Chapter 16: Life Is Not Fair!
"Thank you for your treat," Caspar said politely after finishing both chicken rice servings. "I've never eaten at such a Michelin restaurant before."
"You're welcome," Finland answered with a wide smile plastered on her face. "If I win the bet, I can take you to dinner at your chosen Michelin Restaurant."
"Are you serious?" Caspar asked with a cheeky smile. "What if I'm like Steve Jobs? His salary from Apple was only $1 per month. If you won our bet and get my one-month salary from Continental Hotel, you would only get 1 dollar. Even to eat chicken rice here, it wouldn't be enough."
Finland immediately grabbed Caspar's collar in a panic, "No! Seriously? Do you only get paid 1 dollar per month from the hotel? How much is your salary from the hospital? What about the University? Did I just make a bet for only 1 dollar????"
Caspar laughed and fixed his collar. "I am just kidding."
He took out his cellphone and opened something on Google, then showed it to Finland.
"See this Schneider Group? It's mine. It has hundreds of subsidiaries. I can even give one company to you if I lost. You will immediately become rich..."
Finland let go of Caspar's collar and stared at his cellphone with her mouth agape... Caspar must be joking!
She was familiar with most of the companies because they were quite famous and actively appeared in the media. There were furniture companies, real estate companies, export-import companies, financial services, insurance companies, hotels, and so many more…
"You're are always joking around! I can't take you seriously," she said to him. Finland had no doubt that Caspar was a wealthy person. She remembered how difficult it was to find information about Caspar on the internet and how his two personal guards hushed the people who were taking pictures of him when waiting for chicken rice earlier. They even took their phones to delete the pictures already taken!
But to imagine that Caspar could so easily give one company to Finland if he were to lose the bet…
While if Finland were to lose, he only asked for a kiss …
Subconsciously Finland touched her lips... She stared at Caspar with a confused look.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Are you ready to lose?" The guy asked in a teasing tone. "Want to just kiss me here and now?"
"Ugh... shameless," said Finland. "I will work hard and train the staff to recognize rich people. You will lose, wait and see."
"I look forward to it." Caspar got to his feet and looked at his watch, "I have a meeting with the business unit in the United States in half an hour. I'll take you home now."
"No need, you're really busy. I can go home by myself."
Finland wanted to refuse but Caspar pulled her hand towards the black Maybach waiting not far from the hawker center. He opened the door and entered after Finland.
"We stop by the Rose Mansion first, Ben," he said, closing the door.
The car moved immediately.
"How do you know where I live???" Finland asked, stunned.
"Please... Miss Finland. I can know anything about you." Caspar opened his laptop and started working while Finland could only frown unsatisfied.
"It's not fair... You can know everything about me, but I don't know anything about you. Only this afternoon I finally know your full name..."
Caspar stopped typing for a moment and looked at Finland, "What do you want to know about me?"
"I want to know... who you really are..." Finland pursed her lips trying to look fierce. "And why are you trying to meet me all the time."
"Who I am?" Caspar smiled a little.
"Yes."
"Why would you ask that?"
"Because... because you're weird... You're so rich and mysterious... I can't find any information about you on the internet. People like you don't need to work... but you work as a surgeon in a hospital; you even teach at the NUS medical faculty this semester... "
"I like being a doctor. It is my favorite profession. I also like teaching and sometimes I teach in universities to channel my passion. I like exchanging ideas with young people and see their point of views."
"Okay, so you work as a doctor and teach at the medical school just as a hobby? What is your real job? A businessman?"
"I have no permanent job. My whole life's purpose is to seek knowledge. I am now interested in making films. Next year I will apply to a film school in New York."
"What do you mean? Are you going to study again as a freshman?"
"Yeah, I still look young enough to be a student, right?" Caspar asked, smiling broadly. "The Schneider Group is a family business, without me, the group can still run well, so I am free to do anything in life."
Finland didn't know what to say...
"You're so lucky ..."
"I know."
"Life isn't fair," sighed Finland. "Your family is rich, you are handsome, smart, and you are free to do whatever you want in life."
"You forgot one thing," said Caspar.
"What is that?"
"I don't get old."
"Oh yeah... you don't seem your age. You are 35 years old yet you can still enroll in college as a freshman if you want." Finland looked at Caspar with a jealous look, "It's not fair."
"Uhm... I am actually older than 35 years old ..." Caspar cleared his throat, "but you're right, I look really young."
The car stopped in front of the Rose Mansion.
"We have arrived, Miss," said Ben.
"Aren't going to you invite me to drink real tea? I don't consider the bubble tea we drank last time as tea," commented Caspar.
Finland thought for a while, then nodded.
"Please come in then. I live in the pavilion in the back. If you don't make noise, I can serve you tea on the terrace."
Caspar smiled broadly as he got out of the car and followed Finland. He brought his laptop. He did not look awkward and casually walked with Finland across the rose garden towards the pavilion at the back. He sat on the pavilion terrace sofa and made himself at home.
For a short second Finland was astonished, but then she thought that Caspar was used to making himself feel at home anywhere, just like when he came to Jean's apartment.
"What tea do you want? I have black tea, fruit tea, and chamomile tea."
"Fruit tea, please," said Caspar. "I will be doing some work in the meantime."
He opened his laptop and entered the conference room. It was 9 pm in Singapore and 9 am in New York and his board members were waiting for him to start the meeting.
Finland came with a pot of tea and two cups, "If you need Wifi, the password is..."
She stopped in the mid-sentence when she saw that Caspar was already connected to Rose Mansion's WiFi and was busy talking to his board of directors in the United States.
Tsk tsk... Now Finland believed that this guy could indeed know EVERYTHING. He knew Finland lived in the Rose Mansion and he immediately knew the WiFi password.
Finland poured tea into both cups and handed one to Caspar who was still involved in a serious conversation. He received the cup, turned and thanked her, then continued with the meeting. Finland shrugged and sat next to him, enjoying her own cup of tea.
She tried not to express her feelings by keeping a flat face as usual. On the inside, however, Finland's heart began to stir. She felt that Caspar was very cool. The guy seemed very assertive when leading a meeting with his directors. His handsome face glowed as he listened to the reports and made decisions.
Finland sipped her tea slowly and tried to think of her work to distract her mind from Caspar.
.
* Steve Jobs received a salary of $1/month from Apple so he wouldn't be subject to high-income tax. He received a bigger income in the form of Apple shares.
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