Frozen Rebirth: My Infinite Storage in the Apocalypse

Chapter 7: Collecting Some Interest

How could Ryan easily let Ethan go?

Although he and Ashley had decent salaries at Crown Corp, earning a combined $160,000 a year, after deducting rent and living expenses, they could save at most $100,000 a year.

Yet, Ethan had $20 million in savings, plus that apartment worth several million more, totaling nearly $25 million in assets.

Even if they didn't eat or drink, it would take them over 200 years to save that much.

Not to mention the future risks of getting laid off or falling sick; who could guarantee that those years would be smooth sailing?

He absolutely could not let this "big fat fish," Ethan, get away.

"No!"

Ryan grabbed Ashley's hand, his tone firm and greedy,

"Ash, Ethan is just a fool; he doesn't deserve to have so much money! This money should have been ours in the first place; how can we let him run off with it?"

Ashley nodded repeatedly, a flash of agreement in her eyes.

Her mention of "giving up" earlier was just a casual complaint; actually letting go of this $25 million would hurt more than cutting her own flesh.

In her eyes, other than being a bit taller, a bit more handsome, and a bit richer than Ryan, Ethan had no redeeming qualities.

He lacked Ryan's "drive," didn't know how to say sweet things to make her happy, and didn't even know what she liked when it came to gifts.

"But I'm really out of ideas."

Ashley frowned, looking troubled,

"Ethan is stubborn as a mule; no matter how much I persuade him, it's useless."

Ryan scratched his head, racking his brain, when suddenly his eyes lit up. He leaned into Ashley's ear and lowered his voice,

"Ash, how about... you give him a little hope? Hasn't he always liked you? If you just loosen up a bit and say you're willing to give him a chance, you'll definitely be able to keep him around."

Ashley's face darkened instantly, and she feigned displeasure as she shook off his hand:

"Ryan! I'm your girlfriend; how could you think like that?"

But deep down, she wasn't as resistant as she appeared.

She still remembered when Ethan used to tease Ryan, joking about his "stamina," saying Ryan's "performance" was only half of his.

Ryan was all talk, always finishing in two minutes, and he loved messing around with strange ideas she wasn't into, he was truly "all talk, no follow-through."

She had long been dissatisfied with Ryan; if she could use this opportunity to test Ethan, it didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"Ash, I'm doing this for our future!"

Ryan quickly coaxed her, starting to paint a picture of the future again,

"Once we get Ethan's money and buy a place in the city, after we get married, I'll let you manage all the money at home. I'll listen to you on everything, okay?"

Ashley was already an expert at "buying into promises."

At work, she bought into the "promotion someday" her boss kept dangling, and now she was buying into the "wealth someday" her boyfriend kept painting.

Under Ryan's persistent pestering, she finally nodded "reluctantly":

"Well... alright then, but you can't get jealous."

Ryan sneered inwardly, but put on an appearance of being moved:

"How could I be jealous? As long as I can be with you, what's a little discomfort like this?"

At this moment, Ethan was in the restroom smoking.

He rarely smoked before, but after his rebirth, every time he thought of the betrayal and death in his previous life, he couldn't help but smoke a couple to calm his nerves.

He intentionally stayed in the restroom for ten minutes, waiting until he finished his cigarette before strolling back.

He wanted to give that pair of scoundrels enough time to "discuss their strategy," so the show would be worth watching.

Arriving at the front desk, Ethan picked up the menu to order.

He spotted the most expensive item on the menu at a glance: "Free-Range Heritage Chicken," priced at $35 per pound, and said directly to the waiter:

"Give us 16 pounds."

The waiter was stunned and couldn't help but confirm:

"Sir, there are only three of you; you won't be able to finish 16 pounds of chicken."

"We're regular customers; we just love your chicken."

Ethan waved his hand, his tone firm,

"If we can't finish, we'll take it to go. Just serve it as I said."

Seeing his insistence, the waiter stopped trying to persuade him.

Only a fool wouldn't take money; besides, it wasn't his money being spent.

"By the way, what's your best wine?" Ethan asked again.

"We have a reserve bourbon, $280 a bottle. Would you like some?" the waiter quickly suggested.

"No thanks." Ethan refused directly.

The waiter wondered: *Why ask if you aren't going to drink it? Is this guy crazy?*

But he didn't know that Ethan was doing it on purpose, tonight, he wanted to make Ryan's wallet hurt properly.

Ryan was usually very stingy; to save money for a down payment, he wouldn't even buy himself a coffee. Tonight's bill would be enough to make his heart ache for days.

As soon as Ethan sat down, Ashley immediately grabbed his hand, her eyes reddening, tears welling up, looking as if she couldn't bear for him to leave.

Good grief, with acting skills like this, it's a waste not to be an actress.

Ethan muttered to himself, but on the surface, he acted nervous, his voice even trembling:

"Ash, you... what's wrong?"

"Ethan, I don't want you to leave!"

Ashley's voice was choked with sobs, tears almost falling,

"I turned you down before because I wanted to test you; actually, I don't dislike you at all. Can you give me a little more time? I... I'm a girl who warms up slowly."

Slow to warm up? You won't ever warm up at all.

Ethan sneered in his heart, but on the surface, he showed an expression of surprise and disbelief, his voice trembling even more:

"Re... really? Ash, are you serious?"

"I mean every word!"

Ashley nodded vigorously, holding his hand even tighter,

"Ethan, you can't abandon me and leave! The person you love is here, and your good friend Ryan is here too; how can you leave?"

Ethan deliberately remained silent for a few seconds, then, amidst the expectant gazes of Ryan and Ashley, slowly shook his head:

"Ash, I know Ryan likes you too. I'd better go; I don't want to be a third wheel, nor do I want to ruin your relationship."

"You're overthinking it!"

Ryan quickly interrupted, forcing a smile onto his face,

"Ashley and I are just ordinary friends. She's just slow to warm up. If you give her a little more time, she will definitely accept you."

Ashley nodded along, her eyes full of "pleading":

"Ethan, you understand me, right?"

Ethan's gaze swept back and forth across their faces, finally landing on Ashley, his eyes "sincere":

"Ash, do you really not like Ryan?"

Ashley nodded frantically without even thinking:

"Of course not, I only see him as a friend."

The smile on Ryan's face froze instantly, and his expression became extremely ugly.

He knew it was acting, but watching his own girlfriend say she "didn't like him" in front of someone else still felt like being pricked by needles.

Especially since Ashley was acting too realistically; the "disdain" in her eyes seemed to come from the bottom of her heart.

"Then let me ask you again."

Ethan didn't let him off, continuing to press,

"Ash, between me and Ryan, who would you choose?"

Ashley hesitated for a moment, then chose to suck up to Ethan:

"Of course it's you, Ethan! How does Ryan compare to you in any way? You're handsome, tall, and an honest person; Ryan simply can't compare to you."

Ethan nodded in deep agreement, while inwardly muttering:

I was just too honest before, which is why I was treated like a fool by you two.

He deliberately looked at Ryan and said with an "innocent" face:

"Ash, do you mean to say that Ryan is uglier, shorter, and more fake than me?"

Ryan's fists clenched under the table, cracking loudly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

Every word Ethan said stabbed into his heart like a knife.

He was indeed shorter than Ethan (Ethan was 6'1", he was only 5'6"), he did have a few acne scars on his face, and he did like to put on airs.

But these were all his sore spots.

Ethan clearly knew this, yet still said it to his face; this wasn't a joke at all, it was deliberate humiliation.

He suddenly picked up a piece of chicken and bit into it fiercely, as if the chicken were Ethan and Ashley, his eyes full of resentment.

Ashley also felt it was a bit excessive and quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Ethan, Ryan is your good friend; how can you say that about him?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Ethan looked innocent,

"Ash, if you don't make it clear, I'll always feel like you two are lying to me, that it's a lie made up just to make me stay."

He was deliberately sowing discord, letting this pair of scoundrels develop a rift between them.

It wasn't time for revenge yet, but collecting some "interest" and making them feel uncomfortable was still necessary.

Ashley had no choice, so she had to bite the bullet and continue to disparage Ryan:

"Ethan, I'm telling the truth. Ryan's face is full of acne scars, he's a bit overweight, how can he be as handsome as you? You're a tall guy at 6'1", he's not even 5'6"; he simply can't compare to you."

These words were like sharp knives, stabbing fiercely into Ryan's heart.

He was a person who cared immensely about his image and had extremely strong self-esteem; Ashley's words were undoubtedly a slap in the face in public.

His hand under the table was clenched so hard the veins were bulging; if it weren't for thinking about Ethan's money, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from snapping.

Ethan watched Ryan's livid face, overjoyed in his heart, but still "trying to mediate" on the outside:

"Ash, that's not right of you to say. Ryan is my good friend; how can you expose his shortcomings? Regardless, he's a man and cares about his image.”

Ryan's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the underside of the table, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes.

Ethan, you just wait! Once I get your money, watch how I pay you back double for today's humiliation.

Ashley's hand holding her chopsticks also tightened slightly, her heart full of grievance and anger.

It was clearly Ethan who forced her to say it, yet now he was acting like the reasonable one instead.

He got to say all the nice things, while she had to play the villain.

She even faintly felt that she had been played by Ethan.

But as soon as this thought emerged, she suppressed it.

Ethan is just a fool, how could he have such deep schemes? I must be overthinking it.