“`html


    In his view, he serves as Jacob’s supervisor, and with Jacob being close to Hong, the fifth master, he feels pressured to handle the situation delicately. He knows he should greet Hong, the fifth master; otherwise, if Hong were to turn against him, it would be unjust for him to offend such a powerful figure for no reason.


    He needed tomunicate clearly to Master Don Albert that his dealings with Jacob were unavoidable. However, out of respect for Don Albert and to maintain his rtionship with Jacob, he would strive to secure a vice-presidency for Jacob.


    When Don Albert received a call from an unknown number, he inquired cautiously, “Who is this?”


    President Pei, eager and respectful, responded, “Hello, may I ask if this is Master Fifth?”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    “Yes, it is.” Don Albert replied, considering the caller. “Who are you, and what do you need from me?”


    President Pei quickly exined, “Hello, Master Fifth, this is Old Pei from the Painting and Calligraphy Association; we’ve met before.”


    “Ohhh.” Don Albert recalled, saying, “Ah, it’s President Pei. How did you get my phone number?”


    President Pei hurriedly replied, “I asked a few friends to help me find your number; I hope you don’t mind.”


    Don Albert smiled, likely guessing that this call had something to do with Jacob. He then encouraged, “Just tell me what you want.”


    President Pei continued, “Oh, Master Fifth, it seems Jacob is involved with your associate, Zhang Ermao, in something that’s causing quite a stir in the antiquemunity. I wonder if you’ve heard about it?”


    Don Albert acknowledged, “Yes, I’ve heard. Please, go on.”


    President Pei borated, “To be honest, this situation is not just impacting the antique world; it’s also affecting our calligraphy and painting fields and the literary scene in our city. You know I’ve previously discussed promoting Jacob to the executive vice president position, and I intended to support him after I leave the association. However…”


    He sighed, feeling helpless. “This incident is too significant and damaging. I can’t withstand this pressure anymore, so I’ll have to allow Jacob to step down from the executive vice presidency for now. I’ll do my best to cate the staff and aim for a general vice presidency for him instead. I believe that has a good chance of sess. If all else fails, at least I can secure him a director’s position. What do you think?”


    Don Albert understood his concern—that he feared being med if Jacob were demoted. He thought, logically, that saying a few words of support would allow Jacob to retain at least a director’s position as President Pei suggested.


    However, he recalled Charlie Ye’s clear stance: Jacob needed to learn a lesson. If he endorsed Jacob now, it would contradict Charlie’s wishes.


    With this in mind, he feigned surprise and asked President Pei: “Why are you informing me about the internal matters of your association? I’m not part of it, so why should I concern myself with your affairs?”


    “Ah?” President Pei was taken aback, momentarily stunned.


    He sensed a hint of displeasure in Don Albert’s tone but couldn’t pinpoint its cause—was it discontent with his call, dissatisfaction with how he was handling the situation, or simply a desire to remain uninvolved?<fn1bf3> Checktest chapters at F?nd-Novel</fn1bf3>


    Panic-stricken, President Pei quickly replied, “Master Fifth, I didn’t mean to cause any misunderstandings. I just worried you might be unhappy to hear about Jacob’s demotion…”


    Hong, the fifth master, bluntly stated: “And what does that have to do with me? Whether I’m happy or not is irrelevant. Your Calligraphy and Painting Association could be disbanded tomorrow, and it wouldn’t concern me.”


    He added impatiently, “I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll hang up now. Don’t call unless it’s urgent.”


    Before President Pei could respond, he heard the unmistakable sound of the call ending, leaving him stunned.


    Now it was President Pei’s turn to be bewildered.


    He murmured to himself, “What does Master Hong Fifth mean? He doesn’t care about Jacob’s fate? Wasn’t he polite to Jacob before?”


    President Pei’s wife emerged from the bedroom, noticing her husband’s confusion. She inquired, “Old Pei, what did Master Hong Fifth say?”


    President Pei exined, “He said the matters of the Calligraphy and Painting Association are not his concern; even if we disband, it wouldn’t matter to him…”


    His wife immediately concluded, “It’s clear! He doesn’t intend to get involved in Jacob’s affairs!”


    “Hong, the fifth master, doesn’t care about Jacob?” President Pei eximed, baffled. “But he was respectful to Jacob just the other day… we even dined at the Heavenly Fragrance Mansion, where he took the best box and toasted us!”


    His wife waved her hand dismissively. “Old Pei, you’ve been in the art and culture scene for too long; you’ve lost your edge! Even if two people were close yesterday, they could be at odds today, let alone these two.”


    She continued, “And remember, Zhang Ermao is his military advisor. Jacob colluding with him in fraudulent activities? Can you imagine how that tarnishes Master Hong’s reputation?”


    “From what I’ve heard, the money from the fraud ended up with Jacob, implying that Zhang Ermao is merely a pawn acting on Jacob’s behalf.”


    “If Jacob dares to use Master Hong’s advisor for such schemes and creates a scandal this big, how can Master Hong maintain his dignity? He will undoubtedly sever ties with Jacob during this uproar!”


    Hearing this, President Pei gasped, “So you’re saying Master Hong Fifth doesn’t care whether Jacob lives or dies anymore?”


    “Absolutely!” his wife confirmed. “If he cared, he would have made his feelings known. The fact that he didn’t even want to take your call shows he’s unwilling to get involved.”


    “`