He had not expected to run into another acquaintance: Clio, the Raven Family's second son. Clio's attitude now was utterly different from before.
The fat man had no interest in Clio. He merely raised his glass of juice. "Young Master Clio." Then he said nothing more. Chen Mu nodded to him as well. "Young Master Clio."
Clio seemed unbothered by this reception. He faced the two of them eagerly. "I never expected to see you here, Mr. Cao. What a surprise. My coming-of-age ceremony is in a few days. Would you and Mr. Yang An be able to attend?"
A coming-of-age ceremony? Chen Mu did not understand, but he had no interest in the Raven Family. The eagerness in Clio's eyes also made him somewhat uncomfortable. He shook his head. "I'm very sorry, but I have something to do." With that, he closed his mouth. The fat man's answer was even more direct. "I have something to do as well. Very sorry, Young Master Clio."
Clio could not hide his disappointment. After saying a few more words, he left dejectedly.
The fat man glanced at Clio's retreating back and said disdainfully, "The Raven Family is sliding further and further backward. Those two sons care only about scheming against each other. They don't even bother with the family business. What fools!"
Then, seeing Chen Mu's puzzled expression, the fat man explained, "In established families like the Raven Family, they hold a banquet when their children come of age. The children invite influential, capable friends as a show of support, in a sense. Heh, hardly any families still keep that tradition these days. I didn't expect the Raven Family to cling to it."
The fat man's words betrayed considerable disdain for the tradition.
Chen Mu understood now, but he had never had