The shocking scene left everyone around Antonio utterly stunned.
"Who are you?" The group of ruthless, fearless criminals now displayed expressions of horror.
Michael's face remained impassive, and his deep voice resonated through the mask: "I am a Time Merchant, and I want to make a deal with you. You can call me the Grim Reaper."
"I can control life and death, control time! And I am also a businessman. As my name suggests, my product is time!"
At these words, everyone's eyes went wide.
A quick-witted woman with tattoos immediately asked, "Time? And how much does time cost, Grim Reaper?"
But Michael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Antonio, who was sitting in his wheelchair. "Is this your leader?"
Compared to the photos in the news, this old man looked incredibly frail, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment. He lacked the commanding presence he once had in his prime.
At this point, the others were still a little stunned. Michael raised his hand and directly displayed Antonio's remaining lifespan.
Name: Antonio Cahill
Age: 93
Remaining Lifespan: 3 minutes, 15 seconds
Michael glanced at the screen. "It seems your elder only has three minutes left to live."
Seeing Antonio's remaining time firsthand, the shock among the group was even greater. "Oh my God..."
With this display, Michael's power alone was the greatest form of persuasion.
Ricardo Moretti clenched his fist. So, the Grim Reaper was real. He immediately changed his tone to one of respect. "Mr. Grim Reaper, I apologize for my previous actions. We want to buy time. We want to save him. Please, how can we purchase it?"
Michael spoke in a calm and measured tone, repeating what he had previously said to Jerry: "The price of everyone's time is determined by the value they can create for themselves. So, what do you think Antonio's life is worth?"
At his words, the entire room fell into stunned silence. Antonio was crucial to the family. His presence was like a pillar of stability. As long as he was alive, he could deter all rival forces. His value was beyond calculation.
"What... what do you want?" The hall was quiet for a moment before Moretti spoke, his voice hesitant.
Michael gave a slight smile. "Don't worry, you can buy it with money. However, I must tell you, with each transaction, I only sell one year of life."
Each word he spoke carried an undeniable, oppressive weight, causing even the most notorious criminals in the room to hold their breath. Michael extended his hand, pointing at Antonio. "And the price you must pay for one year of life for him... is one hundred million!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into stunned silence.
One hundred million dollars. That was no small amount. The atmosphere in the room grew tense.
Meanwhile, the countdown continued above Antonio's head. Two minutes had already passed, and the old man's condition was worsening.
With each breath, it took longer and longer. Every intake of air seemed as though it might be his last.
The group hesitated, their minds racing with urgent calculations.
"Everyone, you don't have much time to think." Michael said, his voice calm and emotionless. "Whether we go through with this is up to you. If you're unwilling, the deal is off."
With that, he turned to leave.
"No!" Moretti raised his hand. He was the core of the family, and he had made his decision.
Antonio's life and death were crucial. Furthermore, the opportunity to trade time and defy fate was a rare one. This could be the only chance to save the Cahill Family.
Even God would approve of this deal. One hundred million was worth it.
He exchanged quick glances with the few people around him. The core members all nodded, and Moretti then spoke, "We agree to buy. One hundred million, right? Deal."
Only then did Michael turn around. A faint smile curved under his mask, and he stepped forward. "Very well. However, before the transaction, we still need to sign a contract. Everything we say from here on will become part of the agreement."
Moretti glanced at the numbers above Antonio's head, steadily ticking down, then nodded urgently. "Alright."
Michael began, "First, you must not tell anyone about this transaction, nor disclose the existence of the Time Merchant."
"Second, you are not allowed to investigate the Time Merchant in any way."
"Third, you must not do anything that would harm the Time Merchant's interests."
Each word Michael spoke hit Moretti with an overwhelming seriousness, a sense of reverence for this transaction that seemed to transcend the human world.
But the contract wasn't finished yet.
"Fourth, whenever the Time Merchant needs help, the Cahill Family must provide whatever assistance they can!"
"Lastly, if any of these terms are violated, I will not only take back the lifespan I've sold but will also reset Antonio's entire remaining lifespan to zero!"
This clause, added to the previous agreement with Jerry, was Michael's own design. He wasn't worried at all about whether they would agree.
As expected, Moretti immediately responded, "I agree. On behalf of the Cahill Family, I sign this contract! We will not violate any of its terms!"
Michael smiled. "As expected from the Cahill Family—gracious and straightforward. The contract is finalized!" With that, he extended his hand for a shake.
Moretti shook it briefly, then quickly urged, "Mr. Grim Reaper, please save the Godfather. He's... he's almost gone."
Above Antonio's head, his remaining lifespan had dwindled to just ten seconds—and it was still running out!
It was a shocking sight.
The elderly man had closed his eyes, looking as if he were on the brink of death.
But Michael remained calm. He handed over a piece of paper with a bank account number written on it.
"Transfer the money to this account within one day."
A young man nearby, Marco, with blue-dyed hair, quickly took the paper and promised, "Of course! I guarantee the money will be transferred within three hours!"
Satisfied, Michael nodded. He then walked to Antonio's side, and all eyes in the room were now on him.
With a motion of his hand toward Antonio, as though infusing him with something. A miraculous thing happened.
Under the watchful gazes of everyone present, Antonio, who had just moments ago been on the brink of death and completely motionless, began to stir as if he had been reborn. His once pale, paper-like face gradually regained its color, and a sense of vitality returned to him.
"Ugh…" A weak groan escaped his lips.
The results were immediate. As they watched Antonio visibly improve before their eyes, everyone around him gasped in amazement. A woman covered her mouth. "Oh my God..."
Michael's expression remained calm. He had successfully transferred one year of life into Antonio's body.
Name: Antonio
Age: 93
Remaining Lifespan: 365 days
The members of the Cahill Family were overcome with excitement, their gratitude overflowing. Moretti's eyes began to tremble as he turned around and spoke with emotion, "Mr. Grim Reaper, thank—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Moretti realized that Michael had already disappeared. The spot where he had stood moments ago was now empty.
The entire room had returned to normal time flow. The group of armed men was left bewildered. A transaction had occurred right before their eyes, but they knew nothing about it. All they remembered was that someone had come. But he vanished almost as quickly as he appeared. They couldn't even tell what had happened.
"Mr. Grim Reaper... where is he?" Moretti asked, confused.
At that moment, Marco approached. "Uncle, Grim Reaper is gone. Before he left, he took my number and said he'd contact me later. He also told me to make sure I kept my promise. After saying that, he vanished like lightning..."
Moretti was taken aback. After a brief pause, he nodded. Only a few core members of the Cahill Family knew about this, and they would keep it quiet. He would give further instructions soon.
"What... happened?" An elderly voice spoke. Surrounded by others, Antonio, in his wheelchair, raised his head and opened his eyes.
The man who had seemed as frail as a withered old tree now appeared much more alert: "I saw the angels come to take me. But why did I suddenly wake up? It felt like someone was here just now."
Moretti quickly stepped forward and explained everything, detailing the transaction and its terms.
After listening, Antonio's expression shifted between surprise and seriousness, his emotions fluctuating. "There's really such an existence in this world?"