In a large mall that was still under construction, inside a cramped and makeshift contractor's office built only as a temporary workspace...
A young man was standing in line, waiting to receive his monthly salary like the other workers.
"Tom Brady... please come in!"
Hearing his name called, Tom immediately entered the treasurer's office and sat in front of the beautiful woman sitting across from him.
After counting and waiting for a moment, the woman finally took out a sum of money Tom's monthly salary.
"Here's your salary for this month. The total is $2.300 singapore dollar."
Tom took the money and immediately counted it.
After making sure the amount was correct, he looked up and asked the beautiful woman, who wore cute glasses, sitting in front of him.
"Ms. Dewi, why is my salary only 2.300? Didn't I work the full month?"
Tom was supposed to receive S$3,600,. Naturally, he wanted to know why his salary had been deducted without any explanation.
He had worked hard from morning until evening as a construction laborer on the mall project in his town. He needed every bit of his salary to survive.
"Didn't you read the notice outside?"
"No, Ms. Dewi. What's the problem?"
Ms. Dewi sighed and began explaining why Tom's salary had been cut.
"Listen, Tom, every worker and employee had their salary deducted this month because of issues with cable installation and some damaged materials."
Tom who worked in manual labor, wasn't happy about his salary being reduced for something that had nothing to do with him.
He knew he hadn't made any mistakes, and there were no issues in his department.
Frustrated, he protested to Ms. Dewi.
"But that's not my problem, ma'am. The damaged materials aren't from my section. Why should all employees suffer because of someone else's mistake?"
Ms. Dewi narrowed her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed by his complaint.
The incredibly attractive woman, dressed in a tight office outfit and cute glasses, spoke in a slightly sharp tone.
"That's not my problem either. I'm just doing my job. If you want to complain, take it up with the construction manager." She crossed her arms over her chest.
Tom swallowed hard. Ms. Dewi's curves looked even more stunning when she was angry.
But knowing that the construction manager was notorious for his temper, Tom decided to let it go.
It wasn't because he was afraid—but because he worried about getting fired. The construction manager was known for firing people on a whim.
"Alright, ma'am... I'll take my leave."
Tom left the office with his reduced salary.
Before he could even reach home, two debt collectors spotted him. Seeing him try to avoid them, they immediately smirked and approached him.
"Finally, we found you... Pay up!"
"Sir, I haven't received my salary yet. Can I pay later?"
Tom tried to make an excuse, knowing full well that this month's wages needed to go toward his younger brother's hospital bills.
But the debt collectors knew better. They were aware that Tom had just been paid, which was why they came straight to him.
"Don't try to lie, Tom. We know you just got paid. Now, hand over the interest."
One of them grabbed Tom's shirt collar, forcing him to pay up.
It wasn't even the loan itself just the interest.
Tom had once borrowed 100 thousand Singapore dollars from a notorious loan shark in the area, Big Mama. And he deeply regretted it.
That 100 thousand Singapore dollars had now ballooned into a 1 million debt.
Even worse, it kept growing.
Tom could only afford to pay 500 in interest every month. He had no choice but to accept his fate.
"Damn it… filthy loan sharks," he muttered as he walked home.
When he finally arrived at his tiny rented house in a slum area, Tom immediately took a shower and prepared to visit his sick brother in the hospital.
As the water ran down his body, Tom reminisced about his past a life of wealth and luxury.
Tom Brady had once been the son of a wealthy businessman. But he lost everything when his father's new wife took all of their family's assets.
Right after his father died in an accident, his will stated that all his wealth would be managed by his young wife.
At the time, Tom was still in school and powerless to fight back.
But the moment she got what she wanted, his father's new wife threw Tom and his younger brother out onto the streets.
Thinking about it again made Tom's blood boil.
He didn't mind living a tough life but his younger brother, Johan, was weak and often sick.
Their harsh living conditions had worsened Johan's tuberculosis. Now, he was in critical condition, requiring expensive hospital treatment.
After his shower, Tom dressed neatly and combed his hair.
He looked at himself in the cracked mirror.
A strong, masculine young man stared back.
His light brown eyes shone with determination. His dark, messy hair was slightly long. His tall, lean body was toned from years of hard labor.
His tanned skin, the result of working under the scorching sun every day, didn't take away from his good looks.
Tom had the distinct features of someone from an elite lineage a face that could make any woman turn her head.
Once he was ready, he headed to the hospital.
On the way, he stopped by a bookstore and bought a novel as a small gift for his brother.
He picked one at random. Fantasy stories weren't really his thing, and he wouldn't have time to read anyway.
Just as he was about to enter the hospital, his old, beat-up phone rang.
The caller ID showed it was from his secret agent contact.
"Hello?"
"Tom, we have a client for you. Come to the hotel now don't be late."
Tom hesitated for a moment before responding.
"Can I come an hour later? I was just about to visit my brother."
"It's up to you, but the pay is big this time. The client is from high society."
Hearing that, Tom immediately changed direction, running toward the Blue Star Hotel where he worked at night.
"I'm on my way, sir!"
Despite everything, the young man still smiled cheerfully—ready to sell his body to survive in the ruthless nightlife.