Chapter 4: Getting Paid Handsomely For One Year!

The man who had allowed him to enter immediately walked in.

"Emma. He had always been hoping to live long enough to see her get married. It was a promise he made to her, but unfortunately..."

"He won’t be able to keep it," the man said.

"He will," Ryan gave him a sharp look and said, and the man’s eyes glinted.

By the time Ryan turned back to the dying man who had...

[40 seconds...]

[39 seconds...]

[38 seconds...]

...left to live, he immediately began.

"How much are you willing to pay for a year?"

With the way things looked, it appeared that the old man was too weak to move his lips anymore, and it pushed Ryan to turn toward the man.

"Uhhh... Anything. We have the money. A hundred thousand dollars? Two hundred? Three hundred? Anything. We are the famous Lincoln Family. We can afford anything."

"What if I tell you your father has just thirty seconds left to live?" Ryan responded.

"What? How did you know that?" His eyes lit up with fear, one that he didn’t even know how to express.

"Oh well, does that matter now?" Ryan smirked seriously and furrowed his brows, just to make the man believe that this could not be a joke.

"So now, specify... Make an agreement with me. How much are you willing to pay for a year? Because your old man would need it so, so much."

"You have twenty-five seconds now. Hurry," Ryan added.

"Okay. Three hundred thousand."

Ryan paused for a moment and nodded, then he faced the old man.

[18 seconds...]

[17 seconds...]

What was left was for the contractual process to be carried out. It was supposed to cause panic, but Ryan already understood what was needed.

[The recipient is required to make hand-to-hand contact with the seller to sign the contract, and the same way it can be terminated.]

It was something Soly had already stated, and before Ryan carried out the sale, he had inserted the duration of time he was to sell, which was just a single year.

[Time Duration For Sale: 1 Year.]

[Recipient: Andrew Lincoln.]

[Date: 23rd November 2054.]

[Sales Fee: Undisclosed.]

Ding!

[You have successfully sold One Year of your lifespan to Recipient Andrew Lincoln.]

[You have 102,999,999 Years remaining.]

Suddenly, everything seemed to have calmed down until the old man suddenly drew a sharp, striking breath from the bed, followed by strong gasps.

His eyes shot open as he gasped more, turning to the man standing right before the bed, and the man who was bending close.

"You... Saved me?" Andrew asked with his voice breaking all over.

Ryan only responded with a smile, immediately turning to the man who had agreed to pay the sum of three hundred thousand dollars.

"Can I get my pay now?"

"Sure, sure."

The man immediately brought out his phone and dialed a number. After a short ring, someone picked up from the other end.

"Yes, boss."

"Rogers, I want three hundred thousand bucks brought here in cash. Right now!" he ordered.

"Right away, boss."

It hadn’t even taken up to five minutes before two men in black suits entered the room. How they were informed of the location, Ryan had no idea about that, because all he was interested in was the money.

A briefcase was forwarded to him immediately, and Ryan exhaled deeply before grabbing it. His physical reactions could be formal and strong, but in his heart, he was feeling a sense of awe or maybe... fulfilment.

"Thank you, Mister, uhh..."

"Mister Tony. Tony is my name," the man announced.

"Thank you, Mister Tony. It’s a good deal, I guess, and I should get going," Ryan said with a smile.

"Thank you for saving my father’s life. We’ll be forever grateful for what you just did," Tony spoke, the sincerity in his expression clear.

"Don’t mention it. You paid for it," Ryan cut in. "But note that it was supposed to be a pay-before-service situation. I had to do it because he was running out of time."

Ryan said playfully as he walked out the door and soon disappeared from their sight.

As soon as he left, Tony quickly rushed to the old man, who now looked very much alive and strong, still examining himself in shock.

"I’m alive, son. How did he save me?" Andrew asked.

"It’s still a mystery to me, father. I don’t know how," Tony replied.

"Ow... I feel very much stronger, like I was a year ago. He must be a magician. Send a group to trail him and find out where he lives, his background, and everything about him."

"I will do that, father," Tony said as he immediately stood up and approached the men outside.

And with a nod, a clear order was given to them, and they moved immediately.

******

Meanwhile, walking right back to Mining Street with a fired-up face and magnificent steps was Ryan Calender.

He wasn’t just amazed by how his first sale went, but by how he had suddenly obtained three hundred thousand dollars.

With the way Ryan’s emotions had reacted, it meant that it was pretty good money, and it was enough to change their lives!

Ryan arrived at the apartment only to see Mister Broke standing right at their door. He was taking a look at his wristwatch and tapping one foot on the cement floor, impatient with every passing minute.

Ryan already understood that the three hours were up, and this time, it was either he paid or got sent out.

"Very good. I’ve come for my money, boy," Mister Broke immediately walked over after sighting him.

For the first time ever, Ryan wasn’t startled by his approach. He was always flinching the moment he saw Mister Broke around, but today...

Today was different.

Today, he had the money to pay for the rent.

"Good evening, Mr. Broke," Ryan greeted with a calm smile.

"There’s nothing good about the evening, boy. Now pay up," Mr. Broke answered harshly, but it was exactly something that Ryan wasn’t concerned about.

He quickly opened the briefcase, brought out twenty bundles of one hundred dollar notes, and handed them over.

"That’s two thousand dollars, Mr. Broke. That should be several times the amount we are owing, but don’t worry. I want you to keep everything."

"Maybe it could go a long way to help you renovate your apartment... Maybe not," Ryan smirked.

Everything Ryan was saying hadn’t even registered in Mister Broke’s mind at that moment, as he stood awed, staring at the cash.

"You mean, you are giving me all this?" Mister Broke asked, his eyes sharp with shock.

Ryan nodded.

"You have done enough to be patient with us. Though you might have been a pain in the ass, you aren’t that cruel after all," he stated.

Mister Broke could only stare in confusion. He would look at the cash in his hands and then look at the young man he once thought would never get a penny to pay his rent.

He wasn’t just shocked...

He was completely dumbfounded.

"For this, I’ll let you and your sister stay for as long as you want. No more rent, no more bills. You will have the room permanently," Mister Broke announced.

That could have been out of delight, but he visibly meant it so much that his expression showed every bit of it.

However...

"You don’t have to worry, Mister Broke. My sister and I will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. So the room is yours. Get a new tenant and pocket their rent," Ryan said boldly.

"It’ll be worth it, trust me," Ryan said, giving a quiet tap on the man’s shoulder before entering the room.

When he entered, he saw Emily already fast asleep, and it was something he had already expected.

She didn’t stay up at night for long, and often didn’t even wake up so early. It was something the real Ryan had been used to.

He went ahead and sat at the edge of the bed, stared at her beautiful pale face, and let out a small smile.

"Henceforth, you will live a good life. You will live longer than anyone in this world would. You will no longer be soaked in poverty and suffering."

"And most importantly, you will forever be proud of having Ryan as your brother."