Chapter 135: Chapter 135: No Leaving Without Paying
The butler reacted quickly. He stood and took a few steps, blocking Nina Sinclair at the doorway.
Nina Sinclair’s expression darkened. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
"This matter isn’t over," the butler said. "You can’t leave yet."
Anxious, Nina Sinclair could only turn back and hide behind Yvonne White.
Yvonne White was furious. It left a sour taste in her mouth to see Nina Sinclair being bullied like this.
She used to think the Sinclair family merely disliked Nina, but wouldn’t go so far as to mistreat her.
But looking at the situation now, how could their Nina *not* have been mistreated?
’Now that the biological daughter has returned, the adopted one is bound to be at a disadvantage.’
The more Yvonne White thought about it, the angrier she became. Shielding Nina Sinclair behind her, she snapped, "What are you trying to do? Didn’t you just tell Nina to leave? What’s the meaning of this now?"
Chloe Sinclair’s expression was cold, a hint of mockery flashing across her fair face. "To pay for the damages before you leave, of course."
"Pay for what? It was a gift. If it’s broken, it’s broken. A huge robot like that is impossible to sell anyway. How much could it possibly be worth?"
Although Yvonne White was a university professor, her field was completely unrelated to Artificial Intelligence. She knew nothing about its manufacturing.
Comparing it to the robots on the market, Yvonne White didn’t think a large machine like White could be worth very much.
"Name your price. I’ll pay it for Nina."
She then added, "So petty. Just as expected of a girl from the countryside. You have no worldliness."
Hearing this, Chloe Sinclair didn’t get angry.
Her gaze fixed on Yvonne White, sweeping back and forth between her and Nina Sinclair. She spoke slowly, "Alright, then. I’ll even give you a discount. Nine million, eight hundred thousand."
Yvonne White had been about to retort with another sarcastic remark, but the number Chloe Sinclair stated gave her a genuine shock.
"Why don’t you just rob a bank!"
Yvonne White pointed at Chloe Sinclair, her fingertip trembling with rage. "Are you obsessed with money? For a piece of junk like that? It’s not even waterproof, and it’s huge! I wouldn’t take it if you gave it to me for free, and you have the nerve to ask for nine million!"
’That’s outright extortion!’
’She might as well be a highway robber!’
Chloe Sinclair shrugged and corrected her, "It’s nine million, eight hundred thousand."
"You..." Yvonne White nearly choked on her own anger.
She never imagined that the timid, withdrawn granddaughter who had just returned could have transformed into this.
’What will she be like in the future?’
’She dares to argue with me now. In the future, won’t she be walking all over me?’
"Chloe Sinclair, don’t you ever think I’ll acknowledge you as my granddaughter in this lifetime!"
Chloe Sinclair sneered. "You never have, have you?"
After her sneer, Chloe Sinclair’s expression turned serious. "White is a model XS0001 rescue robot. Its programming also allows it to participate in medical aid, making it the first dual-purpose humanoid robot in the country. Its primary functions include positioning, medical treatment, auto-navigation, human-computer interaction, and over ten other features. Its production cost is in the tens of millions. Even though it’s just a prototype, I’m sure you understand its value."
"Chairman Shaw may have gifted it to me, but I’m not the one who broke it. I can’t just send White to be scrapped. Isn’t it only right that you pay for the damages?"
Chloe Sinclair paused, the smile on her face growing wider.
However, seeing this only made Nina Sinclair more afraid.
She knew that whenever Chloe Sinclair smiled at her like that, something bad was about to happen.
Sure enough, the next moment she heard Chloe Sinclair say slowly, "There is another option besides paying... Butler, call the police."
Then, Chloe Sinclair clicked her tongue twice, a hint of mock pity in her eyes. "Sigh. Nine million, eight hundred thousand. I wonder how long it’ll take to get out..."
Nina Sinclair broke out in a cold sweat.
She gripped Yvonne White’s sleeve, shaking her head in fear. "Grandma, I’m scared. Please, save me."
Seeing Nina’s tear-streaked face, Yvonne White’s heart ached for her.
But at the end of the day, she was just an ordinary professor. Nine million, eight hundred thousand was a sum far beyond her reach.
"Nina, doesn’t your father give you a large allowance? You should have quite a bit saved up. Give what you have to this girl first, and Grandma will cover the rest for you."
"I..."
Nina Sinclair grew even more frantic.
How could she possibly have that much money?
She had given all her money to paid marketing accounts online.
But they failed to dig up any dirt on Chloe Sinclair, and she ended up losing a lot of money in the process.
And then there was her homeroom teacher. To keep him from exposing her, she had to pay him at least a hundred thousand a month.
She had barely any money left.
Nina Sinclair’s stammering made Yvonne White suspicious.
She glanced at Nina Sinclair and frowned. "What’s wrong?"
"Grandma, I... I don’t have any money."
Not only was Yvonne White surprised, but Mr. Sinclair was also taken aback.
Although he wasn’t particularly fond of Nina Sinclair, he always transferred her monthly allowance on time and would even have staff send over daily necessities.
Even if Nina Sinclair never worked a day in her life, she would still live more comfortably than most people.
He never imagined that Nina Sinclair couldn’t come up with a single cent.
"Didn’t I give you a million when you won that piano competition? Have you already spent it all?"
The family also gave her red envelopes during holidays, and the Sinclair family had covered all her living expenses before.
Logically, she should have been able to save up a considerable sum.
A flicker of doubt crossed Mr. Sinclair’s mind. He looked at Nina Sinclair, his eyes filled with probing questions.
Nina Sinclair’s heart sank.
’She resented herself for being so reckless and pushing that stupid robot.’
’And of all the rotten luck, the stupid thing wasn’t even waterproof!’
’Even phones are waterproof these days, so why isn’t a robot?’
The more Nina Sinclair thought about it, the angrier she became.
She blamed everyone and everything around her, but never once considered that it might be her own fault.
Seeing Nina Sinclair spacing out at a time like this, Chloe Sinclair couldn’t help but ask, "Nina Sinclair, have you figured out how you’re going to compensate me?"
No matter who showed up today, she was going to make sure Nina Sinclair paid up before leaving.
When Nina didn’t respond for a long time, Chloe Sinclair lost her patience. "Butler, call the police!"
Nina Sinclair had assumed Chloe was just trying to scare her, but she was shocked to see Uncle Warren actually start dialing the emergency number.
Nina Sinclair quickly stopped the butler. "Don’t call the police! I’ll pay!"
Chloe Sinclair raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then let’s settle it right now."
"I don’t have my card with me," Nina Sinclair said, forcing herself to speak.
"That’s fine. You can write a check. I don’t mind the inconvenience."
As she spoke, Chloe Sinclair produced a checkbook from out of nowhere and handed it over with a pen.
Nina Sinclair: "..."
’Oh, thanks a million!’
But when she thought about the balance in her account, Nina Sinclair gritted her teeth. "I don’t have that much money on me right now. Can I pay you three million first?"
Chloe Sinclair nodded. "Sure. But you’ll have to write me an IOU for the rest."
Now there was no way for Nina Sinclair to get out of paying the debt.
She could only obediently sign the IOU.
