The Day My Name Bankrupted a City

002

“My father...”

I frowned. The possibility of this being a scam hit me. After all, I was an orphan, who grew up in an orphanage.

I had no recollection of my parents. However, someone suddenly calls me telling me that my father was wealthy enough to transfer 15 million dollars to me. How could this be real? It was inconceivable, a wishful fantasy.

The woman on the other end of the line seemed to have guessed my doubts through my silence.

“Pardon me, Sir Gael; I didn’t express myself clearly. To put it simply, you are not an orphan, but were separated from your family under tragic circumstances. However, Levi Taylor, your biological father, never stopped looking for you. And it was only recently that his efforts were rewarded. He finally managed to locate you two days ago. Your identification has also been confirmed by him.”

“Wait.” My chest tightened. This was all a little too much for me.

It only took a few sentences to completely overturn my worldview. It was difficult to accept. Levi Taylor...

“Wait," I took a sharp breath, "are you talking about the Levi Taylor? One of the richest men in the world?”

“Yes, Sir Gael.”

My head was a jumbled mess. I was overwhelmed by the torrent of thoughts that came at me from all directions.

There was nobody who did not know about Levi Taylor. He was the president of America's largest conglomerate, the Taylor Group.

The conglomerate had a diverse range of businesses across various industries. The assets of each of the subsidiary companies totaled hundreds of millions of dollars. Backing it all were the Taylors. They had absolute control over a number of industries, and their overall assets totalled in the trillions of dollars. Their wealth literally rivaled a country.

Someone was now saying that person was actually my father? This was too ridiculous, absurd. It was simply unreal.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?" I asked solemnly, suppressing my doubts. "If I’m actually Levi Taylor’s son, why didn’t he call me personally?”

“Once we located you, we sent someone to secretly obtain a sample of your hair. Following a DNA test, we discovered that the probability of you having a genetic tie with Mr. Taylor is 99.9999%. This test was conducted at the Capital Testing Center. It is, without a doubt, authentic. If you like, I can show you the DNA report.”

“As for the second question, the situation Mr. Taylor’s currently in is messy," she stated. "It would be imprudent for him to publicly acknowledge you as his son. It could put you in danger. For the time being, your identity must be kept hidden.”

“Although he can’t be with you right now, he can still assist you," she added crisply. "Mr. Taylor has transferred 15 million dollars to your bank account. He hopes it can somewhat make up for all that’s happened to you. Once he’s taken care of his current affairs, he’ll personally come to Razor City to pick you up.”

She paused. “Finally, I’ll be your personal assistant from now on. I’ll address all your needs. If you encounter any difficulties, just give me a call. I will try my best to satisfy you.” The voice on the phone was steady, sincere, and clear. I could not find any flaw in her words.

Although my doubts were addressed, I was still skeptical.

Words were after all just words.

The only real evidence was the message regarding the bank deposit, but wire fraud was still a possibility. The messages about my bank deposit could’ve been forged.

I needed to test them.

“You said you’ll address 'all' my needs, right?” I intentionally put an accent on the word "all".

“Yes, I’ll address all your needs.” Her voice was firm.

I slowly said, “I just experienced the greatest humiliation of my life.”

I began thinking back to everything that had happened at the club. My anger began to resurface. Clenching my fists tightly, I continued in a grave voice, “I need revenge.”

“Anyone who offends you offends the entire Taylor family.” Her voice grew chilly. “Please tell me your current location.”

“I’m in front of the Moonlight Club. Can you bring that DNA report with you?”

“Yes, please wait a bit, I will be there in 20 minutes.”

The call ended but I could not calm down.

I was hit with too much life-changing information.

My father was a billionaire?

Did he just casually give me 15 million dollars and a personal assistant?

It felt unreal, like a dream.

I put away my phone and lit a cigarette.

Nicotine entered my lungs. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. My tense body began to relax as I calmed down.

There was no need to be anxious.

The truth would reveal itself in 20 minutes.

“Hey, what are you doing here?!” A grumpy voice came up from behind me.

I turned my head and saw a security guard approaching me. He pointed at me and yelled, “Where the fuck did you come from? Stop hanging around here. You’re affecting the club’s business.”

As he got closer, he saw the blood on my face. He grimaced and looked at my waiter’s uniform. “You’re a waiter at the club?”

“Yeah.” I nodded my head.

“Got beat by a guest?” His gaze moved back to my face.

I nodded again.

“Heh, fucking deserved it. All the guests at the Moonlight Club are super rich. You’re lucky you didn’t die.” The security guard sneered. “Fuck off," he impatiently continued, "mope somewhere else before I fucking kill you.”

My anger spiked. I made an ugly expression. Just as I was about to give him a piece of my mind, the rumble of an engine entered my ears.

Vroom!

A silver-gray Aston Martin sped into the parking lot and came to a screeching halt at the club's entrance.

A man in his thirties exited the car.

The security guard’s demeanor instantly changed. With an obsequious smile on his face, the guard hurried to greet the man. “Ah, Mr. Smith, you’re here. May I help you park your car?”

The middle-aged man threw the car keys to him without even sparing a single glance. One of his hands held a phone. “Are you sure? Ms. Glenn is actually coming to my club?” His hands were trembling.

As he spoke, he rushed toward the club’s entrance. Clutching the car keys, the security guard hurriedly bowed behind the man. He bowed again, his face full of pride. He looked as if he had received a great honor.

My face broke into a chilly grin as I witnessed the security guard bootlick the other man.

This was the power of money.

I knew the man who had just arrived.

Of course, he did not know me.

His full name was Forrest Smith; The owner of the Moonlight Club.

He was once a thug. He started from nothing and worked his way up, achieving success.

In addition to this club, he owned numerous properties in other businesses. He was a powerful figure in the underworld, and one of the big shots in Razor City.

The security guard acted like a dog when he saw him, ready to roll and bark.

With a cigarette between my lips, I took off the tissues on my forehead. The bleeding from the wound had stopped, but the blood on my face remained sticky. It was a little uncomfortable.

The entrance of the club suddenly became lively.

It was not because guests were coming in, but because they were leaving. Angry men and women complained while walking out of the club.

“What’s happening? I was having the time of my life. What's the deal with everyone being kicked out?”

“What the hell is this?! Clearing out the entire club? Ridiculous! You think refunding my money is enough? Pfft, I’m not that cheap.”

“Is this how Moonlight Club treats its guests?!”

“I’m never coming here again!”

I was a little surprised by this scene. I soon found Johnny and Dawn in the group.

Dawn’s face was flushed. She was hugging Johnny. Her clothes were a mess, revealing most of her pale breasts. It attracted the eyes of several men.

Johnny was furious. He definitely got interrupted while in the middle of doing it with Dawn.

“Hey, you, come here.” Johnny signaled a security guard. It was the same guard who tried to drive me away.

The security guard put on a smile. “Mr. Miller, you called?”

Johnny glared at the guy. “What the fuck is Moonlight Club doing? Why was I fucking kicked out?!”

“Sigh, calm down, Mr. Miller. The order to clear out the club came abruptly. We’re also a bit confused.” The security guard tried to reason with him.

Johnny exploded. “I’ve spent thousands of dollars here! Is this how you treat your guests? Are you fucking kidding me?”

Johnny’s words incited the other guests, adding to their nerves. Things quickly began to get messy.

“Yeah! So what if Moonlight Club’s big? They can’t just kick us out for no reason!”

“I need to speak with your manager! I need to know who’s responsible for kicking us out!”

The security guard began sweating. “Everyone, there’s no point in seeing the manager. Clearing out the club was an order given by... Sir Forrest Smith.”

THE Forrest Smith?!

Everyone went dead silent.