Listening to Merlin's reply, Keith sensed there were a lot of stories behind Merlin's hardships.
Keith said, "It's alright, I don't mind listening. We can have a long chat at the table later."
Keith had just recovered from a close brush with death. He had serious memory problems, and he was wholly unaware of the current happenings in the United States.
However, he understood Merlin well and knew Merlin to be a stubborn brat who couldn’t admit defeat. Therefore, he found himself getting more and more curious about what Merlin had to say.
Merlin knew it was impossible to explain everything to Keith with just a few words. Therefore, he said vaguely, "Alright, Uncle Keith. I shouldn't bother you with my troubles. Why don't I join you for a couple of drinks later?”
At this, Holly said, "Merlin, you mustn't drink with Keith. If Keith drinks again, I'm afraid he might not even recognize me!"
"Right, right, right.” Merlin realized what he had just said and hurriedly amended his words. “I’m so sorry. It didn’t occur to me... My mistake."
Keith chuckled cheerily. "Look at that dejected look on your face! You must be the one who wanted to drink so badly."
He turned to Christian and Kaeden." Christian, Kaeden. You two have a drink with Merlin later. I won't be joining you."
The brothers nodded, "Okay, Dad.
Merlin could barely conceal his fatigue. Keith noticed and pretended to be stern," Merlin! Have more spirit! Look at you now. You’re nothing like your father's heroic self!"
Merlin rose, standing upright before saying respectfully, "You’re right, Uncle Keith."
Meanwhile, Christian checked the time and suggested, "Dad, why don’t we eat first? We can chat at the dining table."
Christian answered in a soft voice, "The Acker family is rich with strong financial resources, so we're able to keep the building well-maintained. We basically renovate this place once every two to three years. We also have dedicated staff to take care of this floor.”
"My dad gave a stern order after my sister's passing. Everything on this floor mustn't be changed. Everything you see on this floor has at least several brand new spares. Some items that have been discounted have been duplicated by craftsmen at a high price."
Christian pointed to the carpet in the corridor. "Just look at this carpet under your feet. It's hand-woven by Iranian craftsmen, similar to the one used in Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque. The carpet costs ten thousand US dollars per square meter. My dad hired more than a hundred craftsmen from Iran and made dozens of carpet sets exactly like the carpet my late sister left. We change them once a year."
Merlin staggered at the shocking revelation. "Your family really doesn't care about money... The carpet costs ten thousand US dollars per square meter, and you discard them after using them for a year. That's so wasteful! Don't you feel bad at all...?"
Christian replied solemnly, "Lammy. When it comes to money, we look at the proportion, not just the amount.”
Merlin was puzzled. "What do you mean?”
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