'Elder brother has excellent friends,' Ryan thought.
After exchanging their goodbye greetings, Elias immediately exited the Living Saint Hospital and took a taxi home to his apartment.
Now that he had settled Ryan's hospital bills, the next step was to pay his rent, ensuring Mr Peter didn't kick him out of their apartment.
Nonetheless, he had been away for a while, so he hoped Mr Peter hadn't taken advantage of that part and had thrown his things out already.
Elias stepped out of the taxi and paid the driver. As he approached the building, he noticed something strange. Several boxes and furniture items, his belongings, were stacked up outside the building. Nearby, a truck from a moving company was packed, and three movers were loading more of his things into it.
I knew he would do something like this!
"HEY! STOP THOSE ARE MY PROPERTIES?" Elias's voice echoed through the street, his legs breaking into a determined sprint. He swiftly collected the boxes within the burly man's hand and placed them back on the floor.
Give me that!
The burly man in a blue uniform turned to face Elias with furrowed brows. "Are you, Mr. Elias, the owner of this property ?" He had naturally heard Elias screaming words and was curious to confirm if he was indeed the property owner they were moving.
"Yes, I'm the one," Elias responded firmly, nodding.
"That's good. We were called by Mr Peter to help you pack your properties and store them at the company. You would meet us later and pay us to help you transfer them to your new home," the burly man explained. Looking at Elias's face as it twisted into a frown, the burly man couldn't help but ask, "You did call us, right?"
In response, Elias swiftly shook his head: "No, I didn't. That old man is doing everything he can to throw me out of his house. Do you have his number so I can speak with him?" he asked.
He would pay his rent in full and add some interest just in case. The old man might want to kick him out, but he was not ready to move until his heart no longer longed heavily for his parents' demise.
"There's no need to call him. He's currently showing some new tenants around looking to rent the apartment," the burly man responded, stretching his hand to point toward Elias's apartment.
Elias's expression paled in sudden realization, his shock at the situation evident.
"Also, we have already begun our work, so even if you are not moving, we still have to collect our payment," the burly man responded.
Observing Elias's expression, he sighed before turning around and waving his hand at the other two movers. "Hey, you guys should come over for a second; it seems we have a problem over here," he shouted.
He had witnessed something like this several times in the past, when landlords discriminately or forcefully kicked their tenants out of their homes for disregarding the rules, so he could already guess how this would end.
It was a cruel and unfair practice, and next time, he would suggest they call the eviction movers.
Without hesitation, Elias rushed into the building.
The other two movers, dressed in similarly blue uniforms, dusted their hands and stepped forward to understand what was transpiring.
.....
As Elias reached the top of the stairs and approached his apartment, he heard an unfamiliar voice and laughter coming from within.
A frown emerged on Elias's face. However, he controlled his emotions and swiftly stepped towards the door, pushing it open.
Walking in, he saw his landlord, Mr Peter, giving a tour of his apartment to two well-dressed couples. Mr Peters was highlighting the features of a small space and had halted his explanation during his entrance.
"YOU!… What are you doing here?" Mr Peter spat angrily; his fierce stare met Elias's unyielding gaze.
Where did this brat come from now?
"Mr Peter, what's going on here?" Elias demanded, completely disregarding the landlord's question.
The couples beside him began to look uncomfortable, as though sensing the sudden tension in the atmosphere. "I thought you said that the tenant was ready to pack out," the man asked, frowning.
Mr Peters shrugged dismissively, "He was given an unconditional quit notice for not paying his rent on time and causing a disturbance. This place will be free soon enough." He gave Elias a fierce stare as if informing him not to do anything stupid and to leave the apartment immediately.
The couple nodded and ignored Elias, "This place is a bit small, but it has potential," the woman said.
The man nodded, agreeing with her words. They both began to walk around the house, inspecting the apartment by themselves.
Witnessing this scene, Mr Peter smiled happily. He knew they were good prospective tenants. He refocused his gaze on Elias, "Unless you don't want me to call the police and have them lock you up this time––"
However, before Mr Peter could complete his sentence, Elias interjected, "Here," controlling his emotions as he reached into his pocket, brought out an envelope full of cash, and threw it towards Mr Peter. "That's the money I owe you. It's more than enough to cover the past rent with a few more interests." His tone appeared more confident than a moment ago.
Mr Peter's eyes widened as he caught the envelope and swiftly scanned through it. There was indeed a small amount of money in this envelope, about $3,500, enough to cover their previous rent and a $1,500 interest for not paying time.
Mr Peter's expression suddenly turned pensive, as though his decision began to waver. However, as though coming to a conclusion, Mr Peter shook his head. "I'll take the money as payment for last month. As for this month, I want you to leave my house. I want reliable tenants who pay once it's time and don't cause trouble," Mr Peter said, placing the money in his pocket.
Elias stood rooted in his position, stunned and surprised that Mr Peter had refused to reconsider despite the substantial payment.
"However, if you were to tell me how you got this money, I might reconsider and allow you to stay as my tenant," Mr Peter added. His eyes briefly wandered around to observe a couple walking into the next room at a corner before he refocused on Elias and scrutinized his expression.
"I borrowed it from a friend," Elias responded hesitantly.
"Oh! You borrowed it from a friend," Mr Peter said, his tone dripping with scepticism. "I knew you couldn't have earned this money yourself. That means you're now a debtor, and there's no guarantee you'll be able to pay next month's rent if I let you stay," he added, shaking his head disappointedly.
He took the $2,000 rent from the envelope and tossed it toward Elias. "Here, keep the interest. Use it to pay the moving company. I'm not interested in having someone like you under my roof."
Elias remained motionless as he caught the envelope. "I can pay the rent," he forced out, each word a struggle.
Even if he couldn't reveal the x10 cashback system's existence, he had to clarify that he could pay the rent.
Mr Peter glanced at Elias before sighing deeply for what felt like the hundredth time. "Kid, you and I know you can't cover the rent with your salary while caring for you and your brother. If I were you, I'd find a more legitimate source of income rather than following in your father's footsteps."
The way Elias handed over such a significant amount made Mr Peter sceptical. He doubted Elias had borrowed it from a friend and suspected he had done something shady to get it, or it might be an advance payment for some illicit activity.
Nonetheless, there was a chance his assumptions were wrong. But he wasn't willing to take that risk.
After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. What were the odds Elias wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps?