Chapter 45: A Family of Bloodsuckers

Walter Swift nodded with satisfaction.

"Good. Then stop wasting time and find your next target. And this time, make sure he’s a rich kid. Don’t waste your energy on broke men. Listen to your father, Roxanne. If you play your cards right, you’ll enjoy the good life~and one day, you’ll thank me."

"Yeah. Whatever."

Roxanne ended the call.

For several seconds, she simply stood there, staring at the blank screen of her phone.

Her hands slowly tightened around it.

"Damn parasites..."

The words slipped through clenched teeth.

Her father. Her brothers. Every single one of them had their hands out whenever they needed money.

She was beginning to feel like an ATM with a pulse.

"That useless excuse for a father only knows how to ask me for money."

Her anger deepened.

"And Connor? He actually thinks he can run a business? What kind of business could a dropout like him possibly manage?"

She clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms.

She barely noticed the pain.

To Roxanne, her family had become a burden she could never escape.

Yet there was an ugly irony to it.

She despised them for exploiting her while spending years exploiting men herself~and calling it independence.

In her mind, there was always a justification.

She wasn’t using people.

She was simply doing whatever was necessary to get ahead.

At least, that was the lie she told herself.

And she had become very good at believing it.

---

Across the City

The atmosphere inside the milk tea shop was completely different.

Warm sunlight streamed through the front windows, painting golden rectangles across the wooden floor. The walls were decorated with cheerful cartoon illustrations, while the sweet aroma of freshly brewed tea, milk, and sugar lingered in the air.

It was small.

Simple.

But cozy.

Jason Feng pushed open the glass door and stepped inside.

He had arranged to meet the shop manager that afternoon, and now he finally had the chance to see his newest asset with his own eyes.

His gaze swept across the shop.

Everything appeared orderly.

The counter was clean. The ingredients were neatly arranged. A few customers sat near the windows, quietly enjoying their drinks.

Then Jason’s eyes stopped.

Behind the counter stood a woman.

She was busy preparing a drink, moving with the effortless efficiency of someone who had done the same routine thousands of times.

Her dark hair was tied into a neat bun, keeping it out of her face while she worked. She wore a simple white blouse beneath a black apron and a modest black skirt.

Nothing about her appearance was extravagant.

Yet there was something naturally graceful about her.

She looked to be in her late twenties, with delicate features and an air of quiet maturity.

She finished preparing a drink, sealed the cup, and immediately handed it to a waiting customer with a warm smile.

"Here you go. Careful, it’s still cold."

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Jason watched the exchange for a moment.

Professional.

Patient.

Friendly.

Interesting.

The woman turned back toward the counter~and noticed him.

Their eyes met.

She immediately smiled.

"Welcome. What can I get for you?"

Jason shook his head.

"Nothing for now. You must be Evelyn Quinn, right?"

The woman’s expression froze for half a second.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

"I’m Evelyn. But... who are you?"

There was genuine confusion in her eyes.

Jason chuckled.

"You just called me earlier today. Did you forget already?"

Recognition immediately flashed across her face.

"Oh!"

Her cheeks reddened slightly.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was you."

She looked him over again.

The man standing in front of her looked far younger than she’d expected.

He certainly didn’t look like someone who had just purchased an entire business.

So he’s the new owner?

A complicated feeling stirred inside her.

He’s so young.

How much money does someone his age have to casually buy a shop like this?

Then another thought struck her.

What if he doesn’t want to keep the shop running?

Her heart tightened.

That possibility frightened her more than she wanted to admit.

She needed this job.

She was raising her daughter alone, and although she rarely complained, life had not been easy.

Her marriage had fallen apart soon after her daughter was born. Her husband had cheated, and Evelyn had eventually chosen to walk away rather than spend the rest of her life trapped in a broken marriage.

Since then, she had worked hard to provide for her daughter.

Now that her little girl had just started kindergarten, the expenses seemed to multiply every month.

School fees.

Food.

Rent.

Clothes.

Everything cost money.

Losing this job would put her in a difficult position.

Please don’t close the shop.

I can’t afford to lose this job.

Jason, completely unaware of the storm of thoughts running through her mind, smiled casually.

"Relax. No need to be so formal. Just make me one of the shop’s signature drinks. I want to see what we’re selling."

Evelyn blinked.

Then she smiled.

"Of course. Please give me a moment."

She turned toward the counter.

"What would you like?"

"Surprise me."

"All right."

She nodded and began preparing the drink.

Her movements were practiced and efficient.

Jason watched quietly.

He had memories of this era, but after so many years, the details had become hazy.

The taste of milk tea from this period was something he could barely remember.

If he wanted to grow the business, however, he couldn’t simply rely on nostalgia.

New flavors.

Better presentation.

Different combinations.

Promotions.

A recognizable brand.

There was plenty of work ahead.

While Evelyn was preparing the drink, another employee approached.

"Manager Quinn."

Evelyn glanced over.

A young woman stood there wearing a pink apron.

Her long hair fell naturally over her shoulders, framing a fresh, youthful face. She had light makeup and an innocent appearance that made her look considerably younger than she actually was.

This was Chloe Bennett.

"Could you take care of the next order?" Evelyn asked.

"Sure."

Chloe nodded.

Then she noticed Jason.

Her movements slowed.

Her eyes lingered on him for a moment.

He’s handsome.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

She quickly looked away, pretending to be busy.

Jason, however, heard her voice.

Something about it struck a familiar chord.

He turned.

His eyes landed on the young woman.

For a moment, he simply stared.

Then his expression changed.

Chloe Bennett.

So it really was her.

He hadn’t expected to encounter her here.

Of all places.

A faint chill passed through his eyes.

But it disappeared almost immediately.

His expression returned to normal.

To everyone else, he looked perfectly calm.

Only Jason knew what had just resurfaced in his mind.

The past.

The betrayal.

The humiliation.

And the three years of his life that had been stolen from him.

Then the familiar electronic voice rang inside his head.

[Mission: Gain the upper hand in your interactions with Chloe Bennett. The greater your dominance, the greater your reward.]

[Reward: $0–$100,000,000, determined by the host’s position.]

[Additional Reward: Life Potion ×1]

[Time Limit: One month.]

Jason’s eyes narrowed slightly.

So this is my test.

He had originally intended to deal with Chloe after settling his score with Roxanne.

In his previous life, Chloe had played a role in the disaster that followed.

Her family had been drowning in gambling debts and online loans, and he had been the convenient fool they believed they could exploit.

They had manipulated him with an ever-changing bride price and promises of marriage.

And when he refused to keep paying, the situation had escalated into something far darker.

Jason remembered the consequences.

He remembered the courtroom.

The prison cell.

The three years he could never get back.

His jaw tightened.

Then he slowly smiled.

One month.

The system wanted him to deal with Chloe.

Fine.

He would.

But there was no need to rush.

Rushing would only make things boring.

He wanted to see exactly how far Chloe would go when she believed she still had the upper hand.

Jason glanced at her again.

Unlike Roxanne, Chloe had always seemed more innocent on the surface.

But appearances could be deceiving.

He remembered learning the truth later.

Chloe and her father had accumulated an enormous amount of debt through gambling and online loans. Desperate for money, they had helped engineer the scheme that eventually trapped him.

And yet, when everything collapsed, Chloe’s mother had come to plead for her daughter.

Jason remembered that scene vividly.

A desperate mother.

A daughter hiding behind tears.

A family trying to escape the consequences of its own choices.

A faint smile appeared on Jason’s lips.

Interesting.

If the system wanted him to play this game for a month, then he would play.

And he would make sure that, this time, he was the one holding the cards.

Evelyn finally approached with a freshly prepared drink.

"Here you go."

Jason accepted it.

"Thanks."

He took a sip.

His eyebrows rose slightly.

Not bad.

Not extraordinary, but certainly good enough to build upon.

He looked toward Evelyn.

"The shop has potential."

Relief flickered across her face.

Jason noticed it.

He smiled faintly.

"I’ll be coming back regularly. We have some work to do."

Evelyn nodded.

"Of course."

Jason glanced toward Chloe once more.

She immediately looked away.

His smile deepened.

Let’s see, Chloe.

What kind of game are you planning to play?

Because this time, I’m not the fool.

And with that thought, Jason took another sip of his milk tea.

The game had officially begun.