Chapter 352 - Threat And Coercion
As the manager of a store of Zegna, a leading international brand in luxury menswear, he had naturally gone through professional training in various aspects. In particular, he had specifically learned to identify emblems, logos, and symbols a.s.sociated with top tyc.o.o.ns.
Although the store manager had never seen a legendary Black Diamond Card, which was said to be internationally recognized and also a symbol of supreme status, he had seen photos of them. So he could immediately recognize it when Lucas took it out.
At the same time, the store manager was astounded because he was aware of the rarity of a Black Diamond Card—there were less than 200 cards ever issued and distributed all over the world. Yet the young man in front of him managed to possess one. Clearly, his status was far beyond his imagination!
He wasn"t the good-for-nothing and freeloader that Rach.e.l.le accused him of being!
The store manager didn"t dare to make any more guesses, for fear that he might anger Lucas, this distinguished customer. Immediately afterward, he hurriedly took out from his pocket a members.h.i.+p card made of pure gold, bent forward, and handed it to Lucas with both hands respectfully. "Dear honored guest, welcome to Zegna menswear. This is our gold members.h.i.+p card, which represents the highest members.h.i.+p level of our brand. With it, you will be ent.i.tled to a twenty percent discount in any Zegna store worldwide. Please accept it!"
Lucas couldn"t help glancing at the store manager a few more times. He was smart enough not to reveal Lucas"s ident.i.ty and instead handed him a members.h.i.+p card with the utmost respect, which would draw the relations.h.i.+p between the two of them a little closer. The store manager could really be considered a smart person.
"In that case, thank you." Lucas took the gold members.h.i.+p card and thanked him politely.
"Hah, don"t be fooled by him. I refuse to believe that he can afford to pay for this trench coat. He better not think he can fool us with a random card!" Daniel, standing at the side, suddenly said to the store manager.
Given the level of his status, Daniel naturally couldn"t recognize the Black Diamond Card. He merely thought that the store manager was deliberately mocking him and out to embarra.s.s him by giving Lucas the gold members.h.i.+p card under the mistaken belief that Lucas could afford the trench coat! This stupid store manager should really think about it carefully. Lucas Gray is dressed so shabbily, so how can he afford to buy that ninety-thousand-dollar trench coat?
After being insulted and mocked just now, Daniel decided to go all out. Since he had already become a laughing stock and was thoroughly embarra.s.sed, he wanted to drag someone down with him!
Lucas was naturally the perfect target!
"Hah, punk, if the sales a.s.sistant informs you later that your card limit is insufficient too, you"d better not say that you"ve lost your other card or left it at home! I don"t want to hear excuses like the coat doesn"t fit or you don"t like it. Of course, you might try to flee by claiming that you need to use the restroom! Hmph, let me tell you, you can"t hide these tricks from me!" Daniel said smugly.
Lucas merely glanced at him indifferently and gibed, "Oh, no wonder you were so natural and skillful with pulling those tricks earlier. It seems that you"ve already tried all of them!"
"You!" Daniel"s face instantly turned red, and sounds of unrestrained laughter came from the people around him.
Well, Daniel only had himself to blame for using those tricks before.
"Punk, let"s see if you can continue laughing and being so stubborn later!" Daniel cursed furiously.
At this moment, the sales a.s.sistant who served Lucas had already returned from the cas.h.i.+er counter. With an extremely warm smile, she handed a shopping bag containing the trench coat, which had been wrapped up nicely, to Lucas with both hands. After Lucas took it, she handed the Black Diamond Card and gold Zegna members.h.i.+p card to Lucas with both hands.
"Sir, congratulations on your purchase of this haute couture trench coat. The original price was ninety thousand dollars. After the twenty percent discount you"re ent.i.tled to with the gold members.h.i.+p card, the price you paid is seventy-two thousand dollars! This trench coat suits you very well. Your wife has great taste in clothes!"
Lucas turned to face Cheyenne. They both smiled while exchanging glances, both feeling the affection they had for each other.
In a drastically different mood from them, Daniel immediately seemed to be in great disbelief after hearing what the sales a.s.sistant said.
"Impossible! This guy is a freeloader through and through! How can he possibly afford to buy such an expensive trench coat?! I refuse to believe it!" Daniel hollered furiously and suddenly glanced at the clearly displeased store manager. He immediately came to a sudden realization.
"Ah, I get it now. You"re disgruntled because I said that Zegna is a low-cla.s.s brand, so you deliberately colluded with this b.a.s.t.a.r.d to stage this act in front of everyone just so you can put me to shame, didn"t you? Speak up. Are you deliberately making this scoundrel look good to get back at me?"
Daniel"s imagination was really rich, and he was too self-righteous. In fact, he even seemed delusional and paranoid for thinking that everyone wanted to harm him.
If he and Rach.e.l.le hadn"t taken the initiative to make Cheyenne and Lucas look bad time and time again, the latter wouldn"t have bothered with them.
If it wasn"t because he couldn"t afford to pay for the trench coat but was afraid of embarra.s.sing himself, he wouldn"t have called Zegna a low-cla.s.s brand and offended the store manager.
Daniel and Rach.e.l.le had brought all of this upon themselves, but Daniel chose not to reflect on himself and simply felt that others were deliberately playing tricks to harm him.
The store manager had seen plenty of people like Daniel. He frowned and said hostilely, "Sir, I"m sorry, but you"re intentionally causing a commotion in our store, and we do not welcome nuisances like you. Please leave immediately!"
After being insulted and put to shame by the relentless store manager, Daniel flew into a rage and bellowed, "I"m a business manager of the Feather Corporation, which owns this entire street! You"re just a mere store manager. How dare you chase me out? Once I leave this place, I"ll make sure to get this Zegna store kicked out of this street immediately! Do you believe I will do what I say?"
Daniel tried to pressure the store manager with the Feather Corporation, and the store manager immediately looked even more hostile.
Everyone knew that the Feather Corporation was the business of the Hales, one of the four greatest families in Orange County. If they offended a senior-level employee of the Feather Corporation, this Zegna store might really be chased out of the street…
Although he was the store manager in name, he was actually just a senior-level salaried employee responsible for only one of the countless Zegna branches located all over the world.
In fact, even if this store was made to relocate elsewhere, it wouldn"t affect the business much. But the money spent on renovations and other expenses would go to waste.
More importantly, Zegna was one of the top internationally-renowned luxury menswear brands in the world. If something like that happened, it would severely affect the image of the brand. As a mere store manager, he definitely couldn"t afford to take responsibility for that!
"Hah, you want to go against me, huh? Let"s see if you have the ability!"
Seeing the store manager turning gloomy without saying anything, Daniel couldn"t help becoming even more smug and arrogant as he glared at Lucas haughtily.
He taunted, "Punk, you actually had the audacity to lay a hand on my woman just now. If you kneel down obediently and apologize to me for your mistake now, I"ll consider letting you off the hook. Otherwise, I"ll make sure you face consequences that you can"t afford!"