Betrayed Into Wealth

Chapter 4

Having ordered an online taxi, Brian headed to the address listed on his phone. His body was starting to improve, although he still felt weak. The journey took almost an hour until the vehicle finally entered a housing complex.

The neighborhood looked beautiful, neat, and well-organized. Trees lined the streets, and large houses stood with spacious yards. But the atmosphere was strange. It was quiet. There were no security guards at the gates, no gates, no checkpoints. Anyone could enter or exit easily.

Luxury buildings stood in rows devoid of any signs of life. No children were playing, no televisions were playing, and no people were even passing by. The complex felt like an abandoned residence, though clearly still occupied.

"Number two-five," Brian muttered, staring at his phone screen.

He slowed his pace when he finally found the house that matched the address. It was different from the others. While the surrounding neighborhood seemed dead, this house was bustling with life. Several luxury cars were parked in the yard. From inside came the sounds of laughter, the sound of bottles crashing, and soft music playing.

Brian sighed heavily.

He had a bad feeling from the moment he got out of the taxi. He had a strong feeling that this place wasn't just any ordinary house. The system's assignments seemed increasingly unreasonable.

Collecting a debt wasn't easy, especially when it was hundreds of millions of rupiah. Brian was aware that in many cases, those who came to collect the debt ended up leaving injured.

But he kept moving forward.

"Excuse me," Brian said, standing in front of the wide-open door.

Several men sitting in the living room, bottles in hand, turned around in unison. Their gazes narrowed, scanning Brian from head to toe. Brian was dressed simply, his face was pale, and his body didn't look like someone who usually frequented places like this.

The people inside the house were partying. It wasn't just men; there were also women in skimpy clothing. Some of them were already sprawled on the floor or on the sofa, sleeping in random positions. Empty bottles were scattered everywhere.

"The party's over," one of the men said in a deep voice.

"I didn't come to party," Brian replied calmly, though his heart was pounding.

"Then what?" asked another.

“I’m looking for someone named Toni. Is he here?”

As soon as that name was uttered, the atmosphere immediately changed.

Everyone in the room turned to Brian. The laughter faded. Some faces looked wary. Their gazes sharpened, as if Brian had just said something he shouldn’t have.

“Do you know who Toni is?” a man asked, standing up and walking closer.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking,” Brian replied curtly.

The man stopped right in front of him.

“Why are you looking for him?”

“To take the money I was promised.”

“Hahaha!”

Laughter erupted throughout the room. Some even slapped the table, as if they had heard a particularly funny joke. Brian fell silent, not understanding what made his answer sound so ridiculous.

“Go home,” someone said from the corner of the room. “Don’t look for trouble.”

“I have to see Toni,” Brian replied without backing down.

The man standing in front of him grinned.

“You’re still intact. You better take care of it. Don’t come home in one piece; there are parts you have to leave behind.”

Brian swallowed hard.

“I don’t understand. I just want to see Toni.”

“Um.”

The voice came from inside the house.

Everyone immediately turned. The atmosphere changed instantly. Some of the men who had been laughing now stood up straight; others lowered their heads.

A man emerged from the hallway with two women dressed sexily. He looked young. His body was well-groomed, his face ordinary, not intimidating. But there was something about the way he walked and the look in his eyes that captivated the room.

He took a drag on his cigarette, then blew out a cloud of smoke.

“What’s up?” he asked casually.

“He’s going to see the boss,” one of the men replied quickly. “He said he was going to pick up the money he was promised.”

“Oh.” The man raised his eyebrows. “Money?”

“Yes,” Brian replied. “So you’re Toni?”

The man stared at Brian for a few seconds, then nodded slowly.

“Hmm.”

“I was asked to pick up the money I was promised. It was two hundred million rupiah.”

The room fell silent again. Even the music, which had been playing softly, now felt intrusive. Toni took a few steps closer, staring Brian down.

"Do you want the money?" he asked.

"Yes."

Toni smiled faintly. A smile that betrayed no emotion.

"You're brave enough to come alone," he said quietly.

Brian didn't answer. His fists clenched unconsciously.

Toni raised his hand slightly, then gestured with his finger.

"Teach him a lesson."

As soon as the command was issued, four large men appeared from behind. Their bodies were muscular, their faces cold, and their steps steady as they approached Brian.

Brian took a step back.

His heart was pounding. His breathing was heavy. A thought briefly crossed his mind: perhaps this was his biggest mistake. But at the same time, his phone felt warm in his pocket.

The system gave him no choice.