Chapter 196
The Secretly Rich Man
Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 196
âAhaha, donât say that! He goes to Mayberry University, you knowâafter he graduates, he might very well find himself a job along Mayberry Commercial Street, too!â
Everyone wanted to get in on the merriment.
âOho? Then weâd basically be colleagues! Letâs get along, Gerald!â Murphy chortled.
He wanted to keep this conversation going. He would often have to hear about everyone bringing up this old friend of Sharonâs.
It had made him curious about what sheâd seen in a penniless guy like Gerald.
Sometimes it even made things awkward for him.
That was why, the moment this guy was introduced to him as Gerald, Murphy couldnât resist having a bit of fun at his expense, just to see how heâd respond.
So far, it appeared that this Gerald had no social skills to speak of whatsoever. Once he started working life, it would be a carnival with him!
âHaha⦠Leave him alone, Murphy! For a guy like him to get a job in Mayberry Street, the boss would have to be deaf and blind!â
âOh, yeahâMurphy, you never told us how you scored that Sales Manager job over there!â
The focus had been returned to Murphy, anyway.
âOh, thatâs a long storyâbut I suppose it could be because this is my field of specialty. But my boss thinks Iâm still kinda green, so my salaryâs only 45k per year for now. Ahh, I still have such a long way to go!â
âWhoa! Thatâs amazing, man!â
A fresh graduate commanding that level of pay was a rare thing. Whatâs more, he could still climb further up the coveted Mayberry corporate ladder.
Lilian was green with envy toward Sharon now. She was her equal in terms of looksâbut Lilian was more carefree, while Sharon was more reserved. The latter approach apparently made a woman more desirable.
At the moment, Sharon was beaming with pride.
Unbidden, her gaze sought out Gerald, further down the table.
A quiet pang of sorrow arose in her heart, followed immediately by horrorâimagine if, during those years, sheâd succumbed to a momentâs sentimentality and had become an item with that guy⦠what would her fate have been?
âAhah, I just got lucky. Lilian, you and the others have done pretty well for yourselves tooâI hear youâre an elementary school teacher now? Is that for real?â
Lilian nodded. âYup, yup!â
âThatâs wonderful to hear. From now on, we can all continue to grow with the Mayberry family. Iâm planning to get my own place in the district in a couple of years⦠and then, I shall marry Sharon!â
Chuckling merrily, Murphy added, âOh, yesâGerald, bro, what are your plans for after you graduate?
Gonna apply for a government position? Have you got a job lined up for yourself? Interested in sales?
Design? Perhaps admin work?
âIâd recommend that last one for you. A government office would be a tough fit for you. Speaking as someone working in sales, honestly, youâd be terrible at this sort of thing, Gerald. As for design, it sounds great on paper, but the reality is a nightmare! It takes a sharp, logical mind⦠another talent you donât seem to be blessed with. No, itâs gotta be something less cerebral, a basic desk job where all you need to know is how to work a simple calculatorâthatâs perfect for you!â
After Murphy said all this, everyone watched Gerald contemptuously.
The food was already on the table. Gerald ate, keeping his own counsel. The only thing he said in reply was, âWeâll see how it goes. Whatever works. No need for your concern.â
âYo, yo, yo! Thereâs that attitude, again⦠Canât handle the truth?â
âThatâs it! Itâs bad enough how hopeless you are, but you wonât even listen to good advice? Alas, your future looks bleak!â Lilian moaned.
As they went on heckling Gerald in this way, unbeknownst to any of them, trouble was brewing outside their private room.
A group of youths were having a disagreement with one of the staff:
âI said weâll pay extra, understand? Weâre a big groupâit has to be this room!â snapped a crude sort of fellow. âName your price, d*mn it, and then kick everyone out of there!â