Chapter 253 - 252: The 40s Are the Prime Age to Go All Out

Perhaps because the exasperation in Yvonne Lowell’s eyes was so obvious, Charles Lowell subconsciously turned his head away.

He continued nonchalantly, "Nothing is accomplished overnight. True knowledge comes from practice. If you have an idea, you have to act on it.

If you’re still unsure, just put your ideas into a proposal. Show it to us and your grandfather, and we can give you some advice."

Charles Lowell: ’I’m not being a completely hands-off manager! I offered advice! Stop looking at me like that!’

A teasing smile flickered in Yvonne Lowell’s eyes as she spoke in a bantering tone,

"Exactly, Big Brother. I think you should stop pestering Genevieve for now. Let’s wait until after his college entrance exams. Besides, our dad is the best dad in the world. When you’re overseas, Dad will be more than happy to hold down the fort at the company for you. Am I right, dear Dad?"

Charles Lowell: ’??? So I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t? I never should have opened my mouth!’

Wendy Sutton lowered her head slightly to hide her smile, not forgetting to give Yvonne Lowell a mental thumbs-up on the sly.

Caleb Lowell cleared his throat and also turned to Charles Lowell. "Dad, what do you think... would that be okay? If you’re not willing, then let’s just forget it. I can handle it myself. It just means I’ll come home less and get less rest. It’s no big deal."

"Of course Dad’s willing. Didn’t you hear him just now? He said he’d be our support and our safety net." Yancy Lowell pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

’He might not know a thing about business, but he definitely knew how to stir the pot.’

Leo Grant subtly removed the mischievous hand that was tickling his waist and looked at Caleb Lowell.

"If you need any help overseas, just say the word. You know I have some personal assets abroad."

’Sorry, Uncle Lowell, but when it’s my future father-in-law versus my future wife... even an idiot knows who to pick.’

"Oh, honestly. You’re just sitting around idle at home every day anyway. What’s the big deal about going to the company to help your son? Don’t you get a share of the dividends? If our son hadn’t taken over for you, would you have been able to retire so early?"

Ms. Sutton chimed in to back them up.

Charles Lowell shot her a wounded look. ’It was one thing for the others to pile on, but how could his own wife turn against him?!’

’That’s not what she said when she was dragging him all over the world on vacation!’

’Who did he think he’d handed the company over to his dear son—who’d just turned eighteen at the time—for?! HUH?!’

"Dad, since the two of us have promised to help out overseas, shouldn’t you make your position clear on the domestic front? With you at the helm, the company might just reach new heights. Besides, you’re only in your forties. That’s the perfect age to be ambitious."

Other family heads would be desperate to hold on to their power, clutching it tightly until the day they died.

But not Charles Lowell. He couldn’t wait to toss it all as far away as possible, for anyone who wanted it to just take it.

She’d never seen anyone in power as eager to step down as he was.

’Oh, wait, Leo Grant’s father was another one. No wonder those two have been best friends their whole lives.’

"Alright, alright, I’ll go! Is that good enough for you?! You all just love putting me on the spot!" Charles Lowell felt his non-existent beard trembling with rage.

"But let’s get one thing straight. I’m only going in to work during the busy start-up phase for the new branch. Once things are on track, the position is all yours again.

And you should be clear on this: the most important quality for a good business leader is knowing how to delegate and appoint the right people for the job. If you’re serious about building a multinational group, you’ll face situations like this more and more, not less. So this is a challenge, but more importantly, it’s a test. Understand?"

’Tsk, that’s President Lowell for you, never one to take the conventional path.’

’First the carrot, then the stick, all while making grand promises to manipulate his own dear son.’

"Understood. I’ll start preparing the proposal as soon as I get back."

Caleb Lowell had already made his decision, so he agreed without hesitation.

"Tsk, truly befitting Patriarch Lowell, so mighty and domineering! No wonder you had such a keen eye back in the day, establishing the Lowell Group’s very first overseas branch!" Yvonne Lowell teased.

"Go on, get out of here. And stop trying to suck up to me. Hurry up and pack all the tea on that shelf for me. I’m taking this tea set, too. And don’t forget to get me that better set when we’re back in the country."

Charles Lowell shot her an annoyed glare.

’There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and no one was going to make him work for free—not even his own kids!’

’Making the sister pay for the brother’s debt was perfectly reasonable.’

Yvonne Lowell’s lips twitched. "Why don’t you just say you want to take the shelf back with you, too? It’s made of huanghuali pear wood, you know."

"No need. Our family has plenty of huanghuali wood. I wouldn’t bother with the chump change you have here." Charles Lowell waved his hand dismissively.

’The main reason was that he needed to leave it there to hold the new tea he’d be ’procuring’ on his next visit.’

Yvonne Lowell wore a plastered-on smile. "Well, thank you so much. How kind of you to at least leave me the empty shell."

’Thank goodness for Iris Chase. She’d placed the shelf with the carver’s signature facing the wall, saving Yvonne over a hundred million.’

Yvonne Lowell: ’I can finally lose a little less this time!’

Charles Lowell: ’I’m going to make another killing next time!’

In the end, Patriarch Lowell left Pluto with a top-grade Zisha clay tea set made from Di Cao Qing ore and more than ten pounds of rare, famous tea.

As he was leaving the office, Charles Lowell didn’t forget to add a final instruction.

"Once we walk out this door, certain things are to be kept to yourselves. You all know what can and cannot be said."

"Don’t worry," Yvonne Lowell said, raising an eyebrow. "We definitely won’t tell Grandpa you have so much good tea."

Charles Lowell: ’...Forget it. With this exasperating daughter of his, having his passion thrown back in his face was just the norm.’

...

A week later, Loster posted the admission list for its doctoral program on the university’s official website.

Yancy Lowell received the acceptance letter he had been dreaming of.

After receiving the news, Yvonne Lowell and the others returned to Kingsland.

When the private jet landed at Lowell Manor, Charles Lowell had a swagger in his step.

It was hard to say if it was because his dear son had been accepted, or because he had managed to mooch so much good stuff.

The Loster semester didn’t start for another three months, so Yancy Lowell didn’t need to stay in Country M just yet.

And most importantly...

"Third Brother, Loster has physical fitness requirements too. So for a while, you’ll need to go to the training camp with Uncle Lowell to work on your shooting, combat skills, and stamina."

Yvonne Lowell said, speaking in the living room of the main house at Lowell Manor.

"Alright, I understand."

Yancy Lowell agreed with a serious expression.

’If you had to ask what the standard trope for a wealthy family was, the answer was obvious: kidnapping!’

That was why the brothers had all trained with Leo Loster at the camp since they were children. While they weren’t exactly masters of close-quarters combat, they at least knew some basic moves.

"By the time you leave, I hope your skills are at a level where you can at least fight a squad leader to a standstill."

Yancy Lowell’s hand paused as he was turning a page in his book. "A... squad leader?!"

’Was he going to university to pursue academics, or to fight in the octagon?!’