Novel Full Chapter 667
Chapter 667: Chapter 667
I couldn’t just fuck off like that. If I left now, Dakota might tell Brok about my blackmail and the chance would be gone. They could clear out whatever was in the safe, and then I would get nothing. Of course, that was still a small possibility, because if Dakota warned Brok, then Brok would ask what I had on him in the first place. And if that happened, Dakota would have to admit the truth.
Still, I was not ready to give up yet.
"Fine," I said. "Can we talk inside your office?"
"By all means, kid. Come." He growled.
I nodded. "In a minute. Let me think for a second, alright?"
"Two minutes."
He stepped back into the office and disappeared from sight.
I immediately turned back toward Dakota, who was now sweating hard enough that I could practically see it. He shook his head, planted both hands on the counter, and lowered his face. His leg bounced rapidly against the floor in a nervous rhythm.
"Two minutes," I whispered. "You heard the boss."
"I can’t," he muttered. "He would kill me. He would fucking kill me. I just... no. No, no, no."
"He won’t know."
"I can’t. Fuck, I can’t."
"You can’t, or you won’t?" I asked. "You know the code, Dakota. All you have to do is tell me."
"How would you even open it, huh?" he asked. "It is impossible. Just drop this. Look, I can talk to Brok about Eleanor, okay? I did not know you were that guy he mentioned. I know what kind of situation Eleanor and her brother are in. I can explain it to him and..."
"I’m done talking." I leaned over the counter. "One last chance, Dakota. What is the code to the safe? You tell me, and these photos disappear. So do my memories of you walking into a gay bar."
"I’m not gay!"
"But you have photos of you entering that bar," I said. "I’m sure Brok is an open-minded guy. In fact, I support you. Go live however you want."
He dragged both hands up to the back of his head and rubbed them hard. Then he turned his back to me and stayed like that for a few seconds.
From where I stood, I could tell he was cracking. He just needed a little more pressure.
And right then, the system kicked in.
Good. This was going to be easy.
══════════════════
PERSUASION ATTEMPT: DAKOTA
──────────────────
☐☐☐☐☐
──────────────────
Remaining Chances: 0/4
══════════════════
Four chances, five boxes, but filling four of them would be enough. Dakota looked like he was one bad breath away from breaking completely, and I could tell he did not want to be the one to make this choice. Convincing him was probably going to be the hardest part.
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Attempting Persuasion
"Don’t make this hard on
yourself, Dakota. Just tell me."
──────────────────
Base Chance: 50%
Honeyed Words: +55%
──────────────────
Final Chance: 105%
Upon Succeeding: ☑
══════════════════
"Don’t make this hard on yourself, Dakota. Just tell me."
"No, no..." he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "He would know. I swear he would know. My life would be over."
"How would he know?" I asked, keeping my voice calm. "If anything goes wrong, I’ll keep your name out of it."
"No, no..."
Look at that. The chance was already over one hundred. With Honeyed Words maxed out and Dakota panicking like this, the whole thing was going smoother than I expected. I only needed a little more pressure and he would crack.
══════════════════
Attempting Persuasion
"You have no choice, Dakota.
Tell me. Or you’re done."
──────────────────
Base Chance: 50%
Honeyed Words: +60%
──────────────────
Final Chance: 110%
Upon Succeeding: ☑
══════════════════
"You have no choice, Dakota. Tell me. Or you’re done. Hear me? Done."
"L-look... okay. Just... I mean... no, no, come on, man..."
"There is no ’come on, man,’" I said, keeping my tone steady. "Your boss will not know. You can trust me."
"Oh, God..."
══════════════════
Attempting Persuasion
"Dakota. Look at me. Do you
think I’m a guy who moves
without a plan? Brok wouldn’t
know if I had the code of the
safe or not. You can trust me."
──────────────────
Base Chance: 50%
Honeyed Words: +60%
──────────────────
Final Chance: 110%
Upon Succeeding: ☑
══════════════════
"Dakota. Look at me. Do you think I’m the kind of guy who moves without a plan? Brok won’t know I got the code to the safe. You can trust me."
"I’m... I’m trying..."
He was almost there.
I could feel it.
══════════════════
Attempting Persuasion
"I’m getting tired now. One more
chance. What. Is. The. Code?"
──────────────────
Base Chance: 50%
Honeyed Words: +60%
──────────────────
Final Chance: 110%
Upon Succeeding: ☑
══════════════════
"I’m getting tired now. One more chance. What is the code?"
Dakota stared at me for a second, then looked down at the counter and swallowed hard.
"Thirty-one," he muttered. "Thirty-two. Thirty-three."
"Fucking hell," I muttered. "Seriously?"
"Y-yes..."
══════════════════
Persuasion Attempt: Dakota
──────────────────
☑☑☑☑☐
──────────────────
Remaining Chances: SUCCESS!
══════════════════
So he was not lying.
The system confirmed it, which meant I had enough to move on.
I slammed the counter once, not hard enough to make a scene, then turned without saying another word and walked straight toward Brok’s office. He was behind the desk now, pouring himself vodka like the world had not just turned into my personal playground.
When he saw me, the same ugly smirk spread across his face.
"Now, Evan," he said, taking a sip. "What is it going to be?"
"It is going to be," I muttered.
Then I activated Time Stop.
Everything froze.
The sound of the rain outside disappeared into silence, and Brok stayed in place with the glass half-raised to his mouth and that stupid grin still on his face. I took a second to look at him properly while time stood still. Drunk, smug, disgusting. A man who thought he owned whatever he touched.
Not anymore.
══════════════════
Evan Marlowe [Level 22]
──────────────────
EXP: 2000/ 41895
[█░░░░░░░░]
──────────────────
Current Credits: 32000c
Current SC: 312
══════════════════
I moved over to the safe, dropped into a crouch, and studied the lock. It was one of those circular combination dials, the kind you saw in old movies and expensive offices where people still wanted to pretend they lived in some classy criminal fantasy. I already had the code, so I turned the dial slowly and entered it number by number.
Thirty-one.
Then thirty-two.
Then thirty-three.
The final click sounded soft in the frozen room, but it felt louder than anything else around me.
The latch gave way.