“Hmph.” Edward King let out a cold laugh and retorted, “Do you think that’s possible? The money I risked my life to earn—would I just give it away for nothing? All of you stay hidden downstairs. As soon as you see the other party come down, go at them together and beat them within an inch of their life. If they really manage to take the money, we’ll all be left with nothing to eat.”

“Understood, Brother Edward.” Everyone nodded in unison.

Edward King clenched his fists, picked up the travel bag, and strode into the building.

Inside, the lighting was even dimmer. Edward King climbed the stairs to the top floor, stumbling a bit as he went. When he reached the rooftop, he looked around and saw a person standing in the center. Since the person’s back was to him, he couldn’t see their face clearly.

So the little brat really showed up! He narrowed his eyes and strode over, calling out in a deep voice, “Kid, are you the one looking for me?”

Upon hearing him, the person slowly turned around, revealing a young and handsome face that looked only sixteen or seventeen years old. The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as he said, “Brother Edward, long time no see.”

Edward King was taken aback. Does he know me? He walked closer, scrutinizing the young man from head to toe. The youth did look familiar, but he couldn’t recall where they’d met.

He asked, “Have we met before?”

“We’ve met twice.”

“Where?”

“That’s not important.” The young man grinned. “What matters is, we’re here to make a deal. I wonder if Brother Edward brought the payment?”

Edward King was so angry he laughed. Payment? This is obviously extortion! All his life, he’d only ever extorted others—no one had ever dared to extort him, and now the first to try was a kid of sixteen or seventeen.

He shrugged and said, “Kid, you want a million—can you even spend that much?”

The handsome youth smiled and replied, “That’s my own business, no need for Brother Edward to worry.”

Edward King nodded, muttering to himself: You’ve got guts, let’s see how cocky you are in a minute! He tossed the travel bag onto the ground and said, “A million, it’s all here.”

Just as the handsome youth bent down to pick it up, Edward King stomped on the bag and reached out his hand. “Hold on, kid. You can take the money, but where’s what I want?”

“It’s here.” The youth pulled a phone from his pocket and waved it in front of Edward King. Edward King’s face darkened as he snatched the phone and frantically tapped at the screen, urgently asking, “Where’s the video?”

The youth smiled and said, “Naturally, it’s in the video files.”

Edward King shot him a vicious glare, then opened the phone’s video folder. There was only one video. He tapped to play it.

Just seeing the beginning of the video made cold sweat break out all over him. He didn’t dare watch any further, hurriedly closed the video, and immediately hit delete.

Watching him poke at the phone so hard, the youth was honestly worried he’d poke a hole right through it.

After deleting the video, Edward King let out a long breath of relief, still shaken. Then he looked up, stared at the youth, and asked, enunciating each word, “Kid, you don’t have a backup of that video, do you?”

The handsome youth smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Brother Edward, I’m just after money. Now, can I have my phone back?”

“I don’t trust you. Who’s to say you didn’t keep a backup and won’t come back to extort me again?”

“I won’t do that. Even if I wanted to, I’m afraid I wouldn’t get the chance.”

“What do you mean by that, kid?”

“Our deal is over. But your deal is just beginning.” The youth smiled and stepped aside.

“What do you mean, your deal, our deal? Kid, make yourself clear.” Edward King was completely confused by the youth’s words.

Just then, someone suddenly burst out laughing and said, “This young man is right—our deal is just beginning.”

As the voice faded, a group of burly men came up to the rooftop. Edward King’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly turned to look, and when he saw who it was, his face instantly turned deathly pale.

His eyes widened in disbelief, and he instinctively took two steps back, stammering, “Michael...Michael Bolton?”

“Well, Brother Edward still remembers my name. That’s impressive.” The leader of the group was a fat middle-aged man whose flesh quivered as he walked. This was none other than Michael Bolton.

Edward King’s mind buzzed, his legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. Now he finally understood—there was never any real deal. The other party had used the deal as an excuse to lure him out.

He turned back, eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the youth, gritting his teeth, “Kid, you dare set me up?”

Chapter 9: The End

The youth still wore a faint smile. He bent down unhurriedly, picked up the travel bag Edward King had brought, and said coolly, “Our deal is over, Brother Edward. Next, Brother Michael will take care of you.”