After hailing a cab from Long Island back to Chinatown, Eren didn't head straight home. Instead, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, he walked toward the main street of Chinatown, home to its largest supermarkets and shops.
With the weekend almost over, Eren decided to stop by the mall and buy a safe. After all, his backpack now held a stock transfer contract worth over a hundred billion dollars. He felt it would be almost disrespectful not to enclose such a valuable document in a proper safe.
Smirking at the thought, Eren made his way toward the main intersection of Chinatown.
Chinatown was vast, divided into several sections: Left Street, Right Street, Upper Street, and Lower Street, with the main intersection serving as the central hub. Eren's three-story apartment building was located on the western edge of Lower Street.
These names, of course, were terms coined by the Chinese residents themselves.
Before Eren could reach the main street, a chubby hand suddenly smacked his rear from behind.
"Smack!"
The loud, unmistakable sound of skin-on-skin contact echoed, causing heads to turn. The hand, belonging to none other than Doug Wang, had landed squarely on the leather-skirt-clad backside of a passing woman.
"Ahhh! Pervert!"
The woman's high-pitched scream pierced the air, followed by the sharp sound of a slap as she landed a solid strike on Doug's round face.
"N-No... I didn't mean to..." Doug stammered, clutching his reddened cheek. But before he could explain further, the furious woman stormed off, leaving him standing amidst a crowd of onlookers.
The surrounding crowd quickly cast disdainful looks at Doug, their eyes filled with judgment, as if he were some irredeemable scoundrel.
Amid the disapproving gazes, however, a subtle mix of envy and admiration glimmered in the eyes of several male bystanders. They marveled at Doug's audacity and secretly envied the sensation his hand must have felt. A few older men even seemed to wish they could trade places with him.
After all, the woman in the leather skirt had a stunning figure that left more than a few jaws slack.
"Ugh! Pervert! So disgusting! Let's stay away from that sleazy guy," one young woman muttered to her friend, glaring at Doug.
"Yes, let's go quickly."
The crowd's disdain extended to Doug as women, young and old alike, hurriedly distanced themselves from him, looking as if they feared being targeted next.
Doug, clutching his cheek and on the verge of tears, protested weakly. "I'm not a pervert! I didn't mean to touch her... her... butt!"
A short distance away, Eren sidestepped the chubby boy's wandering hand, crossing his arms as he watched the scene unfold with an amused smile.
Doug, catching sight of Eren's smirking face, turned bright red. Humiliation and frustration bubbled up inside him.
"Ahhh! My reputation is ruined! I'll get you for this, Eren!"
With a roar, Doug charged at Eren, his chubby hands outstretched toward his friend's neck.
Eren easily sidestepped the attack and rolled his eyes. Ignoring the commotion, he resumed walking toward his destination.
Despite the humiliation, Doug wasn't one to give up. Fueled by indignation, he chased after Eren, determined to vent his frustrations.
After several dozen meters, Eren glanced over his shoulder at the panting Doug and said, "Alright, that's enough. Stop pretending."
"Pretending? I'm not pretending!" Doug huffed. "Ugh, my reputation! If my dad finds out, he's going to kill me with a frying pan!"
Though Chinatown was large, gossip traveled fast. A juicy scandal could spread from one end to the other within hours. Doug knew that if his hot-tempered father heard about him being labeled a pervert for smacking a woman's butt, he'd be in deep trouble.
"So, how did it feel?" Eren asked suddenly, his voice dripping with mockery.
Doug's mind instinctively recalled the fleeting moment of contact, and he blurted out, "It was bouncy—"
"Serves you right!" Eren interrupted with a smirk, resuming his walk.
Realizing what he had just said, Doug's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. He wished he could disappear into the ground.
After a while, Doug managed to compose himself and caught up to Eren.
"Eren, what's with the backpack? Where are you headed? It's been ages since I've seen you out and about."
Doug's curiosity wasn't unfounded. It had been so long since he'd seen Eren in public that when he spotted him in the crowd earlier, he couldn't resist sneaking up to prank him. Unfortunately, his attempt had gone awry, leading to his current predicament.
"I'm just out to buy a safe," Eren replied casually.
"A safe? You should've come to me!" Doug exclaimed, puffing out his chest. "My uncle sells safes. If you're serious, I can take you to him. He'll give you the best discount."
Eren's eyes lit up. "Your uncle sells safes? Alright, take me there."
Eren wasn't particularly enticed by the discount but appreciated the reliability of buying from someone recommended by a friend. At least the quality would be trustworthy.
"Sure thing, but what do you need a safe for?" Doug asked as they walked. "Just so you know, my uncle's safes are top-tier, so even at cost price, they're not cheap. Don't blame me if you think it's too expensive and feel like you wasted your trip."
(End of Chapter)
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