C3 The Crisis of the Murphy Family

Esaias stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his voice resonating like a bell in a church tower.

"As a close friend of Lachlan's, I've brought a jade ruyi as a token of goodwill for the Murphy family."

After placing the elegant gift down, he turned and departed.

Whispers spread through the crowd, their astonishment clear. "Esaias? Could it be the patriarch of the prestigious Fairchild family?"

"I'm certain it's him. I've seen him on TV before."

"My goodness! Esaias attending a Murphy family event? Which other family in Virenthia could boast such an honor?"

Everyone was enveloped in a wave of shock.

Doubters quickly voiced their skepticism. "Nonsense! Esaias, friends with Lachlan? How could he possibly fraternize with a nobody?"

Malen, never one to mince words, demanded loudly, "Lachlan, out with it! Where did you dig up this imposter claiming to be Esaias? Do you realize the disaster you could bring upon our family by angering the Fairchilds?"

Disbelief was written all over Malen's face.

He was utterly convinced that a failure like Lachlan could never mix with Mirthdale's elite.

Silence fell over the room.

Every gaze was fixed on Lachlan, including Belinda's.

Her eyes were filled with astonishment, her heart racing with anticipation.

"Please, let this be genuine," she silently implored.

For the first time in three years, she harbored hope for Lachlan.

'If he's truly brought Esaias here, the resources we could secure...,' she contemplated, envisioning her family's rise to prominence.

"People can be impersonated, but not that jade ruyi," someone in the crowd remarked.

"Esaias just won that piece at the Barcombe auction last month. It's worth ten million dollars and is utterly unique,"

Lachlan commented nonchalantly.

As the Master of Dragon King Hall, he's accustomed to privilege. The world's elite are practically at his beck and call.

And Esaias? He's merely one of his many lackeys here in Virenthia.

Temporarily in charge of coordinating between Lachlan in Virenthia and Dragon King Hall.

"Pfft! What a joke, that jade trinket is nothing but cheap glass!" Malen scoffed, lunging forward to hurl the jade ruyi to the ground.

"Stop right there!"

The Old Matriarch commanded, her voice echoing as she stamped her dragon-headed cane. She carefully took the jade ruyi from Malen's hands and examined it closely. With decades of experience in antiques, she was an authority on such items.

After a long pause, she announced, "This jade ruyi... is authentic."

She inhaled deeply, acknowledging the truth of the matter.

"Moreover, I've had the honor of meeting Patriarch Fairchild at a social event. The gentleman who just departed is undoubtedly the real deal."

"Belinda, you've done well!"

The Old Matriarch rarely smiled, but she did now, showing approval to Belinda.

She didn't believe that a good-for-nothing like Lachlan could know someone like Esaias Fairchild, so she assumed Belinda must have used her connections.

"Impossible! It just can't be!" Malen grumbled, teeth clenched, unwilling to believe what was unfolding before him.

"Grandmother..."

Belinda began to step forward, eager to clarify that it was Lachlan's doing, but he gently pulled her back.

"There's no need to explain," Lachlan said with a light smile, his demeanor calm and collected.

He wasn't concerned with others' opinions; his actions today were simply to bring joy to his wife.

Belinda gazed at him, her eyes filled with confusion. Something about him seemed different today, but she couldn't quite grasp what it was.

The ritual continued until the evening.

Late into the night at the Murphy family villa.

"Today's ancestral ceremony was a resounding success, especially with Malen and Belinda's contributions," the Old Matriarch began, her presence commanding from the head of the table.

"However, we must all be aware that the Murphy family is facing an unprecedented crisis. If we manage to weather this storm, our family's status could rise to the top. But if we fail, we risk losing everything we've built," she said, her tone solemn.

The atmosphere was tense, with the family's direct descendants wearing expressions of concern, some unable to suppress their sighs.

The Murphy Group had invested heavily in the Century Garden development, which was now nearly two-thirds complete but faced the threat of failing inspection.

Nearly half a billion dollars of investment was on the brink of collapse!

"Now, who among you can secure an investment or a loan to revitalize our assets?" the Old Matriarch pressed, her forehead creased with concern as she surveyed the room.

A heavy silence fell as she waited for an answer. Eyes darted around the table, met with wry smiles and shaking heads.

Investment?

It was akin to throwing money into the abyss—who would willingly do that?

And as for loans, the idea was laughable. Banks have never been known for bailing out the desperate.

"Silent now, are we? When it's time to share the profits, everyone's eager, but when trouble strikes, silence is golden?" The Old Matriarch's voice was laced with frustration.

"Grandma, please calm down, your health is the priority. Leave this to me; I'll come up with a solution," Malen reassured her, rising to ease the tension.

His gaze swept over the gathered family members before coming to rest on Belinda.

"Speaking of solutions, let's not forget our very own Belinda. She's quite capable and even knows Patriarch Esaias Fairchild. Perhaps she can untangle our financial knot," he said, his voice dripping with irony.

"That's right! Belinda has connections with Esaias—such a prominent figure!" someone chimed in.

"A few hundred million is mere pocket change to someone like Esaias," another added.

"Belinda, the family has always supported you. It's time to return the favor," Malen said, throwing what seemed like a lifeline to those grasping for hope.

The room buzzed with anticipation, everyone's eyes turning to Belinda.

"Belinda, do you really have a way out?" the Old Matriarch asked after a moment of silence, her expression a mix of hope and expectation.

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