Earning trust

The call connected.

A slightly angry middle-aged man's voice came from the other side of the phone:

"Come to my study and see me, immediately!"

After speaking, without waiting for Alex to respond, he directly hung up the phone.

Should Alex go to Rayden's study? Of course, he should! That was the capital he relied on to "bully others with power!"

Alex also felt a certain pleasure from "bullying others with power."

This was a feeling that neither the protagonist nor the villain in novels could experience. After all, both the protagonist and villain in stories were just tools—resources that others relied on to bully others. The powerful used them as weapons, while the oppressed resented the power they embodied.

So why not let these people become his resources?

He could go out and bully people, all while letting these villainous duo of father and son to take the blame.

Wasn't that wonderful?

Without hesitation, Alex took a taxi straight to the eastern shore of the Magic City.

***

Lushui Jiayuan Villa Complex

It was the most famous seaside villa complex in the Magic City. As the head capitalist of the city, Rayden naturally lived in a place like this.

Each standalone villa here was separated by dozens of meters, ensuring that no one interfered with each other's business.

Outside the gate of Villa No. 7, two bodyguards in black suits, wearing black sunglasses even at night, stood guard like stone lions.

Seeing Alex approach, one of them directly opened the gate and said:

"The boss is waiting for you in the study."

Alex nodded without saying much and walked inside. Relying on his memory, he navigated his way to the study door and knocked.

A deep, commanding voice came from inside:

"Enter."

Alex pushed the door open.

Immediately, a wave of pressure unlike anything he had ever felt before hit him.

The huge study was illuminated by only a dim desk lamp. Most of the room was engulfed in darkness, leaving only the desk visible.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man, about fifty years old, his face lined with distinct wrinkles.

Even without anger, he exuded a natural aura of authority.

This man was Luke Rayden!

The biggest capitalist in the Magic City!

Some even hailed him as the "local emperor" of the city.

At this moment, Luke was concentrating, holding an oily cloth, meticulously wiping a shiny dagger in his hand.

Yes.

In this dark, silent study, he was polishing his dagger.

And hidden in the darkness, there were definitely other bodyguards.

As soon as Alex stepped inside, he heard the sound of steady breathing in the shadows.

Luke didn't even look up when the door opened.

Instead, he pointed at the chair across from him with the tip of his knife and said:

"Sit."

Then he continued wiping his knife.

Alex took a deep breath.

To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie!

Even though he was familiar with the plot and knew exactly what kind of man Luke Rayden was, this scene was still overwhelming.

It was one thing to read about it in a novel, but to experience it firsthand was entirely different.

Still, Alex knew that what he did today had actually saved the Rayden family from a major headache.

So, Luke's current behavior was merely a warning.

Alex softly closed the study door and then walked step by step toward the chair Luke had indicated.

First, he said, "Boss."

Then, he slowly sat down.

Just as he did, Rayden spoke directly:

"Are you teaching my son how to do things?"

His tone was calm.

His hand never stopped wiping the knife.

But to an outsider, the threat in his words was unmistakable!

If it had been anyone else sitting in front of him, they would probably have been so terrified that they'd be begging for their life by now.

However, Alex understood Rayden.

He knew that today, his actions had prevented a disaster.

So instead of panicking, Alex casually spread his hands and said:

"I only know that since I took the boss's money, I must help the boss solve problems."

As soon as Alex finished speaking, Luke's hand suddenly stopped.

Slowly, along with his head, his sharp eyes lifted, locking onto Alex.

At that moment, Alex felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious tiger.

"Tsk! No wonder he's called the local emperor of the Magic City. This aura… impressive, impressive!"

Rayden stared at Alex for a full thirty seconds.

Then, suddenly, he raised his hand.

With a swoosh!

A flash of cold steel cut through the dim lighting—

Clang!

The dagger in Rayden's hand was firmly embedded in the table, directly in front of Alex.

But Alex didn't flinch.

Not even an inch.

The room fell into silence.

For the first time, a flicker of surprise flashed through Rayden's eyes.

Another thirty seconds passed.

Then, Rayden turned to the shadows and said coldly:

"You little brat, get over here!!"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed through the study.

Soon, Eric stepped into the dim light.

At this moment, all of Eric's earlier anger and arrogance were gone.

On his cheek was a clear red handprint.

It was obvious—Rayden had slapped him.

No matter how fierce a tiger Eric was outside, in front of his father, he was nothing more than a little kitten.

Rayden glared at Eric and said angrily:

"Speak."

Eric immediately turned to Alex and said:

"Thank you, Alex… Brother Alex, for saving me!"

As he spoke, he even tried to bow to Alex.

At that moment, Alex's instincts flared!

Immediately, he stood up from his chair, sidestepped to intercept Eric's bow, and placed both hands on Eric's shoulders.

Then, he said firmly:

"Young Master, this is what I should do."

Alex didn't notice that behind the desk, Rayden slightly nodded in approval.