My father's debt

"Don't think about it, Ryder." Fagu put his arm around Ryder's shoulder, trying to ease his curiosity.

Ryder shrugged. "I know, Fagu, but I'm still curious about that number ending with 67." He glanced back at his phone.

"Forget it, I'm going home to get some rest," Ryder said as he slipped his phone into his pants pocket.

Not wanting to think about it anymore, Ryder decided to head home so he could rest.

Hearing Ryder's words, Fagu immediately let go of his embrace.

Ryder started walking, then said, "Thanks for the fight at your Harlem Club, Dog," he added, raising one hand and waving it.

Dog only smiled as he watched Ryder walk away from the two of them.

"I'm a bit interested in that kid," Dog muttered while tapping the table with his fingers.

Fagu immediately turned to Dog. "Are you planning to replace me with him, Dog?"

Dog quickly crossed his arms. "There's no way I'd replace you, Fagu. You're my money-maker," Dog said with a joking tone.

Fagu laughed upon hearing that.

"I knew it, you're mocking me, Fagu."

"I'd never mock you, Boss."

In truth, Dog was afraid of Fagu leaving him, because Fagu was the street fighter he relied on right now. His business could grow because Fagu always won fights at his club.

Fagu placed his hand on his chin and said, "Listen to me, Dog." He looked at Dog seriously. "I think Ryder will become the strongest person in the Harlem Club."

"I don't agree with you, Fagu. We can't judge him based on just one match," Dog replied, disagreeing with Fagu's words.

"We can see it, Dog. Someone is already interested in him, even though he doesn't even know who that person is yet," Fagu quickly replied.

"We'll see in the future, Fagu. Besides, why are you being so humble today? What's going on with you, Fagu?" Dog asked with curiosity.

"I'm still curious about the person who sent that message to Ryder," Fagu said, looking at Dog.

It wasn't just Fagu who was curious; Dog was curious too.

Who had sent that message to Ryder?

It seemed that person wasn't just anyone.

"Enough, get back to work, Fagu!" Dog said, immediately changing his expression to anger.

Fagu yawned briefly, then followed Dog's order, returning to work as a waiter at Harlem Club.

Back to Ryder.

Before leaving Harlem Club, his steps stopped when his eyes caught a wooden board attached near the exit door.

Out of curiosity, he stepped closer to the board and read it slowly.

The wooden board was firmly attached to the wall near the door, with names neatly written in white paint.

1. Tador Alsace

2. Fagu Gazi

3. Gata Snake

4. Rhino Datu

5. Erwin Woodlands

Ryder widened his eyes in disbelief at what he had just seen. He pointed at the board with his index finger, right at the name Fagu Gazi.

Ryder swallowed hard, his body shivering as he realized that Fagu Gazi was the second strongest fighter in Harlem Club.

Previously, he had only thought of Fagu as an ordinary fighter, just like himself. After seeing Fagu's name on that board, Ryder immediately turned his body and glanced back at Fagu from a distance. Fagu was just there, serving customers at Harlem Club with a sweet smile.

There was no sign that he was actually a formidable fighter.

"I didn't expect him to be the second strongest fighter in Harlem Club," Ryder muttered, his heart now pounding rapidly.

But Ryder actually smiled. Right now, he felt very happy to know that Fagu was indeed a fighter, just like him. His guess had been right since the first time he saw Fagu.

Those names on the board would always remain in Ryder's mind. He was determined to return to Harlem Club to fight against other fighters. However, he knew he would need to bring more money if he wanted to attract opponents to fight him.

Ryder began to open the exit door of Harlem Club. The exit door led into a narrow alleyway. Just as he was about to walk, someone called his name from the right side.

"Ryder!"

Ryder immediately turned to the right.

There stood two men dressed in black suits, with matching black pants and black ties, wearing black sunglasses. Their appearance resembled mafia men looking for someone to kill.

Ryder's face showed a hint of panic, and he began to sweat. "I'll pay later, just wait, okay?" Ryder said, trying to smile at the two men.

"Our boss wants the money immediately, Ryder!" said one of the men, who had a burn scar near his neck.

The scar looked like an old burn wound.

"I know, but give me some time to pay off my father's debt," Ryder tried to explain to them.

The two men clenched their teeth, clearly not accepting any excuses from Ryder's mouth. They wanted the money tonight.

"Please, give me time, I promise, I'll pay it off in two months," Ryder continued, his face pleading.

The man with the burn scar moved his head, giving a signal to his companion.

After receiving the signal, his companion immediately walked toward Ryder. Suddenly, he threw a hard punch at Ryder's stomach.

"Argh…"

Ryder took the blow, his body slumping weakly in front of Harlem Club's exit door. Blood poured from his mouth. The pain from his fight with Brizks still lingered until now.

The man approached, half-squatting in front of Ryder, grabbing Ryder's head and staring into his eyes.

"Don't mess with us, Ryder. If you don't want this to happen again, pay off your father's debt quickly!" he said coldly.

Ryder didn't respond with a single word. His bald head made it impossible for the man to pull his hair.

"Check him, make sure he's not lying to us!" ordered the man with the burn scar.

His companion nodded and immediately started checking Ryder's pockets and hoodie.

Realizing this, Ryder forced his body to stand up. He quickly retaliated, punching the man who had hit him earlier in the stomach. The man coughed hard and vomited blood from Ryder's punch. Without stopping, Ryder charged at the man with the burn scar and threw a punch at his face.

Seeing the opportunity, Ryder immediately ran away from the two men. His steps turned left, exiting through the back door of Harlem Club. He headed into a dark alley filled with trash and dim lights. Ryder didn't care about the condition of the street, as his only goal now was to escape.

"Wait, Ryder!!" shouted the man with the burn scar, not accepting that Ryder had just punched him.

"Get him, now!!" his companion ordered.

The two of them immediately chased after Ryder. The distance between them was quite far, but they had to get the money from Ryder. If they failed, their boss would kill them.