America 1982-Chapter 176 - 67: Lies Fill the House
At the second-floor corridor of the seaside villa, Robert Miller, with his light golden hair, wore a gentle smile. Slowly rising from his seat, he didn’t hurry forward but stood still, a look of appreciation on his face as he watched Tommy, who was approaching closer from the staircase.
He spoke with the same tone he had used on the phone:
"Kid, you should have come over last night to have a drink with me and chat. The Tommy I remember isn’t the shy type."
"I know, but when a man has a girlfriend, no matter what type of personality he has, it all eventually boils down to just one type, the passive type. It’s best to just obediently listen to your girlfriend’s words, unless you want her to teach you a harsh lesson, like in my case." Tommy replied as he approached, simultaneously reaching out his hand:
"Tommy Hawk, SSD Stanford University Chapter, very pleased to meet you, Mr. Miller."
Miller shook Tommy’s hand and then introduced Julian Farrel, who was rolling up his shirt sleeves as he walked over, "Ottelia’s father, Julian Farrel, the president of the maritime line, my classmate from Cornell University, a purebred vampire salesman whose greatest pleasure is selling some ramshackle sailboats to friends, like me."
"Do I look somewhat out of place here in my own vacation villa, after all, two guys from the White Robe Society are openly maligning a member of the Phoenix Society." Farrel came over with a smile and extended his hand to Tommy:
"Tommy Hawk, Ottelia has always been mentioning you to her mother and me, saying you’re her top student, even though she has no teaching position. We actually should have met back when you were in high school, right?"
"Yes, sir." Tommy nodded to Farrel, "It’s a shame we didn’t meet during my high school years."
Farrel didn’t overstayed, and after shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with Tommy, he took his leave saying, "I’m going to make a few calls to the office to take care of business, no need for regret. When I’m done, we’ll have a meal together, it’s just the same as meeting now."
"No need for regrets, Tommy, sit down, and I’ll tell you why there’s no need for any." Miller gestured for Tommy to sit beside him and then, looking down at Sophia who was enjoying a pleasant conversation with Ottelia and his own three daughters, said:
"Julian in college, stole away our SSD Cornell University Chapter’s international sweetheart contestant, who is now his wife. After hearing this news, do you still feel regret?"
Tommy shrugged his shoulders and said to Miller with a bitter smile, "Then let me tell you something even more regrettable: The leading contender for international sweetheart chosen by the Stanford Chapter, a blonde looking very much like Judy Garland, has also been snatched away by someone from the Phoenix Society. Just like your relationship with Mr. Farell, that Phoenix Society guy is also my friend, and it seems there’s nothing I can do but regret."
"No, there’s plenty you can do. If I were you, I’d take the opportunity to avenge SSD and marry his daughter," Miller suddenly turned his head and suggested to Tommy.
Tommy was momentarily taken aback. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Robert Miller burst into loud laughter, "Sounds challenging, right? After all, she’s the only daughter of the Farell family from the maritime line, who has been well cared for from birth, unlike people like us, who had to understand social rules from the moment we were born and figure out ways to make our lives better. Your father is..."
"A ship dismantler, but now he owns a small ship dismantling yard," Tommy said.
"My father was a furniture salesman. I remember when I told him I wanted to go to college, he wasn’t proud but angry because he thought I was making a mistake. He had already found me what he considered a good job as a carpenter’s apprentice in a furniture factory—stable work, with the chance to learn a skill. After completing my apprenticeship, I could even open my own furniture shop to support my family and not worry about starving to death." Robert Miller picked a grape from the fruit bowl on the table and popped it into his mouth:
"It took my mother a long time to persuade him before he agreed to let me go to college and become the first college student in the Miller family."
Tommy’s expression turned wistful as he reminisced with the older man about their respective struggles during their school years, speaking of his own efforts to earn money to bring his sister back home as well as save up for tuition by starting a summer camp as a moneymaking scheme.
"I wasn’t as capable as you are in high school, kid," Miller said admiringly, "Back then I only knew how to do odd jobs, but you were already making big money. It’s precisely because I heard about your past from Ottelia that I felt compelled to invest in you, because we are the same kind of people."
"Mr. Miller, forgive me for being direct, but your business has nothing to do with the computer software industry. I mean, investing shouldn’t be so rash. Of course, I’m very grateful for your high regard, but I’m currently in a lot of trouble, and it’s not a good time for investments." Tommy pretended to be somewhat unaware of the other’s intentions and asked frankly.
Those gray-blue eyes of Miller’s looked at Tommy, "Tommy, you’re smart enough to realize, business in the United States doesn’t really differ by industry; they’re all the same. Entrepreneurs might need expertise, but investors don’t. They just need to know that they can make money. Your troubles are not an issue for me. I guess you might have heard about me. I got to where I am today because of SSD, without those connections from West Point Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the duty-free business I run with Chuck wouldn’t be where it is now."
