Chapter 13 You Have Been Deceived

Suddenly, Wallace burst into laughter, shaking his head as he chuckled. “You're quite the actor! No offense, but if you really had ten million, you would have been welcomed into the Lindgren family long ago. Why would you wait until today?” Torin didn't pay him any mind, simply stating coolly, “I hope you can keep your word, Mr. Lindgren.” Jeremiah truly didn't want to see Torin anymore. In an icy tone, he said, “You better arrange for the money. I didn't cook your meal, so goodbye!” Annoyed, Zinnia said, “Dad! What's wrong with Torin? Why don't you like him?” Just as Jeremiah was about to scold his daughter, a surprised shout came from the courtyard. “Is that Highland Park whiskey I smell? It's so fragrant!” Upon hearing these words, Jeremiah was taken aback. Having spent decades in the business world, he was, of course, familiar with Highland Park whiskey, a type of whiskey produced in the 1970s. A single bottle of Highland Park whiskey could fetch hundreds of thousands on the market! He hurriedly made his way to the courtyard, followed closely by Tiffany, Nadia and others. Outside the main gate, a man in his sixties was squatting on the ground, inhaling the drifting scent of wine in the air with the intensity of an addict. Jeremiah was taken aback. “Mr. Choat, what are you doing?” Brandon also resided in the same neighborhood, not far from the Lindgren residence. He ran several factories and had a net worth in the hundreds of millions. Brandon shot Jeremiah a glare. “Mr. Lindgren, that was a fine liquor worth hundreds of thousands! If you didn't want to drink it, you could've gifted it to me. Why smash it? What a waste!” Jeremiah was taken aback. He picked up the gift box, which contained four bottles of whiskey. One of the bottles had already shattered, and the captivating aroma of the alcohol made him involuntarily take a few strong whiffs. “I can't believe this is Highland Park whiskey,” he said, his expression a mix of pain and surprise, turning to look at Torin with a puzzled gaze. Wallace wasn't much of a drinker. He glanced at the bottle and said, “Dad, this is clearly fake whiskey that's been made to look old. He's just a poor kid, where would he get the money to buy such expensive aged whiskey? Dad, you mustn't fall for his trick.” Torin slightly furrowed his brows. It was only his first encounter with Wallace, so why did the man seem to have a bone to pick with him at every turn? Brandon's expression darkened with displeasure. “Young man, don't talk nonsense if you don't know anything!” he said. “I've tasted Highland Park whiskey twice, and it left a deep impression. The aroma from that broken bottle is rich and mellow, with a strong soy fragrance. It must be an old whiskey brewed in the 1970s. I can't be wrong!” Wallace was rebuked and felt a deep sense of injustice in his heart. He was about to argue when Jeremiah calmly said, “Mr. Choat is an expert. This is indeed Highland Park whiskey.” He picked up the gifts scattered on the floor, grinning as he said, “Mr. Choat, I'll let you have a drink of this whiskey next time.” Brandon's eyes lit up. “Sounds good! Mr. Lindgren, I'll remember this. I'll come over in a couple of days to have a drink with you.” After Brandon left, Jeremiah stared at Torin and asked, “Where did you get this whiskey from?” Torin replied, “Mr. Lindgren, they were all gifts from others.” Jeremiah furrowed his brow. “A gift from someone? Who could possibly gift you such an expensive whiskey!” Then, out of respect for the whiskey, he turned to Torin and said, “Let's go inside and sit down.” Wallace had a keen eye and quickly spotted a top-of-the-line BMW 7 Series parked beside an empty spot. A twinge of envy hit him as he wondered when he would be able to drive a car worth millions. Little did he know, this luxury vehicle belonged to Torin. The family returned to the living room and took their seats, with Wallace's complexion appearing somewhat off. He had brought along a box of wine that was worth just over a thousand. In comparison, the gift that Torin brought was significantly more expensive. Upon making the comparison, he immediately felt embarrassed. He scoffed deliberately, staring at Torin. “These fine whiskeys, they weren't stolen by you, were they? After all, you've been in jail before, old habits die hard, don't they?” Jeremiah was taken aback. He stared intently at Torin and asked, “Did you swipe this whiskey?” Even Torin, known for his good nature, felt a surge of anger. He said icily, “I've told you, the whiskeys were gifts from someone else.” Wallace scoffed. “Gifts from someone else? Who would gift someone like you, from the lower rungs of society, a bottle of whiskey worth hundreds of thousands? If you're going to lie, at least make it believable!” Infuriated, Zinnia felt a chill creep into her hands and feet. She snapped, “Wallace, Torin is a skilled physician. He's cured many big shots, and these whiskeys were gifts from them.” Upon hearing this, Wallace couldn't help but shake his head. “Oh Zinnia, you've been deeply deceived by this man. Big shots? Who could Torin possibly know of such importance?” Jeremiah grew even more suspicious. Could this young man have been lying all along? Upon seeing Torin not defending himself, Wallace felt a surge of pride. Turning to Jeremiah, he said, “Dad, that matter you mentioned last time, I've already had someone take care of it. Rest assured, I'll definitely get it done.” Jeremiah nodded. “Wallace, you've worked hard.” Wallace chuckled. “Dad, we're family, no need for formalities.” Then he gave Torin a sidelong glance. “Torin, since you've cured many bigwigs, this minor issue should be a piece of cake for you, right?” Unaware of the situation, Torin turned to look at Zinnia. Zinnia softly told him that Jeremiah was primarily involved in road construction. He owned several companies with contractor qualification, often taking on road construction and maintenance projects within the city. He would then subcontract these projects to others, profiting from the difference. Half a year ago, Jeremiah suddenly stopped receiving major projects. He tried several times to seek help from relevant departments, but all his efforts were in vain. Later, he somehow offended Colin, the deputy section chief of the Department of City Planning, and as a result, he couldn't even get small construction projects. By now, Jeremiah had been idling at home for half a year, frequently receiving a tongue-lashing from Donna, his mother, which left him feeling quite downcast. After hearing the whole story, Torin said, “So that's what happened. Mr. Lindgren, I can inquire for you.” Upon seeing Torin daring to take on this matter, Wallace immediately let out a strange laugh. “Inquire? Who are you going to inquire?” Torin didn't want to engage with him, so he took out his phone and texted in the group chat: Does anyone know Colin from the Department of City Planning? Upon seeing this message in the group, everyone immediately mobilized those around them to investigate the identity of this Colin. In a matter of minutes, a rather unassuming individual, known as “Daniel, deputy chief of Kastron,” spoke up: Dr. Yelton, I had someone look into it. This Colin is a subordinate of a subordinate of mine. Torin: “Mr. Lockhart, this Colin isn't exactly friendly toward one of my relatives who works in construction, his name is Jeremiah.” Daniel quickly reassured, “Rest assured, Dr. Yelton, I'll arrange it right away.” Seeing Torin texting away, Wallace assumed he was just putting on a show. He scoffed, “Keep pretending! You can only solve this problem if the earth spins backward!” Zinnia's eyebrows gently furrowed as she asked, “Wallace, why do you always have it out for Torin? What has he done to offend you?” Wallace snorted. “Can't help it, I just don't like those who clearly lack ability, yet dare to boast about themselves.” Torin set down his phone, commenting nonchalantly, “Mr. Lindgren, I've already asked.” Jeremiah was somewhat uncertain. He nodded and simply responded with an “okay”. Zinnia took out another gift box and pulled out a pair of jadeite bracelets. They were a vibrant, vivid green with ample luster, the kind of superior imperial green that was highly prized. Tiffany had a fondness for jadeite and was fairly knowledgeable about it. The moment she saw the pair of bracelets, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, “Such beautiful bracelets, Zinnia, aren't these too valuable?”