Abel nodded thoughtfully.
âThatâs absolutely right, Emmeline said. âTen years of schooling canât compare to a single piece of your advice.â
Paul guffawed. âYou can top an exam in three years, little girl, but it takes ten years to become a true entrepreneur.â
Emmeline asked, âThey say thereâs no business without deceit. Is that true?â
âIn warfare, one must use deception, and in business, some level of cunning is necessary. If you view âcunningâ and âdeceit here as strategy, it takes on a different meaning.â Paul explained.
Emmeline couldnât help but give a thumbs up. âImpressive!â
Paul turned to Abel with a smile and said, âYour sister is pretty adorable!â
Paul selected the location for dinner while Abel handled the food arrangements. They ordered several specialty dishes from Sandwell, including fish cake, duck confit, crab rangoon, and pan-fried asparagus.
Abel picked a few vegetarian dishes and placed them on Emmelineâs plate.
Paul remarked, âIf the young lady prefers lighter flavors, both the fish cake and crab rangoon should suit her.â
âEmmelineâs a born vegetarian, Abel chuckled.
âNo wonder,â Paul replied.
âWhat do you mean?â Abel asked.
âSheâs an extraordinary person, blessed with great fortune,â Paul said.
Emmeline put down her cutleries and blinked. âMr. Murphy, what do you mean?â
âYour facial features, bone structure, and aura all indicate that you are exceptionally blessed,â Paul explained.
On the other side of the table, Luca asked, âMr. Murphy, can you read palmistry?â
âA little bit.â Paul chuckled. âA holistic doctor can read faces after years of practice, and a merchant of ten years can predict fortunes.â
At that, Luca quickly extended his hand to Paul. Paul held his four fingertips and examined his palm carefully but remained silent.
âWhatâs wrong with me, Mr. Murphy?â Luca asked. âSay something.â
âLuca,â Emmeline smiled, âMr. Murphy is saying your good days are ahead. Live well and work hard!â
âIs that what he means?â Luca was persistent.
Paul nodded, âEmmeline got it right.â
Abel chuckled, and Luca didnât press the issue any further.
Paul casually took Abelâs hand and examined it, then looked down. âOh, a woman in your palm, youâll be immensely wealthy.â
âA woman in my palm?â Abelâs heart skipped a beat.
Emmeline grabbed Abelâs hand, asking, âHow did you figure that out?â
Paul used his fingertip to draw a line in Abelâs palm. Both of them could see that there was an obscure âWâ on his palm.
âWow! Youâre truly amazing!â Emmeline widened her eyes and promptly extended her hand as well.
She had a mole in her palm that had been there since she was young.
Paul said, âMoles are a symbol of wealth and power, but..â
Paul turned to Abel. âEmmeline will face a difficult period in about five years, with more bad luck than good. You need to take good care of her.â
Although Abel didnât believe it entirely, the words âmore bad luck than goodâ pierced his heart like a sharp. blade.
âIs there any way to mitigate it?â Abel asked.
âBecause she was a born vegetarian, she had spared many lives unknowingly. This is her merit, and she has divine protection. Also, within the next two years, she will have recurring dreams. If she pays close attention, she can capture valuable information,â Paul explained.
Abel furrowed his brows involuntarily.
âMr. Murphy,â Emmeline said, âWe came to talk business with you, not for fortune-telling! I canât possibly share all my dreams with my brother every day, right?â
Paul guffawed.
âMore than off-topic, weâve gone way off track,â Emmeline noted, seeing the concern in Abelâs expression.
âYour brother cares deeply about you, young lady. Thatâs your blessing!â Paul said.
âIn that case, Mr. Murphy, please introduce some good business opportunities to my brother,â
Emmeline smiled and, trying to please him, refilled his tea.
âAlright, for your sake, I do have an opportunity for Mr. Ryker,â Paul said. âLater, visit my warehouse;
thereâs a bulk processing job for a new product. Letâs see if you can take it on.â