Chapter 391

Chapter 391: A Family Must Be Whole and Complete

Glancing at the letter, El was absolutely certain that this was the invitation.

The wording, the format, even the punctuation—it all reflected the knowledge he had crammed over the past few weeks. Even Li Rui had given it his seal of approval.

So, it had to be flawless.

Which meant, without a doubt, that the man standing before him was lying.

El casually flicked the letter, and it fluttered down to land at the feet of the portly man.

The man instinctively reached for it, scanning its contents before looking up at El, his face a mix of surprise and confusion.

“You kidnapped me over such a small matter?”

His expression wasn’t feigned; he genuinely seemed baffled by El’s actions.

But soon, his tension eased slightly.

“This was completely unnecessary. It was just a delay of two or three months…”

His eyes flicked to the young man before him, then to the shadowy Middle-aged Man standing behind. The small business owner, Nip, quickly relaxed.

“Alright, I don’t know who you are, but it seems you’re here to back them up.

“If I pay their salaries now, will this matter be settled?”

Though he had been terrified at first, the realization that it was such a trivial issue made Nip relax. Yet, a dark undercurrent of malice began to stir within him.

Those ungrateful fools had dared to bring in someone like this to deal with him.

Once he found out who was behind this… No, there was no need to investigate. He only had five employees. Even if he punished the wrong one, he wouldn’t let any of them off the hook!

As for dealing with these gangs—he had his own connections. He’d make sure they regretted this decision.

And this pretentious young man in front of him? He’d see how far his arrogance would take him.

But for now… he’d play along and show a little respect.

“I still don’t know your name…”

“Ash.”

“Alright, Mr. Ash, this is my fault. I’ll personally apologize to my employees and make up for the wages I owe them. As for your fee… what do you think is fair?”

The young man seemed pleased with his response, nodding with a faint smile.

“No need.”

“You’re too kind. Then I’ll just…”

Nip rose from the narrow stool, ready to leave, but suddenly two large hands clamped down on his shoulders.

Two burly strong men had appeared on either side of him, forcing him back into his seat.

“I didn’t say you could leave.”

The young man leaned forward slightly, the dim light failing to illuminate his face.

Nip felt a chill run down his spine. This young man seemed like a novice eager to make an example of him, as if he were a sacrificial lamb.

“What do you mean?”

Nip’s expression darkened slightly. He was quite familiar with the gray areas of the inner city, but he had never heard of anyone named Ash. It seemed like this was just a fleeting newcomer trying to make a name for himself by taking him down.

But why should he be the one to be made an example of?

"Let me tell you a story."

The young man stepped into the shadows beside him, but he made no effort to conceal his footsteps.

Soon, he reappeared before Nip, leaning down to look at the portly boss pinned to the chair.

The face before him looked remarkably young. Earlier, Nip had thought the boy was a reckless sixteen or seventeen-year-old, but now he realized he couldn’t be more than fourteen.

"There was a man who worked in your shop, putting in twelve-hour days.

"For physically demanding work like moving goods, twelve hours is enough to drain all his energy, especially when deliveries come at all hours…

"One day, he discovered his wife had fallen ill, and it seemed her condition wasn’t easily curable. The special medicine on the black market costs ten thousand information coins per dose, so he hoped you would pay him the wages you owed as soon as possible.

"You readily agreed, but then delayed for another two months. That poor man had no choice but to turn to loan sharks…

"Another two months passed, and he was completely at his wit’s end. The wages you promised not only hadn’t materialized but were also accumulating. Though his wife was still alive, their home had been mortgaged. You’ve experienced the winters in Hope City; I doubt they’ll survive until the snow melts next year.

"He searched for a long time and finally came to me, asking for help in seeking justice."

El looked into the man’s eyes and asked pointedly:

"And now you say you’ll go back and pay their wages, and that will be the end of it. Don’t you find that laughable?"

Nip’s face grew ashen, but he also felt a growing unease. He looked at El and asked:

"What if I offer them a relocation fee as well? I can also cover the interest on the loans…"

"It’s too late."

El shook his head:

"After all, you refused the last chance. I know you’re unwilling to part with your money, so I won’t force you to do so.

"That man’s request is—an eye for an eye. I think you understand what that means."

An eye for an eye? An eye for an eye! Nip’s expression completely shattered. He stared at the young man, baffled by what kind of price his underpaid employees had offered to make this person target him.

"No, you can’t do this! This is…"

"Illegal? Don’t tell me you’re going to use that word?"

El smiled, but Nip felt as though he had plunged into a dark abyss.

"Your shop has plenty of liquid assets. I’ve already allowed them to take the corresponding wages and interest."

"No!"

El completely ignored the man’s cries and continued calmly:

"They’re still running your shop, and it seems your presence as the boss doesn’t affect them much."

"No!"

"As for that mortgaged house, since the procedures are quite formal and have been filed with the relevant department, I can’t help them get it back for now. They’ll just have to make do staying at your place for a few days."

"No!!!"

Nip had completely lost his mind. He could give up his money, his shop, but not his family, his family!

"What about my family?! They’re still there!"

The frantic man asked this, deeply worried that those uncivilized people would mistreat his family, though he chose to ignore the reason for his fear.

"Ah? Your family also needs to stay?"

El feigned surprise, seemingly shocked by Nip’s reaction:

"I seem to have forgotten to consider this."

Watching Nip’s eyes redden and his body tremble under the grip of the two strong men, El decided to end this tedious prank.

"Just kidding! How could I forget about your family?"

As he spoke, he pointed toward the side of the room, where a beam of light illuminated three wriggling sacks on the floor:

"Don’t worry; I’ve brought them all here!"

"Boss, it’s ‘invited.’"

"Oh, right, right…"

El cleared his throat:

"Please rest assured; I’ve brought them all here!"