In the inn at Cross Town, Ethan woke up feeling refreshed. The first thing he did was check his status.
**[Status: Healthy and Energized.]**
"Finally recovered," Ethan stretched lazily, feeling full of energy. He didn't jump back into the game right away. Instead, he logged out from where he was and returned to the real world. Seeing that it was already daylight, Ethan thought about visiting Claire and Lily.
But as soon as he opened his door, he saw a group of men standing outside. Leading them was a rough-looking man with a scar on his face, who seemed downright vicious. The man grinned as soon as the door opened.
"Ethan, finally opened up, huh?"
Ethan's brows furrowed. He hadn't heard any knocking while in the game, but something about these guys set off alarm bells in his mind. These people were trouble.
"Who are you?" Ethan asked, his voice low and serious.
"Who are we? You're really playing dumb, huh?" Scarface sneered, shoving past Ethan and strolling inside like he owned the place. He took a quick look around the apartment before turning back to Ethan with a malicious grin.
"You owe the casino 300 grand. Time to pay up, don't you think?"
Ethan immediately understood—they were here to collect debts. But instead of panicking, Ethan casually shoved his hands into his pockets and laughed.
"So, Damien couldn't wait, huh?"
"Enough talk! Pay up now!" Scarface snapped.
"Why are you barking like a dog?" Ethan shot back, glaring at him. Debt collectors showing up like this was a relic from another era. Did they think the law was just for show?
"You—"
Scarface was clearly shocked. This guy wasn't scared at all, and now he was even insulting them.
"Listen, Ethan, we're not leaving today unless you pay up. And this house..." Scarface's eyes swept around the room with a sneer, "...this house is ours now."
"What did you say about the house?" Ethan cut him off, his voice cold.
"The house is collateral, remember? It's ours now. So get your ass out," Scarface said smugly, pulling out a contract and waving it in Ethan's face.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. In a flash, he snatched the contract out of Scarface's hands before the man even knew what happened.
Scarface stood there, stunned. He hadn't even seen Ethan move. How was this guy so fast?
Ethan glanced over the contract and couldn't help but laugh.
"This house is still on a mortgage. As long as I keep up with the payments, what gives you the right to kick me out?"
"Then why don't you go ahead and pay it?" Scarface shot back.
"Is it due yet?"
Ethan tossed the contract back at him, pointing toward the door. "Now get the hell out."
"Oh, tough guy now, huh?" Scarface chuckled, his eyes dark. "What if I don't want to leave? What are you gonna do about it?"
"You don't wanna leave, huh?" Ethan walked into the kitchen and came back with a kitchen knife in hand.
Scarface's eyes lit up. If this fool dared to swing at him, they could claim self-defense.
"Boys, get in here! If he makes a move, we'll beat him within an inch of his life."
Ethan, however, didn't immediately act. Instead, he calmly pulled out his phone.
"Hello, police? I've got some thugs breaking into my house. They're trying to rob me."
Scarface's jaw dropped. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
"We're just debt collectors!"
"Hello, sir, can you confirm your address?" the police operator asked.
"Berlin Bird Apartments, third floor, unit 308. They've already broken in. What should I do?"
"Stay calm, sir. We're dispatching officers to your location now."
"They've got weapons! I'm scared... Oh no, I think they're about to attack me! I don't think I'm gonna make it..."
Ethan's voice shook as he finished the call with dramatic flair, "I'm gonna fight back!" Then he hung up with a smirk.
Scarface stood there in shock. This guy... This guy was a damn lunatic! Who could be so shameless?
"We didn't rob you! Your place doesn't even have anything worth stealing!"
"Sir, just make sure you stay safe and don't provoke them," the operator advised over the phone.
Ethan grinned at Scarface, "Oh no, they're attacking me now! Let's see what happens when the cops show up!"
Scarface was at a loss for words. This had to be some of the most blatant slander he'd ever seen. He was no robber! There wasn't even anything in this dump worth taking!
Frustrated, he decided to play it cool. "You're full of it! You're filing a false police report!"
"Your mother's full of it!" Ethan snapped back.
"You..."
"Your mother!"
And from then on, no matter what Scarface said, Ethan would interrupt with "your mother." It was infuriating.
Minutes passed, and just as the tension reached its peak, Ethan heard the faint sound of a police car pulling up outside.
"They're finally here." He grinned, knowing the police station was just three minutes away.
Without any further delay, he lunged forward with the kitchen knife, aiming right at Scarface.
"Damn it, boys, get him!" Scarface shouted. But before his crew could charge in, several police officers stormed through the door.
"What's going on here? Everybody, hands where we can see them!"
With the police now in control, Ethan calmly set the knife down.
Scarface, on the other hand, looked absolutely livid but knew better than to resist. He glared at Ethan, frustrated that their attempt had been ruined.
"Who's the homeowner here?" one officer asked.
"That's me!" Ethan stepped forward, pointing at Scarface's group. "They broke in to rob me and even threatened me with violence."
"Bullshit!" Scarface protested. "We're just here to collect on a legal debt! There's no robbery here."
"Less talking, more IDs," the officer ordered.
Scarface reluctantly handed over his ID, which the officer scanned. His face darkened as he looked at the record.
"You've been arrested before?"
"Well... yeah, but it was for a fight. I've changed since then. Now I'm doing legit work."
"Legit? You call this legit?"
"I'm serious! We're legally collecting a debt. There was no violence."
"Then why did you break into someone's home? That's already against the law. You're coming with us."
"But I still need to collect the debt!" Scarface protested as officers led him toward the police car.
Ethan simply shrugged, watching them get loaded into the vehicle. One of the officers patted him on the back reassuringly.
"Don't worry. We'll press charges if necessary."
Ethan couldn't care less. These guys were just pawns—Damien was the real enemy. But the whole ordeal made Ethan realize how urgent it was to come up with some serious money fast.
"If I don't make some real cash soon, guys like this are gonna keep showing up at my door."
With that settled, Ethan immediately set off for Claire's place.