Frank frowned but did not argue with Mandy, and instead reached for the jug of water, pouring himself a glass.Mandy snorted. "Can't even afford to buy himself a drink, and trying to freeload off Soren. Despicable."Frank used the dim light and deafening beats to pretend not to hear Mandy, not even looking her way.It took a while until Dragondawn finished, and everyone in the bar including Tilda applauded.She turned toward Frank, her cheeks flushed as she smiled and asked, "What do you think? Don't you think they're just so cool?""I don't know much about music," Frank admitted. "But I thought they were a little noisy.""Hah! You really are a bumpkin." Mandy promptly jumped in to mock him. "You can't even understand new age rock. Honestly, what are you doing here?"At that point, Frank realized that Mandy was on Soren's side.She could see that Soren hated Frank and therefore repeatedly insulted Frank to curry Soren's favor.Her hard work clearly paid off too, as Soren smile
Frank was actually surprised—in the beginning, Lily's tone was mundane, but the accompaniment seemed to lift her voice, allowing her song to engulf the person.Her performance left the basement bar silent, too. Men and women were all left staring at the girl who was dressed modestly, whose voice would not lose to top singers.Even someone as oblivious to music as Frank knew that she sang well.Then, as Kat joined in the chorus, their voices seemed to resound across the bar, leaving the crowd silent and enthralled.Tilda, the girl beside Frank, was sighing.Frank nodded without knowing it.On the other hand, Mandy was glaring jealously at the girls.-When Lily eventually finished the last song, the crowd spaced out for a beat before applauding thunderously.Even Willy was on his feet at the front row, praising endlessly, "Impressive! The Spades are really as talented as they're said to be!""Encore! Encore!" the guests around the bar chanted, providing a much more enthusiasti
Kat could clearly feel that Soren was after her with that request for a love ballad, and it really irked her.Eder, the bar owner, scowled right then. "What, are you refusing a customer's request? Are you trying to ruin my bar's reputation?!""No, no, of course not." Lily quickly smiled apologetically. "We'll sing."As she spoke, she turned to Kat with a pleading look. "Please…"Kat frowned in annoyance but sighed. "Fine. Whatever.""Wait!" the pudgy man from earlier bellowed as he stood up. "Two hundred grand for My Heart Will Go On!""Two hundred grand?!" Everyone in the bar gasped.That amount of money for a single request was just ridiculous!"Hah!" The pudgy man looked around smugly, still holding on to his pretty companion. "Who else wants to make a bid?""Five hundred grand," Soren stood up again as he raised, shooting the pudgy man a look of disdain."Five hundred grand? Shit, the guy's crazy," the pudgy man grumbled as he sat down in shock.While it was utterly craz
Tilda, the girl sitting beside Frank, was anxious too.She turned to Soren, pleading, "Can't you do something, Soren?! We have to help Kat!"However, Soren could only scratch his head awkwardly.He had followed Frank's gaze and realized the man in the front row was Emilio Sorano's second son, Willy Sorano. They were one of the Four Families of Morhen, and Soren certainly could not afford to mess with them.While he was a Lionheart, he was no more than a distant relative—a far cry from Willy, who was from a direct lineage.Moreover, he had already spent all his pocket money of 500 grand and no more.As such, Soren pursed his lips and explained under his breath, "Don't you see? That's Willy Sorano! If he gets upset…"He trailed off, but the others understood—Soren could not afford to mess with Willy."Are we just going to let him humiliate Kat and the other girls?!" Tilda groaned, on the verge of tears.She and The Spades were good friends, and she was frustrated to see them p
Naturally, most of The Spades were wary of the Soranos' influence.Most of their families were modest—even poor—and basically helpless against the Soranos, They had no choice but to give in to a smugly grinning Willy."Kat…" Rosa, the keyboardist, leveled an awkward look at Kat."What…" Kat was shocked as she realized that her band members were staring at her unhappily."Not everyone leads a comfortable life like you.""Yeah. We'd all like to make a living for our family and realize our dreams…"Kat was silent when she saw the guilty looks on their faces, and she eventually smiled and shook her head. "Heh… Then I'll respect your decision."She started to leave, only for a glowering Eder to catch her. "Where do you think you're going?""The band's breaking up, and I'm going home," Kat snapped icily.Eder snorted right then. "Did you think you can do whatever you want in my bar and leave as you like?! Either please Mr. Sorano right now, or none of you are leaving in one piece!
However, as soon as Lily started pleading to Eder, Kat snapped, "Stop it, Lily. I won't sing for a bunch of scum like them.""But…" Lily watched anxiously as the bodyguards encircled Kat."Hahaha! Good, good!" Willy laughed. "I've really taken a shine to you now, girl—you're a real feisty one! Take her and bring her to my bed. I'm breaking this wild pony tonight." Seeing that Willy was so despicable that he did not even care to pretend, Frank finally had enough and sprang to his feet even as Soren looked on in confusion."I'll tip ten million dollars," he said evenly, leaving the entire bar gasping."T-Ten million?!""Now that's a tycoon! Ten million… Not even A-list stars get that honor!"Everyone, including Willy, turned toward Frank.Willy was certainly upset and would see the face of the person who would disrespect him… though he also found that voice annoyingly familiar somehow."Eh?" He froze when he saw who it was, his eyes flaring in fury even as he was caught in disb
If Eder really made The Spades sing Bitch at Willy and made him angry, Willy would blame him too…"What? You were the one who said the customer is always right, weren't you?" Frank smiled faintly, returning to his seat and crossing his legs with a faint smile. "What, is that tip too cheap for you?""Oh—no, of course not, sir." Eder wiped the sweat off his brow, feeling a little awkward.Still, he gritted his teeth and steeled himself as he stared at the golden card between Frank's fingertips.Ten million, and all tips to the band would be split fifty-fifty between the bar and the band!That means he would have a five million dollar cut—his bar would be compensated for any losses!Who dared would win… Moreover, he was in no place to meddle with some rich kids' dispute. All he had to do was be the tool he was."You heard him. He wants another song—are you going to sing or not?!"As Eder turned coldly toward Kat, he was surprised by Kat's sweet smile and complete change in attitud
Frank's offer left the crowd in an uproar."A hundred million?!" "Shit, where did he come from? Tipping a hundred million just to mess with Willy Sorano?!""What?" Kat was gaping at Frank from the stage too, asking in uncertainty, "Where would you get a hundred million dollars, Master Lawrence?""Don't bother. Just start singing," Frank replied.Kat rolled her eyes, but she was still worried. "Just stop. You're overdoing it.""I refuse." Frank smiled faintly."Hey!" Kat snapped."Kat… I think we should just go," Lily said nearby, her head aching.She just wanted to sing and rise to stardom and help her family.All she felt was pain, getting caught in this rich kids' dispute."I don't think we're going anywhere, Lily," Rosa said, pointing at one of the 1.9 meter-tall bodyguards standing nearby.Lily then realized that Eder was definitely not going to spare a golden goose like them—not when the tip was raised to one hundred million dollars!On the other hand, the guests cou
Frank was not only the smart guy out there in the whole right world. In other words, Mr. Creston had that in mind too!He was helping because he had felt insulted after Frank flexed on him earlier, and Dani was still useful to him—for now.When she handed over the company, however, he would not hesitate to kick her out! On top of that, he would make sure that she took the fall for all the dirty deeds they did together.In the end, she would not even be able to defend herself, while suffering lawsuits and public condemnation!Even so, she said, "I understand now. But it's never too late—I swear I'll change if you give me a chance!"Frank simply turned to Zein. "Actually, this man had the right idea—if he gave you a chance, who would give him one?"We're all adults here, so act your age. I'm sure you understand how a good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.""I get it!" Dani quickly said. "You don't have to keep me around, just—""No!" Frank snapped and crushed her left hand und
Dani was under the impression that even if the goons were not the best, they were on the cusp of reaching that level anyway.It turned out to be just her wishful thinking—when against the truly powerful, she was a lamb at the mercy of the butcher's knife, no matter how many people she brought! "To be honest, I'm curious as to what you're thinking." Frank snorted as he strode up to Dani. "Why dump a man who loves you dearly for some prick you don't even know? Being abused in that state and still thinking that you'd chosen wisely—do you actually have a brain?"Seeing her launching, he knew she was not listening, and he tore her ear off!The horrific pain jolted Dani to her senses, and she was left clutching what remained of her ear as she stared at the seemingly handsome man.She was under the impression that Frank would let her live even if she lost, but it was once again wishful thinking.He would kill her, and savagely at that!And she was certainly right, since Frank had ne
Drunken Moon quickly shook her head. "Don't worry about rewarding us. Nothing's better than getting you back on your feet. Did you know that you looked just like a zombie when I saw you again? You really gave me a scare there."Zein chuckled. "Can't help it—I really had no idea what I could do against them, so I could only flounder. But with this man recovering my mother's ashes, it's over for them."Turning to Frank, he nodded. "Don't worry, brother—I'm no ingrate. I'll definitely make this worth your while."Frank shook his head too.It was a simple thing for him to do, and he had volunteered in the first place. Why leverage grace for trinkets?Even as the thought crossed his mind, someone kicked open the door, and soon, a dozen goons stormed inside. With their black tank tops, machetes, and muscular figures, they were clearly not to be trifled with.And they were led by none other than Dani herself, striding inside like a queen, as if she had everything under control.Zein
"Argh!!! This place is haunted!!!"Horrified, Dani clung to Mr. Creston, eager to earn his comfort.Contrary to her expectations, Mr. Creston was much more knowledgeable and pushed her away, growling, "There's no such thing as haunting, only reckless brats. So tell me, who are you, boy?"Frank smirked. "I'm surprised you're that knowledgeable. But to be honest, who I am doesn't matter—what matters is that you're a subhuman piece of shit!"Then, as Mr. Creston and Dani looked on, the box of ashes vanished.While Dani screamed again, Mr. Creston was ready to call for help when he felt someone seizing his throat, and he could not make a sound."Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you—I'll just make sure your reputation would go up in smoke before you go to jail. That's the best either of you could hope for."As Frank's voice became distant, Mr. Creston could move again and promptly slapped Dani across the face.Amusingly, she did not get upset from that. In fact, she hung her head
It was superstition, as even fools knew that reincarnation was not real. But the richer they were, the more superstitious they got.Still, Drunken Moon said, "I'll get your mother's ashes back."Zein signed. "Thanks for the offer, but it's too dangerous. And she'd really do it if she's pushed too far."Drunken Moon would not want to bother Frank since this was her friend's problem and not hers, and he was not obliged to help. However, she honestly did not want to let people like Dani strut and leveled a pleading look at Frank.She simply did not know that Frank was always eager to help, and he had to agree that Dani was too sickening to be left at large.Putting a hand on his chest, he assured Zein, "Just tell me where the urn is. I'll definitely recover it for you."Zein was rubbing his brow as he said, "The people you're dealing with aren't as simple as they appear."Frank chuckled. "That applies to others too."And with those words, he disappeared.Zein—who had been lou
As Frank and Drunken Moon chatted, a thirtyish man opened the door. His tailored suit was draped lopsidedly, and stubble grew all over his chin.On top of that, there were wide dark circles under his eyes, both of which were bloodshot."Drunken Moon?" His eyes lit up when he realized who it was, but only for a second as his gaze soon dulled again.Drunken Moon turned to Frank. "Allow me to introduce you to a friend, Lugh Frankton. Lugh, this is my friend Zein Dunham. You can just call him Zein."After the men shook hands, Zein ushered them inside and made them tea.Then, he curled into himself as he sat on a couch, looking miserably insomniac."You don't look like yourself," Drunken Moon pointed out, puzzled. "Did you suffer some sort of trauma?"Zein smiled wryly. "You never know what could happen to you, I guess. Live and let live."Drunken Moon looked around and realized that all of Zein's wedding photos were gone.In fact, anything that had to do with Dani Farron, Zein's w
Damn their horrible luck! They would not be in this situation if Lanky Man was not eager to get himself a wife!Meanwhile, as Frank and Drunken Moon left, the latter giggled and asked, "Hey, could you come along while I visit a friend? It's rare that I can be out and about, so I'll just treat this as a holiday. That means I should properly unwind instead of going back right away."Frank nodded. He had nothing else to do anyway and followed Drunken Moon to a luxurious residential area.They could have entered directly, but since Drunken Moon did not know which house her friend lived in, she asked the security guard, "Do you know Zein Dunham? I'm a friend. Would you happen to know where he lives?"Though Drunken Moon was very polite, the security guard studied her from head to toe before scowling in contempt. "You can't go in without an appointment, lady, and I definitely can't give you any resident's address either—I'd get fired."Stepping out of the security shack, Drunken Moon ap
Lanky Man could not help flashing a thumb-up at Frank.However, the gesture changed just as Frank was not watching—with a flash of blue light, countless needles rained down on Frank!Nonetheless, Frank did not move.The needles continued toward him before clanging loudly as they came to a stop near him, as if striking a wall.Lanky Man could not help being stunned—that was his killing stroke, and he launched it at Frank when he let his guard down.However, the kid was somehow able to cast some barrier that nullified his attacks. What the hell was that even?!"Curious, aren't you?" Frank asked just then. "I'm sure the people you butchered would've been curious about your powers too. Now that the tables have turned, I must ask—has it ever crossed your mind that you're the same as them?"At those words, Lanky Man's knees buckled and he dropped to his knees.It was only natural that he imagined his defeat, but not one this pathetic.Frank never even broke a sweat, but nothing work
Despite Drunken Moon's agility, a needle struck her in the left shoulder after she dodged them multiple times.Gritting her teeth in pain, she smirked. "I'm surprised you're this strong."Lanky Man laughed. "It's not just you—I don't know why I'm this good either."Ever since I was a child, every person I've met, regardless of age or sect, could never win against me. It's really a pain being so strong—normal folk really wouldn't catch my eye, so I was hoping you'd change your mind, priestess."Drunken Moon sighed. "Then it's a shame that you've run into someone you shouldn't, or you might really have gotten your chance at showing off."And with those words, she chanted her incantation.Soon, blue light converged and formed a human silhouette.It was naturally Frank himself in the flesh!Even as Frank studied his own body, he actually found it interesting—in a way, he was able to teleport.In that case, would he not be making bank if he worked as a courier or pizza boy?"Who a