“If you ask me what’s written on this document, then I’ll tell you: this is an IOU written by Grant Foster, owing me, Henry Brooks, three million!”

“Wow…”

Exclamations of surprise rippled through the crowd.

It was just the beginning of the 21st century. Although the country’s economy had made great strides in recent years and incomes across all classes had risen significantly, in a small, remote city in the southwest, three million was still an astronomical figure.

Many people had never seen that much money in their lives—maybe not even in their dreams.

“Bragging…”

Sitting across from Ryan Carter, Sean Miller pursed her lips and said disdainfully.

“You think three million is just paper? Even if you add up all the Foster family’s assets, who knows if it even reaches three million!”

When it came to money, probably no one in Class One of the Olympiad, or even the entire Weizhou No.1 High School, was more qualified than her. The Miller family was famous for its wealth in Weizhou City.

Because of this, Sean Miller and Ethan Foster had never really gotten along.

Both were outstanding and so similar that it was only natural for them to rub each other the wrong way.

Fortunately, they weren’t in the same class, and didn’t interact much on a daily basis, so there had never been a direct conflict.

No one picked up the conversation; everyone’s attention was focused over there. At this moment, even Sean Miller became just another bystander.

Only Ryan Carter nodded slightly. Clearly, he had heard Sean Miller’s words and agreed with her.

“Fake, you’re lying!”

Ethan Foster cried out, her face flushed bright red.

Even though she was trembling with anger, her voice was still soft, with an indescribable gentleness and charm.

She was never the outgoing type.

“How could my dad possibly owe you that much money?”

“It’s not just me he owes that much—it’s three million owed to our entire Xihe Village… Look, here’s the second document. It’s a promise. Back then, your dad wrote it in black and white, clear as day, promising to take me, Henry Brooks, as a live-in son-in-law to support the Foster family’s reputation. Heh, wife, see? I’m not making this up, am I? This is your dad’s own signature, verified by the police. It’s not a forgery.”

“So? What do you have to say now?”

“You… you’re talking nonsense… You bully… You’re being a thug…”

Ethan Foster stomped her feet in frustration, then suddenly collapsed onto the dining table and burst into tears.

Ryan Carter’s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Damn, this is just taking advantage of the situation.”

William Thompson muttered in a low voice, but a flash of excitement quickly passed through his eyes.

William Thompson was never one to shy away from trouble—in fact, he thrived on chaos.

“You’re taking advantage of someone’s misfortune!”

A boy sitting not far from Ethan Foster slammed the table and stood up.

“That’s Michael Bolton, good for him!”

Sean Miller immediately beamed with delight.

This boy, who stood up for justice, was tall and muscular, wearing only a tank top that was soaked with sweat, his muscles bulging and glistening with a bronze sheen—full of explosive power.

“Well, kid, trying to play the hero? Looks like you’re tired of living, huh?”

The man with the long, thin face glanced over sideways, full of disdain.

A few thugs behind him rolled up their sleeves and glared angrily at Michael Bolton.

“All the school team members, stand up!”

Michael Bolton put on a stern face and shouted.

He was an athlete, captain of the Weizhou No.1 High School basketball team, and had quite a bit of influence among the athletes.

At his shout, three “burly men” stood up with a clatter—each one a strong young man in a tank top, drenched in sweat. The last class that morning had been PE, and they’d just finished playing ball before coming to eat.

A few other day students had gone home for lunch; otherwise, the school team would have had a dozen people.

Immediately, someone started clapping.

In a moment, the applause became a wave.

Many girls’ eyes were filled with undisguised admiration.

The long-faced man just laughed, still glancing at them sideways, his sinister gaze sweeping over the faces of the strong young men. He chuckled, then straightened up unsteadily.

“Let me tell you, boys, you know who lives the longest in this world? The ones who mind their own business.”

The basketball players all held their breath, glaring at him fiercely.

The long-faced man’s smile grew even more sinister. He swept his gaze over the young men again and sneered, “Since you insist on meddling, Brother Sheng will oblige you. Don’t say I’m bullying you with numbers—guys like you, I can take you all on by myself.”

Laughter erupted all around.

“Bragging!”

Sean Miller shouted, her voice full of excitement and her face glowing.

With that scrawny build, who knew if the long-faced man could even take a punch from the basketball team captain.

Street thugs only relied on numbers to act tough. When it came to one-on-one fights, it was a joke.

Maybe this long-faced guy was just drunk.

“You’re bragging!”

Michael Bolton exchanged glances with his teammates and said with a smile.