CHAPTER 66: BLOCKCHAIN GASLIGHTING

Daniel’s face was already stormy with irritation. The restaurant owner quickly followed after Luis, carrying out a big platter of prime rib strips for the grill, laughing warmly:

"Ruth, your son-in-law really saved me today. Without him, I’d have been in a real mess. This one’s on the house—please, don’t turn it down."

"Aiyo, we’re neighbors, how can you call it a favor."

"Not at all. Which family around here doesn’t have a college graduate? But how many of them are truly capable?"

Aunt Fatty put down the complimentary tripe, laughing heartily as she said, "But your son-in-law’s skill level is just too awesome. Someone was criticizing his education background before—what bullshit. Lack of a diploma isn’t important; lack of culture is what’s scary."

After all this commotion, the way the mother and three daughters looked at Luis had changed. They increasingly felt that Luis was exceptionally cultured.

Daniel, however, was furious watching Luis steal the spotlight and couldn’t help but say, "If Luis is so capable and has earned so much money, how come he didn’t think of buying a car back when Mom was being wronged?"

This statement sounded very reasonable. The problem was, after this incident, the attitudes of the mother and three daughters were no longer influenced by any preconceived notions.

Especially the look in the Mother In Law’s eyes when she glanced over—it held no doubt anymore, as if she was certain her second son-in-law would provide a satisfactory answer.

Luis lit a cigarette and said lightly, "Brother-in-law, all these things that happened today—you didn’t know about them either, but that doesn’t mean I did. How many years has it been since I married into the family?"

"I didn’t understand the wrongs Mom suffered. A live-in son-in-law like me has to keep his head down; how could I inquire about so much?"

"As for things like cars, no one ever told me."

Luis added with a chuckle, "But you, Brother-in-law, as the favored eldest son-in-law, you should have reminded me about these things."

This statement, using retreat as advance, was almost pointing a finger and cursing him outright: You, the eldest son-in-law from a well-off family, didn’t handle this, and now you have the nerve to ask me?

It’s hard to generalize about women when it comes to major right and wrong, but when it comes to trivial matters, they will absolutely keep things crystal clear.

Sure enough, Nancy’s delicate eyebrows furrowed. "Daniel, this can’t really be Luis’s fault, can it? Even I didn’t know the specific situation at home after I married out."

Seeing even his wife defect, Daniel almost felt like vomiting blood. He immediately said, "That’s not what I meant. I meant that since he has money now, how could he let your mom suffer these wrongs and only bring up buying a car now?"

"It’s been two years, right? With that money, why pretend to be poor..."

This once again seemed to hit a key point. No matter how foolish Daniel might be, his ability to grasp the main point was relatively strong.

However, he underestimated one thing: Luis, who had always lived under someone else’s roof and endured constant mistreatment, might seem like a quiet gourd, but in reality, he had far more cunning than Daniel. Their different upbringings dictated this; it was impossible for someone like Luis to harbor the naive notions of those who’ve lived privileged lives.

Moreover, Luis knew how to cater to their preferences. His method of dealing with Daniel was like using a blunt knife to cut meat—ensuring Daniel felt uncomfortable every time he picked a fight.

Luis sighed and said, "When I got married, it wasn’t that I had no money. At that time, policies in various countries were changing rapidly, and many blockchain assets were experiencing violent fluctuations. It wasn’t a good time; I had to wait and observe."

"Besides those, there were also overseas investments. The amount wasn’t huge, but it was all real money."

"Just like this current 50,000 dollar withdrawal. If I didn’t cash it out, it might only be 40,000 dollars by the time we finish this meal."

"Those investments from a few days ago were sitting there. Plus, some contracts can’t be withdrawn; they have time limits and involve leverage. Brother-in-law probably doesn’t understand these things."

"To put it simply, that stock I have is worth 400,000 dollars now, but in six months, it’ll be 600,000 dollars."

"As for cashing this out, if I don’t sell, 50,000 dollars could drop to less than 10,000 dollars in a month."

"Some are more complicated. Two years ago, it was worth less than 10,000 dollars, and now it’s about 360,000 dollars, and I can’t bear to sell it."

Adopting a tone of admitting fault, Luis immediately said with a chuckle, "This might be a bit hard to understand. In short, I’m a money grubber. The past few years were a stable period where I couldn’t move things."

"It’s all about profit margins, really. Actually, the money in the stock market isn’t that much either..."

"Mainly blockchain, various contracts..."

Luis pretended to blank out for a moment, then immediately said with a laugh, "Let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s too exhausting. Some things involve accumulating little into much, others involve making money from foreign exchange rate differences—it’s all a bit messy."

Hearing this, Ruth, who already held him in high esteem, directly slammed the table. "What are you asking all this for? What do any of you understand? How many times have I told you all? It’s not that we’re saying women can’t do things, but if you can’t earn money yourself, don’t stand to the side talking nonsense."

"Luis had no money before, right? But he invested all his hard-earned money and didn’t squander it. From the time he married Lily until now, he hasn’t been to a bar even once."

"Now that he has money, he’s spending it on his wife, on me, his Mother In Law, what’s the problem with that? So much nonsense."

After this continuous output, Daniel picked up his car keys and left, without even saying goodbye to his Mother In Law.

Ruth directly cursed, pointing at Nancy and saying, "You see? This is what you call a highly educated family? He left without even saying a word to me. Is he mentally ill? Does our whole family have to fawn over him?"

Furious, Nancy called him, but he hung up immediately.

She was also extremely angry and immediately tried to soothe her, "Mom, don’t be angry. He’s just been spoiled rotten. He’s the petty type."

Ruth snorted and said, "I can see that. Really no upbringing. Tell him to learn more from Luis in the future. smart, low-key, and knows how to care for people."

Nancy suddenly asked, "By the way, Luis, how do you know so much?"

"Stock Education is foundational. Useless without it. But it’s also exhausting. I have to get up in the middle of the night to look at all kinds of data."

By this point, Luis naturally couldn’t avoid showing off a bit.

After eating and drinking their fill and paying the bill, Nancy seemed to look at him differently.

Annoyingly, the mission related to her still hadn’t been triggered. What the hell? Luis was eagerly looking forward to putting a green hat on Daniel, to properly vent the resentment he’d accumulated over the years.

As they were leaving, the table of foreigners at the entrance was drinking joyously. They insistently pulled Luis into a very lively conversation. After having a few drinks and exchanging contact information for the future, Luis finally left.

Nancy was staying at her parents’ house today. Given Daniel’s attitude today, with her temper, she wouldn’t indulge him.

Luis and Lily were already habitually holding hands, fingers interlaced. Lily, looking blissful and intoxicated, hugged her husband’s arm, chatting and laughing happily with her mother.

Nancy suddenly asked, "Luis, what were those foreigners saying earlier that got them so excited?"

"Oh... they’re here on a business inspection trip. The translator their group sent turns out he’s half-baked and completely useless—got chewed out and sent back."

"They asked if I could be their translator. One thousand dollars a day."

Ruth’s eyes lit up. "Goodness, that’s 30,000 dollars a month then..."

"That’s way better than being some crappy accountant! And still needing connections? Pah! Really treating the three of us women like fools."

Stimulated by alcohol, Ruth didn’t hold back even with her eldest daughter. "Nancy, you’ve been fooled by him. That guy’s mouth can really say anything."

Nancy sighed but didn’t refute it. One’s own matters are only known to oneself.

Seeing his sister-in-law’s melancholy and somewhat helpless appearance, perhaps she also felt some regret. Luis was inwardly anxious, wondering why the mission still hadn’t been released.

Damn it, his heart was utterly sincere in its eagerness to cuckold Daniel.

Upon arriving home, Nancy wiped the sweat from her little nose and said, "It’s so hot, Mom. We really should install an air conditioner in the living room. Our living room isn’t that big, and if we just close the kitchen sliding door, it’ll get nice and cool."

The Wood family’s oddly shaped duplex was indeed quite small. A low-power standing air conditioner would definitely be sufficient.

After hearing her daughter’s words, Ruth rolled her eyes directly and said, "Things don’t just appear by flapping your lips. How about you and Lily split the cost, half each?"

"I’ll have to wait until the end of the month. I told you I’m short on cash right now."

When the topic turned to money, Nancy became a bit irritable, her face showing clear helplessness.