Maxwell’s decision

Bang! Bang!

The blue-and-white porcelain fell to the ground, shattering into pieces in an instant.

Maxwell and Simon's faces changed in an instant.

This was their father's most beloved collection. He cared for it more than he did his own health, wiping it with a cotton cloth every day, almost as if it were more important than his own life.

But now, John had just smashed it into pieces.

It wasn't just the porcelain that was shattered—it was Stratton's heart.

"Are you insane? Do you think my father isn't sick enough? How dare you destroy his collection? I'm going to kill you!" Simon roared angrily, rushing toward John with a raised fist.

But Maxwell quickly stopped him.

"Calm down. There must be a reason for Mr. Lopez to do this," Maxwell said, his tone measured despite the anger in his eyes.

Simon was confused, unable to understand why Maxwell wasn't as enraged as he was.

"Maxwell, can't you see? He's doing this deliberately to provoke our father! Why are you still defending him?" Simon shouted.

Maxwell remained silent, his face stern. He had no choice but to trust John now. He couldn't afford to alienate him.

At that moment, John raised another blue-and-white porcelain piece, pretending to smash it.

Simon's eyes widened in disbelief. He could no longer hold back. He lunged forward, grabbing the porcelain from John's hand.

But then, something extraordinary happened.

"Ugh…" Stratton, who had been lying quietly in bed, suddenly stirred. He sat up and opened his mouth to scold John, but before he could say anything, he began vomiting violently. Sour, foul-smelling food spilled from his mouth.

His swollen belly, once bloated like a basketball, suddenly flattened as the food came up.

It became clear that Stratton's illness was due to an accumulation of food caused by a malfunctioning spleen.

According to the Five-Elements Theory in traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen was linked to the Earth element, while the liver was linked to Wood. Wood could overpower Earth, and by provoking Stratton's anger, John had triggered a surge of heat in his liver, which caused his spleen to lose control and expel the accumulated food.

Without any injections or prescribed medicines, Stratton's condition began to improve on its own.

Maxwell and Simon were stunned, unable to process what had just happened.

"Did you find that amusing?" John asked suddenly, turning toward Tino with a sly grin.

Earlier, when John had smashed the porcelain, Tino had been the one who laughed the loudest, mocking John. "This bastard could do treatment? I'm afraid it's just a joke!"

Everyone else had been distracted by the noise and the broken porcelain, but John had heard it clearly. How could Tino call him a "bastard"?

John couldn't let that slide.

With a swift motion, he slapped Tino on the back of the head.

Tino stumbled forward, landing right in Stratton's vomit. The disgusting smell hit him immediately, and he gagged.

Maxwell, seeing this, immediately called two bodyguards to drag Tino out.

"Mr. Lopez, I'm so sorry. I almost misunderstood you," Simon said apologetically, realizing his earlier mistake. He had almost struck John.

"It's alright. You love your father too much," John replied, his tone calm.

John turned his attention back to Stratton and smiled, "Stratton, won't you blame me for smashing your treasured porcelain?"

Stratton waved his hand, laughing, "No, Mr. Lopez. You saved my life. How could I blame you? Even though I feel sorry for the broken porcelain, it was still worth it to get my health back."

"Mr. Lopez, please feel free to tell me the medical fee," Maxwell said respectfully.

"No, thank you. After all, I've already destroyed one of your father's treasures. I won't take any fees for the treatment. Just make sure your family supports my sister's Queenie Group in the future. That will be enough," John said, then turned and strode out of the house.

Watching John's confident, carefree figure leave, Maxwell clenched his fists, his mind racing. He made a bold decision in that moment.

"Hold a family meeting immediately. I'm going to announce that from now on, all the sales channels of our family will exclusively serve the products of Queenie Group," Maxwell declared.

"Maxwell, isn't that too risky?" Simon asked, concern clouding his face.

Shifting all the family's resources to Queenie Group meant the Remar family's future was now tied to the success of Queenie Group. If the company faltered, they would all suffer.

"We're businessmen. We take risks every day," Maxwell said firmly, his voice resolute.

Stratton, having passed control of the family business to Maxwell, nodded and said, "Since I've handed everything to you, I'll support any decision you make. I also believe that Mr. Lopez is not just anyone. He will undoubtedly become a major figure in the future."

Mr. Lopez?

Maxwell narrowed his eyes. It wasn't just "Mr. Lopez" who had influenced his decision; it was also the man behind him—the one who had made him believe in the power of change.

Meanwhile, back at Greenland Villa, Alice sat with a sly smile on her face.

"John, do you know why Master of Clouds suddenly gave me a painting? How did he know me?" she asked, clearly curious.

"You should ask him," John replied with a shrug.

"Hmph, don't play dumb! Tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me?" Alice pressed, dragging John into the room.

She pointed to the crumpled rice paper on the table. "I went through your trash can. Apart from some strange tissue papers, this is all I found."

John stared at her in disbelief. "Are you a dog, sniffing through the trash? Who would go through someone's trash?!"

But John knew exactly what the crumpled rice paper was. It was the draft he had used when painting Blooming Rose.