Unable to refute Lenny's words and having too much pride to openly concur, Boss Falcone let out a heavy breath before demanding, "Return Jug's gun."
Smiling, Lenny got up from the bed and calmly went over to his wardrobe despite the pains he felt all around his body. He opened the bottom drawer, searched for and retrieved the Glock, then handed it to Andre Jug, whose head crack wasn't too deep and had long stopped bleeding.
"You have a strong head," Lenny chuckled as he commented, causing Andre to subtly gnash his teeth, controlling his temper.
Glaring at Lenny for a few more seconds, Boss Falcone turned and headed for the exit.
Still being glared at by the three goons, Lenny voiced, "Don't worry guys. I'm sure we'll do this again in the future."
"Tsk, I swear I'll have my revenge, you bastard," Lizard Liu said as he turned around and headed for the apartment door.
'…Hey, it's Lenny to you! Unless you want me to 'treat' you like last time.' Lenny lampooned inwardly, unwilling to voice out to avoid prolonging the matter.
Andre Jug and the goon who had his eyes poked helped carry the one whom Lenny had stabbed in the thigh. He had remained in the kitchen throughout the rest of the fight and didn't dare remove the knife.
Seeing Boss Falcone approach, Mike gulped and squeezed into the corner of the wall, so as to not obstruct his path.
Boss Falcone just glared at him and passed the exit. And the goons followed suit.
Just then, standing in the bedroom, Lenny took out his phone, grinning at the sight of the notification message on his lock screen.
[Task completed.]
After watching Boss Falcone leave, Mike hurried over to Lenny, who was looking down at his phone.
"Are you okay, man?" Mike inquired with urgency, gripping Lenny's shoulders and giving him a thorough once-over.
Lenny calmly raised his bruised and battered face, sporting a reddened area around his eyes, bloodied cheeks, and a slightly askew nose. He flashed a smile, revealing his set of less-than-perfect teeth with a mild yellowish tinge.
"I've been through worse," he replied with a lighthearted tone.
Concern knitted Mike's eyebrows, and his eyes squinted slightly with melancholy.
"But… But look at what they did to your face!" As he spoke, the horror and gravity of the situation were reflected in his voice.
Lenny let out a chuckle. "Hehe, at least I'm still alive. I didn't think you'd actually go through with it. Thanks, I'm genuinely grateful."
Just a while ago, during the live stream, Lenny answered the delivery man at the door and was told by the latter that some men inquired about him. From then, Lenny became immensely paranoid and constantly glanced at Mike's door, expecting Boss Falcone and his henchmen to barge in.
Noticing Lenny's unease, Mike inquired about the issue, and Lenny briefly took him off camera and explained to him that the men from the previous day had returned.
In response, Mike suggested discreetly live-streaming the impending encounter to get the online community involved. Initially, Lenny rejected the idea, apprehensive that this would overtly implicate Boss Falcone and cause the official authorities to target the loan shark. Because if that happened, both Lenny and Mike might be swiftly eliminated in a way that wouldn't be traceable back to the Boss, just to prevent them from testifying against him in court or something.
However, Mike convinced Lenny that bringing to light what lurked within the shadows was the only way to make creatures of darkness scorch.
Reluctantly, Lenny agreed, with a caveat. He asked Mike to call "cut" when the situation became most dire for him, treating the unfolding scenario as part of a live-streamed performance. This strategy allowed them to avoid retribution from Boss Falcone as long as they remained alive. Yet, if they didn't survive or suddenly went missing, the entire world would be privy to the fact that it was no mere act.
Given the internet's penchant for diving into scandals and conspiracies, the issue would be of utmost seriousness, impossible to sweep under the rug. Boss Falcone could lose everything and face catastrophic consequences.
In response to Lenny's heartfelt gratitude, Mike nodded. "You're welcome. But, those men didn't look happy at all. Are you sure we'll be safe?"
"Did you really call the police?" Lenny inquired.
"Of course not, you told me not to, remember?" Mike replied. "However, they might soon catch our bluff. Only about 200 people were watching the stream, and the police have received no report from here…"
"You're right." Lenny pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Don't concern yourself with the police for now. We just need more people to witness the confrontation. Hurry, shorten the clip of the fight, and include the part where you intervened. Upload it once to your channel and send me the video link when you do. I have something in mind, we can boost the video."
"Hmm," Mike scratched his chin in thought, then nodded. "Alright, I'll get right on that. But are you sure you're okay?"
Lenny offered a faint smile, saying, "Don't worry about me. This isn't the first time they have beaten me like this, so I've learned how to take care of myself."
Seeing Lenny's resilience, Mike's expression softened, feeling a sense of sympathy for his friend.
Lenny hastened him. "Quickly, go make the clip!"
"Okay!" Mike turned and swiftly dashed out of the apartment.
Lenny let out a sigh and reclined on his bed, gazing up at the ceiling.
"I didn't die, but it's far from over…"
After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, he turned on his side, raised his phone to his face, and unlocked it.
> You have been rewarded (5) v-points for completing [Task #3: Insult Boss Falcone to his face].
> You have been rewarded an additional (13) v-points for completing [Optional Tasks: Spit on him; Slap or punch his face; Kick him in the balls].
From insulting, spitting, punching, and kicking Boss Falcone in the balls, Lenny had earned a total of 18 v-points. He quickly navigated through the Top Idol and settled in the Attributes tab.
[Attributes]:
Strength — 12.
Perception — 25 [MAX].
Endurance — 9.
Charisma — 5.
Intelligence — 15.
Agility — 25 [MAX].
Looks — 8.
Studying his stats, he contemplated his next investment.
'…I've been putting it off, but in the end, making wise moves and decisions is what's keeping me alive, and will continue to do so…'
Lenny selected the Intelligence attribute, revealing the plus sign next to it. After incrementing the value to the number '10', he finalized the investment by clicking the green check mark.
Intelligence — 15 >> 25 [MAX].
Lenny closed his eyes as an inexplicable sensation of fog clearing up in his mind overwhelmed him. With how crystal clear his thoughts were, how vivid his imagination, and how sharp his memory was, he felt as though he had been living life with his two hands tied behind his back.
Recollections of the past two days played out in his mind. He reviewed the details of his visit to his mother, his clown performance, his encounter with the enigmatic shadow-lurking stranger, and his attempted suicide.
Mulling over the prior incident with Boss Falcone and the thoughtful look on his face after Mike had barged into the apartment and ran away, Lenny mused, "Did he only accept the money because Mike showed up…?"
Lenny got up from the bed and paced around his room, deep in thought.
'…Perhaps he doesn't want any witnesses to my disappearance? No, if they ever took me, the street vendors would at least have seen me enter their vehicle. Is that why he had his goons follow me instead? Most likely.
'As Boss aimed his gun at me, it was clear he had ample time to finish me off. So was he… hesitating? It seems so, possibly because the gunshot would definitely draw the entire neighborhood's attention. Coupled with him not seeming to like unexpected witnesses of his actions, it sort of explains how easily Mike convinced him to let me go just by mentioning that the entire world would get involved.
'But, just the mere fact that he pulled out the firearm… Was he only trying to scare me? Hmm, he's just a loan shark, after all. He must still be afraid of the authorities so he couldn't kill me.
'However, without the prying eyes of the internet, Boss Falcone could probably wriggle out of any legal trouble. And with the police, I'm sure I wouldn't be the first to report to them about Boss Falcone's handling of his debtors. I can't underestimate him. It's safer for me to assume he has connections within the police and law enforcement agencies in the justice department…'
Just then, Lenny came to a halt and his eyes widened slightly, astonishment etched on his face as a revelation struck him.