Chapter 10: A Major Blowout! What’s Owed Must Be Returned!

Benjamin spoke with unshakable confidence. Of course, he had every reason to be confident. After selling the antique painting to Noah for $70 million, he had successfully stumbled upon several more valuable antiques. While their worth wasn't as high as $70 million, they still amounted to an impressive $30 million. In just a short time, he had achieved a small fortune. The speed at which he was making money made him wonder if he had been blessed by the luck of the gods.

However, he knew he couldn't rely on such good fortune forever to find extremely expensive antiques. But with a bit more effort, he could still achieve a few more small fortunes. It would just take a bit more time and energy. After spending $40 million on the remaining deposit, Benjamin still had over $70 million left. He directly allocated $50 million to fully upgrade his shelter. While $50 million might not seem like much for upgrading a shelter, it was important to note that he only needed to pay a 10% deposit. This meant that the $50 million actually represented a value of $500 million! The impact of this would be significant!

As for the construction company trying to cheat him? That was a joke! What was the point of his hidden hints if not to spot any tricks? He could see through any schemes at a glance.

Benjamin stayed a while longer to supervise the construction, ensuring everything was proceeding smoothly, and then prepared to leave. Just then, a bald old man peeked his head around the corner. Seeing him, Benjamin couldn't help but laugh. Wasn't this old man John from the next alley? This hypocrite had supposedly been paralyzed in a car accident. How was it that after just half a year, he was up and about, coming over to visit?

"Hey, Benjamin, you're back! I was wondering why your house was being demolished before the official relocation period," John said with a sly grin as he approached Benjamin.

"Just planning to rebuild it," Benjamin replied coolly.

"Must be nice to have so much money that you can rebuild your house," John chuckled.

Benjamin didn't respond. This old man was always up to no good. If he was trying to cozy up now, it was probably just to borrow money later.

"Speaking of money, my son's really making it big now. He even bought a Rolls-Royce!" John said with a proud grin.

"Oh? That impressive?" Benjamin sighed in relief. If John was bragging, he probably wasn't here to borrow money. As for whether there was any truth to his claims, Benjamin didn't even consider it. It wasn't that he was looking down on John, but the man simply didn't have the luck or drive to succeed. Lazy and idle, in his forties and far from retirement age, John spent his days wandering around, doing nothing productive. His days were spent either showing off or borrowing money. One day he'd boast about a rich woman giving him $50,000 a month, and the next he'd be borrowing $300 from a neighbor, only to play the victim when asked to repay it, blaming the lender instead.

John's son was no better, inheriting his father's worst traits. Lazy, boastful, and deceitful, he was also a master of emotional manipulation. He'd spin tales to make it seem like anyone who didn't help him was morally bankrupt. And unfortunately, some naive people actually fell for his act and defended him. Could someone like that really afford a Rolls-Royce? Even renting one for a day would probably require taking out a loan.

"Yeah, my son's really making it big now. See that black car over there? That's his Rolls-Royce! You know what? Rolls-Royces are amazing. They have this little figurine on the front, made of pure gold, worth millions!" John rambled on, getting more excited as Benjamin listened.

Benjamin couldn't help but feel exasperated. Since when was the Rolls-Royce hood ornament worth millions? As far as he remembered, it was only worth a few hundred thousand. He recalled a news story about a kid breaking one off, which caused quite a stir.

Several neighbors, curious about the demolition, had gathered around, and John's arrival only drew more attention. Seeing the crowd, John puffed up with pride and repeated his earlier claims. The way he carried himself, you'd think he was a golden goose laying golden eggs.

Benjamin chuckled and turned to Noah, who had been standing there with a grim expression. "I had no idea your company's Rolls-Royce was borrowed from John's son," Benjamin teased, making Noah's face darken even further.

John's expression also turned ugly, as if an invisible hand had slapped him across the face.

"No, Mr. Benjamin. He's lying. That car belongs to our company. We purchased a fleet of vehicles to better serve our clients, ensuring they can travel in style and comfort," Noah explained politely, his words clearly aimed at humiliating John.

Benjamin smirked at John. "John, didn't you say that car belonged to your son? What's going on here? Could it be that you were just lying to impress me?"

John's face turned red, and he stammered, "Oh, I must have been mistaken. It's so far away; I couldn't see it clearly."

Benjamin smiled. "Is that so? Well, if your eyesight's failing, I'm sure your memory's still sharp, right?"

"Huh?" John was confused but nodded. "Of course."

"Then you must remember that you owe me $30,000. With your son being so wealthy and owning a Rolls-Royce, I'm sure you can pay me back today. After all, I've spent a lot on rebuilding my house and could really use the money. I'm sure someone as reasonable as you wouldn't hold onto it intentionally."

Benjamin's cold gaze bore into John. Years ago, when Benjamin's parents had passed away, leaving him a naive middle schooler, John had swindled him out of $30,000. Despite John's already tarnished reputation, Benjamin had fallen for his lies. John had promised to repay the money by the end of the year, but over a decade had passed, and not a single penny had been returned. While $30,000 wasn't much to Benjamin now, it was still his money, and he was determined to get it back.

John's face turned pale, then red, as he desperately searched for an excuse. The problem was, he didn't have the money to repay. Forget a Rolls-Royce; his son's motorcycle was years old and hadn't been replaced. The neighbors, well aware of John's character, began murmuring among themselves, further embarrassing him.

John stiffened his neck and blurted out, "We're all neighbors! We see each other all the time. Why be so stingy? It's just $30,000. I'll pay you back in a couple of days!"

Benjamin narrowed his eyes and said firmly, "Is that so? You've been saying that for over a decade. I don't know when it became a rule that neighbors shouldn't care about $30,000, but I do know this: what's owed must be returned!"