Chapter 404: Chapter 299: Stance
I’ve offered the carrot.
Now we’ll see if you’re capable enough to earn it.
Feng Mountain looked up, his gaze fixed on Cook, and said with a serious expression,
"As for the evidence, you just heard what the lawyer said. I hope you can gather all of it. The more you complete, the better. If you do an outstanding job, I have another reward for you..."
He didn’t get to finish before his phone suddenly rang.
Feng Mountain glanced down. It was an unknown number. Thinking it was Lawyer Kalina Peyton calling with some additional information, he quickly answered.
However, after hearing what the person on the other end had to say, Feng Mountain’s expression instantly turned inscrutable.
After a moment of silence, he spoke into the phone.
"Alright, I’ve received your request. I will give it serious consideration."
With that, he hung up.
Looking at the curious crowd, a chilling smile spread across Feng Mountain’s face as he spoke.
"Folks, Ms. Valerie just called. She thinks that if she can get 5 million US Dollars in compensation, she would consider giving custody of Fiona to Yves."
"My God, she’s a venomous snake! Using a child as a bargaining chip... that’s just too much!" Hearing this, Director Roland’s brow furrowed instantly, his face filled with disdain and disgust for such behavior.
In his view, using a child’s custody to haggle was a violation of the most basic moral principles.
Nash was much more direct.
The tattoos on his face twitched slightly with the movement of his facial muscles. A chill emanated from his eyes as he spoke coldly.
"Khilla, let me solve this the tribal way. It’ll be quick!"
Cook muttered from the side, "Bao Wen must be the one pulling the strings. It has to be him. That guy’s like a viper, much harder to deal with than Black Eye."
"I don’t care whose idea it was. They’ve pissed me off!" Feng Mountain said, still smiling. As he spoke, he put his phone away and handed the list of evidence he had just jotted down to Cook. "You two get started. Once Lawyer Peyton arrives, you can begin the application process."
"Oh, and don’t tell Yves about this, including the details about Valerie’s private life."
Feng Mountain added this specifically. ’Yves has been through enough lately,’ he thought. ’I can’t let this stuff affect his state of mind.’
Cook then took the list of evidence and, with Nash in tow, hurried out of the restaurant.
Watching the two of them leave, Director Roland couldn’t help but feel a little worried.
When filming on location in the past, they always had someone designated to smooth things over with the local gangs. Otherwise, forget about shooting a show; you might find an envelope with a bullet inside taped to your door in the middle of the night.
Although Cook was a local, if things went south and the other party turned hostile, they’d be stuck. Unfamiliar with the people and the place, escape would be impossible in this small town.
Thinking of this, Director Roland looked at Feng Mountain and tactfully suggested,
"Feng, I know some people in Houston. Should we get more guys to come over?"
"No need. I’m more than enough."
But Feng Mountain was the picture of confidence. He stood up from the bench, composed his expression to appear even more calm and collected, and then pushed open the restaurant door and walked in.
Inside, Yves was sitting at a table, meticulously cutting beef into small pieces for his daughter. He then dipped some fries in ketchup and placed them on the side of her plate, his eyes overflowing with adoration.
Feng Mountain walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
He suddenly reached out, snatched a piece of beef from Fiona’s plate, and popped it into his mouth, chewing it with exaggerated relish.
Seeing this, Fiona puffed up her cheeks indignantly, looking just like an angry little pufferfish. It was adorable.
Seeing her expression, Feng Mountain couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"Oh no, our little Angel is angry!"
"Mister, you should use a fork when you eat. My teacher says we have to be hygienic," Fiona said with the earnestness of a little adult.
Feng Mountain kept smiling as he asked, "Is that so? Well, Fiona, are you still going to school?"
In his heart, he already knew the answer, but he wanted to confirm it from the child herself.
Hearing this, the smile on Fiona’s face instantly vanished. Looking crestfallen, she shook her head gently and said in a small voice, "Mommy says we don’t have money, so I can’t go to school. She tells me to watch TV at home by myself."
’Five thousand US Dollars a month for living expenses.’
’And she can’t even afford school?’
Feng Mountain shook his head inwardly, but he showed no sign of it on his face and continued to ask,
"Little Angel, if you could go with your dad to a faraway place, would you want to? There’s snow, snow-capped mountains, and lakes. There are also ranches with herds of cattle, beautiful log cabins, and lots of pretty ladies."
As he described it, a look of anticipation began to shine in Fiona’s eyes. In her little head, those beautiful scenes seemed to be coming to life.
But soon, she looked at Yves, and the light in her eyes dimmed again. Her face fell, and she shook her head, saying softly,
"Mommy won’t agree to let me go with Daddy."
"It’s okay. As long as you want to, anything is possible!" Feng Mountain picked up his beer, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp. He secretly made a resolution: he had to help Yves win custody of Fiona, if only so the child could have a good life.
....
「Meanwhile.」
Cook drove Nash, rushing toward the bank.
Once at the bank, the two of them cashed the 100,000 US Dollar check from Feng Mountain. The thick stacks of cash, packed into a paper bag, were quite heavy.
Next, they arrived at Baird Town’s only bar—Wild Bill’s.
Cook had his own little plan. To avoid attracting attention, he deliberately drove to the back of the bar, found a relatively hidden corner to park, and only then turned to Nash, rubbing his hands together as he spoke.
Comments