Chase froze mid-crouch, his fingers inches from the scattered bills.
To the guests, he looked paralyzed by shame. A pathetic man struggling with the last shreds of his dignity before inevitably surrendering it. "Look at him hesitate," Adams sneered, taking a sip of her wine. "He's calculating how much dog food ten thousand dollars can buy. Go on, Chase! Bark! Maybe if you wag your tail, Justin will throw in a bone." "Bella, you really married a winner," Justin laughed, leaning back in his chair and looking at Chase’s wife with mock sympathy. "If you divorce this trash today, I’ll pay his mother’s medical bills myself. Consider it charity for a beautiful woman stuck with a parasite." Bella bit her lip so hard it turned white. Her eyes were watery, filled with a mix of humiliation and pity. She took a shaky step forward. "Chase... get up. Please. Just get up and let's go. We’ll figure out another way." "There is no other way!" Chase suddenly spoke. His voice was different. It didn't crack. It didn't tremble. It was low, steady, and vibrated with a cold intensity that seemed to drop the temperature around the table by five degrees. He stood up slowly. He didn't brush off his knees. He didn't look at his wife. He looked straight at the transparent blue screen hovering in the air. "Oh? You have a spine now?" Justin mocked, stepping closer until he was face-to-face with Chase. He poked Chase hard in the chest. "I told you to bark. Are you deaf? Or are you just stupid?" Chase ignored the finger jabbing into his sternum. His mind was locked onto the glowing text of Option 3. Ten billion dollars. Respect. Dominance. For three years, he had swallowed his anger. He had bowed his head. He had let them walk all over him because he had no power. He thought poverty was his destiny. Not anymore. "I choose Option 3," Chase muttered under his breath. "What?" Justin frowned, leaning in. "What did you say? Speak up, trash." [Ding!] [Choice Accepted.] [Reward Issued: Centurion Black Gold Supreme Card. Funds have been deposited.] Chase felt a sudden weight in his back pocket. It wasn't imaginary. It was heavy, cold, solid metal. A surge of adrenaline, sharper and hotter than anything he had ever felt, rushed through his veins. It was the feeling of a man who had been drowning suddenly finding himself standing on dry land, holding a loaded gun. He looked down at the money scattered on the carpet. Ten thousand dollars. A fortune to him five minutes ago. Now? It looked like toilet paper. Chase lifted his foot. He didn't bend down to pick it up. He stomped directly onto the face of Benjamin Franklin. He ground his heel into the bills, twisting his sneaker until the paper tore and smeared against the hotel carpet. "You—!" Justin’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You crazy bastard! Do you know whose money that is?" "Trash money for a trash person," Chase said calmly. "You're dead!" Justin roared, his face turning red. He raised his hand to shove Chase. "I’m going to—" Chase didn't wait. He didn't flinch. All the anger of the last three years—the cold rice, the sleeping on the floor, the insults, the way they looked at his dying mother like she was a burden—channeled into his right arm. He swung. PA! The sound was like a gunshot echoing through the banquet hall. Chase’s hand connected with Justin Han’s cheek with the force of a sledgehammer. The impact was so violent that Justin didn't just stumble; he spun. He pirouetted a full three hundred and sixty degrees, his feet tangling together, before he crashed spectacularly into the table of champagne towers behind him. CRASH! Glass shattered. Hundreds of crystal flutes exploded. Champagne sprayed into the air like a geyser. Justin lay sprawled amidst the wreckage, a shard of glass in his hair, a bloody handprint swelling instantly on his cheek. The music stopped. The chatter died. The entire banquet hall went dead silent. You could hear the fizz of the spilled champagne settling into the carpet. Adams’ jaw dropped, her wine glass slipping from her fingers and shattering on the floor. Bella covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with shock. Chase stood over the fallen heir, shaking his hand slightly to ease the sting. He looked down at Justin with eyes devoid of fear. "Keep your change," Chase said, his voice cutting through the silence. "You’ll need it for your own medical bills." [Ding! Host has completed the choice.] [Reward: $10 Billion (Confirmed). New Choice available in 3... 2... 1...] "You... you hit me?" Justin screamed. His voice was shrill, hysterical. He struggled to sit up, wine dripping from his expensive white suit, looking like a drowned rat. He touched his face and saw blood on his fingers. "He hit me! He actually hit me!" "Guards!" Justin shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at Chase. "Security! Kill him! Break his legs! I want him dead!" Four burly security guards, wearing the Golden Phoenix uniform, rushed in from the main entrance, batons drawn. They looked massive, like walls of muscle. Bella panicked. The reality of the situation crashed down on her. She ran over and grabbed Chase’s arm, pulling him hard. "Chase, run! You’re crazy! Why did you do that? The Han family will kill us! Run!" "Let them try," Chase said. He didn't move. He stood rooted to the spot like an old oak tree. He looked at his wife. For the first time in three years, he wasn't looking at her with apology or subservience. He was looking at her with protection. With power. "Nobody will bully you again," Chase said softly. "I promise." "Security!" Adams screeched, jumping to her feet. "Arrest this lunatic! He is not part of the Song family! We disown him! He has nothing to do with us!" The guards charged. They were five meters away. Three meters. [Ding! Danger Detected.] [Option 1: Hide behind your wife. Reward: Durability +1 (Cowardice).] [Option 2: Kneel and beg for mercy. Reward: Hospital Bill paid by charity.] [Option 3: Purchase the Golden Phoenix Hotel instantly and fire everyone who opposes you. Reward: Ownership of the Hotel + Aura of the King.] Chase smirked. The corner of his lip curled up in a way Bella had never seen before. "Manager!" Chase shouted. His voice boomed, authoritative and commanding. The hotel manager, a fat, sweating man named Mr. Pang, came running out from the kitchen area, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. "What is going on here? Who is causing trouble at the Song Banquet?" "Mr. Pang!" Justin shouted from the floor, spitting out blood. "This trash hit me. I want him dead. If you don't break his legs right now, the Han Corporation will withdraw all investments from this hotel! I will bankrupt you!" Mr. Pang’s face turned pale. He knew the power of the Han family. He turned to Chase, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You dared to hit Young Master Han in my establishment? Security! Break his—" "How much?" Chase interrupted. Mr. Pang paused, confused. "What?" "This hotel," Chase said. He reached into his back pocket. The movement was slow, deliberate. He pulled out the sleek, matte-black metal card. It shimmered under the chandelier lights, absorbing the brightness rather than reflecting it. The surface was etched with a singular, intricate geometric pattern. "How much to buy it? Right now." Mr. Pang froze. His eyes locked onto the card. He had worked in high-end hospitality for twenty years. He had seen Platinum cards. Diamond cards. Palladium cards. But this... He knew the urban legends. The Centurion Black Gold Supreme. The card that didn't just have a limit; it had a direct line to the global banking reserve. "Sir... are you joking?" Mr. Pang’s voice wavered. "Ten seconds," Chase said coldly. "Give me a price, or I buy the hotel across the street and run you out of business by tomorrow morning." "Is he crazy?" "He picks up trash for a living, where did he get a black card?" "It must be a fake. A prop from A****n." "Justin, look at this clown. He’s pretending to be a tycoon to save face." Justin wiped the blood from his mouth and sneered, struggling to his feet. "Mr. Pang, swipe it. Let the machine expose him. When it declines, I’ll break his other hand for fraud." Mr. Pang hesitated. The card looked too real. The weight of Chase’s gaze was too heavy. He signaled a waiter to bring the mobile POS machine. His hands were shaking visibly. He took the black card from Chase. It felt cold to the touch. Beep. Mr. Pang looked at Chase. "Sir... the hotel is valued at..." "Just name the price," Chase cut him off. "Three... Three hundred million dollars," Mr. Pang stammered. He threw out a ridiculous number, fifty million higher than the market value, assuming Chase would back down. "Swipe it," Chase said. The room held its breath. Mr. Pang entered the amount: $300,000,000. Everyone leaned in. Adams crossed her arms, a cruel smile playing on her lips, ready to laugh when the 'DECLINED' message beeped. Bella looked down at her shoes, terrified of the police sirens she imagined were already on the way. Chase stood motionless, looking indifferent, as if he were buying a pack of gum. Processing... Connecting to Global Bank... Verifying... The machine whirred. [TRANSACTION APPROVED] Whirrrr-chk. The machine printed out a long, white receipt. Mr. Pang’s eyes bulged out of his head. He looked at the receipt. Then at the machine. Then at Chase. His knees gave way, and he nearly collapsed. "Succ... Success?" Mr. Pang whispered. "Three hundred million... cleared?" "What?" Justin shouted. "Impossible! The machine is broken! That card is fake!" "It went through," Mr. Pang’s voice cracked, high and hysterical. He suddenly turned to Chase and bowed at a ninety-degree angle, his forehead almost touching the floor. "Mr. Lu! I apologize for my blindness! I didn't know Mount Tai was standing before me! This hotel... is yours!"Latest Chapter
Preparation
"Throw them a tow line."Lady Rose lowered the pneumatic harpoon gun. The storm raged around the small lifeboat. The pirates on the interceptor deck uncoiled a thick wet rope. They tossed it over the railing.Chase grabbed the heavy rope. He secured it to the steel bow of their small vessel.The sleek interceptor boat throttled forward. It dragged the lifeboat out of the chaotic harbor. They left the burning cruise liner behind. Vincent Fang and his Vanguard assassins were trapped on the muddy docks.Chase sat next to Bella. The freezing rain lashed at their faces. He wrapped his ruined canvas jacket over her shoulders to block the biting wind.Ten miles off the coast, a massive steel monolith rose from the black ocean.It was a decommissioned offshore oil rig. The rusted iron pillars plunged deep into the churning sea. Floodlights pierced the dark storm. This was the fortress of the Pirate Queen.The interceptor boat docked at the base of the massive structure. Armed men lowered a he
One Time or Forever
"Do you swear you can cure it?" Master Hong asked.The fat warlord gripped the edge of the table. His pale face glistened with cold sweat. The arrogance was gone.Chase opened his mouth to state his terms.The cruise liner lurched hard.A deafening explosion ripped through the hull of the ship. The shockwave shattered the dining hall windows. Saltwater and gray smoke poured into the room."Client zero," Ghost shouted over the encrypted earpiece. "Unknown hostiles are boarding from the starboard side. They are carrying heavy weapons.""Vanguard?" Chase asked aloud over the blaring ship alarms."Negative," Ghost replied. "They are flying black flags. It is a local maritime raid."Master Hong fell backward in his reinforced chair. His ten elite guards raised their rifles toward the shattered windows.They did not fire at Chase. They fired at the dozen raiders swinging into the dining room on thick ropes.The invaders wore rusted body armor and carried brutal close quarters weap
One Time or Forever
"Do you swear you can cure it?" Master Hong asked.The fat warlord gripped the edge of the table. His pale face glistened with cold sweat. The arrogance was gone.Chase opened his mouth to state his terms.The cruise liner lurched hard.A deafening explosion ripped through the hull of the ship. The shockwave shattered the dining hall windows. Saltwater and gray smoke poured into the room."Client zero," Ghost shouted over the encrypted earpiece. "Unknown hostiles are boarding from the starboard side. They are carrying heavy weapons.""Vanguard?" Chase asked aloud over the blaring ship alarms."Negative," Ghost replied. "They are flying black flags. It is a local maritime raid."Master Hong fell backward in his reinforced chair. His ten elite guards raised their rifles toward the shattered windows.They did not fire at Chase. They fired at the dozen raiders swinging into the dining room on thick ropes.The invaders wore rusted body armor and carried brutal close quarters weap
Death's Cure
Master Hong laughed.The deep guttural sound vibrated the banquet table. The warlord leaned back in his reinforced wooden chair. He did not look intimidated by the billionaire standing in his dining hall. He looked thoroughly amused."You threaten me on my own ship," Master Hong wheezed. He wiped a smear of melted butter from his thick chin. "You bring ten million dollars in a briefcase and demand my respect. You are arrogant."Chase remained still. He tracked the movements of the ten armed enforcers standing behind the warlord. They gripped their automatic rifles tighter. They waited for a single nod to open fire."Vincent Fang pays me in gold," Master Hong continued. "He pays me to stall you. He pays me to watch you die."The warlord reached for another massive red lobster on the silver platter. He cracked the thick shell with his bare hands."My spotters watch every street in South Lake City," Master Hong boasted. He tossed a chunk of white meat into his mouth. "They saw you
Death Dealed
"Open the silver case right now."The dock enforcer pressed the rusted barrel of an assault rifle against Chase Lu's chest. Freezing rain battered the wooden pier.Chase did not flinch. He set the heavy Halliburton briefcase onto a stack of wooden shipping pallets. He popped the twin latches.Ten million dollars in untraceable bearer bonds sat neatly inside."I am a foreign ore buyer," Chase stated. His voice was a low gravelly hum over the crashing ocean waves. "I am here to lease out Dock Seven."The enforcer stared at the vast wealth. He lowered his rifle. He grabbed a static filled radio from his belt."The buyer has the entry fee," the enforcer barked into the radio. He looked back at Chase with a greedy sneer. "The boss will see you."Chase closed the briefcase. He walked past the armed guard.He approached the colossal structure looming at the end of the pier. Master Hong did not rule his smuggling empire from a concrete warehouse. He ruled from a decommissioned luxury
Visible Enemy
"Do not swipe the corporate card."Chase Lu grabbed Bella by the wrist. His grip was firm. He stopped her hand just as she reached into her jacket pocket.They stood in the cramped lobby of a roadside motel. Rain lashed against the cracked glass of the front doors."We need a room," Bella whispered. She looked at the bearded clerk behind the plexiglass counter. "My cash reserves are low.""Vincent Fang controls the regional banking grid," Chase explained in a low gravelly voice. "A credit transaction will ping the Capital Syndicate servers. It will broadcast our exact GPS coordinates to his Vanguard mercenaries."Bella withdrew her empty hand. She understood the reality. The Titanium bank accounts held billions. But digital wealth was a lethal trap tonight.She reached into her other pocket. She pulled out a small stack of crumpled twenty dollar bills. It was the change from a coffee run days ago.She slid the cash under the scratched plexiglass slot."We need a room for the n
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