THE POWER OF GOD'S COIN

Chapter 4 - Two Million Dollar or Life

In the afternoon, after finishing work—before the loan sharks came back, Richard rushed to the gold shop. All night he couldn't sleep peacefully thinking about the coin he accidentally found. His hopes grew bigger if what he found was indeed a gold coin. If it's true, then that coin will help him a little to survive.

Upon arriving at the jewelry store, Richard is greeted by the shopkeeper with a cynical and suspicious look. Perhaps it was the clothes he was wearing and the vigilance of loan sharks who might be able to follow him. Richard had only turned cautious and alert, but apparently a middle-aged man who had an authentic face with narrowed eyes, looked at him intensely.

"Can I help you?"

"Can you check this metal?" Richard asked while giving the coin to the shopkeeper.

The squinty-eyed man still stared with suspicion as if he were saying that the man wearing a black coat and a black hat might be a criminal intent on stealing in his shop. But his suspicions gradually subsided when he saw a coin-shaped gold metal that looked so unique. Curiosity made him wear glasses immediately so that he could see them clearly.

"How can anyone get this?"

"You don't need to know. Is metal gold?" asked Richard.

The man who owned the store seemed unacceptable with Richard's sarcastic answer until he put the coin back on and said, "No, it's just plain metal."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. But if you look at this coin it looks very unique. Did you get it from an antique girlfriend? Or the black market? It's like dynastic money …" he said, looking so excited when he looked back at the coin.

However, Richard immediately snatched the coin from the hand of a narrow-eyed man who had been rude to him just because of his appearance.

"It's none of your business." said the cynic Richard, who then turned his body around—stepping to go find another store.

"Can you sell it to me?”

The question immediately made Richard stop his pace—still a moment. It seems that the man seems to know about the unique coin he has in his hand today. This indicates that the gold coins he found were not just any ordinary coins.

Richard turned his body back and said, "Why? Why should I sell it to you?"

"I'm an antique collector. This is the first time I've seen such a unique gold coin? If you sell it to me, I'll give you the price you want." said the man who owns the store so casually and calmly.

But the man's attitude made Richard feel something was wrong and a little bit stifled. The squinty-eyed man is very suspicious. The gold shop Richard went to opened up a big one. Just a simple little gold shop. Indeed he saw some antiques displayed in every corner and wall of the store. But somehow his feelings seemed to tell himself not to interfere with someone who looked calm, neat and simple.

"Looks like what you said was right. There's a lot of antiques here. But I won't sell it" Richard said.

The shopkeeper looked grinning and said, "Didn't you come because you needed money? If the coin were gold, you'd sell it to me, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, it's true. But I think I'm making my point." Richard said in a seductive tone to provocate the owner of the store.

"I'll give you one million dollars if you sell it to me," said the man who owns the store, trying to offer a huge amount of money just for an old metal that looks worthless.

This made Richard's eyes widen—surprised to hear the nominal amount of money offered. For a while, he was caught up with money, but his instinct seemed to encourage him not to easily give the coin to the shop owner. It's impossible for a simple gold store owner to have that kind of money. Richard's suspicions are getting stronger if the shopkeeper isn't a regular guy.

"A million dollars? Wow, it's amazing!" said Richard in a flat expressionless tone of speech.

The look on the shop owner's face seemed upset—fished by Richard's words that deliberately mocked his seriousness.

"Are you really sure what you're saying?" he asked.

"Is that a threat?"

The shop owner suddenly burst into laughter like he was watching something very funny when the current situation is not funny but full of tension. Like a cold war. Strike each other delicately but can hurt the opponent.

"You're a funny guy, yes, I like your attitude." said the shop owner—still chuckling—removed the tears from laughing too hard until the tears came out.

His facial expression can change so quickly like a psychopath who appears in a movie. The dark and cold aura began to fill the room when the man who owned the shop stood still while staring straight at Richard. Her body shrivels when it feels uncomfortable. Maybe Richard's facial expression seemed so calm. But the look in his eyes that shook — made his hands tremble.

"I offered you a pretty big money, but you refused? That kind of money can change your life a lot more comfortable, right? Maybe this could be your chance to change your life? I bet people like you never see that kind of money, do they?"

"No, it's not. Thank you for your kindness. But I don't think I'm going to sell this coin." Richard said, changing the tone much more politely out of fear.

"All right. If that's what you choose. Have a nice day." he said with a smile full of mystery.

Richard was silent for a while trying to understand the store owner's smile and gaze that made him feel like something was creepy. Before anything happened to him, Richard rushed to leave because of a strong sense of uneasiness as if he was looking for his life.

The shopkeeper picked up a cell phone, called someone. His face looked so serious as if he was planning something to avenge a stranger who had underestimated him.

"He's out, get him! Remember to catch him alive!"

The phone line was immediately turned off after dropping orders to the men he belonged to. True as Richard thought, if that narrow-eyed guy wasn't a regular guy. His simple appearance as a warrior of antiquities, second-hand goods and gold was just a perfect disguise to mask his true identity.

Richard's bad feeling was right.

When Richard made it out of the gold store, some people secretly followed him. Perhaps because having some experience of always being attacked by loan sharks secretly from behind, he became less sensitive to the pursuit situation.

"Shit, why are there so many of them? "What's wrong with this gold coin?" Richard murmured trying to stay calm while drawing up a plan to escape.