The following afternoon, a calligraphy and painting lecture at the University for the Elderly weed a new instructor.


    Jacob, the vice president of the Painting and Calligraphy Association, chose not to attend. Instead, he arranged for a substitute teacher from the association to lead the lecture on his behalf.


    Matilda had brought an invitation from Hank intended for Jacob. However, upon arriving at the ss and not seeing him, she decided to wait for the substitute teacher to finish before asking, “Hello, may I ask why Vice President Jacob isn’t here today?”


    The substitute teacher responded, “Vice President Jacob has been quite busy with the associationtely, so he asked me to step in and give the lectures at the University for the Elderly.”<fna801> Updates are released by f?ndnovel</fna801>


    Intrigued, Matilda inquired, “Do you have any idea when he mighte back?”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    The substitute teacher replied, “I believe he won’t be around for a while. He provided me with topics for future sses and asked me to prepare PowerPoint presentations for them. It looks like I’ll be substituting for some time.”


    Curious about her connection to Jacob, the substitute teacher then asked, “Do you have any business with Vice President Jacob?”


    Matilda nodded and replied, “I’ll reach out to him myself. Thank you for the information.”


    After leaving the ssroom, Matilda promptly called Jacob.


    Meanwhile, Jacob was feeling restless in the office of the Painting and Calligraphy Association.


    Although he held the title of executive vice president, effectively the second-inmand, Jacob found himself with little real work to do.


    This wasn’t due to exclusion; rather, it was a reflection of his rtively low standing within the group.


    During discussions about various topics, he often remained silent, and when he did contribute, it was mostly in jest.


    Despite hisck of expertise, President Pei regarded him highly, which discouraged others from openly mocking him. Aware of Jacob’s limited knowledge, President Pei typically refrained from assigning him any significant tasks.


    After Matilda returned to China and became a visiting professor at the University for the Elderly, Jacob proactively sought to coborate with the institution. President Pei believed that while the University imed to be a ce of higher learning, it was essentially just a social club for seniors with no real academic rigor, and thus he agreed to the coboration.


    Jacob had been dedicating effort to the University for the Elderly, but upon realizing he wouldn’t be attending today, a sense of relief washed over him.


    As he sat in boredom, Matilda’s iing call interrupted his thoughts, instantly bringing a wave of frustration. He understood that she was likely calling to extend an invitation, although he was absent.


    Despite having no intention of attending the wedding, he felt it would be rude to decline the invitation outright.


    Putting on a fa?ade, he answered the phone, “Matilda, is there something you need?”


    Matilda responded, “Jacob, I noticed you didn’te to the University for the Elderly today. The substitute teacher mentioned that you might not be able toe back in the future. Is that true?”