Chapter 25: Mike Is Mr. Carter!

Victor James's boss, Liam Hand, was not just his superior but also his idol. It was Liam who had introduced Victor to the business world, and Victor admired him greatly. In Victor's eyes, Liam was not only shrewd but also a commanding figure in both his personal and professional life.

When Liam walked in, Victor immediately perked up. "Liam, what's going on? Why are you here?" he asked nervously.

Liam's sharp gaze scanned the room. "What are you all doing here? Another staged performance?"

Victor was confused. He didn't understand why so many high-ranking executives from the Bear family were showing up, seemingly to mock Mike Carter. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Victor realized something was off.

No one responded.

Mike remained silent, and the executives didn't dare speak.

The atmosphere in the room was unbearably tense.

Lisa Ross, however, was still in high spirits. Laughing, she turned to Victor and said, "Honey, tell them to stop acting. It's not worth putting on a show for someone as worthless as him. Let's just enjoy our dinner. And later, I'll make sure to take extra good care of you." She flirtatiously ran her fingers down Victor's arm.

But Victor was in no mood for her antics. His mind was racing.

Something was definitely wrong.

Liam, too, began to sense that something was off. He noticed Mike's subtle expression of displeasure.

If Mike was unhappy, it meant trouble for everyone in the room.

Liam turned to Victor, his sharp eyes narrowing like blades. "Victor, what are you doing here?"

Victor froze. His heart sank. He began to realize that this wasn't some elaborate prank. Could Mike actually be the legendary "Mr. Carter" he'd heard rumors about?

No way. That couldn't be true. How could someone who drove a van be a bigshot?

"Liam, what's going on?" Victor asked, his voice trembling.

Liam didn't answer directly. He simply gave a curt nod to Mike and said, "Mr. Carter, please have mercy on us."

Mike leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on the armrests. He rolled his neck slightly before replying, "It's not that I don't want to show mercy. It's just that someone's been making things difficult for me."

Victor and Lisa were stunned.

What kind of aura was this?

Could Mike really be someone important?

Victor's mind reeled. How powerful must Mike be for someone like Liam to beg for mercy on his behalf?

"Understood," Liam said. He turned to Victor without hesitation and said coldly, "You're fired. Get out."

Victor was dumbfounded. "Liam, what's going on? Why am I being fired?"

Liam's expression was icy. "Why? Do you think you can afford to offend Mr. Carter? Get out."

Victor's mind went blank. The room seemed to spin around him.

This was real. Mike really was Mr. Carter.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

The room fell silent. Everyone who had mocked Mike—Lisa, her friends, and the other women—now looked as if the ground had swallowed them whole.

Mike Carter, still a college student, was now a "Mr. Carter" who commanded respect from top executives? It was incomprehensible.

Lisa's face turned pale as she stammered, "Mike, you wouldn't really do this to Victor, would you? I mean, we're classmates. You can't let him lose his job over a joke."

"Yeah, Mike. We're all old friends, after all," added one of the other women, their tone now pleading.

Mike said nothing. He simply looked at them, his silence speaking volumes.

Moments ago, they had been ridiculing him. Now they were trying to cozy up to him. Money truly had the power to change people's attitudes.

Even Emma Lewis seemed incredulous. She'd suspected Mike had some money when she saw his car, but she hadn't expected him to wield this level of influence.

Throughout the meal, Mike remained calm and composed. Whenever he so much as coughed, the executives from the Bear family flinched.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Southwind Hotel, a man and a woman were having a hushed conversation.

"Are you serious about this, Tyler?" the woman asked. "I don't think I can do it."

"Of course I'm serious," Tyler Wayne replied firmly. "Mike Carter has money now, and if this continues, we're done for. Trust me, he's still the same guy deep down. He may have money, but he's still a nobody."

"But…"

"No buts," Tyler interrupted. "Do you want me to starve to death? The Wayne family has collapsed. I don't have the skills to survive without money. Mike's our only chance."

The woman hesitated, biting her lip as she wrestled with her decision.

"Come on," Tyler coaxed. "If we get some money from him, I promise I'll settle down and open a small business. I won't fool around anymore. I just need some startup capital."

Finally, Jessica Lee nodded reluctantly. "Alright."

She changed into a slinky cheongsam with a thigh-high slit that revealed her smooth, pale legs. Holding a tray of food, she made her way toward Mike's private room, ready to stage an "accidental" encounter.

-----------------------------------------------

After finishing his meal, Mike stood up. Lisa was still pleading with him to spare Victor, but Mike ignored her.

"I'm full. Let's go," he said to Emma.

Emma, true to her character, remained grounded. She hadn't looked down on Mike when he was poor, and she wasn't about to fawn over him now that he was rich. To her, their bond as classmates mattered more than his wealth.

Lisa, however, chased after Mike to the door, her frustration boiling over. "Mike, who do you think you are? These people aren't real executives; you probably hired them to put on a show. If you have so much money, why don't you get yourself a better car?"

"Look at your van. It's a joke. You're a joke. Stop pretending to be someone you're not," she ranted, her voice growing shrill.

Mike paused, his patience wearing thin. Lisa's outburst was so ridiculous that he didn't know how to respond.

"Lisa, you're crossing the line," Emma finally snapped. "Why are you being so rude?"

"Rude? I'm just stating facts. Mike is a nobody, and you're just gullible for believing his act," Lisa shot back.

Emma's lips curled into a smirk. "Lisa, you scratched Mike's car earlier, didn't you? Don't deny it; there are cameras."

Lisa scoffed. "So what? Here's 150 bucks. That should more than cover a paint job on his van."

Emma laughed. "150 bucks? Do you even know what kind of car Mike drives?"

"Of course I do. It's a JMC van. I looked it up online. It's worth less than 10 grand," Lisa said smugly.

Emma shook her head and pulled out her phone. "Lisa, you must've misread it. Mike's car isn't a JMC. It's a GMC, a high-end luxury vehicle. The base model starts at $90,000, and the top model—which Mike drives—costs $170,000. You just scratched a six-figure car."

Lisa's jaw dropped. She quickly searched for GMC on her phone and realized her mistake. Her face turned ashen.

She and the other women, who had been so eager to mock Mike, were now too stunned to speak. They had refused to ride in his car and instead posed for pictures in a Mercedes, oblivious to the fact that Mike's car was worth several times more.