Driving from the province to Kingston takes a day, and Peter Brown didn’t let his sister Kate take a plane or anything like that. He drove her in an SUV, which was his way of making up for not taking better care of Kate as an older brother.
Sitting in the car, listening to the music playing, Rachel Williams felt a sense of happiness. She sometimes wondered how much her brother had changed since he got out of prison.
Ever since Peter got out, the changes in their family had been like a dream for Rachel, one that she found somewhat worrying.
"Peter, do you really not care about the company at all?"
Rachel couldn’t help but ask.
Smiling, Peter Brown said, "I used to not know how complicated society is. But after going to prison and interacting with so many people, I learned a lot. Society isn’t as simple as what we see on the surface. You have to learn all these things. The human heart is the most complex thing; I want to see into it!"
See into the human heart?
Rachel Williams was utterly confused and looked at Peter Brown.
"That’s right, see into the human heart!"
Peter Brown confirmed.
As he said this and drove, Peter thought about the Flower Creek Group. Yesterday, after some inquiries, he had basically learned about what had happened and was furious about it.
He was somewhat disappointed in how this matter turned out, so he wanted to use it to see people’s true colors.
There were signs this would happen even before it did, and even though he was abroad, someone should have told him. But now that it had happened, he realized he had been too trusting and hands-off with Flower Creek Group. This was a lesson for him that he could not take such a casual approach in the future.
In fact, Peter Brown didn’t really care about the Flower Creek Group. He could make billions on any random act. The group was meant to help others, but now it seemed to have been ruined.
Actually, facing this situation, with Peter’s means, he could directly wipe out Phoenix Taylor, and he didn’t even need to do it himself. The Tree Demon guarding the village would’ve been more than enough for several Phoenix Taylors.
But Peter Brown wasn’t the type of person who just resorted to violence anymore. He felt that since he was part of society, some things were a test for him, and using mortal means could accomplish a great deal.
Peter Brown left early in the morning with the idea of testing several people’s thoughts through this matter.
The first person he wanted to test was Edward Martin, a man who could be considered a brother. Peter wondered what Edward would think about this situation.
Another person he wanted to test was Henry Martin. Peter was Henry’s lifesaver, not just once. Peter believed that Phoenix Taylor would offer a lot to Henry in order to win him over. When faced with such massive interest, would Henry have other ideas?
The third person he wanted to test was the villagers. Last time they had disappointed him. This time, with another incident happening, and Phoenix Taylor undoubtedly meddling, would the villagers still support him unconditionally?
Lastly, there were the Taylor father and son from the county. Peter hadn’t heard them say anything so far, but he wanted to see what they thought about this matter as well.
Driving the car, Peter Brown couldn’t help but sigh at how complex society was.
"Peter, Dad once said that we are just a farmer’s family and can’t fight against those big shots. Phoenix Taylor is related to the Thompson family, and fighting her might land us in jail. Dad knew what Phoenix Taylor was up to from the start, so he handed over the recipe to avoid disaster."
Peter’s eyes lit up when he heard this; he hadn’t realized his father possessed such wisdom.
"You’re saying Dad knew from the beginning?"
"Yeah, Dad even warned Quinn and the others, saying that everyone’s lives were good now and there was no need to invite trouble. If they want the technology, give it to them. If they want the company, give it to them. After all, it’s well known that mortals don’t fight against officials!"
Only then did Peter understand that his father was a wise man. He realized that a simple farming family could not stand up against the forces behind Phoenix Taylor, so he swallowed his pride and compromised.
Thinking back to his father pretending to be angry in front of him the day before, Peter laughed. His father was trying to see his thoughts too.
Mortals don’t fight against officials!
Pondering his father’s words carefully, Peter Brown nodded in agreement. For an ordinary family, it probably had to be this way. Faced with such coercive tactics, a farmer’s family had no power to resist, so if someone came to snatch something, they had to obediently hand it over.
Thinking about his own family, Peter Brown had to admit that his father’s approach was right: giving up the recipe would protect the family. After all, their opponents should show some mercy considering he saved their lives and wouldn’t go too far.
This was helplessness!
However, what his father didn’t know was that their family was no longer an ordinary one, nor one without power to resist. They wanted to see what their opponents’ attitudes would be in this matter.
Yesterday Peter called Edward Martin to break the news, wanting to see Edward’s reaction and how they handled the situation. If handled promptly, they could still be friends; otherwise, Peter’s eyes showed a trace of ruthlessness, and they would have to face his means.
"Peter, why aren’t you talking?" Noticing her brother’s silence, Rachel asked.
"Haha, it’s not a big deal. Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’ve told you, I’ll handle this matter. Anyway, you have your tuition."
"I’ve had my tuition for a while now. Mom saved tens of thousands for me, that’s more than enough."
Talking about tuition, Rachel became more talkative, telling Peter all about the happenings at home.
As they drove and talked, Peter rarely had the chance to be alone with his sister. Listening to Kate talk about the interesting things at home, Peter deeply felt that he still hadn’t given enough to his family.