"My goodness! A bottle of liquor costing $10,000? That's outrageous! In ancient times, this would probably be a tribute, only the emperor could enjoy it, right?"
Mr. Brock was also taken aback, swallowing hard before turning to Berloff Reed. "Berloff, this Maotai costs $10,000 a bottle?"
Berloff laughed heartily. "Dad, Uncle Zephyr wasn't kidding. This Maotai really costs $10,000 a bottle. I bought it especially to honor you."
"If you like these three bottles, I'll buy more later."Mrs. Nadine's eyes widened, her face turning red as she scolded, "You child, how can you be so wasteful, buying three bottles at once!"
That's a whopping $30,000! According to the Reed family's previous living standards, that amount could cover their expenses for ten years. Spending such a large sum on liquor made the always frugal Mrs. Nadine's heart ache just thinking about it.
Berloff chuckled and took out ten packs of Golden Leaf cigarettes. "Mom, your son has made money, so of course, I want you to enjoy life."
"Look, I didn't just buy Maotai; I also got Golden Leaf Gold Bricks."
"These cigarettes are specially processed, making them smooth and less harmful to the body."
"From now on, my dad will only smoke these," Zephyr said, his eyes narrowing as he looked deeply at Berloff Reed after seeing the ten packs of Golden Crane cigarettes. "Brock, your Berloff has really made it big this time."
"These Golden Crane bricks are like the Rolls-Royce of cigarettes in our country. Most people have never even seen them, let alone smoke them every day!"
Mr. Brock stared in astonishment at the cigarettes in Berloff's hand. "Zephyr, is there really something special about these Golden Crane cigarettes? Rolls-Royce of cigarettes? That sounds too exaggerated!"
Zephyr waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not exaggerating at all!"
"These Golden Crane bricks were specially made to commemorate the anniversary of the revolution. They are extremely limited and incredibly valuable."
"From what I know, a single pack costs about $4,000, and they're often hard to find even if you have the money."
"Take our local Flagship Supermarket, for example. Only Gold Card members who spend over a million dollars a year are eligible to buy them."
Boom!
Zephyr's words were like a bomb dropped in the room, leaving a group of old colleagues stunned and dizzy.
Holy moly!
A single pack of cigarettes costing $4,000? That's insanely extravagant!
And the kicker is, you can't just buy them with money; you have to be a Gold Card member who spends over a million dollars annually at the supermarket to even qualify.That's just mind-blowing!
Thud!
At that moment, Mrs. Nadine's legs went weak, and she slid right off her chair.
"Mom!"
Berloff Reed, who was sitting next to her, was shocked and quickly helped his mother up.
Mrs. Nadine stared blankly at Berloff, her voice dry, "Berloff, is what your Uncle Zephyr said true? This Huanghelou cigarette costs $3,000 a pack?"
Berloff nodded with a smile, "Yes, Mom, that's the price."Mrs. Nadine, furious, gave her son a hard thump, "You spendthrift! So, these ten packs of cigarettes cost $30,000?"
"This is outrageous!"
Berloff grinned and pulled out a golden supermarket card from his pocket, placing it in front of his mother.
"Mom, don't worry. We have money now. Even if Dad drinks Maotai and smokes Huanghelou every day, we won't go broke."
"Here, keep this card. It has plenty of money on it. You can use it freely at the supermarket."
Seeing the golden card, even Zephyr was envious.
"Berloff, is this the legendary Red Flag Supermarket Gold Card?"
"Wow, you're really something now. Don't forget to look out for your Uncle Zephyr in the future."
Anyone who can spend over a million dollars a year at a supermarket must be incredibly wealthy.
This was the mark of a bona fide billionaire.
Although Zephyr had also made a fortune, buying a villa and a Mercedes, he was still miles behind the wealthy Berloff Reed.Seeing even the most influential old colleagues cozying up to the young Berloff, the others hesitated for a few seconds before forcing smiles and congratulating Mr. Brock and Mrs. Nadine.
"Brock, you and your wife are amazing, raising such an outstanding son like Berloff. You'll be living the good life soon!"
"Absolutely! With Berloff's success, you guys are being too modest, only buying a BMW 5 Series worth a few tens of thousands."
"My son is in his twenties and spends all his time loafing around, eating, drinking, and having fun. Compared to Berloff, he's hopeless."
"Berloff, with your status, just say the word, and Auntie here can find you the prettiest girl in the whole county."
"Sis, you should be content. If I had such a great son, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"
Hearing this, Mr. Brock and Mrs. Nadine blushed with pride, their smiles wide and uncontainable.
Mrs. Nadine playfully glared at Berloff. "This boy, whoever wants him can take him!"
"I raised him through thick and thin, and now all he knows is how to spend money on his dad. What an ungrateful brat!"
Berloff stood up with a smile and took out a bunch of health supplements from a nearby box.
Reishi mushrooms, cordyceps, dendrobium, bird's nest, ginseng from Changbai Mountain, toad oil, shark fin, deer antler...
"Mom, I might forget others, but I'll never forget you!"
"Look at these gifts. Do you like them?"
Seeing the array of health supplements, the aunts who had come to the banquet stared wide-eyed, their breathing heavy."Oh my, dear, these gifts are all so precious. Berloff is really a filial son!"
"Look at your son, he's so thoughtful. I'm so jealous!"
"With such luxurious items, only an empress could enjoy them in ancient times!"
"Absolutely! Whether it's lingzhi or cordyceps, they're incredibly expensive. Ordinary people can't afford them!"
Mrs. Nadine's face lit up with happiness as she saw the gifts.
"You rascal, you didn't forget about your old mother after all! All my love for you wasn't in vain."
After comforting his mother, Berloff Reed eagerly picked up a bottle of aged wine, pouring a glass for each of his uncles and aunts. He raised his glass, inviting everyone to drink and enjoy the meal.
The dinner was a joyous occasion for everyone.
After the feast, a group of old colleagues chatted animatedly on their way home.
"Tsk tsk, Berloff Reed, that kid, just came home and bought Brock and his wife gifts worth millions. How much money has he made in Silk City?""When the Reed family bought a house and a car, I knew Berloff had made it big! But this... this is beyond making it big; he's shooting for the stars."
"Just look at that gold supermarket card; it shows how wealthy Berloff is now. I'd say his net worth is easily in the billions!"
"Such a young billionaire, and so handsome too. The girls must be going crazy over him!"
"I need to get home and tell my daughter to visit Berloff Reed tomorrow."
"You're right. Missing out on such a great catch would be something to regret for a lifetime!"
...
That evening, Mrs. Nadine received dozens of phone calls.
All of them were clamoring to arrange a date with Berloff Reed.
In no time, Berloff became the hottest topic back in his hometown.