Chapter 66
After Gary and his family were seated on the couch, Franklin served them coffee right away. He even shouted toward the bedroom, "Maria, Mr. Chance is here. Come down quickly."
"Franklin, it's all right. I'm sorry to have interrupted you on such short notice."
Gary was embarrassed when he saw how welcoming Franklin was.
"Don't be a stranger. After all, we haven't seen each other for many years. Therefore, just make yourself at home. I have also made lunch reservations at a hotel so that we can have a wonderful meal together," Franklin suggested as he poured some coffee for Gary.
At that moment, Maria stepped into the living room. She was dressed in sports attire and had her hair tied in a ponytail, making her look youthful and vibrant.
After sweeping her gaze around, she finally fixated her gaze on Kai. However, she noticed that he was dressed shabbily and looked like a country bumpkin instead of the son of a powerful government official.
"Maria, greet Mr. Chance," Franklin reminded her.
"Mr. Chance, nice to meet you!" Maria called out insincerely. In fact, the contempt she had for them was written all over her face.
"Maria, how can you—" When he noticed Maria's attitude, Franklin was about to lose his temper, but Gary stopped him.
"Hi, Maria." After holding Franklin back, Gary nodded at her with a smile.
When both families sat down and chat, it was obvious that Maria was feeling awkward.
"Mr. Chance, I heard Franklin mention that you joined the government service after leaving the army. Now that so many years have passed, I'm sure you have achieved a very high position. Am I right?" Frieda asked in a forthright manner.
Her question had caused Gary to blush in embarrassment. He then replied awkwardly, "No, I... I have left the service."
"Isn't that too early for retirement?" Frieda exclaimed in shock.
"Enough! Why do you have so many unnecessary questions? Are you conducting a background check?" Franklin shot her a glare.
In truth, Franklin had sensed that something was off the moment Gary and his family arrived. After running a company for such a long time, he had met many government officials before. However, he didn't feel any similar sort of aura from Gary.
Nevertheless, he didn't reveal his doubts because he knew what kind of person his wife was. The moment she found out that Gary was just an ordinary person, she would turn on him on the spot.
"I was just being curious. Why do you have to snap at me?" Frieda rolled her eyes at Franklin. After that, she continued, "Mr. Chance, what was your rank before you retired?"
In the face of Frieda's questions, Gary knew that it was impossible to hide it from her. Besides, since they were there to seek Franklin's help, there was no need to do so either. Hence, he answered awkwardly, "I was sacked."
At that moment, Gary came clean with Franklin. Given the circumstances, he no longer cared about whether he would be humiliated. To him, his ego was no longer worth anything.
When Frieda heard what had happened, her smile disappeared right away. Instead, she rolled her eyes in response.
On the other hand, Franklin was filled with shock. He then asked Gary, "Why didn't you tell me that you had fallen on hard times?"
"That's in the past. Now that Kai is back, I'm wondering if you can help me secure a job for him. It doesn't matter how tough the job is," Gary asked in a subservient tone.
"No one dares to take in an ex-convict."
Before Franklin could reply, Frieda preempted him.
She was now behaving like an entirely different person.
Franklin's expression became solemn after he heard Gary's request.
Consequently, Gary added candidly, "It's fine if it's too much trouble. Worse comes to worst, I'll get him to work in construction."
Chapter 67
"Squad Leader, to be honest, my company is in trouble too. If I can't overcome this crisis, I'm afraid I will go bankrupt. Therefore, I would only be impeding his career by hiring him," Franklin confessed with a sigh.
Feeling embarrassed, Gary said, "Franklin, I'm sorry to have made trouble for you. Anyway, don't worry about Kai. Instead, what problems are your company facing?"
"Our problems? Can you solve them?" Frieda sneered.
"I..." Gary blushed in humiliation.
"Shut up!" Franklin glared at Frieda before saying apologetically, "Squad Leader, ignore her bitchiness. My company has dealings with Glamorous Designs. Unfortunately, they have stopped supplying goods to us, causing our cash flow to be stuck. Consequently, I don't know how long I can hold out for. As for finding Kai a job, I'll get Maria to check with her company, since it's a conglomerate and it provides good benefits. Kai can slowly work his way up from the bottom."
Visibly upset by Franklin's words, Maria retorted, "Dad, I'm nothing but a salesperson. I don't have such authority at all. You'd better not cause me any trouble."
"You might not be able to do so, but isn't Zayne the sales manager? Can't he hire just one person?" Franklin demanded.
"He—"
Before Maria could finish, Franklin threatened, "Enough! This is how it's going to be. If Zayne doesn't have the capability to do it, I will have to reconsider his compatibility with you."
Maria fell silent in response. All she could do was pout in anger.
"Franklin, it took a lot of effort for Maria to join that company. Aren't you just causing unnecessary trouble for her? Besides, does that company even accept ex-convicts in the first place?" Frieda remonstrated with Franklin after shooting Kai a glance.
Despite feeling upset at being called an ex-convict, Kai kept his temper in check. After all, he felt that Franklin was a good man.
"Dad, let me be frank here. I'll get him in the door, but whether or not he can pass the interview will be up to his own capabilities."
Maria rolled her eyes before returning to her bedroom.
"Squad Leader, please don't mind her attitude. That girl has a really nasty attitude," Franklin explained to Gary awkwardly.
Gary smiled wryly in response. Given the dire circumstances, he was in no position to be upset about her unfriendly attitude.
"Franklin, I appreciate what you have done. Anyway, I have something on, and I'll have to take my leave."
Gary was cognizant that there was no point in staying any longer. The last thing he wanted was to cause trouble for Franklin and his family.
"Squad Leader, why don't we have lunch first, as I have already made reservations," Franklin added quickly.
"It's all right. Next time, perhaps." Gary waved his hand.
At the same time, Kai helped Hannah up.
Despite being aware of his wife and daughter's hostility to his guests, there was little Franklin could do about it other than smile apologetically. "When the opportunity arises, the two of us should have a drink together."
When Franklin escorted his guests out, Frieda sat on the sofa and couldn't be bothered.
"Mr. Saunders, what's the name of the company that owed you money?" Kai asked the moment he walked out the door.
"It's called Glamorous Designs. Do you know anyone there?" Franklin asked out of curiosity.
Kai shook his head. "No, but I'll try and collect the money for you."
"I appreciate the thought, but you'd better not do anything illegal after having just been released. Instead, just take good care of your parents. As for my problems, you don't have to worry about it."
Thinking that Kai was probably a gangster, Franklin assumed that he was going to collect the debt by force. After all, Kai had just been released from prison.
Chapter 68
Kai replied with a smile, "Mr. Chance, don't worry. I won't do anything stupid."
Chuckling, Franklin patted Kai on his shoulder. "I appreciate your willingness to help."
After leaving Franklin's house, Gary let out a gentle sigh. "Kai, Mr. Saunders is a good man. If you manage to get a job tomorrow, you have to work hard so that others would not look down on you."
Evidently, Gary was hurt by the treatment Franklin's wife and daughter gave him. Unfortunately, he had resigned himself to the fact that his incompetence had forced him to seek help from others.
"I understand." Kai nodded.
Feeling disheartened, Hannah remarked, "What's going to happen to Hilda? After what transpired today, we can't be asking for their help again."
They had agreed to help Hilda find a job. But now, they didn't even have the chance to bring it up.
In response, Gary lowered his head and lit a cigarette in silence. Evidently, he didn't know how he was going to break the news to Chloe.
"Mom, Dad, don't worry about it. I'll think of a way to help Hilda. If I can land a job in the company, I will help her secure a job there too," Kai reassured his parents.
"I guess that's all we can do." Gary nodded.
After hailing a taxi, they hurried back home. Inside the car, Kai sent a message to Tommy. He related Franklin's situation and instructed Tommy to get Glamorous Designs to pay up.
After that, he kept his phone and closed his eyes to rest.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of their residential area, only to find Hilda pacing about anxiously.
Curious, Kai asked, "Hilda, what are you doing here?"
"Kai, I—"
Just when she was about to explain, she held her tongue when she saw Gary and Hannah alight from the taxi.
At the sight of Hilda, Gary assumed that she was waiting to ask about the job. Blushing in embarrassment, he said, "Kai, you should go ahead and talk to Hilda. Meanwhile, I'll head home first with your mom."
Gary couldn't bring himself to explain to her. After all, he was an elder and had failed to deliver what he had confidently promised the day before.
After watching his parents leave, Kai inquired, "Hilda, did something happen?"
Teary-eyed, Hilda explained, "Kai, I-I'm scared. The debt collectors are after me. Hence, I'm worried that my mom will find out."
"Calm down, Hilda. I'm right here. When they come, I'll deal with them for you," Kai comforted her.
"Kai, p-please don't get into a fight. I don't want you to be locked up again because of me."
Even though Kai was the only person Hilda could rely on, she didn't want history to repeat itself on her account.
"Don't worry. There won't be any violence." Kai smiled slightly.
While they were talking, an SUV suddenly screeched to a halt in front of them. From it, a group of five burly men alighted. One of them wore a big gold chain and sported a crew cut. The expression he carried was especially ferocious.
The moment Hilda saw the men, she quickly hid behind Kai.
Their leader, the one wearing the gold chain, asked, "Girl, have you prepared the money? If you don't pay up today, I'll confiscate everything you have at home."
"I... I don't have it. Can you give me a few more days?" Hilda answered meekly.
"No, not a single day more. If you have nothing valuable at home, we will take you with us. You look decent, so I think you should be worth a pretty penny."
The moment he finished speaking, the leader ignored Kai and tried to grab Hilda.
Chapter 69
However, the moment he reached out, Kai grabbed his hand.
"I'll pay what she owes you, so keep your hands away from her," Kai warned him calmly.
"You?" The leader scrutinized Kai briefly. When he saw that Kai's outfit didn't cost more than two hundred, he sneered, "Do you know how much she owes us?"
"One million," Kai replied.
"Hmph! More than that," the leader scoffed.
"How can that be? Last week, you told me that I only needed to repay one million," Hilda questioned in shock.
"That was last week. Have you forgotten about the interest? It's now one million three hundred thousand, and not a penny less," the despicable man declared with a smirk.
Hilda was stupefied that her debt had jumped by three hundred thousand in one week. Even if she was a money printing machine, she wouldn't be able to keep up with its pace.
"Fine, I'll pay you one million three hundred thousand," Kai remarked plainly.
The leader was stunned at how readily Kai agreed to it. Hilda, too, couldn't believe her ears as she looked at Kai in disbelief.
"Kai, where are you going to get the money?"
Hilda knew that there was no way Kai would have so much money given that he had just been released from prison and didn't even have a job.
When the leader heard Hilda's words, he glared at Kai. "Kid, are you sure you have the money? Do you know what the consequences are for messing with me?"
Just as he spoke, the man unsheathed a dagger.
At the sight of the dagger, Hilda paled, and she stayed close to Kai.
"I will keep my word. All you have to do is to come with me to the bank where I'll withdraw the money."
Unfazed by the threats, Kai was a sea of calm.
When the man saw how composed Kai was, he couldn't help but admire his courage. "Fine. You've got guts, kid. So, I'll believe you this once and go with you to the bank."
The moment he finished speaking, he stepped aside to make way. After giving his men a look, one of them opened the car door.
"Let's go. Get in." The leader gestured with his head.
Turning around, Kai instructed softly, "Hilda, you should head home now. Don't tell your mom or my parents about this. I'll be back in a short while."
"Kai..."
Holding onto Kai's arm, Hilda gave him a concerned look.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
After smiling faintly at her, he turned and got into the car.
Watching the car leave, Hilda could feel her tears running down her cheeks. She was worried sick about Kai after the men took him.
Soon, the car arrived in front of a bank.
"Remember, don't try anything funny. We'll be waiting outside for you," the leader warned.
Disregarding his words, Kai walked right into the bank.
Considering how crowded it was inside, Kai had no choice but to queue.
"Sir, you can use the ATM to withdraw money. There's no need for you to queue," a bank staff told Kai politely.
"I'm withdrawing a big sum which the ATM doesn't allow me to," Kai responded with a cordial smile.
"Sir, may I know how much money you are intending to withdraw?" the staff asked.
"More than a million."
Just as he spoke, those people queuing up before him turned around.
After all, a million was a massive sum indeed.
Chapter 70
"Kai?"
At that moment, a fashionably dressed lady in heavy makeup called out to him from the queue.
She was wearing a pair of sunglasses that was so big that it covered half her face.
"And you are?" Kai furrowed his brows slightly as he scrutinized the lady.
"It's me, Delilah Landry." The lady took off her sunglasses.
Kai suddenly remembered. "Oh, it's you. I almost couldn't recognize you."
Delilah was Kai's classmate from high school. In fact, both of them even shared a table. Back then, she had a terrible dress sense and was a far cry from how she looked now.
After scanning Kai from head to toe, Delilah sneered, "I heard you went to jail. When did you get out?"
Delilah had brought up his prison sentence on purpose. Obviously, she was looking to denigrate him in public.
When both of them sat together in school, she had even written him a love letter. After all, Kai came from a decent background, as his father worked for the government. For the same reason, Kai was popular with the girls.
Nonetheless, Kai had ignored her because she wasn't attractive at all back then.
"It's been a couple of days since my release," Kai answered candidly.
"You're withdrawing a million despite just coming out of prison? You must be rich," Delilah remarked with a snigger.
Without elaborating, all Kai did was smile. Then he changed the topic and asked, "When did you come to Horington? I heard that you dropped out after high school."
"That's right. I did. However, I am now more successful than a university graduate like you." Just as she spoke, she pointed at a fat middle-aged man sitting on a chair and gloated, "That's my boyfriend. He owns a company and has tens of millions in assets. Today, he is getting a card for me, and I will be in charge of his money from now on."
A smug expression was plastered on Delilah's face. Even though the middle-aged man looked older than her father, she didn't see anything wrong with it. All that mattered to her was that the man was rich.
Glancing at the fat middle-aged man, Kai let out a faint smile. "In that case, congratulations on finding a rich boyfriend."
Even though Kai was smiling innocuously, Delilah was struck by a sense of scorn. In fact, she felt as if Kai was mocking her.
"Sir, if you want to withdraw more than five hundred thousand, you have to make an appointment beforehand. Do you have one?"
After learning that Kai was an ex-convict, the bank staff spoke in a harsh tone.
"It's urgent, so I didn't make an appointment. Can you help me out this time?" Kai inquired.
"Kai, why do you need a million so urgently? Judging by your looks, you don't seem to have that much money. Are you trying to make a fool of yourself here?" Delilah ridiculed Kai.
Ignoring her, Kai took out his card and handed it over to the staff. "I have ten million inside and just want to withdraw one million three hundred thousand. Can you make an exception?"
"Ten million? Who are you kidding? You're nothing but an ex-convict. How is it possible for you to have so much money?" Delilah continued her mockery of Kai.
At the same time, the bank staff began to grow impatient. "Even if you have twenty million, you will have to follow the bank's procedure. You can't—"
Before the staff finished her sentence, she caught a glimpse of Kai's card and widened her eyes in disbelief.
The card was given to Kai by William, the richest man in Horington. William's cards had a special mark printed on them. Therefore, the staff recognized it at once. Since Kai was holding a card belonging to the Sullivan family, the staff instantly knew that he was no ordinary person.