Robert quickly introduced, “Mr. Chen, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Rachel Getty. She is a descendant of the Getty family from Miami.”
Rachel didn’t know who this important young man was, but she felt that he seemed to be the most important person in the room, so she quickly stretched out her hand and bowed slightly to Charlie, saying, “Hello, Mr. Chen, nice to meet you!”
Charlie knew that Rachel must have Chinese ancestry, but he deliberately teased her, saying, “Miss Getty, you are too kind. I think Miss Getty seems to have Asian ancestry. Could it be that you are Japanese?”
“No, no.” Rachel quickly waved her hand and said, “My maternal grandmother is 100% Chinese, and my maternal grandfather is half Chinese. To be honest, in my generation, there is still 37.5% Chinese blood in my body. However, because I look more like my mother, my Chinese blood is more visible.”
Charlie pretended to be surprised and laughed, “Oh, so you’re still a third of our citizens! That’s amazing!”
After saying that, Charlie turned to Steve and said in the tone of a leader giving instructions to his subordinates, “Steve, you must take good care of Miss Getty in the future, and treat her as an important matter.”
Without hesitation, Steve immediately replied respectfully, “Mr. Chen, please don’t worry, I will definitely do it!”
Robert completely lost control of his facial expressions; his mouth was so wide that his throat was visible.
Rachel was completely confused.
Charlie’s presence becomes more and more important, even though he initially thought Steve appreciated him. Now, it was clear that it not only appreciated him, but also respected him, even being a little polite and fawning.
Charlie then introduced Maria to the two of them, and said with a faint smile, “This is my sister, Anna Chen. I am interested in her studying at Stanford. If she comes, I will need your help to take care of her at Stanford.”
Rachel quickly calmed him down, “Mr. Chen, rest assured, Robert and I will do our best to help you overcome any problems you encounter at Stanford!”
Robert came to his senses and immediately stretched out his hand to Maria, saying respectfully, “Hello, Miss Chen!”
Charlie just brushed his hand away and said indifferently, “Just a gesture is enough; no need to shake hands.”
Maria couldn’t help but chuckle as she covered her mouth with her slender fingers. Although Robert was a little embarrassed, he thought that even Steve Rothschild treated Charlie with great respect, so he decided not to be too touchy.
Steve then smiled and said, “Mr. Chen, would you like to sit down first, then we can eat and chat?”
“Okay.” Charlie smiled and nodded, adopting the attitude of a host as he smiled casually at Robert and Rachel, “Come, come, sit down and let’s eat and chat.”
Robert and Rachel exchanged glances and quickly nodded respectfully. Seeing that Steve didn’t dare to sit down first, they stood obediently beside the table, waiting for Charlie to sit down first.
As Charlie led Maria to sit down, he smiled and said to the three of them, “Don’t be so shy, come sit down.”
Hearing that, Steve immediately smiled and sat on the other side of Charlie, then said to Robert and Rachel who were still standing, “You two, don’t just stand there, come sit down.”
Robert was completely confused. He was not a particularly wise or intelligent person, and he did not have strong political thoughts. At this moment, he felt completely lost, so he was extremely careful in everything he did and lost his ability to judge and analyze.
Rachel, who had been carefully raised by her mother since childhood, was much more mature than most people. However, maturity has its limits. This question was beyond Robert’s understanding, and also beyond his own understanding, which was at the university level. Many conclusions crossed his mind. He considered that Charlie might be a descendant of one of China’s most prestigious families, but then he felt that that wouldn’t justify Steve’s obedience. Not even the President of the United States would dare treat Steve so arrogantly. He also considers that Charlie might have some kind of secret about Steve, but neither of these explanations seem plausible. The Epstein scandal is big enough, isn’t it? The secret is very big at best, isn’t it? But in the end, apart from the death of the old man himself, no one else was really involved. If those people weren’t afraid of getting involved, what did Steve have to be afraid of?
Rachel made a lot of wild guesses in her mind, but in the end she dismissed them all. This made him even more curious about Charlie’s identity, which made him very anxious.
After the five people took photos, Steve handed the beautiful menu to Charlie and said respectfully, “Mr. Chen, would you like to see what you want to eat?”
Charlie didn’t take the menu, but casually said, “It doesn’t matter what we eat. We go to the kitchen and see what ingredients are the best and freshest today, and then we arrange the menu.”
Suddenly Robert felt a needle pricking his buttocks. He felt like Charlie treated him, his great-grandfather, like a servant, ordering him around. If his great-grandfather was treated like this, how could he, his great-nephew, have the right to sit there? Isn’t this against the natural order?
FAQ Novel
Q: Why is Robert surprised by Steve Rothschild’s interaction with the young man?
A: Robert is surprised because Steve, a powerful figure, refers to a young man in his twenties as a close friend, and the young man (Charlie/Andy) addresses Steve by his first name, defying age and status norms.
Q: What cultural aspect is highlighted in the interaction between Charlie and Steve?
A: The chapter highlights Chinese cultural norms where it is impolite for a young person to casually address an elder by their first name, contrasting with Charlie’s relaxed approach and Steve’s unexpected acceptance of it.
Share your thoughts and theories about this chapter below.