Eye of Insight

Victor responded with a grunt and waved to the security guards standing by the pool: "What are you waiting for? Get these guys out of here!" The security guards scrambled, pushing and pulling the three stunned individuals toward the pool. The two guys in black vests, still aching from their earlier punishment, received even more blows. Even the blonde-haired man got a few whacks with a baton, howling in pain.

When Mr. Grant saw Ethan speak up, he didn't feel like getting into a lengthy discussion about Victor's matter. However, as the security guards were ushering the blonde out, Mr. Grant moved swiftly and grabbed Blaise by the collar, delivering a relentless barrage of punches that left Blaise's cheeks swelling like two steamed buns.

"YOU son of a B*TCH! You've got some nerve! From now on, every time I see you, I'll beat you up on sight. Get out!" After a smooth side kick to Blaise's chest, Grant sent him flying out the door.

Grant was one of River City's legit princes, a seasoned martial artist with a third-degree black belt in karate. To someone like Blaise, who was flaunting his wealth, Grant couldn't care less. Dealing with the likes of him was like swatting a fly.

After teaching Blaise a lesson, Grant nonchalantly turned to Victor and the others, "Why are you still standing there? Get moving. Stop being so useless."

The group breathed a sigh of relief, quickly making their exit. Only Harper gave Ethan a complicated glance before biting her lip and following the others out.

Once everyone had left, Grant relaxed and burst into loud laughter. "Ha! Ean, you're really something! Just looking at those three scaredy-cats, you can tell it was you who made the move."

Mike joined in, poking Ethan's pectoral muscles and whistling. "Damn, man, you're really packing. Yours is bigger than mine—almost like a woman's!"

Ethan could only roll his eyes. "Shut up, dude. This is the result of hard work, alright?"

Grant, looking as if he'd discovered a treasure, approached Ethan, pinching the muscle on his arm before reaching for his chest.

"Back off or I'll have people come for you," Ethan said with a shiver, dodging Grant's hand. These two were a headache. Sometimes, having too much muscle was a curse!

Mike, with a mischievous grin, taunted, "Go ahead, call them. No one's gonna care, not even if you scream your lungs out."

Ethan, now thoroughly exasperated, ran for the door, sprinting to the changing room. After a quick soak in the hot spring, he pulled on his dirty clothes, feeling uncomfortable. He checked the money in his pocket and decided it was time to buy some new clothes. After all, he still needed to get Mike a computer and might as well pick up a decent outfit.

Back at the hot spring, Ethan declined Grant's offer for dinner and left with Mike in a taxi, heading straight for Yund Commercial Plaza.

Yund Commercial Plaza was a small shopping complex specializing in electronics and clothing. The prices were reasonable, and the quality was solid.

The first floor was packed with electronic stores, showcasing a dizzying array of computers. The latest all-in-one machines caught the eye—sleek, simple, and stylish. But Mike didn't seem too impressed by these high-end yet overpriced models. He preferred to pick out his own components for a custom-built rig.

They found a Lenovo distributor, and Mike quickly picked up a configuration sheet. A friendly salesgirl came over to greet them, immediately recognizing Mike as the potential buyer. With a saccharine smile, she enthusiastically recommended Lenovo machines. But when she heard Mike wanted to build his own, her eyes showed a brief flash of disappointment before returning to normal. After all, commissions were much higher on assembled machines.

True to his "spend other people's money without a care" principle, Mike selected only the best parts: an Intel i9-14900K processor, an Asus ROG MAXIMUS Z890 HERO motherboard, a Samsung 990 PRO SSD, Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 speakers, and the luxurious Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL case. After the so-called discount, the total came to 88,000 yuan.

The salesgirl beamed with happiness, quickly throwing in some freebies and promising free delivery. Mike nonchalantly wrote down his address and phone number, then turned to Ethan, "Pay up. What are you waiting for?"

With a pretty salesgirl by his side, Mike clearly thought of Ethan as his personal ATM.

Ethan smiled and pulled out two stacks of US dollars from his bag, counting out 13,000 and handing them over respectfully to Mike. Since Mike wanted to look good, Ethan was happy to oblige.

Mike grinned like a Cheshire cat, waving the receipt in front of Ethan's eyes. "Guess what? The salesgirl invited me to a movie this weekend. Her name's Oxie."

Ethan chuckled, "Oxie? She must be good at laundry, huh? You're in luck."

"Bullshit, man. Tomorrow I'm treating you to drinks," Mike laughed, slinging an arm around Ethan's shoulder as they joked their way out of the store and into a taxi.

Ethan, remembering his shopping plans, sighed when he realized the car had already started moving. It was too late to change his mind. His current clothes would have to do.

By the time they got back to the apartment, it was already six in the evening. Ethan carefully placed the money and the jade stone in his suitcase, then, feeling uneasy, took the stone and his bank card out and put them in his backpack. He left the suitcase with only the cash inside. Just as he finished, his sis, Ivy, opened the door.

Ivy was followed by a short, chubby middle-aged woman—Ethan had seen her before. She was Ivy's aunt, the wife of her second uncle. A while ago, Ivy had borrowed nearly a hundred thousand yuan for David's medical treatment. Five thousand came from this woman's family, and now, unsurprisingly, Ivy's aunt had come to collect.

"Ean, move a chair for Aunt, and make her some coffee. I'm going to change my clothes." Ivy was exhausted after a long day at work. She wanted some rest, and since her aunt had come to her workplace to collect the debt, she hoped she could come up with some excuse while changing.

Aunt didn't beat around the bush, "I'm not here to chat. When are you planning to pay back that five thousand?"

"I've been paying a thousand bucks a month into your account. It's been almost two years. How can there still be five thousand left? Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Ivy had scrimped and saved to pay off the debt, but she'd already paid almost twenty thousand. She couldn't believe she still owed five thousand.

Her aunt sneered, "When you borrowed the money, we agreed on two percent interest per month. What you've paid so far barely covers the interest. Today, I want the principal. I've got it all in writing, and you signed it."

She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Ivy. Ivy opened it, and her face went pale. She bit her lip, reading it over and over. Trembling, she finally said, "Aunt, when I borrowed the money, we agreed on two percent interest per year. Why does this say two percent per month? What... is this?"

Her aunt snatched the paper from Ivy's hand, sneering coldly, "These days, the one who owes the money is the master, and the one who lends it is the servant. Ivy, why don't you get over your widow's pride for that dead husband of yours? You've got a dependent to feed too. If you just agree to what I said earlier, I'll let the debt slide. You can live luxuriously, drive a Benz, and live in a villa..."

"Enough! I don't have the money right now, and I can't agree to what you asked. I'll send five hundred more bucks to your account every month. Take it or leave it." Ivy's anger flared. She had been duped by her aunt, who had tricked her into thinking the interest was annual, only for it to turn out to be monthly.

This was the wife of Ivy's real uncle, someone who should have been family, and yet she was taking advantage of Ivy's vulnerable situation. Anger and betrayal swelled in Ivy's heart, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she managed to hold them back.