+--------------------------------+
| **Extra Information** |
| - family: Emily (Mother) |
| - expertise: One of the best |
| hackers alive |
+--------------------------------+
'Oh, that's awesome,' Glottis thought. It meant he had a reason not to spend all his Fate Points recklessly as they did have a meaning beyond the option of purchasing things with them.
"… talk- talking about". He refocused on the situation just to hear the last words of Harvey's stuttering.
"Hey, Duke, maybe you should ask the staff to turn on the heater. This boy is freezing here," Gabriel laughed.
The two young masters were almost sure that Glottis was bluffing since he was not supposed to even know about Harvey's existence before they introduced him less than an hour ago, but they did not want to ruin their friend's plans if those existed.
"Duke, Gabriel, leave us alone for a minute," Glottis asked his friends. Anonymity was a great strength for a hacker, Glottis did not want to reveal his future subordinate's abilities in front of outsiders.
"Ah, leave?" the two frowned at the request. It seemed inappropriate.
"Yes, it includes some information that I prefer to keep secret. Do you mind?"
"No, it's fine, Brother Glottis. We will go hit on the girls over there, I didn't see them before. Must be new around here."
The two walked away, leaving Glottis and Harvey alone.
"Young Master…" Harvey started talking again.
"Ah, be quiet, I don't have time for that blubbering. I know you are a good hacker. However, you have no resources to do anything with those abilities. You can never do anything big with the equipment you can afford without getting caught simply because of the technology you lack. If I wanted to, I could easily call the cops and have you arrested with plenty of proof."
Harvey's face turned redder with every sentence he heard. The fork fell from his shivering hand and sweat covered his face as though he was in the middle of a marathon.
"What do you want from me?" he clenched his teeth and said bravely. His voice shook, but he managed to get rid of his stutter.
"Nothing, Harv. I'm not your enemy and I'm not here to extort you. I'm just saying that I'm offering you a job, you can decline, and I still won't take action against you," Glottis started bullshitting the naïve boy. If Harvey dared refuse, he would find himself in prison within a week, with maximum punishment.
"However, think about all the things that you could achieve with my money, think about the better life you could give to your mom, Miss Emily. If she is or ever gets sick, you can have the best treatment. If she is hungry, she can have the best food. If she is thirsty, she can have the best… tea or whatever she likes."
"Herbal tea, Mom really loves it," Harvey said quietly.
"The best herbal tea it is. Young maids would vacuum your house during the day and your dick during the night. Tell me, can anybody else offer you this deal now? The earlier you join my side, the better position and influence you can have in the future."
Harvey stayed silent. His mind raced as he compared Mike's and Glottis' offers. On one hand, Glottis offered a lot of money, and now. It was the safest option to provide for his family.
On the other hand, Mike was a promising youth, the first to see his potential and believe him. Not only that, but the young charismatic man had a bright future ahead of him. Mike was a cultivator, and he would live far after Glottis died. He was a hard worker, something the young master in front of him was not renowned for.
"Thank you for your offer, Young Master, I need to think about it. I can't give you an answer right away…" Harvey said.
"I know that Mike is also after you. However, he is giving you empty promises. When will he be able to pay you enough? Five years? Ten years? Can you guarantee that your mother will be well in five years? Money is only useful when you can use it, not when it's too late. Tell me, what does Mike have that's better than what I have?"
Glottis was turning slightly angry at the fact that someone even considered Mike as appealing as himself.
"Young Master, he is a cultivator. I was hoping he would be able to make me one too, or at least teach some secret manuals to my children if I'm loyal."
"ME TOO!" Glottis raised his voice in anger and banged the table with his fist, breaking it in half. The plates all shattered on the ground, the food and lemonade spilled everywhere. "Do you truly think a Sonora can be a good-for-nothing? Do you believe the ill rumors spread about me?"
Even Glottis used to believe in them, but his mindset changed over the past few days. Now, he was a cultivator, he wasn't a waste. Nobody can take that away from him.
"No! no, Young Master, I'm sorry," Harvey jumped in fright. He believed in those rumors, and his mind had to digest the fact they might be wrong. Normal humans could not split tables in half with a punch.
Three waitresses approached to help clean but stopped when Glottis raised his hand, signing them to stay away. They could only watch from a distance until he allowed them to get nearer.
"So, what is it going to be, Harv? Do you want to live a dream life, or are you going to gamble on someone who might be successful one day?" Glottis pressured him.
"I need to think-"
"You don't have time to think. I don't need you as much as you need me, Harv. I can recruit a dozen hackers of your caliber in the wave of my hand. You don't get to make me wait for an answer. You have one minute to decide. Do you take my offer, or do you not?"
Harvey experienced a blackout. He had no idea what answer he could give in one minute. Glottis' words were true; the Sonora family would never need to beg someone to work under them, and if someone like that existed, Harvey knew he did not have such qualifications.
"Can I be rich if I work for you?" Harvey asked.
"You can."
"Can I become a cultivator?"
"You can."
"If I have a problem, will you help me?"
"If I can."
"I… will work for you."
*Ding*
Glottis smiled triumphally as soon as he heard the ring he was waiting for. His expression eased and he signaled to the waiting waitresses to come and clean.
"Since today was a success, I will pay the bill. Here, take my card."
The two exited the restaurant, letting Gabriel and Duke stay to fool around with the girls they chose.
"Who is teaching the next lesson in your class?" Glottis asked as the two walked into the school building toward the end of the lunch break, hoping for a certain answer.
"Miss Rosemary. She teaches Math. Young Master, aren't you in the other class? Why are you coming with me?"
"I think to join your class just this once," he grinned, "I hope she uses the board a lot."
"Well… she needs it to write the equations…"
The two entered the classroom, and Glottis scrutinized the area to find the best seat. To his surprise, he found it quickly. "I will see you later, Harv," he ignored the boy's attempt at parting and walked straight to sit by the side of a beauty.
"Hey, Beauty, fancy meeting you here," he leaned to whisper in her ear.
"Are you stalking me?!" Sheela gritted her teeth in annoyance. She moved class because she did not want the troublesome young master to hit on her every day, so why did he move with her?
"No, it is fate. I had no idea you were here," Glottis wrapped his arm around her shoulders and sighed, "The heavens work in profound ways we do not always understand," he nodded at his words of wisdom.
"You had no idea?" Sheela eyed him suspiciously and slapped his arm away, "Heavens my ass, you are here for another reason then."
"Students, take your seats and be silent," Miss Rosemary entered the class before Glottis could answer, and Sheela, who still looked at the handsome young man by her side, noticed his eyes instinctively leave the teacher's face and roam… downward.
"You pig, I knew you were up to no good. I was searching for a beautiful student, but I got it wrong. You have the hots for the teacher herself!" she exclaimed in a quiet voice.
"Ahm, you are wrong. I only have eyes for you," Glottis shook his head in denial.
"Glottis Sonora, Sheela Petit, be quiet. Wait, actually, Glottis Sonora, why are you here?" the older woman squinted her eyes. The latter came to see her and asked to switch classes for private reasons, but the former never asked for permission.
"I followed my heart and ended up here, Miss Rosemary. I think what my heart seeks is right in this classroom," he answered without hesitation.
'Sleek tongue,' the two girls thought simultaneously, thinking he was referring to them.