Chapter 4 Revenge

I looked at the clock on my left wrist. It had only been half an hour since I had left home. When I was in Smoky Hollow, it felt like I had been there for hours.

"Newt, what's the date?"

[It's the 22nd of January 2024, Master.]

That means it's still the same date. Could it be that my clock is broken? But I see that the hands are still turning properly.

"Why do I feel so long?" I muttered as I continued to look at the watch.

[There is a comparison between time when you are in the real world and in Smoky Hollow. An hour in Smoky is only a minute in the real world. So you can spend time in Smoky Hollow without wasting much time in the real world.]

Wow, this is a sign that I can make a lot of money in just a few minutes. But ....

"Newt, when is the Smoky Hollow Gate going to open again? And why can't I hunt more than 50 zombies?"

Wouldn't it be better if I could hunt more, because that would mean more money for me?

[The Smoky Hollow Gate opens every eight hours. You can choose to enter or not. There is a limit to how much you can hunt because it's for the balance of the system. There are a select few people in the world who get access to the system. Every time you level up, the number of things you can hunt increases, as does the level of difficulty. And it's not just zombies in Smoky Hollow. There are a lot of creatures that have different values].

"So it's not just me who can make money with this hunting system?" I didn't expect that there would be other people who would have that opportunity. Will I be able to meet them in the dungeon later?

[You are not the only one, but your identities are kept secret to avoid a clash that would affect the balance of the system].

"I see. So we will never find out about each other." I nodded, understanding Newt's explanation. "By the way, Newt. Can you help me buy a car, a house, and also Quinion Corp?"

[Of course. I can do it all for you. You exchange the coins for money in your world first, and I'll take care of everything else].

I did as Newt said. I even easily exchanged a large amount of coins because I was sure that I would easily get them back. If I hunted three times a day, I could get 15,000 coins.

It wasn't long before my mobile phone rang. It was a message saying that money had been credited to my account. I smiled when I saw it.

[I'll take care of it for you, sir.]

I just nodded and waited for Newt to take care of it for me. Not long after, a luxury car pulled up in front of me. Someone got out and opened the back door, bending over. I looked around to see who he was opening the door for.

[Please get in, Master. This is your car.]

Newt was speaking in my head again. "My car?" I still had the feeling that this was all a dream.

[Yes, Master. Vasco, your driver will take you home.]

"I have a house? Wow... I'm really rich now."

I walked towards the luxury car with a happy expression on my face. But before I got in, something nags at my heart. I stared at the old motorbike that had been with me all this time. Should I leave it here?

[You can put your motorcycle in the inventory.]

Newt seemed to know what I was thinking.

"Really?"

[Yes. As long as the item really belongs to you, you can put it in your inventory. All you have to do is activate your holographic screen and point it at the item, then use your index finger to move the item into your inventory."]

I followed Newt's instructions. Soon after, the motorcycle in front of me disappeared. Even though I had figured out this system some time ago, I was still amazed and stunned by what I was seeing. 

Once I had calmed down, I got into the luxury car. I could feel that the surface of the seat was very soft when my fingertips touched it. It was very different from the seats of the buses I used to ride in.

[Master, Mr Alfred Anderson is here to see you.]

"Mr Alfred Anderson?" I tried to remember the name. I was very familiar with his name, but I had forgotten it.

[He is the owner of Quinion Corp. The negotiations have been concluded. He would like to meet you to hand over the company."]

I nodded in understanding. "Does that mean I'm the owner of Quinion Corp. now?" I asked to reassure myself.

[That's right, Master Vasco will escort you to Quinion Corp.].

I couldn't hide my happy feelings anymore. I was a rich man worth billions of dollars, and now I am the owner of Quinion Corp.

After about fifteen minutes, we pulled up in front of the tall building that was our destination. I stared at it for a moment before finally entering. It was almost night, so I'm sure there weren't many people working there.

But unfortunately, just as I arrived in the lobby, I bumped into Ian and Sofia. What are they doing here? Didn't they just have sex at home?

"Wow! Look who's here, Sofia! Your poor ex-husband." Ian confronted me and insulted me again. Even Ian looked at me from head to toe in disgust. "Is he going to beg looking like that?"

"Leon! Why have you come to this place? Don't tell me you're unhappy with our divorce and want to get Ian out of this company. You won't be able to bully Ian because his father is the director that Mr. Alfred Anderson trusts the most."

Sofia said confidently, as if I still loved her very much. Even though I'm really disgusted with her right now,. 

Ian laughed at Sofia's words, which were probably a joke to him.

"Honey. He definitely wants to ask you back. He'll soon be on your knees crying because he doesn't want to divorce you."

"Don't worry, Ian, we are officially divorced. You don't have to worry. I will never go back to a poor man like Leon. I've had enough of being a fool for a year now. I won't let myself be trapped again. I was completely disgusted by the behaviour of these two cheap people in front of me. Even Sofia's body was deliberately made to cling to Ian's arm, as if to make me jealous. But it wasn't jealousy I felt, it was disgust at the sight of such traitors.

"Don't dream too high, Sofia. I will never return to you. Maybe soon you'll be the one begging to come back to me," I sneered, looking at them with a mocking look.

Why are these two disgusting creatures here? Shouldn't they still be at Sofia's house, continuing their romance?

"You dream too high, Leon. I won't beg you, it's only in your dreams."

It was only today that I learned Sofia's true character. I had been fooled by her gentle and sweet demeanour, but in reality, she was just like any other woman who was just crazy about money.

"You know, Ian is here because his father told him to come and welcome the new owners of the company. That's because they're important people in this company. You'd better leave and don't come back. Your words will be completely useless.

I lifted one corner of my lips. What if Sofia finds out that the new owner of the company they're waiting for is me?

"What's going on?" A brown-haired man of about fifty came towards us. He put his hands behind his back as he looked at me with a condescending look.

"I'm just warning this beggar, dad, not to enter the company. This is a big company that doesn't deal with dirty beggars like him." Ian looked at me sarcastically; the corners of his lips turned up, as if I really were rubbish to him.

The man who turned out to be Ian's father then looked at me with the same look his son had given me. It turns out that father and son have the same nature.

"Go away! You'll only make a mess of this office. Beggars like you don't belong here." Ian's arrogant nature seemed to come from his father. I looked at the name tag on his chest. Horace Willis. I'll remember that name.

"Just wait until you're the ones I'm kicking out of this company." I looked at them both in turn. They laughed out loud at my words. Even Sofia joined in the laughter, as if our time together had been in vain.

"What are you going to throw us out with?" Ian asked in a mocking tone. He pulled Sofia to him and kissed her cheek deliberately, as if to make me jealous. But it wasn't jealousy I felt, it was disgust for these two ignorant people. "You even have a penis."

Horace cleared his throat loudly, and Ian immediately closed his lips tightly. "Don't waste your voice on this beggar, boy." He said it in a low tone. "It will only make him happy to talk to a respected person like us."

I closed my eyes, my hands clenched into fists, to hold back my anger. They might be learned and respected people, but their words were worse than garbage.

"We'd better..." Horace didn't continue when he heard a car pull up outside the lobby. All our attention was immediately drawn to the man who had just entered. An older man in a black coat walked towards us with dignity. Behind him were several men in suits, who I was sure were his bodyguards.

I recognised the old man. He was Mr. Alfred Anderson, the owner of the company. I looked at the three men beside me. Their stern looks turned soft as they greeted the man.

"Mr. Anderson. We're here to welcome you." Horace smiled and spoke very politely to Mr. Anderson. It was quite different when he spoke to me earlier. I couldn't help but chuckle at the fake behaviour of the people.

Mr. Anderson just glanced at Horace and walked over to me instead. He smiled and held out his hand.

"Welcome, Mr. Durand. Nice to meet you." Mr. Anderson greeted me warmly. I looked at the three arrogant people. All three of them gaped and stared at me in disbelief.

"Thank you, Mr. Anderson. Nice to meet you too." I accepted the handshake with a broad smile.

"Sir. What are you doing? He's just a poor beggar." Horace looked panicked. He was trying to correct himself in case Mr. Anderson had recognised the wrong person.

Mr. Anderson gave Horace a sharp look. "What are you saying? He is Mr. Leon Durand. The new owner of this company!" scolded Mr. Anderson angrily.

"What? The new owner?" Horace looked at me in confusion, as did Ian and Sofia. They looked very shocked at what Mr. Anderson had just said. I could even see Sofia's pale face as she looked at me.

"No way, sir. He's just a poor man with nothing. He doesn't even have a home." Sofia was trying to tell the truth, but in the past.

"Who is he, Horace?" Mr. Anderson squints at Sofia. He looks dissatisfied that the other person is doubting him.

Horace is stunned that an outsider shouldn't be in this company. "She's my son's girlfriend, sir. And she seems to know this man."

Wow. It turns out that their relationship was known to Ian's parents, and they approved of it. How could they allow their son to have a relationship with a woman who already had a husband?

"That's right, sir. He is my ex-husband. He is poor and only a construction worker."

Sofia closed her mouth tightly as Mr. Anderson gave her a sharp look. Her face looked even paler, and I was glad to see it.

"Shut up, all of you!" snapped Mr. Anderson, making the three of them shrink. His stern face immediately changed as he turned back to me. "I'm sorry, Mr. Durand."

"You don't have to apologise, Mr. Anderson."

Mr. Anderson motioned to someone behind him. That person took a step forward and handed Mr Anderson a folder. Mr. Anderson unfolded it and opened it.

"This is the bill of sale. Please read and sign."

Mr. Anderson handed me the folder. I opened it and read it carefully. After making sure there was nothing wrong, I signed it.

When all the paperwork was done, Mr. Anderson excused himself, and there were only four of us left in the loby.

"Ian. How did you get so rich? You can even afford to buy this company." Sofia's face went soft again, as it often did. But that couldn't change anything.

"This is none of your business, Sofia. You're not mine anymore." I smiled sarcastically at her and then turned to Horace

"You're fired." I pointed at Horace and Ian in turn. I stared at them with a mocking look. Now they could feel what I had felt all along

Horace came closer and tried to grab my hand, but I pushed him away. "I'm begging you not to fire me and Ian." Horace seemed to tug on Ian's arm and motion for the man to do the same to him.

"Yes, sir. I beg you not to fire us." Although Ian looked annoyed, he did it too.

"We are good workers. You won't get workers like us again." Horace was still trying to show his merits, but I didn't care.

"Ian is a good boy. It's all because of that woman who kept instigating and teasing Ian." Horace seemed to have trouble swallowing his saliva. "I promise it will never happen again."

"What? Why am I being blamed?" Sofia looked so angry at being made the scapegoat. She then approached me and tried to grab my hand. Fortunately, I quickly dodged so that her hand just hung there.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hand, Sofia!"

"Um... Leon. I know you still love me. I'm sorry for what I've done. I really loved you all the time."

"Get out of my sight!"

"Leon!" I was about to walk away when Sofia suddenly knelt down. But it was too late, the woman was now clutching my legs. "I'm sorry. I was only tempted for a moment by Ian's words. I honestly still love you very much." Sofia's voice sounded pleading, as if she was trying to force me to feel sorry for her. But my feelings for this woman were completely gone. Hearing it only made me feel more disgusted.

"It's delicious! You really are a whore, Sofia. You even spoke ill of your husband in front of me. You're the one who seduced me into losing my mind!"

"You seduced me first, Ian. If you hadn't, we'd still be living happily ever after."

I just smiled at their argument. I already didn't care about their romantic drama. I pulled myself up and pulled my legs out of Sofia's embrace. I was so happy to see these people blaming each other.