Lucy Shen stood in the doorway, sporting her iconic, knowing smile while waving a large paper bag stamped with the Big Burger logo in one hand and balancing a drink tray with sodas and coffee in the other.

"Hey, Boss. I knew you hadn't eaten dinner yet, so I picked us up some junk food to fill our bellies, fufu."

Victoria looked over at her new assistant and let out a soft smile, though she couldn't help but point an accusing finger at the greasy paper bag. "That stuff is terrible for you, you know."

Lucy completely ignored the warning, marching right past the desk to spread the wrappers and cups across the low coffee table in the seating area. "Ah, that boy James—Rick Lee's friend—said Rick absolutely loves this combo and eats it at least once a week. Welp, that means it is double the recommendation for me."

"Lucy, you aren't making trouble for Mr. Lee, are you?" Victoria stood up, her interest caught by the savory scent of the food as she moved to sit on the couch beside Lucy. "I only brought you on board to help out while the department filled the vacancy. Don't go harassing him."

Curiosity finally winning over her usual dietary rules, Victoria looked down at the exact meal combination laid out in front of her. "So, what exactly is this that he likes so much?"

Lucy grinned, sliding a wrapped bundle across the table. "It's the Super Bacon Deluxe, but with hash browns instead of standard fries. Then you have a choice of soda or coffee. He drinks both depending on his mood."

Victoria grabbed a sanitized hand wipe from her desk, passing one to her employee and thoroughly cleaning her own hands before attempting to tackle this heart attack on a bun.

Nobody in the upper social circles would ever believe that this successful twenty-three-year-old CEO had actually never eaten a standard fast-food cheeseburger in her entire life. She owned multiple high-end restaurants across the region, but her personal diet had always been strictly limited to healthy options, with the minor exception of plain white pasta. If a meal required being eaten entirely with one's bare hands, she had spent her life actively avoiding it.

Both women bit into their respective burgers at the exact same moment, their expressions shifting instantly into contrasting looks of surprise.

Unlike Victoria, Lucy had plenty of experience with standard junk food. Victoria, however, showed a profound mix of confusion and wonder on her face. She took another small, tentative bite, processing how the flavor profile seemed to subtly shift and evolve with every mouthful.

One of the main reasons Victoria had never set foot inside a Big Burger was the simple fact that it was a Tang family business. Growing up under the strict guidance of her big sister, she had been systematically trained to avoid every single commercial entity related to the Tang clan. Despite that lifelong conditioning, she found herself pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meal.

"Ever since Rick Lee finished high school, he has made almost all of his own meals and prefers to eat healthy to support his physical training," Lucy noted, wiping a bit of sauce from her lip. "But the one thing he absolutely will never give up is his once-a-week trip to Big Burger. James mentioned it was a regular tradition he shared with his father before the man passed away."

Victoria swallowed her bite, looking closely at Lucy. "You learned all of this highly specific personal history from his seatmate, James Tong?"

"You bet. James really loves spilling the beans about his friend the moment a pretty woman asks a few questions, fufu. Well, that boy was Rick's only real companion back when he was being actively bullied by Scott Tang, and he never once betrayed him. He is definitely the right person to talk to if you want to learn more—at least, the things an elite computer search can't dig up on its own."

Victoria finished her final bite of the burger, setting the wrapper down neatly. "My niece has mentioned finding James to be an interesting young man. Is he actually a decent person?"

May—currently acting under her alias, Lucy—took a long sip from her soda before answering. "He has one pregnant fiancée from the Japan Empire, Akeno Minamoto, twenty-four years old, who happens to be a direct coworker to Hana Lee. Aside from that single relationship, his record is completely clean, he is polite, and he will do just about anything to make a cute girl happy. But the most notable factor to calculate in his favor is that Rick trusts him completely. So if you're asking if your niece should consider dating James Tong, she could certainly do a lot worse."

Victoria squeezed a dollop of ketchup onto her hash browns, chewing thoughtfully as she processed the information. Lucy watched her ponder the situation for a moment before offering a practical suggestion.

"If you want to make your Friday nights feel a little less awkward, try inviting both James and Ashley out together under the excuse of a class bonding exercise. You did mention Ashley was struggling to figure out how to make friends with Rick after everything that happened, so this could repair that damage. Plus, James might actually find your niece highly compatible with his own personality."

Victoria paused, her hand hovering over her food. "Won't that look exactly like one of those traditional double dates?"

Lucy let out a loud burst of laughter at her boss's sheer naivety. "As opposed to eating at the Velvet Lounge? That setting and your choice of dress practically screamed 'date' to anyone looking."

Victoria felt a sudden blush creep up her neck, quickly taking a sip of her coffee to hide her embarrassment. "He didn't seem to feel like he was on a date, though."

"That is only because he wasn't looking at you as a woman to actively conquer. He deeply respects you as an academic teacher and a prominent member of the Long family, which makes it much easier for Rick to control his own natural impulses. Plus, he already has plenty of beautiful lovers around him to take that raw, naive edge off his system. But in the end, you have to remember he has only ever had adult relationships after turning eighteen, whereas most guys in his circle started in their early teens. Honestly, you are probably worse off than he is in that department, ufufu."

Victoria instantly snapped into her authoritative demeanor, attempting to scold her manager. "Hey, I am still your direct boss, humph. And how exactly am I worse than Rick Lee?"

Lucy grinned mischievously, pointing her plastic straw directly at her. "You are a highly successful twenty-three-year-old woman suffering from a classic hero complex. A random young man swoops in out of nowhere just to change your flat tire, and you instantly develop a deep romantic interest. That is the literal definition of naive, haha!"

"No! It wasn't like that at all," Victoria protested, leaning forward in a rush to defend herself. "He just had a specific look in his eye. I genuinely could not stop watching him back then, almost like I had been actively waiting to meet him my entire life. He changed that tire like it was absolute magic. Then he just jumped right into his white car and vanished into traffic. Before I even realized what was happening, I desperately wanted to see him again, if only to verify if what I felt was a genuine connection or just a symptom of heatstroke."

Lucy wagged her index finger back and forth, quickly pointing out the glaring inconsistency in the explanation. "See? Classic hero complex. Instead of riding in and out of your life on a white horse, he used a white car. But right after that, you specifically orchestrated that little grocery store bump-in, didn't you?"

Victoria leaned her head back against the soft cushions of the office couch, letting out a long, defeated sigh. "Sigh. Yeah. And it was easily the absolute worst decision."

"Huh? Why was it the worst?"

"When Ashley and I finally dug up his background information based on his license plates, I was completely astonished to discover he was the son of the exact man who triggered the initial hostilities between the Long and Tang families. The reason it was the worst..." Victoria trailed off, taking a slow sip from her cup before staring blankly into the dark liquid in her hands. "I could tell that I felt a powerful, innate attraction to him. It wasn't about his physical looks, of course, because let's face it—he is relatively average in a crowd. But it's the exact way he carries himself, and that absolute confidence that he can successfully accomplish whatever he attempts."

Lucy nodded silently, knowing exactly what Victoria was struggling to articulate. What she was sensing was the intense, natural aura of the Yellow Emperor presence Rick exuded, an innate leadership capability that would only continue to expand as he matured. Hana had felt that identical pull, and the Feng girl had experienced it the exact moment he underwent his awakening. And, of course, that idiot Tang girl had likely been caught in it, too.

"But the moment my sister found out I was showing a personal interest in him," Victoria continued, her shoulders slumping, "she absolutely exploded in anger and strictly forbade me from ever being around him. Sigh."

"So why exactly is your sister not taking any action against him right now? Clearly, she must know you went out with Rick last Friday and again this past Monday, right?"

Victoria shrugged, her expression turning somber. "After Kimberly made that incredibly stupid move of trying to get Rick beaten up, and my criminal sister escalated it to a literal kill order behind her back, things became deeply complicated within our family hierarchy. She hasn't said a single word about him since the fallout."

Lucy let a wide smile spread across her face, leaning in closer to Victoria. "And then you went ahead and hired me to try and save Rick from those dangerous mountain monks without your family ever finding out, all while tasked with digging up all of that juicy background information on his past, fufu. You are a total stalker, haha! No, don't look at me mad like that. The only reason I accepted your initial job offer was because of your kind heart and your genuine desire to save that boy. Why haven't you just told Rick what you did for him?"

Victoria shook her head firmly, rejecting the idea immediately. "No. He almost lost his life, and it was entirely because of my family's direct actions. How could he ever possibly forgive me for what my sister did? That is the exact reason Ashley is so terrified to be anywhere near him. It was her own mother who issued the order, after all. She feels an immense amount of guilt over the situation, but since Rick is an absolute monster in battle, she just chooses to stay entirely clear of his path. So, I just try my best to be a good university teacher to him."

Ding Ding!

The sharp double chime of a notification cut through the office chatter. Victoria reached down to pick up her smartphone from the table, her brow furrowing as she read the warning text originating from Rick's personal device identifier.

Lucy leaned over, catching a glimpse of the glowing screen. "What is wrong, and is that a text directly from Rick?!"

Victoria held up her phone, tilting the screen so the older woman could see the flashing notification icon. "Rick has a way to notify me the exact moment Alex Renaldo comes within one mile of my location. That means he is actively heading directly toward this office right now. Sigh."

Lucy snapped into motion, pushing herself off the couch with a sharp, fluid movement and throwing her trash into the nearby bin. "Don't go wasting our white knight's advance alert. Let's blow this popsicle stand, ufufu!"

Around six o’clock that identical evening, a suffocating silence weighed heavily over the grand dining room of the main Tang Estate...

Anthony Tang sat anchored at the far head of the long polished table, staring forward with a hard, unreadable expression. Directly to his left, the traditional seat reserved for the matriarch of the house remained completely empty—a stark, hollow reminder of a family structure that was now thoroughly broken.

To his immediate right sat Helen Tang, her posture immaculate as the officially designated next Head of the family. Down the left side of the table, past the empty chair, Scott Tang sat flanked by his four pregnant wives all lined up in a rigid row. Ann and Becky, the two women who shared his bed every night, sat closest to him, while the twins, Nadia and Nichole, occupied the positions furthest down the line.

The evening meal had barely commenced, yet every single movement of silver against porcelain felt strained and awkward under the shadow of the past week's disasters. While both Scott and Helen maintained their own expansive personal mansions elsewhere on the massive family grounds, and the twins retreated to their private villa behind the main house, the strict Tang family protocol demanded they gather at the primary residence for dinner regardless of their living arrangements.

Scott, his face drawn and completely exhausted emotionally, finally set his fork down and leaned toward his father. "Father, did you actually get those pictures I sent over to you earlier? Rick is actively blackmailing Mei Xia into his personal service just to spite me. Please, Father, you have to find a way to get her back for me."

Head Tang slowly shifted his gaze toward his spoiled son, his eyes dark with a deep, bone-weary irritation. "I found out about her status shortly before you sent those ridiculous pictures across my desk. And no, I will not be doing a single thing about your ex-maid. She is clearly Rick's personal maid now, and that's the end of it. It's done."

Helen didn't even look up from her plate, her voice dropping into a cool, dismissive drawl that cut through the room. "Students were actively posting pictures of you all afternoon, Scott. You were running all over the campus grounds yelling her name and making an absolute fool of yourself in public."

"No! Rick won't even let me speak to her because he's blackmailing her," Scott snapped, his voice rising in pitch as his fists tightened on the table. "He obviously faked her entire deportation process just to make me look stupid! I want her back!"

Smack!

Anthony brought his hand down flat against the wood with a sharp crack that caused the glassware to rattle. An angry twitch flared near his left eye, but he forced his voice to remain deadpan, adopting the tone of a disciplined teacher correcting a failing student where his soon-to-be ex-wife had failed.

"Shut your mouth and listen to me. First, what agency came to arrest her?"

Scott shrank back into his seat, his bravado instantly evaporating under his father's sudden rage. "Immigration."

"Can Rick Lee control the government's immigration hierarchy?"

"No."

"Did you not personally verify that she was located inside the China Empire using live video feeds when you sent that money?"

"Yes."

"Can Rick Lee magically get an illegal alien back into this country on his own? Could you get her back into the country?"

"No."

"So, my genius son," Anthony continued, a dangerous, mocking smile touching his lips as he saw a tiny flicker of comprehension finally hit his son's face, "who possesses the absolute authority to bring her back to Eurasia with full citizenship and all prior charges wiped completely clean? Rick Lee?"

"No. Only the government."

"Does Rick Lee control the highest levels of the government?"

"No."

Anthony leaned forward, drilling his gaze into the young man. "Now tell me, what could Rick Lee possibly hold over your ex-maid to make her ignore your existence entirely and stand at his side with smiles and obvious freedom?"

Scott opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat. He sat in absolute silence, staring blankly at his plate.

"Mei Xia is not the loyal woman you thought you loved," Anthony stated coldly, waving his hand as if dismissing a tedious report. "She dropped you like yesterday's trash the moment it suited her. This is not a woman for you to pursue, Scott. Let her go, and just let Rick Lee deal with a fickle woman instead. If a regular child can figure out the basic logic of the questions I just asked you, then this is obviously not something you should be messing with, right? Even if she begged to come back tomorrow, I would not allow it inside this house."

Scott’s face flushed a deep, angry crimson, his pride entirely insulted. "No! I love her and she loves me. I won't just sit here and let Rick have my woman."

Anthony let out a quiet, internal sigh, realizing his son was simply too fundamentally stupid to save. He shifted his eyes briefly toward Nadia and Nichole, a cynical thought crossing his mind. Rick already has your women, Scott. Well, three out of the five sitting at this table, but you're too completely blinded by your own ego to notice.

In truth, Anthony Tang had known the exact reality regarding Rick and the twins since their very first two-hour hotel encounter. He had tracked the initial pregnancy tests that perfectly matched the timeline of that secret afternoon rendezvous, and he had watched the digital medical files magically alter themselves later on to reflect the official wedding night.

It was child's play for someone carrying the absolute authority of the Yellow Emperor. The only reason Anthony hadn't kicked Nadia and Nichole out of the estate was a matter of cold, calculated survival. Rick was his sister's only son, Rick genuinely cared for the twins, and most importantly, Rick was the true rising Yellow Emperor. Doing anything to harm Nadia or Nichole would make any future reconciliation with his nephew completely impossible, so he chose to look the other way. Besides, Helen seemed genuinely fond of her cousin.

Helen turned her cold gaze toward her brother, her voice acting as the absolute voice of reason. "Father warned you, I warned you, and now Mother is completely gone from this house. Do anything to target them, and the exact moment Father officially passes the mantle and makes me Head, you'll be kicked out right alongside Mother."

"Mother was right about you two!" Scott hissed, his jaw clenched as he glared across the table at his sister. "Why are you two treating a common bastard better than your own blood brother and son?!"

Helen sneers at him, her lips curling in utter disgust at his complete lack of intelligence. "Admitting that you're my actual brother hurts my pride, you know. If you and Mother had never targeted Rick five years ago, we wouldn't even know he existed. You can only blame Mother for sicking you on Rick like a rabid dog back then. And the worst part is, Mother is gone and you're still acting like a rabid dog. Do you know what happens to rabid dogs, Scott? They end up being put down."

Scott felt the walls closing in on him, the sudden realization that his family was completely betraying his interests and his mother—the only person who had ever blindly supported his whims—was entirely removed from power. His heart tightened with a bitter, suffocating anger, his two fists turning completely white from clenching the fabric of his trousers beneath the table. But he knew he was powerless here. Hire outside killers? The Long family had already tried that exact route, and they had been publicly slapped in the face in front of the entire nation for their trouble.

Then a sudden, dark thought flashed through Scott's mind, and a smug smile crept onto his face. Mother is safe with the Song clan now, and they actually love me.

Anthony watched the sudden surge of joy cross his son's face, instantly reading the trajectory of whatever incredibly stupid idea had just formed in his head. "Whatever idiotic plan you just thought up will not only fail miserably, Scott, but it will get you permanently kicked out of this family line. Your sister won't even be the one to do it—I will. And the absolute moment I kick you out, I will officially replace your position in the lineage with Rick Lee. How is that? Do you think your little plan sounds good now?"

Anthony played the role of a true viper here. He knew that if Scott fell from grace, his wives would sink right along with him. By issuing that specific threat, he was ensuring that Nadia and Nichole would work extra hard behind the scenes for Rick's sake—or rather, for their own benefits, since the twins were ultimate survivors and opportunists. Scott was essentially on the verge of dragging the Song and Ning clans back into a bloody territorial conflict all over a former maid and his own inability to let go of his fractured pride.

Scott swallowed hard, the terrifying threat of being replaced by his rival finally forcing him to back down. "I promise, I won't touch him. I am not stupid."

Down the table, even his own wives looked at him with cold, calculating eyes, seemingly ready to pack their bags the second his status crumbled.

Nichole spoke up openly, her voice completely calm as she adjusted her posture. "Scott, if you ever manage to get yourself kicked out of the Tang family, my sister and I will leave you that exact same day."

Scott tried to steady his breathing, forcing a confident expression back onto his face to salvage what was left of his authority. "I am not getting removed. I already told you, I am not touching Rick."

No one spoke another word for the entire remainder of the evening, the clinking of utensils the only sound filling the massive room. Later that night, once the dinner had officially concluded, Helen slipped her smartphone out of her pocket and sent her cousin a detailed warning text—of course, carrying the Head's full, unspoken permission. In a fractured dynasty, you still needed to look out for one another.

Nobody else in the region knew that Anthony Tang had been waiting for this exact turning point for over five long years. Tigers had to be strong, and the weak blood was finally being filtered out.