The System of Power is Money

Chapter 7

Part 07

Without hesitation, Ethan, alone at the ATM, slapped his own cheek. He blinked several times, trying to convince himself that what he saw was real, not a fantasy. 

"Ouch!" 

Ethan winced as he felt a twinge of pain in his cheek. 

"Is this really happening?! Did I just get 100 million?! Did I become wealthy without any hard work?!" 

Ethan cheered in delight. Naturally, without much further thought, Ethan immediately withdrew an amount of money to pay the landlady who had tossed his belongings out. 

Before long, a vibration began in the man's pants pocket. 

With a furrowed brow, Ethan quickly retrieved his vibrating, shabby cellphone. 

"The system has been activated! Whoever has made an agreement with the system, when that person is able to complete missions to help those around them, the system will automatically provide 100 million as a reward for each mission." 

Suddenly, Ethan's old, beaten-up cellphone rang uncontrollably. 

He tried various ways to silence it, but the phone continued to ring as if to indicate that the system was tied to the very phone he often mocked. 

Ethan smiled. He didn't think about any potential risks that might arise in the future. 

The man felt that the instructions given by the system were also good things. So, it didn't feel wrong to just follow whatever the system wanted. 

"I agree to this agreement. I'm not sure how to bind it, but I believe my words are heard too." 

Ethan said this. 

After withdrawing an amount he deemed sufficient, the man put the money into his work messenger bag. 

No longer walking, Ethan headed towards the nearby bus stop. He waited for the bus to come by so he could catch it. 

"Don't you want to take a motorcycle taxi, Sir?" 

Ethan, who had been waiting there for quite a while, shifted his gaze towards the voice offering the suggestion. 

"I can take you to the address..." 

Ethan mentioned the address of his rented place. With a reassuring nod, he finally agreed to ride with the motorcycle taxi driver. 

Upon arriving at the address that had been his home for a while, he could see all of his belongings now strewn on the ground. 

"I should have anticipated that this would happen. Hmm... it's about time for me to leave this place filled with painful memories. I'll just go, leave all of this behind." 

Ethan closed his eyes, feeling a tightness in his chest. 

He then walked towards the door of his rented room. 

"Hey, Ethan!" 

The loud voice of his landlady immediately diverted his attention. 

"Yes, ma'am?" Ethan replied, looking at the furious face. 

The woman stood with her hands on her hips, seemingly ready to take his life. 

"I had to remove all of your belongings. I know you must already understand the reasons behind my decision. So, if you want to stay here, you'll have to settle the outstanding rent first..." 

As the woman continued to lecture, Ethan quickly took out a sum of money from his messenger bag. 

Even if counted carefully, the money Ethan gave to his landlady was far more than the amount that should have been paid. 

Perhaps it could last him for 1 or 2 more years. 

"Please, Ethan. I truly apologize for having to..." 

"It's alright, ma'am. I thank you for allowing me to rent here. But I won't be staying here anymore. Consider the extra money as compensation for the two months of unpaid rent." 

Ethan interrupted his landlady's words. 

He truly felt it was enough to stay in a place filled with memories. 

[Share it with the victim of human trafficking who is your neighbor.] 

Ethan glanced briefly at the message sent to his old phone. After packing all his belongings, he quickly read the message. He then shifted his gaze to his neighbor, looking intensely at the woman. 

"Hello, Ms. Rini!" 

With all his belongings, Ethan approached his neighboring boarding house. 

"Eh, Ethan. Hey, where are you going? Bringing all these things? You haven't paid the rent yet. Just use some of my money for now, I have savings." 

Ms Rini, who had just returned from work, also realized that Ethan's belongings had been taken out by their landlady. 

Ethan quickly shook his head. 

"It's okay, Ms Rini. I actually don't plan to stay here anymore. I'm going back to my hometown for some family matters. Since my stuff is already out, I'm just leaving. I don't know when I'll be back in Jakarta." 

Ms Rini's expression changed. Her eyes welled up with tears. 

"Oh my, dear. Are you serious about leaving? What will I do without a neighbor to tease if you're gone?" 

Ms Rini couldn't hold back her tears. Ethan chuckled for a moment, not expecting that someone still cared about him. 

"Ms Rini, please don't cry anymore. I'll take my leave now, but if I'm back and have time, I'll definitely let you know so we can have a reunion." 

Ethan approached the older woman. 

"Please take care. Look after yourself." 

Ms Rini returned the hug. 

Not long after, Ethan reached into his crossbody bag, placing a sum of money onto her palm. 

"I hope this money is enough for you to start a business, Ms Rini. I want you to stop being trapped in those unethical jobs." 

Ethan conveyed his message before finally leaving the premises of his boarding house. 

Bip! Bip! 

The notification light on his old phone lit up again, indicating that a sum of money had been deposited into his account.