Chapter 31: Live Stream: Beating Up Mike Carter

Ethan Bear let out a hearty laugh, his cronies following suit as if on cue.

"Mike Carter, I'll admit you've got guts! But your methods of wooing women? Absolutely pathetic!" Ethan couldn't stomach the downfall of the Bear family. He'd decided to solve it the only way he knew how—Bear family style.

Sophia Rivers froze when Ethan Bear appeared, her heart sinking.

The Bear family had a reputation for being rough and unruly, with plenty of enforcers at their disposal. It wouldn't take much for them to overwhelm Mike.

Ethan approached Mike, smirking as he stood inches away. "So, where's tonight's earnings?"

Amelia Song trembled as she reached for the cash box, but before she could hand it over, Mike stopped her with a firm grip.

"Wow," Ethan sneered, waving to his gang. "Mike, you really think you can stand up to me? Do you even see how many guys I've brought with me?"

Mike stayed calm. He'd learned from Ethan Howard that moments of crisis were the best opportunities to test one's composure and adaptability.

"What do you want?" Mike asked, his voice steady.

Ethan grinned maliciously. "What do I want? Isn't it obvious?" He strode toward Amelia and yanked the cash box from her hands. Without hesitation, he grabbed a fistful of cash and stuffed it into his pockets.

"Not bad—quite the haul tonight," Ethan said with a smirk, patting Amelia on the shoulder. "Keep it up. From now on, I'll be here every night at closing time to collect. Don't lie about your earnings, or there'll be consequences."

Amelia nodded meekly, her fragile frame seeming even smaller under Ethan's intimidating presence.

Mike's jaw clenched as he realized how the money had been disappearing. This was Amelia's hard-earned cash, taken by force.

"Alright, pleasure doing business," Ethan said with a smug grin. He turned to leave, walking with a newfound swagger, the satisfaction of having asserted dominance.

Mike's gaze burned into Ethan's back, his anger barely contained. Sophia noticed and gently tugged at his arm, whispering, "Let it go, Mike. Don't make things worse."

Amelia shook her head as well, clearly terrified. She finally understood why the barbecue stand's previous owners had warned her. Earning money was no easy feat when people like Ethan were around.

Just as Ethan was about to step out of the alley, Mike called out, "Stop!"

Ethan turned, his face darkening as he spun his metal rod in his hand.

"What is it, Mike? You've got something to say?" Ethan's neck cracked ominously as he tilted his head, exuding an aura of menace.

"Return the money," Mike said coldly. "Then you can leave."

Ethan burst out laughing, and his crew joined in, their voices echoing through the alley.

"Return the money? To you?" Ethan taunted. "Do you have any idea who I am? Do you know how many guys I've got backing me up?"

Mike didn't flinch. "I don't care. Give it back."

Ethan gestured to one of his lackeys, a wiry young man with dyed yellow hair wearing a bright red jacket. The man grinned wickedly as he raised his metal rod and swung it at Mike.

Before the rod could connect, Mike grabbed a nearby barbecue spatula and smacked Ethan across the face with a resounding clang.

"Ahhh!" Ethan howled, staggering back, clutching his cheek.

"What the hell, Mike?!" Ethan roared. "You think you can disrespect me? Don't you know that even a strong dragon can't suppress a local snake?"

Mike shook his head. "Maybe those dragons weren't strong enough. Or maybe…" He paused, smirking, "...you're just a worm pretending to be a snake."

Ethan's face turned crimson with rage. "You little—!"

But before Ethan could retaliate, Mike turned and bolted down the alley.

Ethan's men chased after him, their footsteps echoing as they pursued Mike through the narrow streets.

Mike had a plan. He knew this alley was part of East Street, a territory controlled by Big Jack. If anyone could turn the tide in this situation, it was him.

While running, Mike sent a quick message to Ethan Howard, explaining the situation. Ethan immediately contacted Big Jack to ensure everything would be handled appropriately.

Meanwhile, Ethan Howard was reviewing the financial progress of Mike's investments when a sudden knock at the door startled him.

No one else knew about this secluded villa except Mike.

Approaching cautiously, Ethan peered through the peephole—and froze. The man standing outside wasn't someone he'd ever expected to see in River Valley.

Before Ethan could react, the man spoke through the door. "Ethan, open up."

-----------------------------------------------

Back at the barbecue stand, Ethan Bear stood tall, his smugness palpable.

"See that?" he taunted, turning to Sophia.

Sophia refused to acknowledge him, her expression cold.

Ethan sneered. "Sophia, let me spell it out for you. There's something off about Mike. He's not just some random guy. He's got money. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he's behind my family's downfall."

He leaned closer, grinning. "But I'll tell you this—Mike won't live to see tomorrow."

Sophia's expression hardened, but she said nothing.

Ethan grinned wider. "If you don't want him to get hurt, now's your chance to beg me."

Sophia glared at him, unwilling to believe Mike was wealthy. "Why would I care? He has nothing to do with me."

Amelia remained silent, worry etched across her face.

"Fine," Ethan said with a shrug, pulling out his phone. "Then I'll let everyone watch. Time to live stream this."

Ethan opened his streaming app, and within seconds, viewers flooded in.

"Yo, Ethan Bear is live!"

"What's today's content? Another yacht party?"

"Ethan, show us something wild!"

Ethan smirked at the comments. "Today, I'm streaming something different—beating someone up."

He panned the camera toward Sophia and Amelia. "See these two? Watch their reactions when we're done."

The stream exploded with excitement.

"Who's the target?" one viewer asked.

"Yeah, spill the tea!"

Ethan grinned. "Mike Carter."

The chat went wild.

"Finally, someone's putting that loser in his place!"

"Ethan, make it a good show. We'll send gifts!"

At that moment, Mike reappeared at the end of the alley, Ethan's men still chasing him.

Ethan burst out laughing. "Look at this idiot! He ran away and came right back!"

The chat erupted in mockery.

"LMAO, what a clown!"

"This guy's a joke!"

Even Sophia frowned in disbelief. Why had Mike returned?

Mike, catching his breath, locked eyes with Ethan. "You said a strong dragon can't suppress a local snake?"

Ethan sneered. "That's right. What about it?"

Mike smirked. "You're not a snake. You're just a worm."

The chat exploded with laughter.

Before Ethan could respond, footsteps echoed from the other end of the alley. A large group of men dressed in black, armed with knives, emerged from the shadows.

"Who said they're the boss of East Street?" a deep, commanding voice boomed.

Ethan froze, his hands trembling as his phone clattered to the ground.

It was Big Jack.

The live stream abruptly cut off, leaving viewers in suspense as chaos erupted in the alley.