Werewolf Hunting Rules.

Chapter 531 An Awkward Business

"and then?"

In the study, Donna was eager to know what Mr. Yashir and Clayton had talked about.

Clayton looked her straight in the eye: “He talked to me for a while, Donna. I don’t want to affect your relationship with your friend, but her father is having financial problems and he wants to borrow money from me.”

Donna's face froze.

Clayton awaited her reaction once she understood.

From the beginning, he had no intention of socializing with other students' parents, for this reason—the relationships between adults can affect children's thoughts and feelings, tainting what should be pure emotions.

Donna did not respond.

Ten minutes later, she still did not respond.

She rested her chin on her hand, her pupils trembling slightly, indicating that she was still thinking.

Clayton pulled the open book in front of him: "You don't have to figure out what to do right now. There are no standard answers to many things. What you should do depends on your purpose."

Donna let out a deep sigh.

She really just wanted to know if Miss Lant Yasser's father had mentioned what illness his daughter had and how it was. It was an unpleasant topic, but at least more pleasant than this.

When money is involved, feelings are hard to be pure, and even if she didn't know it when she was in Patnu, the servants in this house made her aware of it.

Would her dear Miss Lant be as frank as before if she knew that her father had borrowed money from Clayton?

If Clayton hadn't lent her the money, would Miss Lant's father have forbade his daughter from being friends with her? Or even worse—would he have forced Miss Lant to drop out of school because he couldn't afford the tuition?
Thinking about all this, she frowned, forgetting that the purpose of bringing Joseph to the study was to report on his studies.

“I hope this won’t affect your friendship. If spending money can solve this, then I’m willing to spend it. Don’t be embarrassed or worried about my finances. My money exists to make me and my family happy.” Clayton said, patting the thigh of another child who was as quiet as a bush next to him, gesturing for him to come and sit down.

Donna also made a decision at this point, which was to decide later.

“I don’t know what to do, but I want to visit Miss Lant who is sick first.”

Clayton had no objection.

“Absolutely. I’ll go with you, and we can resolve this issue at her home.”

He looked down and pointed to the words in the storybook, asking Joseph to read them one by one. The result was quite surprising.

"Have you ever learned to read?"

Joseph shook his head quietly.

“He just has a good memory,” Donna said, then deflated, “Kerry, how much money did Mr. Yasser ask you to borrow?”

"Eight hundred pounds, half a year's salary for Julius."

Clayton's answer relieved her. Although eight hundred pounds was a lot, it was a sum that Clayton could definitely afford, and even she could afford it.

“Deduct it from my dowry.” Donna waved her hand. Even the Queen’s great-grandfather—the renowned King of the Long Feast—could not have displayed a more generous spirit than her.

Clayton was amused by her attitude.

"Your friends would be very moved if they knew the decision you were making right now."

“It’s best not to let her know about this, not at all,” Donna said.

They arrived at Yasir's house just after dinner that day.

Logically, people of their social standing should make an appointment by letter before visiting; to visit unannounced at night is considered impolite. However, the situation is different now, and the person being visited is also eager to see the guest arrive.

Mr. Yasir and his wife were both dignified, but the warmth in Mr. Yasir's eyes was hard to hide.

Clayton noticed that his wife seemed unaware of the family's debts, so she was somewhat surprised by the visit of Bello and his nephew and her husband's cheerful demeanor, but she still received them kindly.

Besides the Bello family, there were other visitors here.

Lant's other friend and her parents were also here.

Donna nearly jumped for joy when she saw Alice, but she quickly realized her mistake and stepped forward to try and block Clayton's view, though she overestimated her height. Clayton Bello's eyes were fixed on Alice; he had clearly recognized her.

Although his beard was much longer than it had been in Wonderland, Alice still recognized him.

"Your Majesty!" she waved cheerfully, then took a step back and bowed, mimicking the manner of courtiers.

Behind her, her parents—the Melchers—exchanged a startled glance at the title and gesture, then looked at Clayton Bello, hesitant to speak to the giant.

Clayton's pupils dilated, and he nodded almost imperceptibly at the girl in response. Then he lowered his head and glared at Donna, who was looking back at him guiltily, but said nothing.

Miss Lant, who was also sick, had taken her medicine and wasn't coughing anymore; she looked quite confused.

It's probably because none of her friends were invited by her.

When Clayton first saw Donna's unfamiliar friend, the girl had red hair similar to her father's, a fair face dotted with small freckles, and narrow cheeks, but not thin. Her upper lip was more prominent than normal, as if she were always pursing her lips. Her eyes moved steadily and powerfully, conveying thoughtfulness rather than daring to dart around. From this appearance, Clayton judged her to be a serious person.

Donna was relieved to finally have a friend who seemed intelligent.

Heaven knows what curse the blonde, blue-eyed girl was under. Clara was already quite Clara-like, but Alice was also quite Clara-like.

The Ashleys have more than one child. Their son and eldest daughter are already married, while their youngest daughter, Lant, is still being educated at Sinjani Girls' College. Her two best friends are Donna and Alice, and Mr. Ashley probably thought it would be easier to borrow money from their guardians because of this relationship.

Soon, the children were sent upstairs, the ladies went to other rooms to chat, and the men began to discuss financial matters.

They all had the financial means to send their children to girls' colleges, which suggests that they were from similar social classes.

Mr. Yashir is the owner of a large car dealership, while Mr. Melcher is a university professor.

Of them, Mr. Bello was the richest, Mr. Melcher had the highest social status, and Mr. Yasser's business was the most stable.

Based on the above comparison, Mr. Bello and Mr. Melcher were both puzzled as to how Mr. Yashir could have accumulated such a large debt.

Clayton Bello was not wrong in telling his niece that Mr. Yasser had only borrowed eight hundred pounds from him, but he did not say how much Mr. Yasser actually owed.

Mr. Yasser owed four thousand pounds, while he had seven thousand pounds in savings before this investment failed.

With the children and ladies gone, Mr. Melcher was finally able to ask Clayton what his daughter was called.

Clayton Bello may appear intimidating and is a violent man at heart, but when faced with questioning from the thin Mr. Melcher, he only feels the urge to run away.

“My child and I like to act out games at home. The Queen is the role I’m best at playing. She probably spread our jokes.”

This was barely a valid reason. Mr. Melcher carefully examined Clayton's handsome and imposing beard, which gave him even more trust, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Acting is indeed a great hobby. It can enhance your ability to understand others and improve your public speaking and reading skills. Coincidentally, I am a member of a club that studies the performing arts. If you would be so kind as to join me..."

Clayton immediately agreed.

When they finished this topic and turned to the person they were meeting with, asking him about the debt, Mr. Yasser showed a pained expression:
"That person came to my door and tried to sell me some kind of electric rail technology. He claimed that electrified rails could replace electric wires. As long as electric drive wheels and power control equipment were installed on the carriages, it could be easily driven by passengers with a few buttons and valves. This mode of transportation could completely replace public carriages and trams in the future, eliminating the need for horses and drivers, which would save a lot of money."

"He gave me a design drawing and an instruction manual explaining the product's operating principles. The manual stated that the invention could function normally in a theoretical environment. I sent a knowledgeable scholar to check the manual, and he said it was fine. The inventor even took me to the lab to observe the scaled-down prototype and its tracks, and it worked perfectly. So I invested everything I had, and who could have imagined the end result... Sigh—"

Mr. Yashir sighed heavily.

The middle class may have an even stronger sense of self-esteem than the aristocracy, and they are unwilling to ask for help unless they are desperate.

Mr. Melcher looked at him with pity: "'Theoretical environments' are usually conditions that cannot be achieved outside the laboratory. This new invention should be tested several more times before it is brought to market. And electrifying a long stretch of railroad track, I think, would consume more energy than hiring a coachman and keeping a horse."

“I will never invest in new inventions again in my life,” Mr. Yashir shook his head and waved his hand.

This huge defeat has extinguished all his courage.

Clayton's gaze darted between them, but he didn't hear anyone discussing what he considered the most crucial factor. Finally, he hesitated before speaking, "I thought we could abandon this project just because we heard about electrifying the tracks. What if it rains? Wouldn't people walking next to the tracks easily get electrocuted?"

Mr. Melcher was taken aback, and then the awkward people present increased from one to two.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore.” Clayton turned to Mr. Yashir: “Mr. Yashir, your daughter and my child are good friends, and I would love to extend this friendship to both families, but please prove that it is worthwhile first.”

Mr. Melcher escaped his embarrassment; he didn't speak, but an approving expression appeared on his face.

Facing them, Mr. Yashir remained silent for a moment, then suddenly took a deep breath and spoke in a very soft voice:
Have you ever heard of the Oracle Cave?