Salute To The General
Chapter 9 Phoenixia

Chapter 9 Phoenixia

Thomas Dunn's unctuous expression took a pause as his face turned beet-red with flaring nostrilsthe moment he heard those words from Nathan!

He turned and glared at the security supervisor and his men, “What a bunch of idiots! You are allfired, scram!”

He sacked them on the spot and chased them away immediately.

He then turned to Nathan and resumed his fawning smile, “Please follow me, Sir.”

Nathan glimpsed at his bare feet and reminded him, “You'd better put on your shoes first.”Thomas Dunn was dazed when he lowered his eyes and saw his two bare feet. He realized with apang that he had completely forgotten about his shoes when he rushed out in a frenzy.

His secretary came over and squatted down to help him put on his shoes.

Thomas Dunn slipped back into his shoes and stifled an awkward grin before he invited Nathan intothe restaurant, “Sir, this way, please.”

After a comical encounter, Nathan and company finally stepped into Cloud Palace.

As if they were stepping into a real palace, they were awed by its interior, which was exquisitelyfurnished and exuberantly lavish.

“Please come this way, Sir. This is our best VIP room.” Thomas Dunn led them to a large room.Leah fidgeted and suggested, “Why don’t we just dine in the main hall? Let's skip the VIP room.”She knew that it would cost much more to dine in a VIP room. It was the unwritten rule in everyentertainment or dining outlet.

The lush decor of this place made the palaces she had seen on television pale in comparison.Fearing that they might not have been able to pay for the bill, Leah suggested skipping the VIProom.

“So my mother-in-law doesn't like to dine in a VIP room,” Nathan relayed her suggestion to ThomasDunn.

"Oh, I see. Do you like a more cozy feel? Let's sit in the main hall then. I'll get you a table by thewindow so that you can enjoy the view as well.” Thomas Dunn presented them a gummy smile.“That would be fine,” Nathan agreed

So they tucked in at a table near the window while Thomas Dunn asked for the menu from hiscaptain. He would personally take their orders.

Penny and the rest held their breath as they saw the prices on the menu.

Wagyu beef at eight thousand per pound, caviar at thirty grand per pound, bluefin tuna at ninethousand per pound...

As if he was sitting on a boiling cauldron, Benson was about to eject from his seat in fear, “These areway too costly for folks like us. There's no way that we can afford it. We shouldn't stay any longer,let's leave now.”

"Wait, don't be alarmed by the prices.” Thomas Dunn explained, “How could I let you pay a singlecent for the meal? Don’t you see what it means to me to have Mr. Cross and his family dine in myrestaurant? It's an honor that no money can buy.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, you'll never have to spend a single dime to dine here for the rest of your life.”“Just take this to be your house. Come and dine whenever you feel like it. There's no need for theformalities with me, please.”

Are you kidding?

Free for the rest of our lives?

Benson and Leah exchanged a stupefied glance with one another, their mouths hanging wide openas if they had been gagged by an invisible cloth.

“Dad, Nathan has a very good relationship with Mr. Dunn, that's why...” Penny struggled to makethem understand.

Nathan jumped in and explained, “Thomas used to be my subordinate, that's why he treats us likehis family, there's no need to feel uneasy about that.”

Thomas Dunn was almost moved to tears when he heard Nathan mention that he was like theirfamily, “Yes, oh yes, that's so true...” He quivered in his strident voice, “We are family. It was Mr.Cross who took pity on me when I was down and out. I wouldn't be what I am today if not for Mr.Cross. Please make yourself comfortable, don't stand on ceremony here.”

Despite his reassuring speech, the Smiths were still hesitant to order their food. Thomas Dunn tookthe liberty and ordered his captains to serve them the most sumptuous dishes of the restaurant,including lobsters, Wagyu beef, and more.

Thomas Dunn even ordered ice-cream and desserts for little princess Queenie.

To top it up, he opened up a bottle of grand Chateau Lafite, which could cost up to a hundredthousand grand per bottle.

Nathan lifted his drink and cleared his glass with Thomas Dunn. “I do not wish to be disturbed whenI'm having a meal with my family. Do you get what I mean, Thomas?” he demanded.

Heated by wine, the Thomas Dunn's face was flushed with ecstatic joy. The chance to have a drinkwith Nathan filled his heart to the brim with pride and satisfaction.

"Sure, I got it, Sir. I'll leave you and your family to enjoy a quiet meal,” he replied while nodding withgratification.

After leaving the table, Thomas Dunn instructed Jack, his sidekick, to ensure that nobody woulddisturb Nathan and his company while they were enjoying their meal.

Penny and her family were served a succession of exquisite cuisines that would cost over three yearsof their combined income.

“What wonderful food we're having here!” Queenie let out an elated mewl, “They all taste soyummy. Look, Papa, there's even ice-cream. Don't you think that they are better than what we sawat great grandpa’s banquet? I love you, Papa, you're my hero.”

“Are you sure, Nathan?” Benson cast him a skeptical look, “That your bond with Thomas Dunn runsthat deep as he had said?”

“Absolutely.” Nathan gave a brisk nod.

"And he’s not charging us for this meal?” Leah wanted to double confirm.

“Not just for this meal, Leah. Every meal would be free when you dine here,” Nathan promised her.“Looks like Thomas Dunn really treasured his bond with you.” Penny grinned ruefully, “Becauseyou'd given him a hand when he'd needed it the most, he felt indebted to you for the rest of hislife.”

“But I think that we shouldn't rely on him to bail us out every time. Besides, it's better we cook forourselves than to eat out.”

“We should strive to work things out on our own effort. It's too much to be troubling him all thetime.”

"Yes, sure,” Nathan smiled warmly.

It had been such a topsy-turvy day for Nathan and company. While they left the banquet with anempty stomach, they ended up with a meal that was far more sumptuous than the banquet hadoffered, making it all the more jolly and appetizing when they could finally tuck in and enjoy theirlunch.

Finally, there was a sense of solace to their depressed souls.

While Nathan and company were enjoying their lunch, something disastrous happened at thebanquet.

After Nathan and company left the banquet, several high-ranking government officials arrivedunannounced at the banquet.

These were officials of such authority whom Sean and his sons would not dare to antagonize.

Yet their unexpected appearance at his birthday banquet caused Sean to beam with pride anddelight.

As a gesture of appreciation, he gave each of these officials a round of toasts and he had ended updrinking almost twenty bottles of wine.

The officials left the banquet when they had enough of the booze.

Soon after the officials had departed, Sean felt a strong discomfort in his body.

His doctor had strongly advised him not to take a single drop of wine, since he had a medicalcondition of the three highs - hypertension, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol.

But today he had turned a deaf ear to his doctor's advice, drinking a whopping twenty bottles ofwine, just to please the government officials.

He suffered a stroke right at the scene of the banquet!

What was supposed to be a joyous occasion turned chaotic and ghastly all at once. It terrifiedeveryone at the banquet.

Thankfully, Samuel Smith had been informed that a famous professor of cardiology, Tony Lynch, wasdining in the room next to their ballroom.

Instead of waiting for the ambulance to arrive, he raced over to seek immediate help from TonyLynch.

Tony Lynch rushed over to check on Sean's condition. After a brief examination, he shook his headand concluded, “I'm afraid that his condition doesn't look too good, given that he was sufferingfrom the three highs. He shouldn't have been drinking. Let's get him to the hospital and see how itgoes. But I'd advise you to be mentally prepared for the worst.”

His words dropped a bombshell on Samuel and company, who could tell that their father was in acritical condition!

“Is it really that bad, Professor Lynch? Is there any way to save my father? Or is there any kind ofspecial medication for him?” asked Samuel Smith, who had been shaken by the state of his father'scondition

Tony Lynch sighed, “Strokes are one of the most challenging illnesses of modern medicine.” heexplained, “We can only rely on preventive measures to avoid getting a stroke, applying passivetreatment to treat it. The chances of recovery from a stroke are more determined by luck instead oftreatment.”

"As far as medication is concerned,” the professor halted as he seemed to recall something, “there isa kind of pill that could work wonders.”

“Really?” His words were a real shot in the arm of Samuel and his men. “What kind of pill is it? We'lldo whatever it takes to get the pill, regardless of the price.”

“They called it Phoenixia,” the professor described, “it was a pill cultivated over half a century agowith nine of the most exotic and rare ingredients, including wild medicinal herbs and animal parts oftigers, rhinoceros, and others which have a marvelous effect on strokes. It was made during the timewhen they had yet to ban the use of these rare ingredients for cultivation and medicinal purposes.That's what makes Phoenixia such a precious and miraculous pill.”

“No sooner when they finished the cultivation of Phoenixia, they imposed a ban on using theseingredients. That marked the end of Phoenixia's production as well.”

“It is now extremely rare to replace any more Phoenixia. Someone paid ten million for Phoenixia someyears ago at an auction.”

“I know it's meaningless for you to know all about Phoenixia since it is almost impossible to replace oneof the pills these days.”

Samuel mused over the words of the professor. The name, Phoenixia, seemed starkly familiar toSamuel.

It all returned to him now, as he shouted a loud question to his men, “Didn’t Benson just bring a pillcalled Phoenixia for dad's birthday present?”

His question prompted Miles Smith to scurry across the room, picking up an old, worn-out box onthe floor.

It was the box which was used to contain the pill.

The name of the pill vaguely sounded like Phoenixia, as Miles recalled. He had dumped it on thefloor.

Tony Lynch cried out in surprise when Miles showed him the worn-out box. “T-This is the box thatstores Phoenixia. So do you have that miracle pill?”

"Give it to your dad now, I'm sure it would improve his condition dramatically. He needs to consumethe pill within twenty-four hours from the occurrence of his stroke, or its effect would wanesignificantly.”