HEIR OF THE DEATH STRIKE

"Zaqqy, do you have the money yet? We have to take Dad to the doctor," asked his mother, her voice full of concern.

At that moment, Zaqqy was wearing his security uniform, which was already a little worn from frequent use at work. The twenty-eight-year-old turned and smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, Mum. Today I'm going to meet Mr. Darwin. I called him yesterday to ask for a loan, and he approved it. I'll pick it up after I get to the café. Be patient, Mum," replied Zaqqy in a reassuring tone.

He was trying to calm his mother down, even though he was actually filled with anxiety himself.

"I hope you really get it, Zaq. Don't you want to find another job? The problem is, your salary as a security guard doesn't seem to be enough for all our needs..."

Zaqqy sighed softly, then smiled again, although the smile felt forced.

"What kind of job do you want me to do, Mum? At 28 years old, with only a high school diploma, I'm considered expired by many workplaces," he said with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Later, if there's an opportunity, I'll look for another job. Maybe ask my friends. The important thing now is to focus on taking Dad to the doctor."

His mother looked down. Her face looked sad and full of guilt.

"Yes... I'm sorry, son, for causing you trouble. At your age, you should be married and have your own life. But now you have to bear all the burdens of our family. Meanwhile, your brother is nowhere to be found."

"Ah, Mum... it's okay. Don't talk about Bang Riski anymore," said Zaqqy quickly, not wanting his mother to become even more sad.

He then stood up and took the motorcycle keys hanging on the wall.

"Alright, Mum, I'm off to work. Just pray that everything goes smoothly. InsyaAllah, I'll be able to get the money today."

Zaqqy shook his mother's hand respectfully.

"Assalamualaikum."

"Waalaikumsalam," replied his mother softly.

The woman watched her son leave with a sad look on her face. Their life had never been easy. They lived in a small, cramped, and simple four-room rented house.

Poverty was like a shadow that followed the family wherever they went.

Zaqqy's father was seriously ill and needed medical treatment. His eldest brother had disappeared without a trace for years. Now, Zaqqy was the sole breadwinner of the family.

He had to pay the rent, meet their daily needs, and earn money for his father's medical expenses.

Zaqqy left the house and took his old motorbike. The old bike might not be valuable to others, but to Zaqqy, it meant everything. Without it, he wouldn't even know how to get to work every day.

"Hello, Zaqqy! Off to work?"

As he was about to start the engine, Zaqqy turned when he heard a woman's voice. He smiled slightly when he saw who was calling him.

There stood Rahayu, a young girl with a neat appearance and a bright face.

"Yes, going to work as usual. Where are you going, Rahayu? Why do you look so neat all of a sudden?" asked Zaqqy.

Rahayu smiled shyly.

"Oh, yes, Zaqqy. My boss invited me to lunch. He said he wanted to talk about something. He also said we're going to a café, but I don't know which one yet. He said he'll pick me up soon."

Before long, a black car pulled up not far from where they were standing. Rahayu immediately pointed at the car.

"Oh, there it is, sir. The car has arrived. I have to go now." She waved her hand. "Bye, Zaqqy!"

Zaqqy just nodded and waved back at the girl.

A few seconds later, the black car drove off with Rahayu.

Zaqqy then started his motorbike and immediately left for work, a large café that was quite famous in the city. He arrived there shortly afterwards.

As soon as he parked his motorbike, one of his colleagues waved at him.

"Zaqqy! Come here quickly!" shouted Tono as he jogged towards him. "Take over for me! You took so long to get here. If Mr Darwin sees you're late, he'll scold you again."

Zaqqy smiled awkwardly.

"Yes, yes, sorry. I had to calm my mother down at home first."

"Oh, it's about your father being sick, right?" asked Tono.

Zaqqy nodded slightly, looking burdened.

"By the way, Mr Darwin is here. He's in his office upstairs. You wanted to collect your loan, which has been approved. You'd better go and see him now."

"Yes, you're right. Thanks, Ton."

He walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor where Darwin's office was located.

However, as he stepped towards the stairs, Zaqqy's gaze fell on a black car parked in the special area. His brow furrowed slightly.

"That's... the car that picked up Rahayu earlier," he muttered softly. "Oh, so they're having lunch here."

Zaqqy didn't think too much about it and continued walking towards Darwin's office. There were also seven of Darwin's men who usually stood guard around the door.

Tok.. tok.. tok..