karlmaks
Stories
7
Chapters
3,386
Words
5.9 M
Comments
20
Reading
20 d, 12 h
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Ennio stirred as someone nudged him awake. He was about to complain when a jolt of realization snapped him out of his grogginess. Rubbing his face, he looked up in the darkness at Morris, who whispered, “There’s a truck coming.” The night was quiet, amplifying every sound. A conversation like this, unnoticed during the day, could easily be overheard now. Peeking out from the alley, Ennio spotted a truck moving slowly toward the corner. Earlier in the day, he had visited a community…-
1.5 M • Ongoing
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The car wheels rolled to a stop, pressing down the unsettled dust that had just begun to rise. The cheap vehicle, worth no more than two or three hundred dollars, parked in an alley across the street from the casino. Lance placed the revolver in the car’s center console. He wasn’t sure if they would search him, and carrying the gun could end up arming his opponents if confiscated. The folding knife, however, was tucked discreetly behind his belt at his waist, a spot less likely to be searched.…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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“…You guys wouldn’t believe what Jennifer and I did last night!” A freckled young man with sandy brown hair sat under a sunshade by the roadside, holding a glass of spiked orange juice as he recounted the previous night’s exploits to his two friends. “I have to say, it was the most enjoyable and coolest night of my life. You wouldn’t believe how gentle she is, and…” “I would,” one of his friends interjected. The freckled man froze. At the table were just the three of…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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A ham, tomato, and egg sandwich is undoubtedly better than plain bread. That afternoon, a group of young men strolled down the street, holding freshly made ham and egg sandwiches from the bakery. Their faces radiated happiness. They were poor, and for the poor, even when they could afford ham and egg sandwiches, they wouldn’t usually buy them. Spending fifteen cents on something that wouldn’t fill them up made less sense than spending five cents on something more substantial. Life wasn’t…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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Ennio’s breathing quickened, and the constant movement of cash on the gambling table made his throat itch and mouth go dry. He had never seen so much money in his life! His father, an Imperial immigrant striving to emulate Federation citizens, only ever told him to follow the Federation’s laws but never taught him to pursue happiness. Over the past two decades, Ennio’s life had been nothing but poverty and suffering. Yet, as all this money appeared before him, in that moment, he understood…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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With a loud clang, the door swung open. The burly man inside stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at Ennio. “This isn’t a playground. Coming in and out like this might bring unnecessary trouble. You know what I mean?” Casinos in the Federation required a special operating license to function legally, so most were technically illegal. However, Jingang City was unique. Its strategic location attracted sailors and travelers from around the world, prompting the state government to authorize…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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“Mr. Johnny, I’m the new patrol officer in this district. You can call me Clark. For the foreseeable future, I’ll be responsible for patrolling and maintaining law and order in the neighborhood.” “I heard you’ve run into some trouble…” Clark glanced at Johnny, seated in a wheelchair with a cast on, then removed his hat and took a seat not far from him. “They say the culprit has been caught, but your lost money won’t be recovered. I checked with the officer handling the case. You might…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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Morning arrived, and Ennio and a few friends met outside his home, their faces alight with genuine smiles. Yesterday, they had wrapped up two deals, earning a total commission of eleven dollars. While eleven dollars might not seem like much, considering the times, it was significant. Illegal immigrants renting work cards from others often ended up with only a little over ten dollars in actual income. To put it into perspective, eleven dollars was roughly equivalent to a month’s income for an illegal…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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After Lance left, Mr. Jobav’s assistant immediately approached, taking the glass his boss handed over. Observing the visible frustration, the assistant cautiously asked, “No deal?” Jobav shook his head. “He thought fifteen percent was too little.” The assistant exclaimed in disbelief, “Fifteen percent isn’t enough?” “If he knew the total debt was close to two hundred thousand, would he still think it’s not worth it?” Fifteen percent of two hundred thousand was thirty thousand—a…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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That evening, Lance dropped Patricia off near her home. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to stay, but having her stay over might lead to marriage talks—and Lance wasn’t ready for that yet. It wasn’t about shirking responsibility; it was simply that his career was in a pivotal growth phase, and everything else needed to take a back seat. Patricia lived in a middle-class neighborhood. Working at the Commercial Services Bureau at such a young age already indicated that she wasn’t from a purely…
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1.5 M • Ongoing
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