Sigh~ How did I become someone else's child?

Chapter 38 Sigh~ How did I become someone else's child?

Feelings are feelings, and business is business.

This was a phrase that Ethan's finance professor in his past life liked to say most.

The old professor's original intention was to prevent his students from engaging in insider trading after they entered the financial field. Although the enlightenment he gained in Longchang was commendable, losing one's freedom was not worth it.

But Ethan always felt that this statement was universally applicable in the business world.

Business is business. Anything mixed in will spoil it, especially in America.

Therefore, he would not interfere with Atari's choice, because he believed that if he showed mercy, Nolan Bushnell would at least try to gain something for himself.

After all, he still remembers Steve Jobs telling him that Nolan Bushnell pleaded with Ralph Bell directly in court to reach a settlement.

Ethan shows no sympathy for people who say, "I admit my mistake, but I won't accept the punishment."

But after leaving Nolan Bushnell's office, Ethan's lips curled into a smile again.

The thought of becoming a millionaire in two weeks made him very happy.

When saying goodbye to Steve Jobs, he even took out the check from his pocket and waved it in front of him.

That irritating gesture made Old Joe, who was waiting for his paycheck, raise his fist, which was the size of a sandbag.

"Do you believe that one punch from me will send you to meet your maker?"

"Hehehe~"

Ethan stuck out his tongue in an annoying way, and before Jobs could raise his fist, he took off running.

But the sudden roar made him laugh very happily.

After driving his Chevrolet away from Atari, Ethan didn't go home immediately. Instead, he went to San Jose, deposited a check, withdrew a thousand dollars in cash, and then went on a shopping spree in the Bay Area metropolis.

Then, he drove his beat-up car slowly back, humming a tune.

Because he turned a surprise into a shock when he celebrated making money last time, and was scolded by Linda, he decided not to play any tricks this time after making a lot of money and just take the gifts home.

On the way, he even fantasized about how excited Thomas, Linda, and Evelyn would be when they saw the gifts in the car, but when he drove the car to his doorstep...

But he felt something was off.

Ethan, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the car window, sat up straight.

He simply took off the sunglasses from the bridge of his nose.

Those clear, innocent eyes were filled with endless confusion.

Because there were several cars parked in front of his house.

There were cars he could recognize at a glance: Thomas's Ford, an older Buick, a Honda that had only recently entered the American market, and a Dodge Ram that Chrysler had just launched this year, and then there was another one...

"Is that a Porsche tractor?"

If it weren't for the Porsche logo on that bright red tractor, Ethan would have doubted his eyes!

wrong!

Even with a logo, he still felt something was off!

If it weren't for the fact that the house in front of him was exactly the same as the home he remembered, he would have thought he had driven to the wrong place!

I carefully got out of the car, and quietly approached the door with the gift in my arms.

Before he could even open the door, a series of buzzing sounds entered his ears—

"Let me tell you, Ethan was raised by me! His success is all thanks to my excellent parenting!"

"What? William, what did you say? You don't believe me?"

"Oh! Let me tell you this! Ethan is twenty years old now, and he's definitely spent the most time with me!"

"His mother is a teacher and went to school soon after giving birth to him. His father is a soldier and only has a little leave each year. So when they are busy, Ethan stays at our house. After all, my Evelyn is only a year older than him. His parents feel at ease leaving him with us."

"What happened after that... goes without saying, right?"

"So, how did Ethan manage to create 'Snake Game'? And why was it featured in the Los Angeles Times?"

"Besides inheriting his mother's genes, the most important factor is me! I am Thomas Jensen! Great coaching!"

"I'm willing to teach him! I'm willing to spend money on his education!"

"It's like growing oranges. Although the initial seedling cultivation is a long and painful process, as long as you cultivate them diligently, you will definitely reap a perfect harvest!"

"Hey Michael! What are you laughing at! I'm serious!"

"Fxxk! If you don't believe me, ask Ethan yourself when he gets back!"

Hearing the cursing and swearing, Ethan instantly understood.

Almost at the same time, an unexpected smile appeared on his face.

Because he never expected that before he even returned to share the good news, Thomas had already started bragging to his friends, and judging from the way he was doing it, the guy was praising him like someone else's perfect child.

This kind of thing is really...

Well, he admits, this unexpected party caught him completely off guard.

but……

If there were no unexpected events in life, would it still be called life?

He took two deep breaths and pursed his dry lips.

He took out the orange-yellow key and then pushed the door open to enter.

Although the creaking of the wooden door was inconspicuous in the face of the noise.

At the same time, Ethan shouted at the top of his lungs, "Thomas! Linda! I'm back!"

"Where are you? Come out quickly! I brought you gifts!"

Ethan's call was like a dam opening, releasing water.

With a loud bang, a chaotic sound of footsteps, as if an entire army was launching an attack, suddenly reached the entrance of the villa.

Thomas then appeared in front of Ethan.

With his appearance, within seconds Ethan discovered that one head after another had sprouted in his living room.

The curious gaze, like that of a star in the night sky, brought a smile to his face.

Thomas, whose face was flushed red, had clearly drunk a lot of alcohol. Upon seeing Ethan, his eyes lit up and he immediately approached him.

"Ethan! You're back?"

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

He rubbed his hands together, wanting to give Ethan a big hug.

But he stopped when he saw the pile of things in Ethan's hands.

Ethan placed the gifts he had brought back on the shelf in the entryway, then picked up the top wooden box and handed it to Thomas. "I just got back today. I went to San Jose to buy you gifts as soon as I got back."

"As for the reason..."

"I think you've heard, haven't you? The game Evelyn and I made was in the newspaper! The Los Angeles Times!"

"So...you like smoking, right? So I thought I'd give you a pipe."

"Zig-Zag, made of briar wood, in the style of O'Paul."

"Put on a cowboy hat, grab it, and wow~ Thomas! You'll definitely be cooler than Brandy!"

Thomas opened the box in a couple of quick swipes.

When the shiny, oily pipe appeared, he immediately began to play with it, unable to put it down.

But when he was about to give it a try, he seemed to remember something and turned to look at everyone in the room.

Upon noticing the envious looks on the old men's faces, he immediately raised his arm, put it around Ethan's, and said, "Ethan, thank you for the gift. I really like it. But now is not the time for us to chat."

"You're back at just the right time. Some of my friends are also game enthusiasts, and they've all played the hottest arcade game right now, 'Snake Game'! After learning that you made this game, they couldn't wait to come and meet you, wanting to know who this great person is who created this great game!"

"If it's not too much trouble, you..."

Before Thomas could finish speaking, Ethan interrupted with a laugh, "Oh, Thomas, how could this be troublesome?"

"I've always told you, all these years I've always considered you my father!"

"Just tell me what's wrong!"

Before he finished speaking, Thomas's face lit up with boundless joy.

Ethan, led by him, greeted his uncles and elders.

Among them were landowners like Thomas, whose families owned orchards.

There's also the businessman who usually hangs out with Thomas and owns several fishing boats that frequently go out to sea to fish.

There are dairy cow owners and farm owners engaged in animal husbandry.

There's also a company that specializes in poultry farming; I heard it's a big boss who supplies poultry to McDonald's Bay Area.

Although Ethan had never met them, everyone greeted him with a smile because he kept calling him "Uncle."

After everyone got to know each other, some appropriate communication began.

Under their roundabout questioning, Ethan kept saying "Hello, Uncle."

When the orchard owner asked him where the inspiration for "Snake Game" came from, Ethan said that he had heard Thomas tell him Aesop's Fables when he was a child, which included the story of the farmer and the snake.

A fisherman asked him why he was interested in games. Ethan explained that because his parents had died young, Thomas often took him out to cheer him up. And what can a child do to cheer himself up? Play, of course!

When the dairy farmer asked him what he thought about becoming famous, Ethan said he wanted to buy gifts for his family because the Jason family had always been very good to him, respected his ideas, and taken care of his feelings, so he wanted to share his joy with his family.

When this response came, Thomas, who was leaning back on the sofa, practically looked down on him!

His smug look made the others grit their teeth!

This situation also made Ethan decide to quit while he was ahead.

She smiled at the uncles and elders, indicating that she had something to attend to and needed to leave for a while. Then she gestured to Linda and pulled her helpless aunt away with her.

Upon arriving at the second-floor room, Ethan immediately asked his aunt what the situation was downstairs.

Linda rolled her eyes at the mention of it and said, "What else could it be? You succeeded! You succeeded so much that the Los Angeles Times reported on your game! Thomas is so happy that he calls his friends every day to brag about it!"

"Someone said to me today, 'Have you seen the Los Angeles Times? My kid's in the paper!'"

"Tomorrow I'll tell everyone, 'Do you know what Snake Game is? My kid made it!'"

"Since he's showing off like that, isn't it a perfect opportunity for him to treat everyone to drinks?"

"And then... well, you've already seen it."

Ok!

Linda's words made Ethan shake his head with a smile.

He really didn't expect Thomas to be so cute!

At the same time, he took out the gift he had bought for Linda and said, "Oh, Aunt Linda, don't be sad. Come and see the clothes I bought for you. I spent a long time picking them out in San Jose. I think this light blue fabric suits you very well..."

(End of this chapter)