Chapter 7: A Cold Confrontation

Jinu stepped out of the car with a quiet sigh, his body still humming from the events of the day. As he walked towards the entrance of his building, he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick message to the security team he had arranged for the homeless woman and her child. The events from earlier had left a strange, unsettled feeling in his chest. Despite the joy of helping them, something in him knew that it wasn't enough. His wealth made him a target, and people like the ones who followed him earlier would eventually come after others too.

He typed: "Alert. I've been followed. Be ready."

As the message sent, his phone buzzed with a quick reply.

"We've already taken care of it. No need to worry."

Jinu paused, frowning. He turned towards the street just in time to see a group of men—dark masks over their faces, armed with baseball bats and crowbars—standing in the alley near the homeless shelter. His eyes narrowed as the group approached, their intent clear.

Before he could react, the security team sprang into action. In an instant, a group of well-trained operatives emerged from the shadows, taking down the intruders with swift precision.

Jinu's lips curled into a smile as he watched the masked figures struggle to escape. The security team wasn't just strong—they were professionals. Within moments, the thugs were pinned to the floor, their weapons discarded, and the situation was under control.

"All taken care of, sir," one of the security agents said calmly, adjusting his earpiece. The others checked the incapacitated men, making sure they were secured.

Jinu nodded, his expression still serious, but with a sense of satisfaction. "Thanks. Keep an eye on them. I'll go back to my place."

Jinu returned to his apartment and walked to his room. He felt a strange exhaustion weighing on his body as he lay back in his bed. The weight of everything that had happened seemed to finally hit him—the poker game, the money, the fight to protect the woman and her child, the growing power that now pulsed beneath his skin.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, his mind still racing. What would tomorrow bring? He thought about all the possibilities—new opportunities, more people, more enemies and challenges. But right now, all he wanted was to sleep.

Jinu closed his eyes, whispering to himself, "Let's see what the world has in store for me tomorrow..." He pulled the blankets over his head and drifted into a restless sleep.

The Midnight Intruders

At some point in the middle of the night, a noise from the hallway jolted Jinu awake. The quiet thud of footsteps in his apartment's corridor, the sound of someone trying to break in. His instincts kicked in, and in that moment, he knew.

Jinu's body stiffened, and his eyes flicked open, instantly alert. He reached for his phone, activating the security system he had set up earlier. Alarm triggered.

He shot out of bed, adrenaline now coursing through his veins. "Freeze time!" Jinu muttered under his breath. "Time Stop!"

With a sudden, chilling silence, the world around him came to a complete standstill. Jinu stood in the middle of his room, still in his blankets, feeling the weight of time shift. The clock on his wall had stopped, and the air was motionless.

In the frozen moment, he moved quickly, stepping across the room to see the intruders—four men in black masks, each holding baseball bats, their eyes wide with intent as they tried to break into his room. Their crowbars and weapons were still, as if frozen in time.

Jinu grinned, feeling a surge of power. "So I guess I get to decide your end."

He jumped off the bed, using the advantage of frozen time to circle around the men. His movements were smooth and deliberate, taking in the situation. There was no rush—he had all the time in the world.

"Look at what we have here," Jinu said, his voice a calm whisper as he walked around them, watching their frozen faces. He placed a hand on one of their shoulders, shaking him gently. There was no movement. They were completely still.

With a sly smile, Jinu took a few lengths of rope from his desk drawer. He moved swiftly, tying the men up at their feet and hands, securing them with a precision that would've been impossible had they not been frozen in time.

After that, he pulled a chair out and sat down slowly, the metallic legs scraping on the floor as he leaned back casually. His posture was relaxed—too relaxed for someone in his position, but that was the point. He was in complete control.

The Time Tyrant System chimed in, its voice flat and cold:

"Time Stop: 3 minutes."

Jinu nodded in acknowledgment, still cool and composed. "Alright, time to get back to business."

The Time-Unfreeze

The moment the time limit passed, everything clicked back into motion. The men's eyes darted around, confused, their bodies now bound and helpless. They tried to struggle, only to find the ropes too tight, their bodies too constrained. Their faces were twisted with panic as they realized they had been immobilized—by someone.

Jinu's smile widened as he leaned forward, crossing his arms. "Well, well... look who we have here. Care to explain why you're in my apartment?"

One of the men, a tall figure with a scar running down his cheek, spat on the floor and sneered. "We ain't telling you nothing, kid. You won't get away with this."

Jinu laughed softly, the sound dark and almost predatory. "You won't have a choice."

He stood up, walking around the men slowly, eyeing them with cold amusement. The ropes were tight, they couldn't escape. They were trapped in Jinu's web.

"I see you're not listening," Jinu said, his voice slipping into an icy calmness. "How about a little persuasion?"

He pulled out a whip from his desk drawer, the leather coiling in his hands with a faint crack. The men's eyes widened in fear, but they couldn't move—the ropes held them fast.

For the next minute, Jinu made his point. The sharp whip cracked through the air, landing against the men's backs, leaving red welts on their skin. Each strike was methodical, deliberate. After a minute, they were all left panting and defeated.

"Alright, alright! We'll talk!" one of the men cried out, his voice trembling. "Just stop! We'll tell you!"

Jinu stepped back, his eyes still cold. "Good. Now hurry up."

The man swallowed hard, then whispered, "It's the guy you were playing against. The one you took the suit from." He paused before adding, "The guy with the light brown hair and glasses..."

Jinu's eyes flickered with recognition. "Him. The guy I took the glasses from?"

The man nodded frantically. "Yes! He's the one behind all of this!"

Jinu's lips curled into a smile, almost in satisfaction. "I knew it."

The Morning After

The next morning, Jinu sat at his computer, scrolling through news updates. He saw that school was starting again, and summer break had officially ended. Jinu sighed deeply, his fingers idly tapping on the desk.

"I don't want to go back to school," he muttered under his breath. The thought of school seemed so distant now, compared to the wealth and power he had gained.

But something nagged at him—the idea of returning to normal life, to the place where he wasn't in control.

"Maybe people won't recognize me," he mused, looking at his reflection. His new black-and-silver hair stood out, and he wondered if anyone would even notice him. Maybe he could say it was just a dye job.

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and decided to get some more sleep. "I'll deal with school tomorrow," he thought, as his eyes closed and his mind drifted off to sleep.